2nd Day
Monday, 22nd March 2016
MSOI Torino
MSOI thePost
DAILY EU MODEL
The Member States addressed the question of how the procedures for identification, dissuasion, and punishment of foreign fighters could be further improved. Despite the general climate of convergence among Member States, this issue brought up a fundamental question about whether to reach the goal through an enhanced cooperation and exchange of information between Member States or, on the other hand, by further empowering the single nations’ judicial systems.
The First Session of the Council of the European Union took place today at Campus Luigi Einaudi. The Commissioner introduced the topic of foreign fighters by illustrating the articles and the proposals that compose the basis on which all the delegates would have then discuss. Particular attention was drawn to the need to implement the European directive on this issue.
After the lunch break, the delegates developed their positions about the fund issue, and particularly about whether to destine it to protect people or to fight against terrorism, by establishing an army or a specific unit. A challenging issue upon which an agreement was reached was Article 4, which concerns the people with links to terrorist organizations:
During the first Committee Session of the day, which started at 9 a.m., each delegation presented a 3-minute speech. The discourse illustrated the position and the interests of the represented country. Delegates stressed the urgency and relevance of the issue, way more significant after the tragic Brussels events in the morning. As the day went on, the delegates developed their strategies and established alliances with each other according to everyone’s respective internal politics. Special focus was devoted to Article 9, which concerns the topic of traveling across Europe, and the hypothesis of a freedom limitation for suspected terrorists.
specific measures of punishment have then been discussed, in terms of different years of penalties according to the degree of engagement in an attack.Â
importance of tackling media and the Internet expansion of terrorism, sources that were defined as fundamental in blocking the growth of the foreign fighters’ phenomenon. The Q&A moment emphasized some skeptical positions among the parties, as the rapporteur of Europe for Freedom and Direct Democracy showed several times. “Is religious terrorism more important than political terrorism?” asked in a very provocative way.
TURIN - On Tuesday morning the delegates have moved to Campus Luigi Einaudi in order to effectively start the first working session of the EU Model 2016.
Soon after it, the position speeches declared the point of view of each party. The right-wing groups such as the European People’s Party, the Conservatives and Europe of Nations and Freedom pushed towards an implementation of security measures and control on internal borders, even proposing a revision of double-nationality passports laws. The left-wing, however, was strongly determinate to elicit cooperation while
At 9 a.m. the Members of the Parliament met at the Blue Graduation Room of CLE in order to be roll-called and split up among the respective group parties. The floor was first given to the Commission, who spent some touching words in regard to the Bruxelles’ double attacks occurred this morning. Concerning the gravity of the facts as well as the direct bonds with the topic of the session, every MP was particularly thrilled and sensitive about them. The following explanation of the Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on Combating Terrorism was clearly articulated by commissioner Luca Feltrin. What the Commission tried to convey was the fundamental importance of finding and agreeing a minimum threshold of common rules to be applied within the whole EU. “It is not an attack on national sovereignty”, pointed out Feltrin. Other important instances dealt with a clear definition of Terrorist Group, a well developed strategy in order to safeguard the rights of the victims of terrorist attacks, both on the moral side and the economic one and possible sanctions and criterias of criminalization to be adopted. The Commission eventually highlighted the
pushing on concrete actions on external borders rather than internal. These kind of disagreement continued as the drafting of amendments began. During unmoderated caucus, each party brought forward its opinions and proposal, struggling to find a common guideline in regard to the duration of the penalty for foreign fighters, the closure of internal borders and the conflict between security and individual privacy. Tomorrow all the amendments will be discussed. See you tomorrow at 9 AM and keep following the EU Model Torino 2016!