Motion for a resolution by the Committee on Culture and Education CULT

Past the Boomers’ Era: With an unprecedented shift to online learning impacting the way students learn across the EU, how can we “update” educational systems to fit the digital age guaranteeing equal access and promotion of digital literacy across the EU? Chaired byJo Papadopoulou(GR)

The European Youth Parliament aims to improve the quality of digital education We aim to provide equal online learning opportunities to all learners regardless of their area of residence and/or socio-economic background. Finally, we aim to fight digital illiteracy across all Member States.

• Taking into account the shift towards online learning brought by social distancing and protective measures to combat the pandemic, • Acknowledging the challenges accompanying the transition to a digital environment, • Keeping in mind that online learning was not widely implemented prior to the pandemic, • Aware of the varying levels of internet access across the EU, • Noting with regret that more than 20% of young people do not possess basic digital skills, • Alarmed by the fact that only 39% of teachers in the EU felt well prepared for online learning, • Recognising the digital gap and inequalities related to socio-economic backgrounds and living location, • Considering that not all students’ home environments allow for distance learning, • Further aware of the steps required to ensure accessibility of education for students with learning disabilities, • Deeply concerned by the lack of sufficient funds allocated towards education;

The European Youth Parliament,

1. Appreciates the effort of the European Commission to enhance digital skills and offer high-quality education through the Digital Education Plan 2021-2027; 2. Invites the European Commission to: a. conduct research on the current state of online learning and the experiences of learners and teachers alike through online surveys, b. use the data collected to create a “Digital Education” Index to showcase the quality of digital educational systems and offersuggestions for their improvement, c. invest in further research and development of online learning platforms and tools,

d. financially aid Member States for the provision of digital education workshops presenting the results of the research; 3. Invites the European Commission to: a. conduct research on the current state of online learning and the experiences of learners and teachers alike through online surveys, b. use the data collected to create a “Digital Education” Index to showcase the quality of digital educational systems and offersuggestions for their improvement, c. invest in further research and development of online learning platforms and tools, d. financially aid Member States for the provision of digital education workshops presenting the results of the research; 4. Asks Member States to closer collaborate and share good practices on the use of digital tools and implementation of digital plans for education; 5. Further instructs Member States to allocate funds from the EU Recovery Plan towards: a. providing low income and rural families with the necessary tools for digital education (e.g. electronic devices), b. improving their digital infrastructure, especially in less developed areas, with the assistance of the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (REGIO); 6. Recommends Member States to bridge the digital gap by: a. providing digital literacy classes in school for students, b. organising trainings focused on online learning methods and the use of digital tools for educators; 7. Proposes Member States to open libraries and community centers with proper restriction measures for students without internet or computer access to carry out their learning responsibilities; 8. Further encourages educators to educate themselves on how to make online learning accessible for a. students with various disabilities, b. students coming from disadvantageous family backgrounds; 9. Suggests Member States to raise awareness on the importance of online learning tools and their application for students, educators and the general public through workshops.

Motion for a resolution by the Committee on Industry, Technology and Research –ITRE

Energising the society: With the citizens and local communities playing an active role in energy transition and the Green Deal ambitions, how can we ensure the participation of the youth and of marginalised people in energy decision-making policies and empower active energy citizenship? Chaired byMaria Kalampaliki(GR)

The European Youth Parliament aims to democratize energy transition by including the citizens and communities in the dialogue and linking more explicitly the European Green Deal to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Recognising the vital role of educating the citizens, we aim to transform the european way of life by adopting measures in key areas, such as education, transport and energy, towards a sustainable future and a more democratic and inclusive policy making.

• Taking into account the shift towards online learning brought by social distancing and protective measures to combat the pandemic, • Acknowledging the challenges accompanying the transition to a digital environment, • Keeping in mind that online learning was not widely implemented prior to the pandemic, • Aware of the varying levels of internet access across the EU, • Noting with regret that more than 20% of young people do not possess basic digital skills, • Alarmed by the fact that only 39% of teachers in the EU felt well prepared for online learning, • Recognising the digital gap and inequalities related to socio-economic backgrounds and living location, • Considering that not all students’ home environments allow for distance learning, • Further aware of the steps required to ensure accessibility of education for students with learning disabilities, • Deeply concerned by the lack of sufficient funds allocated towards education;

The European Youth Parliament,

1. Strongly encourages National Governments to engage the youth in the decisionmaking processes through the promotion of self-organised, institutionally recognised, well-resourced and accountable opportunities for participation; 2. Calls upon the creation of regional or local councils on Energy and Climate Change with the support of Regional Authorities and the Committee of the Regions; 3. Invites the European Commission and newly established Council on Energy and

Climate to facilitatethe creation of regional and local councils on Energy and

Climate across Member States;

4. Urges the European Commission to establish the European Council on Energy and

Climate consisting of citizens and relevant NGOs; 5. Encourages the collaboration on a European level of the existing nongovernmental organisations, civil society and research institutes of Member States to ensure that everyone is given ownership and responsibility in the energy transition, and in reaching climate justice; 6. Asks Member Statesto Improve citizens’ opportunities to engage in local decisionmaking by supporting the organisation of events similar to the Citizens’ Energy

Forum across different regions; 7. Calls upon the European Commission to Incorporate youth and other marginalised groups in the Conference for the Future of Europe; 8. Calls upon the European Commission to help make energy transition accessible for the public through the establishment of a platform of Popular Science related to energy; 9. Further recommends Member States to invest in the development of national educational programmes fit for the digital age to promote the understanding and engagement to energy related topics; 10. Calls upon the European Commission to allocate further funds towards the development and implementation of renewable energy technologies, while ensuring pan-European accessibility and pragmatic application in rural areas of the EU; 11. Urges the Member States to further align their national strategies to achieve the

SDGs and closely monitor progress towards achieving the SDGs.

Motion for a resolution by the Committee on Women’sRights and Gender Equality –FEMM

Who is afraid of Virginia Woolf? : With recent reports highlighting the gendered impact of the Covid-19 crisis disproportionally against women, how can we ensure an equal and inclusive recovery? Chaired byKatie Breeds(UK)

The European Youth Parliament aims to reduce the differential effects that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on women, such as supporting the recovery of industries with majorityfemale workforces, mitigating the increased care burden in the home, building stronger violence prevention programmes and investing in female health.

• Fully aware that female unemployment (8%) is higher than male unemployment (7.2%) as of October 2020, • Concerned that the unemployment gap is expected to widen, • Noting with deep concern that mostly women step down from their jobs to take on care responsibilities for children and elderly relatives, • Alarmed by industries with majority-female workforces, such as retail and hospitality, experiencing the greatest job losses as a result of measures to prevent disease transmission, such as lockdowns, • Further noting that previous economic recovery plans centered around protecting jobs in industries with majority-male workforces, such as construction, • Profoundly concerned by the sharp rise in domestic violence since the start of the

COVID-19 pandemic • Deeply alarmed by the impact the rise of domestic violence had on persistently under-funded violence prevention services, • Bearing in mind that less than 2.5% of medical research is dedicated to women’s reproductive health, • Taking into account that 1 in 3 women will suffer from a reproductive or gynaecological health problem in their lifetime, • Further noting that over half of menstruating women report a change in their cycles since the beginning of the pandemic;

The European Youth Parliament,

1. Regrets that the EU Recovery Plan does not address the challenges faced by women as a result of the 2020 pandemic year, nor reference gender equality issues; 2. Urges the EU to integrate gender equality into all investments and programmes, with clear, measurable targets and goals following the example of Canada’s

Gender Budgeting Act;

3. Encourages Member States to invest in industries with majority-female workforces, such as the care sector, which will see a higher financial return and facilitate women back into employment; 4. Appreciates the European Parliament’s calls to Member States to provide financial incentives to men to do flexible working, so care responsibilities to children and elderly relatives are more evenly shared; 5. Condemns that no Member State has adisaster plan to deal with surges in violence against women during times of natural disasters and pandemics; 6. Appeals to Member States to play an active role in building up violence prevention services and schemes to support victims of domestic violence through: a. allocating funding to helplines and shelters, b. passing legislation to protect victims of violence; 7. Welcomes the University of Oxford’s recently launched,large-scale study of the impact of the pandemic on women’s reproductive health; 8. Requests the European Commission to help decrease the gender health gap and the differential levels of funding allocated to female health in medical research through the establishment of a fund for research into female health.