NSC Fribourg Welcome Edition by Sabrina M

The Spark

Welcome Edition Fribourg 2014 - National Selection Conference of EYP Switzerland

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Con tent

The Spark

Media Team of Fribourg 2014 Editors Veronika Datzer, Germany Sabrina ariana Mellerowic, Germany William Goyet, Video Editor, France

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Journalists Julia Badertscher, Switzerland Anna Barkemeyer, Germany Jacqueline Björklund, Sweden Amy Campo mc evoy, Spain Siebe Geerts, Belgium Andreas Selvig Ødegård, Norway Manon schürch, switzerland George ross, United kingdom Emirhan tekin, turkey Paula Villalba, spain

4 A letter from the editors 6 Meet the media team

8 AFCO: Scottish Independence - a good idea? 10

AFET: Can modi compromise on human rights?

12 DEVE: Europe and its supply chains

14 DROI: Xenophobia: Are Roma Minorities Victims? 16 ECON: Austerity: a method that made the recession longer and tougher

18 EMPL: Between experience and money 20 ENVI: Curing the health system 22 LIBE I: Secrets kept behind borders

24 LIBE II: Big Brother: Always watching you, or watching your back? 26 libe III: Quotes for integrity 28 Dossier: First EYP Experience 30 prepare to be flabbergasted 32 F.R.I.E.N.D.s 34 Crash course on the european union3 1# The Spark

A letter from the editors

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Sabrina Ariana Mellerowic

Veronika Datzer

attended her first EYP session together with Veronika in Febuary 2012. She loves photography, design, water as well as winter-sports. Fribourg 2014 marks the end of a gap year mainly used for attending EYP sessions for Sabrina. She is now very much looking forward to starting University in her home country, Germany, to study Psychology.

From Freiburg to Fribourg. Veronika studies Liberal Arts and Sciences in the German Fribourg. At this NSC, she will co-edit with Sabrina, her former high school class mate. Veronika likes coffee, cats, red things and Jack Kerouac. And most of all, she likes hugs. In case you pass her right now, she would appreciate one.

What is The Spark? â&#x20AC;&#x153;I would like to say to people, open your eyes and find beauty where you normally don't expect it.â&#x20AC;? - Jean Paul Gaultier One afternoon in May the two of us met to share what the past months had been like, to talk about EYP, friends, life. We met with no intentions for Fribourg and yet, out of the blue, we came up with the idea to apply for this session. We knew from the very beginning that we were very keen on jointly attending this EYP session, making new friends, meeting old ones, and ending our summer by spending a week in Switzerland. And so The Spark began. It started as an idea, evolved into an application, selection, planning, proofreading, layouting, editing. This newspaper: The Welcome Edition. But, you might wonder, what is THE SPARK? As most EYP sessions, Fribourg consists of four main groups of participants. First of all there are the delegates, the organisers, and chairs. Also, there is the media team, which will provide you with media coverage throughout the session. Our team is The Spark and we are here to inspire, inform, challenge, and create.

We are aware that we have set our goals rather high. What we are attempting to achieve with this edition is first of all to prepare you. Prepare you academically and personally. We want to encourage you to come to this session without bias and without assumptions. Why so? A lot has been said about this session or EYP, by your teachers, students from your school who already experienced a session, by the welcome booklet, the organisers etc. You have heard a lot about this world of the European Youth Parliament. We attempt to open your eyes for the session itself not by creating images or stereotyped ideas previous to the session but by absorbing the experiences that this event will provide. Try to approach the days in Fribourg as openminded as possible, try out things you thought you would never do, challenge yourself more than in your daily lives. This may all sound strange now, but after the session, when you read this again, you will probably understand better what we are talking about. If you decide to continue with EYP and attend more sessions you will definitely know what we are talking about.

Beauty is relative. Beauty is encompassing. Beauty is all around us. Look up, open your eyes and do not think out of the box. There is no box.

Yours, Sabrina & Veronika

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Amy Campo Mc Evoy

Andreas Selvig Ødegård

is half English half Spanish, yet wherever she goes people argue she looks foreign. She spent the best three years of her life in Turkey, the country which made her start enjoying photography, art, languages and travelling. Amy is now studying International Relations, languages and business in England and hopes to work fighting for human rights one day. She loves chocolate. Committee: LIBE I

is 18 years old and lives in Oslo, Norway. He is about to start his third and final year of upper secondary school. Andreas started EYP in autumn 2013 at the Norwegian nationals. Fribourg is his fourth session and second as a journalist. Besides school he volunteers for Amnesty International, something he personally finds very rewarding. His favourite edible thing in the world is ice cream. Committee: AFET

Paula Villalba

Jacqueline Björklund

comes from Spain. She just finished her first year of medical school in Madrid and hopeds to become a psychiatrist. She has already lived in London and Toronto. Whenever she is not learning the name of a muscle or an artery, you can find her training in the swimming pool. She has a soft spot for romantic comedies, always watching with a box of tissues by her side. Committee: ENVI

comes from Sweden and her personal spark is drawing. Whether it is to waste time during math class, or instead of doing what she should be doing. Even though she is a bit of a perfectionist, and even though she almost never gets satisfied with what she draws, it is a great way to get some creativity out of her system. Committee: ECON

Siebe Geerts

Manon Schürch

thinks that there is not much to say about him. Those things worth mentioning will be noticed quite soon during the session since he tends to be loud and therefore very present. His favorite pass-time in between writing articles is pranking first-time delegates. Apart from that he mainly enjoys playing rugby. Since he is not much of a loner, he tries to surround himself with people most of the time. Committee: EMPL

Laughter, jokes and dark humour. Who better to combine her favourite things than British comedy? Manon is obsessed with Monty Python and many more legendary comedians who have shaped her view of the world. Even though she has American roots, she still likes to stay true to Switzerland by stuffing her face with chocolate whenever she can. Committee: LIBE III

Emirhan Tekin

Anna Barkemeyer is 17 and from Frankfurt in Germany. She is about to finally start her last year of high school and after that she would like to go to Uni and study either biology or veterinary medicine. She absolutely loves travelling! For Anna there is nothing better than going to a new country and discovering all kinds of new things. At home she loves spending time with her friends, playing tennis, and playing with her extremely crazy cat. Committee: DEVE

comes from the capital of Turkey, Ankara. He is profoundly fond of cold weather, and one of his biggest dreams is to travel to Antarctica. He is also opting to study chemical engineering once he hits 18 years of age and graduates from high school. Emirhan is very much looking forward to the session and hopes you will have a great time in Fribourg! Committee: DROI Julia Badertscher

George Ross

is 19 years old and Swiss. She has two cats (#futurecatlady).Julia loves dancing, especially Salsa and used to love to read before she started her studies (Computer Science #nerdlife). She also enjoys an all-nightlong series marathon with good company and lots of greasy food. Fun fact about her: She absolutely craves cold mac and cheese for breakfast.

lives in Cheltenham in the UK but studies Politics in Leeds. His passions lie in creating and consuming content in a variety of ways. On the creative side he enjoys writing, photography and cooking. On the consumption side of things he loves books, film and music to name but three things. Committee: LIBE II

Committee: AFCO

William Goyet Video Editor 19 year old French engineering student, William is an EYP-addict with over 30 sessions and being active in his national committee. Without any surprise he loves video making and will make his best to create the best memories all the session participants deserve.

Meet the media team 1# The Spark

AFCO

Scottish Independence: a good idea? By Julia Badertscher 8 The spark #1

hen discussing the matter of self-determination one should not forget to assess whether the big step of independence is a wise one. On Thursday September 18, a referendum will take place. It enables the Scottish population to decide whether Scotland will become an independent country. To gain more insights, I met Norm F. Fielding, who had emigrated from Glasgow to Canada in 1971. Due to Scotland’s heavy industry slowly decreasing he saw no future in his home country. He is a strong opponent of the separation from the United Kingdom, yet he is not allowed to vote on the matter, as he does not live in Scotland anymore. Scotland has a diverse economy. If considered seperately Scotland’s unemployment rates are lower than the ones of the United Kingdom. Moreover, Scotland owns about 90% of the United Kingdom’s oil resources. Considering the income gained by the exports, the oil resources generate a large amount of the GDP. Subsequently, Scotland on its own is ranked fourteenth according to the international ranking by the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) – above the United Kingdom.

However, many Scots still fear that Scotland’s economy is not strong enough, as Mr Fielding points out. “If the oil is gone, there is barely anything left, except maybe tourism,” he says. He believes the strive for independence has a cultural, rather than an economic reason: “The Scottish people are very proud and they still hate the idea of being ruled over by those who defeated them more than 300 years ago.” Despite of his strong personal opinion, Mr Fielding does not mind that he cannot vote against Scottish independence. He thinks it is up to the citizens directly affected by the outcome of the vote on September 18. However, when asked about the future relations of a possibly independent Scotland with the European Union, Mr Fielding apprehends that all the regulations set by the EU could aggravate the growth of the new country. “How can they survive if they can’t even choose which potatoes to grow?” The upcoming referendum in Scotland illustrates that self-determination is possible. Scotland’s strive for independence will be emotional due to historical reasons. It is very likely that the outcome of the referendum be strongly influenced by biased judgement. Bearing this in mind, is separation a step into the right direction? Moreover, how can the European Union ensure that both the new state as well as the mother state do not become a financial burden for the other member states?

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AFET

Can Modi com promise on human rig hts?

On the ou tskirts of the Hima tlefields. lay 6000 me tres abov as lies one of the each othe wor es r wearily from their ea level Indian an ldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most remote Meanwhil b d Pakista positions e, ni soldier aton each s ous huma the civilians of Ka s ide of the shmir suff nr Siachen g eye er from t ical repre ights, which is rev lacier. he neglig ea ssion and ence of n sexual ab led by crimes of m division o umeruse. This ass killing f India an c , d o t o n Pakistan Council r rture, pol flict, orig in 1947 h esolution inating in ita s which h s provoke the turbu and hum ave dem lent d numero an rights. anded Ka us UN Se However shmirâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s curity , they hav e not bee self-determinatio n n implem ented.

A solution to the deep rooted dispute seems far ahead, as both India and Pakistan refuse to relinquish their claim on the whole of Kashmir. However, easing the circumstances of the inhabitants of Kashmir, notably through improving the human rights situation, might still be a tangible goal. According to Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, the Indian government is responsible for multiple and diverse human rights violations, as shown by the turmoil in Indian controlled Kashmir. The Indian police and military forces conduct inhumane interrogations and arbitrary arrests without charges. Further, they are responsible for torture, disappearances, and killings of civilians. This repression is made possible by the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from 1958. When founded, it granted Indian police and military forces effective immunity and gave them extra-legal powers in the

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provinces where the AFSPA is in effect. Even though the Indian methods are brutal, it is important to understand the underlying reasons for the execution of such cruelty. Extremist Islamists and their terror, old rivalry with Pakistan, and genuine fear of a destabilised Kashmir play important roles in the India-Kashmir relations. India has experienced several terrorist attacks conducted by extreme Islamists in the last years, most notably the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Scared by these attacks, India naturally fears that loosened control in Kashmir might enable separatists with violent Islamist sympathies to facilitate terror against India from within its own borders.

Apart from the issues addressed, India’s new leadership by Prime Minister Narendra Modi advocates a rather hard line foreign policy which might limit the EU’s influence. Modi is not the man to loosen India’s iron grip on Kashmir in face of terror. Modi depends upon showing Indians that he can strengthen India’s position, both in regard to domestic separatists and other countries, thus being tougher in negotiations both on domestic and international level.

rope in trade discussions with the EU. He must not appear weak and pliable to his own people while at the same time, he must secure the economically important Free Trade Agreement with the EU. The EU must appreciate and make use of its leverage as India’s largest trade partner, while at the same time evaluating constantly how far India can be pushed on this matter of domestic security and stability without being driven away.

According to Sadanand Dhume, a columnist for the Wall Street Journal on South Asia, Modi’s main two promises consist of strengthening the Indian economy and reviving the notion of a strong India. He further elaborates that Modi is a leader that cares for his immediate surroundings and his neighbouring countries, a leader that will respond with toughness if and when India’s strength is tested. Narendra Modi, defined by his two major political priorities - speeding up the Indian economy and creating a strong India walks a tight-

Stone Pelters in Nov. 2010

By Andr e

as Selvi

Narenda Modi

g Ødegå

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DEVE

By Anna Barkemeyer

Europe and its supply chains 12 The spark #1

on Barnes is a UK-based consultant specialising in governance and human rights in the global economy. He has worked for numerous international development NGOs as well as the international consumer movement. I asked him about his opinion on the question of how Europe can deal with ever longer supply chains and the exploitation of less regulated labour markets. Do you think that Europe is doing enough when it comes to international labour standards and sustainable development of these and if not, what should be improved? No, I believe that the EU, its member states and other European governments could do much more. It is of course positive that efforts are made to include international labour standards in trade and investment agreements. Such measures provide, at least formally, a mechanism for European governments and their developing country governments to engage in human rights dialogues. The EU and European governments need to ensure a much more balanced relationship between advancing commercial interests and promoting development as well as human rights. It will take increased public awareness, demand, and citizen coordination for this to happen. Europe also needs to strengthen the coordination of the implementation of policies to support human rights, including the protection and promotion of labour standards. Should Europe work more closely together with other influential parties on an international level? Yes. But as well as high-level policy engagement at a global level, there is much in practice that Europe and its governments can do nationally and regionally to contribute to the effectiveness of international efforts. One way of doing this would be for European governments to introduce legislation requiring com-

pliance with due diligence. This would also have advantages for the business community, which prefers to have a predictable policy environment for operations. It would create incentives for companies to strengthen their human rights performance across the board. In which situation do you see Europe and also the rest of the world ten years from now when it comes to labour standards? Ideally, over the next ten years, Europe should move away from a reliance on the voluntary approach of corporate social responsibility. It should rather move towards an approach in which the valuable lessons of multi-stakeholder engagement in such initiatives can be used to inform the design and introduction of appropriate and effective binding policy measures. This step should ensure business compliance with their human rights responsibilities. Europe, with its international partners, would also have main-streamed mandatory reporting by businesses on their human rights impact so that shareholders, policy-makers, parliamentarians, civil society and the media have the meaningful information they need to monitor companiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; performance. In short, the emergence of political leadership, public awareness, and pressure are not mutually exclusive processes but can reinforce each other. Even though a lot has been achieved in a short space of time, this progress can be built on in the future.

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DROI

Xenophobia: Are Roma Minorities Victims? By Emirhan Tekin

t is rather common for the average citizen to picture a nomadic and jolly street performer when the term “gypsy” is utilised to illustrate an individual or a group. However, the reality differs distinctly from this stereotypical and prejudiced portrayal constructed over past centuries.

Some among them are called “gypsies” and these individuals have been antagonised by many people throughout the course of history. I had the opportunity to interview an associate of the Turkish branch of the Anna Lindh Foundation, Mrs. Nazan Erdemir, who has organised many “Roma Youth Forums”. These are of similar format as EYP.

Erdemir has been able to provide insight on In modern Europe’s society, Roma are consid- some highly disputed topics regarding Roma ered a minority that incorporate many cultures. rights in Europe and the EU’s role concerning the matter.

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“When a certain group is excluded from the circle of education, it is only natural that the educated fear the unknown.” “The Roma could quite possibly be the biggest minority in Europe, yet they are one of the most neglected and violated [with respect to human rights] group of people,” claims Erdemir. It should certainly be noted that even in our daily conversations, most of us utilise the exonym “gypsy” when referring to the Roma. However, this name should be treated cautiously as it may be regarded as an insult. Carrying on, Erdemir proceeded to state some intriguing statistics. “There are over 10 million Roma in Europe. Considering Europe’s population with more than 500 million people, almost 1 in every 50 people is classified as being part of the Roma population.” According to the International Comparative Data Set on Roma Education (2008), less than 42% of Roma children are completing primary school. When I addressed this low percentile that was able to complete primary school, Erdemir explained that “poverty and discrimination are the key factors when determining the education of a Roma child in Europe.”

ing circumstances including both, discrimination and educational flaws, every EU member state has officially adopted some sort of Roma integration strategy. The EU is striving to collect assessment documents about the progress of Roma integration from each state yearly, until 2020, with the first successful example printed this year. Yet, we can not expect an integration strategy to completely eradicate the discrimination in a period of 5 years with the current situation of poverty and lack of education. “Countries can legally integrate minorities into their frameworks, but that sure does not stop the prejudice of the everyday citizen.”

Erdemir believes that educating the younger generations is the most effective form of eliminating prejudice. “When a certain group is excluded from the circle of education, it is only natural that the educated fear the unknown. Due to the void created by not being exposed, the prejudice places itself into the mind as a protection mechanism. We need to eliminate the poverty factor in education systems to guarantee that all children can acquire basic The World Bank Group’s report states that “71% education and stop being afraid of each other.” of Roma households in Eastern Europe live in severe poverty,” Due to the corresponding liv-

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ECON

Austerity: a method that made the recession longer and tougher By Jacqueline Bjรถrklund

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“Tightening the health public sector is one of the austerity measures implemented that directly affects citizen health, safety and thus, human rights.” Alice Hedén is a Swedish economy student at Lundsberg

he financial crisis of 2008 left massive traces on Europe’s economy. Although none of all parties expected immediate economic recuperation nor equal living standards the consequences of the crisis revealed to be more severe than expected. It has therefore been expressed that the crisis could have and should have been handled differently by both, economists and politicians.

The approach by which Europe has dealt with the financial crisis has made the recession worse and longer, says Mario Draghi, succeeder of JeanClaude Trichet as President of the European Central Bank. In 2013, unemployment rates were the highest ever measured since 1990. Alice Hedén, a Swedish economic student at Lundsberg, claims that the market situation could have improved at a higher pace if the EU had implemented other means to reduce the debts.

hospitals, depends severely on the money supplies it receives from the state. In Greece’s case, the Memorandums included a cut of 840 million in hospital operating costs.

Even after more admissions to public hospitals were permitted, cuts caused waiting lists with numerous patients. In fact, these patients could have instead simulated the economy of the health sector. As of 2010, Greece was able to bring to book an increase of 24 per cent in public Austerity cannot be used as a measure to lever- hospital admissions compared to the earlier year age a debt if there is not enough money in the of 2009. system to begin with as it slows down the money flow. Throughout this process civil and social In summary, governments should take advanrights of citizens would suffer more than what is tage of the situation and stimulate money flow, accepted by EU law, or anywhere for that matter, especially when unemployment numbers keep she states. This is supported by the “Safeguard- decreasing, believes Hedén. ing Human Rights in Times of Austerity” report published by the Council of Europe in 2014, which Tightening the health public sector is one of the also highlighted a deficiency of civil rights. austerity measures implemented that directly affects citizen health, safety and thus, human However, the austerity measures severely pre- rights. The IMF (International Monetary Fund) who vented economic recovery after the Financial created these Memorandums in exchange for Crisis of 2008. According to Hedén, tightening bailout packages later admitted that the damage budgets in industries which were essential for austerity had caused was greater than firstly ancountries’ economic stabilities restrained those ticipated. countries from overcoming the recession. A wellknown example for this phenomena is delineated Hedén believes that admitting the mistakes by by the “Memorandums of Understanding” which which the crisis was tackled rather inappropriGreece signed in 2010. These Memorandums ately is a good beginning, however, the question demanded severe cuts in the public health sec- remains, whether or not it would be beneficial to tor. The health care system of a country, which change the policy already implemented. includes for instance the proper conduction of

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EMPL

Between money and experience By Siebe Geerts ‘Unpaid internships: a bridge between education and employment or an opportunity for businesses to avail of free labour?’ When looking at the topic that the committee on Employment addresses, we simply cannot neglect this question. Therefore I asked Johannes Makar, an intern at the Embassy of Belgium in Cairo, and Anastasia Lvova, an intern at the Mediamatic Foundation1 in Amsterdam, for some more information.

hings t s s o r c me a o c u o y ve and e o s r r p u o m i c o f “O like t d l very u o s y w a u d o g y that rk lon o w o t ainly t e r v e a c h s o i d t you end i e h t n i t u - A.L. ” . t r o often, b f f he e worth t

1 The Mediamatic Foundation is a cultural institution interested in cultural developments that go hand in hand with new technologies and in new technologies that cause cultural development.

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What was your aim with the internship? Was it to gain experience for a future job? Johannes: Though I do not consider a diplomatic career, the internship truly was a fascinating experience. Personally, my main motive was to gain greater insight into the world of diplomacy.

ness. Of course you come across things that you would like to improve and you do have to work long days very often, but in the end it is certainly worth the effort.

Johannes: Contrary to the common belief that an intern’s qualities are judged by the way he serves coffee, I had the chance to take part in very interCan you consider it as a kick-start for your fu- esting projects. Apart from reporting on political ture career? affairs, I was given the opportunity to join official EU council meetings, monitor court trials and Johannes: That depends how you define kick- even monitor the constitutional referendum. start. If you are interested in working as a diplomat, establishing a professional network might prove to be a great aid. However, this does not mean that it is only valuable for those interested in working in diplomacy. I am sure that the practical insights gained at an embassy

at h t f e i l e mmon b ed by o c e h t udg ry to “Contra ’s qualities are j ad the h n an inter serves coffee, I y he ver the way to take part in J.M. ” . s chance t c e g proj n i t s e r e int or consulate can be of great use in many domains. In fact, my internship brought me into contact with people from various backgrounds. So it might be a kick-start indeed, either for the practical insights gained, or as a means to find the right direction in life.

Was the internship worth it considering you did not receive a salary and thereby provided free labour? Johannes: Undoubtedly! Regardless of your ambitions, it truly is a very interesting experience.

Anastasia: Well I do receive a small, financial compensation, but whatever your financial situation is you can always aim for a scholarship. At Anastasia: It definitely is if you end up in the right least I did, but obviously that takes extra effort place. Although I must say that it always depends and administration to organise. on the country or the domain you are working in. Of course the company or foundation plays a key Looking back at these answers, one can conrole in your experience as well. But an internship clude that internships - even when unpaid - have is the perfect way to create a professional net- a lot to benefit from. It is true that a lot depends work that you can use in your future career. on the supervisor you are working with and the domain you are working in, but it definitely is the Have you developed other skills during the in- right place to expand your professional network. ternships besides the ones that are related to Even if you do not aim to work in the domain you your specific domain? had an internship in, you gain valuable skills that you can use in your future career. Therefore, in Anastasia: My internship has not finished yet, but my opinion, an internship never is a waste of time so far it taught me how to negotiate with clients but rather an amazing opportunity to gain extra and some basics in financial management. I also experience to use in your future professional life. gained an insight in running and managing a busi-

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I V EN

Curing the health system By paula villalba Inefficient allocation of resources and a surge in chronic diseases due to the ever increasing life expectancy has lead us to a situation whereby the health care systems of all EU member states are exhausted. Politicians across Europe have engaged in complex discussions to try and find the panacea to solve this problem. Nevertheless, their efforts continue to be in vain as we are now, more than ever being crushed by a system that is incapable of meeting our basic health demands and standards due to its rigidity and inflexibility.

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s a medical student myself, I have become increasingly alarmed by the issue of an overly strained health system. Therefore, I decided to contact two experts on the subject. The first, Ahmed Hankir, is a British psychiatrist holding a research fellowship at Harvard University. The second is Eduardo Riera, a member of European Students for Liberty Spain and an economist working for Deloitte, a major multinational corporation. Both offered their opinions on this controversial subject, each coming from different ideological positions. Whilst Dr Hankir ascertains that in no way must health care turn towards the private sector, Mr Riera claims the opposite.

“public service has somewhat failed to satisfy at least a quarter of the population.” pitals to innovate and provide the latest state of the art therapies.

Furthermore, I addressed the current use of the private system in the EU. Mr Riera claimed that in Spain, for example, private care accounted for 25% of total health expenditure. In his opinion, these figures reveal that public service has somewhat failed to satisfy at least a quarter of the population. On the other hand, Dr Hankir did agree that at times, re-directing patients to private practice was the only way to reduce the Dr Hankir alleges that a private health care sys- waiting lists for certain treatments or to cover tem would discriminate those most in need. On those that needed a treatment that was not paid the other hand, Mr Riera emphasises that priva- by the public system. tisation does not imply being against the universalisation of health care. A more private-led sys- Public spending on health care is excessive. tem would entail a significant cut down on taxes In 2010 it accounted for almost 15% of all govso that citizens would be able to re-allocate this ernment expenditure. If member states do not money in the way they find most appropriate for make efficiency gains in the running of their their own heath needs. Studies show that only health systems, the EU’s healthcare expenditure 20% of the population would not be able to af- could increase more than 30 per cent by 2060. ford this method of health-funding. Therefore these 20% would have access to a network of Taking these figures into account and having state funded assistance for all situations. thoroughly analysed the reasoning behind the In response to Mr Riera’s claims, Dr Hankir highlights that the lucrative goals of the private system would eventually cause a reduction in the quality of the services in order to increase profit. Mr Riera replied by explaining that the demand/ supply principle underpinning private health would lead to a competition between health centres, just as it does among hotels or restaurants. This means that hospitals will all attempt to offer the best possible service at the cheapest price in order to attract the highest number of clients. This will ensure a more efficient hospital management as well as an incentive for hos-

stand points of both experts, I think a certain level of privatisation is advisable. Although this route is often met with heavy opposition, I consider it to be an effective way of alleviating the pressure on the health care budget. Notwithstanding, should health care become more privatised, relevant research should be conducted so as not to imitate the faulty American ‘liberal’ model that has shown to have even higher state costs than its public counterparts. It is prudent that member states focus on adopting a system that incorporates private health care with relevant public spending for those at an economic disadvantage.

LIBE I

Secrets behind borders By Amy Campo Mc Evoy Disclaimer: this article illustrates an example of a refugee family, however the characters are ficticious

The UN estimates that there are 42.5 million displaced people across the world due to persecution and conflict. Nearly half a million asylum seekers arrived in Europe last year, why do we not know enough about them?

Sonali Naik works at the Garden Court of Chambers on immigration and asylum matters, and she emphasises the importance of family reunion. She believes that at the moment, in the UK, there is “continued and continuing restrictions on migration for family members” and she disagrees with policies that restrict access to family members due to language barriers. She claims that all laws concerning this matter are made in “the interest of national security, public safety and the economic wellbeing of Liliane and Anas’ story is just that of two people, the country,” nevertheless, she argues that if fambut half a million lived this nightmare in Europe last ilies’ have already managed to fully integrate into year, and the figure is on the increase. the British society, their close relatives should be allowed to enter the country too. People from countries such as Syria, Russia, Afghanistan or Serbia arrive in Europe after a trip in in- Another issue she considers to be of political relehumane conditions, seeking a new life, where their vance is that fact that there is often racial discrimrights will be protected. It is our human right to have ination against certain minorities of asylum seek“life, liberty and security” and if a state, which has ers, as she considers that, although “maintaining the responsibility to protect its own citizens, fails to immigration control” is given a high priority on the grant people these freedoms, they must seek their agenda, there is often “very little consideration of own protection and the international community the impact of the discriminatory aspect of immigrashould help. tion control against particular sections of society or wo Syrian siblings, just arrived in the UK, after a journey across the EU, in awful conditions. They are Liliane and Anas, who left their country four months ago trying to escape the harsh reality they face due to them being a minority. Since they arrived in the EU, they have been treated with disrespect, ignored, and told to move onto the next country, and now they are in the UK waiting to be interviewed.

As simple as it may sound, it has not been that easy for Liliane and Anas. They did not leave their country at the same time as most people from Syria did, and therefore they are asylum seekers, who have to wait for their case to be assessed before they are granted any of the rights that refugees have, which include non-refoulement1, the right to housing, to education and to work. One right that is still debated in EU countries is that of reuniting families. Often, when there is a wave of emigration due to the political situation of a country, families are split. Anas and Liliane’s parents entered the UK years ago, with the first wave of refugees. Today, that does not guarantee any rights for them. 1 Non-refoulement means prohibition to expel. It is a principle in refugee law that concerns the protection of refugees from being returned to places where their lives or freedoms could be threatened.

particular migrant communities.” Liliane and Anas may not be granted all the rights they deserve in health care, they may be negatively discriminated for not speaking the language, and chances are, when seeking employment, they will be judged by where they come from rather than by who they are. Do you wonder why you never knew about Liliane and Anas? Because no one is told. Sonali Naik tells us that in 2010, the Daily Mail in the UK claimed that in there had been 233 appeals against deportation, and that 64% of these had been successful. These figures were not right. The reality is that only 149 out of 850 deportations were successful in the UK. “We do not see any corrections from the government on these stories,” and meanwhile, Liliane and Anas’ story and that of many others continues to be a secret kept behind a wall.

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LIBE II

Big Brother: Always watching you, or watching your back? By GEorge Ross

had the opportunity to speak with a former senior military officer with 30 years of experience in the intelligence sector. They asked their name be kept off record.

Can you give us an insight into your work? Firstly, there are several types of surveillance. My specialty was Geo-spatial surveillance which concerns visual surveillance; looking at what is going on in a particular place. A common form of such is satellite imaging. Civilians will be familiar with Google Maps, where you can see constantly updated images of any street Commercial satellites have a maximum resolution of 0.5 meters, however the military have access to more powerful satellites. Military satellites confine their orbit to specific areas to take far higher quality images. Due to this, when observing Iraq they miss what is happening elsewhere. We also have aircraft which can take high quality images because they fly closer to the ground. There is also electronic surveillance. Blanket surveillance is the scanning of multiple frequencies to pick up on key words such as â&#x20AC;&#x153;bombâ&#x20AC;?.

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Once one of these key words are picked up by a machine, they are followed up by a human. Targeted surveillance involves instead targeting a known frequency e.g. a suspected terroristâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s internet connection. Finally, human intelligence involves agents scout areas or tracking individuals in order to gather information. All of these inform strategic, political or military decisions.

Is it now easier to gather information as so der to maintain our way of life. many people freely post about themselves online? To conclude, the EU has stated that “everyone has the right to the proYes and no. It is easier to gather information tection of personal data concernabout those we don’t want to track, and those ing them”. In light of this what we do take counter measures. For example, actions should the EU take to those who we are looking for will speak in secure this? code to get around “trigger words”. Instead of saying “bomb” they might say “telephone”. Ad- The EU cannot protect the ditionally some resort to using trusted couriers personal safety of each to deliver information. So it is technically easier citizen. It cannot stop asto gather information, but in reality the task is sault, but it can punish as difficult as ever. violence and make the consequences Where should the line be drawn between of violent actions protecting national security and upholding obvious. It is my individual freedoms? view that a similar approach In the UK, the role of the government and civil should be service is to protect its citizens and their way taken here. of life. If you allow a mass incident like the 7/7 bombings in London you are not protecting the rights and freedoms of any of the individuals involved who have had their rights destroyed. The balance is gathering this information in a supportable way, following all the protocols in place. It is something we need to accept in or-

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LIBE III

Quotas for Integrity By Manon Schürch to EU member states which cannot implement quotas but have to stick “Come on this initiative will nev- to the principle of free movement er pass. Its demands would se- set up by the EU, Switzerland has become the centre of both outrage riously hurt the Swiss relations and admiration.

“Are you voting on Sunday?”

with the EU and only cause a massive wave of immigrants trying to get naturalised before the quotas have been established in our constitution. Voting against this initiative is like throwing fire into water.”

Many such discussions took place in the beginning of February 2014 all around Switzerland. Some citizens shook their heads in astonishment and laughed. And then February 9th 2014 came. A day which sent a signal out to Europe and the world that Switzerland is afraid. Afraid of over-population, loss of culture, a steady growing unemployment rate – an infringement on Swiss integrity. With an immediate effect, quotas were to be implemented to regulate the number of immigrants wishing to reside in Switzerland. As opposed

The Swiss People’s Party (SVP) which was the leading force in the realisation of the initiative argued for their motion by means of displaying many increasing numbers, such as the additional amount of hospital beds needed every year. After the passing of the initiative with the skimpiest percentage of 50.4 %, the Federal Council of Switzerland has had the daunting task to work out a concept with the help of an expert group of the Federal Agency of Migration (BFM) that fulfils all criteria of the initiative. The referendum, however, does not take effect immediately but requires the Swiss government to implement a quota system within three years.

“And then February 9th 2014 came. A day which sent a signal out to Europe and the world that Switzerland is afraid.” 26 The spark #1

The Federal Council is keen on promoting the tight relationships between Switzerland and the EU. Another very important aspect is not to disrespect each Asylum seekers humanitarian law. Viviane Reading, Vice-president of the EU commission, warns the public of the continuous distrust against immigrants. After all, there are 430â&#x20AC;&#x2122;000 Swiss citizens living in the EU at the moment. No economy can live without immigrants and as Switzerland is showing; there is a constant need of staff to fill all free work positions. And such people, who work, pay taxes. She further argues that free movement is unchangeable as part of the home market and without it no country can function appropriately.

An implementation of such quotas to limit the amount of immigrants coming to Switzerland does also pose a serious problem for the economic market. Now that the trade of services and goods with the EU has been damaged within Switzerland, more and more entrepreneurs are leaving the country. Switzerland has been faced with these and many more problems since the adoption of the initiative. LIBE III will not only have to decide on what is more important, to suffocate benefit tourism or fill important work positions, but they will be challenged in finding a long sustainable solution â&#x20AC;&#x201C; for Switzerland, for the EU.

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Dossier

What we wish We had known at our first EYP session...

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The Teams Every year the European Youth Parliament organises over 350 events all over the continent. Not a single one of them would be possible without the organisers who dedicate months and at some events even years to the realisation of a project. The Head-Organisers of Fribourg 2014 are Riccardo Passarella and Matthieu Loup. They have been working on this National session for roughly a year. They coordinate a team of 14 organisers. An organising team is not only in charge of fundraising or venues but there are many details that need to be taken care of before, during and after the session. Who designed your badges or the welcome booklet? Who makes sure that there is food and coffee? Who ensures that you are at the right place at the right time? These are only a few examples.

The Organisers

The chairpersons (chairs) are responsible for the academic quality of an EYP session. They are led by the board consisting of a president and 2 or 3 Vice-Presidents. The president of Fribourg is Niall Murphy from Ireland. Every chair is responsible for a committee and will lead you through the different parts of the session. They are the people who will make sure you will get to know each other during teambuilding, you will be done on time during committee work and will guide you through the General Assembly. They wrote the overviews and are thus experts in their respective committee topics.

The Chairs TEam

The Media TEam

The Media Team has the task of providing the session with media coverage. The team constist of the editors Veronika Datzer and Sabrina Mellerowic from Germany, a group of journalists and a video editor. Every committee has an allocated journalist who will report about the the committee in visuals and articles. Furthermore, all journalists are in charge of a project to add personal value to the session. Also, they are organising the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Journo Nightâ&#x20AC;? in which you will have the opportunity to attend short committee topic workshops and you will be able to give a TED talk on an ispirational issue of your choice.

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Tickets booked, suitcases packed, research done. What to expect when you are arriving? Most of you are probably venturing into something completely new, unaware of what to anticipate. In fact, you might even be scared. Whatever happens in Fribourg, I can assure you that you will return home as a new person, with fresh ideas and an exciting perspective for the future. My friends, family, and acquaintances always ask me about the European Youth Parliament: what we do, what we think, what we represent and I never quite know what to respond. I always try my hardest to formulate a vivid answer, however words cannot characterise this very organisation to its full extent. To my mind, it its people who turn EYP into something unique and exceptional. In my past sessions, I have had the pleasure and privilege of meeting European adolescents that have taught me a great deal about myself and others. Being in contact with people from all sorts of backgrounds and countries has also provided the opportunity of understanding

Prepare to be 30 The spark #1By Paula Villalba

and experiencing many cultures I had not been exposed to previously. Further, my stereotypes that are somewhat engrained in society and which I had simply accepted, were challenged and mostly abolished by meeting these people. They are the ones with whom I share some of my fondest memories and it is thanks to them that my horizon has expanded to a new level, far beyond what I ever expected. I can almost promise you that the encounters you will make will certainly influence you positively. In addition, EYP offers the unique chance of learning about politics, economics, sociology, and law, but also more to more specifically study how to tackle the institutional labyrinth that is the EU. As I mentioned, it really is a difficult task to put the EYP into words, but it truly is the most flabbergasting experience one may experience. It makes me incredibly happy to think that in a matter of days, all of you will join us, and together, we will attend and actively shape Fribourg 2014.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is the people that make EYP so unique and exceptional.â&#x20AC;?

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F.R.I.E.N.D.S. The sitcom Friendsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; pilot episode was in 1994. In it, Rachel felt loss, Ross was fed up and Chandler wanted a million dollars. They did not know what was awaiting them, what the future held, just like you, when the session starts, will not know what to expect from it. By Amy Campo McEvoy

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n the 3rd of September, in the city of Fribourg, you will probably wish someone had explained to you what this session would be like, you will think that it is not fair that no one told you life was going to be this way, but you will soon see that that is only because EYP cannot be explained.

would not have a great influence in your life, who you believed would soon be forgotten, will suddenly mean a lot more to you.

Just like the group of friends met in New York by no coincidence, the strangers you meet in Fribourg will have entered your life for a reason. Soon, these people will know more about you than you ever thought they would. As trust starts to build, you might tell them that your job’s a joke, you’re broke, your love life’s a DOA.1 You might Strange voices will be telling you where to go, aneven tell them about this not being your day, other unknown face will be leading you through your week, your month or even your year. You will games, and a bunch of strangers will surround share secrets with them, stay up late debating. you, strangers whose names you will be forced to learn, and with whom you will be playing games They will have become your friends. A friend, “a you never knew existed. person whom one knows, likes and trusts.” That person who is there for you when the rain starts A stranger is a person who you would not conto pour, who you know will be there for you, even sider a friend nor an acquaintance, they are visthough they have not been there before. itors or guests. It is the definition you will give to everyone around you on your arrival at Fribourg. When in 2004 characters from Friends parted They will be nothing but people who have coinciways, a gap was left in each of their hearts. That dentally entered your life, just like Rachel entered same gap will be left in all of our hearts, because Ross’ when she walked into Café perk in a white although you would might not normally share dress looking as lost as you will feel. The first day, your sandwich or your food or dedicate a song to these people will be nothing else but that: visitors a stranger, you would do that for the people you or guests. Strangers. meet. They will have started to mean a lot more to you. Friends finished in 2004, and in the course of ten years, friendships developed and grew strong. As teambuilding goes by, and you roll over, dance They will have become with, shout at and scream weird things to these your friends. people, a similar thing will happen to you. In the course of six days, those people who you thought 1 “Dead or alive“

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Crash course on the The European Union, or EU, is known formally as the European Economic and Monetary Union. It establishes a common market among its 28 member countries. This means that all border controls between members have been eliminated, allowing the free flow of goods and people (except for incidental spot checks for crime and drugs). Public contracts are open to bidders from any member country. The EU common market also means that any product legally manufactured in one member state can be sold in any other member, without tariffs or duties. Taxes have been standardised. Practitioners of most services (law, medicine, tourism, banking, insurance, etc.) can operate in all member countries. The cost of airfares, the internet and phone calls have fallen dramatically. What does the EU do and what is it based on? The EU makes sure members act consistently in regional, agricultural and social policies. It also transmits state-of-the-art technologies to its members in environmental protection, research and development, and energy. The EU is funded by contributions of â&#x201A;Ź120 billion a year from member states.

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The European Union is based on the rule of law. This means that every action taken by the EU is founded on treaties that have been approved voluntarily and democratically by all EU member countries. For example, if a policy area is not cited in a treaty, the Commission cannot propose a law in that area. A treaty is a binding agreement between EU member countries. It sets out EU objectives, rules for EU institutions, how decisions are made and the relationship between the EU and its member countries. Treaties are amended to make the EU more efficient and transparent, to prepare for new member countries and to introduce new areas of cooperation â&#x20AC;&#x201C; such as the single currency. Under the treaties, EU institutions can adopt legislation, which the member countries then implement.

European Union (EU) Structure of the EU The EU is run by 3 bodies.

Directly elected every 5 years Legislative power (together with Council) Each Member State receives fixed allocation of seats Democratic supervision Authority over the EU budget Does not appoint a ‘government’ in the same way as legislatures in Parliamentary systems do. • Current president: Martin Schulz

European Parliament

• Little formal decision-making powers, but legislative initiator • Mainly restricted to implementation decisions • Some decision-making powers in single market areas (such as competition policy) • 28 Commissioners • Guardian of the Treaties • Represents the EU on the international stage • Current President: Jean-Claude Juncker

European Commission

• • • • • •

European Council

• Composed of the Heads of State or Government of the Member States and the President of the European Commission • It meets at least twice a year at European summits. • Main tasks are to set medium-term policy agenda and objectives and adopt new policy competences for the EU. • Takes political rather than legal decisions. • Current President: Herman van Rompuy

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By Manon Schürch with courtesy of Kerstin Mathias

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Attention! European Council ≠ Council of the European Union ≠ Council of Europe Ø The Council of the European Union, also informally known as the EU Council, is where national ministers from each EU country meet to adopt laws and coordinate policies. Depending on the issues that is being discussed, the Council meets in different configurations (e.g. Ministers for Foreign Affairs). It passes EU laws, coordinates the broad economic policies of EU member countries, signs agreements between the EU and other countries, approves the annual EU budget, develops EU’s foreign and defence policies and coordinates cooperation between courts and police forces of member countries. Ø The Council of Europe is not an EU body at all. It is an international organisation promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation.

THE THREE MAIN TYPES OF COMPETENCE Exclusive competences: the EU alone is able to legislate and adopt binding acts for the Member States in these fields. Example: custom policy, competition rules in internal markets. Shared competences: the EU and Member States are authorised to adopt binding acts together in these fields. Member States may exercise their competence only in so far as the EU has not exercised its own competence. The EU and the Member States therefore work together. Example: environment, agriculture, fishing industry. Supporting competences: the EU can only intervene to support, coordinate or complement the action of Member States. It has no legislative power in these fields. Example: tourism, health system, education.

THE EXERCISE OF COMPETENCES The principle of conferral: the Union has only the competences conferred upon it by the Treaties; The principle of proportionality: the exercise of EU competences may not exceed what is necessary to achieve the objectives of the Treaties; The principle of subsidiarity: for shared competences, the EU may intervene only if it is capable of acting more effectively than the Member States.

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Photo Credits

Cover

ENVI

AFCO © stuart anthony https://www.flickr.com/ photos/stuant63/2448260243/ © Leo Reynolds https://www.flickr.com/ photos/lwr/4434722879/

AFET „Ladakh locator map“. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons. wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ladakh_locator_ map.svg#mediaviewer/File:Ladakh_locator_map.svg „Narendra Modi by Rangilo 03“ by Rangilo Gujarati. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http:// commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Narendra_Modi_by_Rangilo_03.JPG#mediaviewer/%E0%A4%9A%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0:Nare ndra_Modi_by_Rangilo_03.JPG

LIBE I © lewishamdreamer https://www. flickr.com/photos/lewishamdreamer/3645108968/ © Freedom House https://www.flickr.com/ photos/syriafreedom/8309708775/

LIBE II © Jonathan McIntosh https://www.flickr.com/photos/jonathanmcintosh/3744953433/ © NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre https://www.flickr.com/photos/ gsfc/6166295273/

DEVE

„Afghan women at a textile factory in Kabul“ by Senior Airman Andrea Salazar (U.S. Armed Forces) - This Image was released by the United States Air Force with the ID 120117-F-YC711-025 (next). Licensed under Public domain via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/ File:Afghan_women_at_a_textile_factory_in_ Kabul.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Afghan_women_at_a_textile_factory_in_Kabul.jpg

© European Council https://www.flickr. com/photos/europeancouncil_meetings/5865956962/ © Cédric Puisney http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AEuropean-parliament-strasbourg-inside.jpg © TPCOM https://www.flickr.com/photos/ tpcom/3246111473/

DROI © SantiMB https://www.flickr.com/photos/ smb_flickr/2284434844/ © Nikos Koutoulas https://www.flickr.com/ photos/33284937

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