/thehague2003speechrj

Speech YEPP President Rutger-Jan Hebben 4th YEPP Congress 29 March 2003 The Hague, The Netherlands

Prime Minister, Distinguished guests, former board members, Ladies and Gentlemen, dear friends, As your President I have only one more task to fulfil. Namely to bring this Congress to a good end. It sounds easy, but reality is different. Because when I close this Congress at the end of the day this will also be for me the end of 13 years in active youth politics. With that I am closing an amazing period of my life.

So allow me to take you on short sentimental journey. If necessary tissues can be found under your chair.

31st of January 1997. I remember the day very well. It was the start of our founding Congress. I was just elected Secretary General of CDJA and I attended one of my first major international Conferences.

I was quite excited. I knew a bout the reasons and backgrounds to form YEPP and I had heard many stories about the international work. Nice discussions, no sleep and above all great parties.

And finally, I had the opportunity to go there as well!

No misunderstanding….

I loved it from the first minute. Indeed great parties, and absolutely NO sleep.

(For those present here for the first time, I can recommend a career in YEPP) But the thing that grabbed me most was to meet and talk to so many young people coming from so many different backgrounds. A wide variety of people, sharing the European Dream and a dream to integrate two organisations into a ONE strong centre right political youth organisation. An organisation, which would serve as the Youth of the European People‟s Party.

At that moment I knew it…. This is the organisation I want to be part of.

Today - more then 6 years later and climbing through the hiarchy of the international work- I am here in my own country delivering my final report as YEPP President.

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At the start of my Presidency, two years ago we set out an ambitious workplan for YEPP. After a period of founding, forming and consolidating our organisation it was time to take the next step. Therefore we set our selves 3 main goals: 1. Broaden YEPP by pro-actively enlarging the organisation with new members; 2. Deepen YEPP by more political debate and a coherent focus on content; and 3. Enhance our role as political player by by becoming more visible and active in the EPP family and in the international youth scene.

What have we achieved?

With broadening YEPP we have proactively started to enlarge our membership.

Being the youth structure of EPP, it is important, that we have more or less the same organisations as members.

However, we have avoided bringing in organisations for the sake of bringing them in. What we have been doing, is looking in every European country for the strongest or potentially strongest LONG term pro European partner for YEPP. I emphasise on LONG term because from my point of view it does not make sense to simply go for the biggest non-socialistic partner in order to be allied with the power in a certain country. This is short term thinking which unfortunately happens once in a while in EPP. As YEPP we have always carefully examined the potential and program of an organisation and its young people in order to maintain a strong and active membership for YEPP. You can also see it here today almost all our members present!

Another result of this YEPP method of integrating members in our organisation you can see later today when we will have a vote on the acceptance of 8 new full members: Bulgaria YUDF, Czechia JKKD , Denmark KU, Georgia AED, Hungary Fidelitas, Italy FIG, Moldova NG PPCD and Slovenia NG SLS But we have also welcomed JUMP from France and Malady Front from Belarus as observers. This means a total of 10 new organisations successfully integrated in the YEPP family. But this is not all!

4 more organisations are at this moment in the process of becoming YEPP member. Please join me in welcoming the Youth Christian Social Union Young Democrats from Belarus, Youth of the Latvian Peopleâ€&#x;s Party form Latvia, Nova Generacia SDKU from Slovakia and Young Rukh from the Ukraine.

The process of deepening YEPP politically was a real challenge. A challenge because it was a test if YEPP was really ready for more thorough political debate. And it also meant an effort to encourage greater preparation in advance of meetings and the production of well thought-out and detailed papers.

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Since the last Congress this is the 17th YEPP event. In these meetings more then 50 papers and resolutions have been adopted on various topics including: Euthanasia; Bioethics; HIV/AIDS; Human Rights, Free Speech, Democracy, Xenophobia; Cyprus; Education; protection of the Environment, Climate Change; Consumer Protection; Minority Rights, Reconciliation, Democracy and Nation Building; Terrorism; Foreign and Security Policy, Development Policy; Regional Self-Governing; Euro-Mediterranean co-operation, Enlargement and many others.

Three of them I want to highlight. First of all Stability in the Balkan.

YEPP has identified the political situation in the Balkans as one of great concern to us. All generations of Europeans have been affected by the political crises that have unfolded in that part of Europe. As young politicians we have an interest in ensuring that Europe does not abandon the region.

And as a political youth organisation we can play our part to promote European values and the development of political youth organisations in the region. With our Balkan Conferences in Halkidiki and Belgrade we tried to give our contribution to this complicated process.

The second point I want to emphasise is the discussion on the future of Europe and our paper on this topic entitled, „The Future is Ours‟. The paper was discussed over the course of three seminars.

And the end result is a paper of quality that we can proudly distribute within the EPP and among our own organisations – it is even applauded by many of our mother parties. The fact that all member organisations were able to agree on a common vision for the Future of the European Union is an achievement that no one would have believed possible only a few years ago.

The Future is Ours was also our input for the 15th EPP Congress in Estoril but more over for the Youth Convention on the Future of the European Union that took place last July parallel to the session of the senior convention. At the Youth Convention 210 people were present. 50 of them formed under my leadership the YEPP-ED Group and with that giving the YEPP family a strong voice in the Youth Convention.

A few words about the Convention.

The Convention is entering a crucial face at the moment. Progress has been made but a lot of work still has to be done. Mr. Giscard has presented the first article‟s of a European Constitution and a second part is expected soon. But major issues about distribution of competencies and reform of the institutions are still on the table. According to the planning of the Convention, the work should be finished by the end of June. This would enable the Italian Presidency of the EU in

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the second part of 2003 to organise an Inter Governmental Conference, where the prime ministers and heads of state will decide on the real future of Europe.

Taking note of this time pressure I call upon the EPP Convention Group not to allow vague compromises but to finalise the Convention with a true and transparent European Constitution, which the IGC can not reject!

What happens at the IGC is difficult to predict. At least I am happy that my own Prime Minister will be participating in there. Because last year he gave a brilliant speech and published a important article about the Future of Europe, which showed great similarities with the Future is ours paper.

Prime Minister, the Iraq Crisis has divided Europe already severly. Let the result of the discussion about the Future of Europe become a symbol of an integrated ad united Europe.

Last but not least the third point. A Political Programme for YEPP! The 3rd YEPP Chairmen‟s Conference which was held in Salamanca in March 2002 adopted a decision to draft a political programme for YEPP. This programme should focus on the topics we defined in „The future is ours‟, as European competencies and shared competencies.

Yesterday in the working groups we discussed the amendments and today we will have a final vote on the document. At the end of this day we will have a political programme which will be substantial input for the EPP election programme.

I believe with the vote and adoption today of our Political Programme “We stand for Europe” we really mark the political deepening of YEPP of the past two years!

The third goal that we have set our selves two years ago which is linked to the political deepening of YEPP, was to enhance our role political player.

Meaning being more active and visible in the EPP Congress, Political Bureau and Working Groups and showing to the decision-makers in EPP that our opinion matters.

I noticed in little things that EPP is taken us serious. This is shown in the way we are approached and the fact that people are listening when a YEPP representative takes the floor. But also in more visible things like being invited to address the EPP Congress or the EPP Convention Group.

The reason for this is that we as YEPP are an organisation- a movement- of and for young people. Not only young people elected into positions for the mother party. But also for young people interested in influencing their society and its

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future through democratic activities based on common ideas and values. Such an organisation should always be independent and run by its own members.

YEPP is connected to our mother party EPP, but YEPP has an independent role as a motivator and provocateur of the EPP. Many times YEPP is voicing opinions, which are in the heads of EPP politicians but for political reasons not being spoken out.

With the up-coming European Elections we as YEPP activists have more then ever a great opportunity to continue our political work in the same spirit as we have done it in YEPP into the European Parliament. I know from a lot of YEPP people that they want to run for the European Parliament. And I am one of them!

For YEPP this group of young people can become a valuable entrance to the decision making process. But this requires a continuation and development of the political profile of YEPP. Not only in EPP, but also in the international youth structures.

Today at the end of term of the YEPP Board 2001-2003 I am proud that I can conclude that we have lived up to the ambitions of our workplan.

YEPP is strong, balanced and political.

An organisation with a solid fundament. Able and ready to participate in the major European discussions. We are regarded and respected in the EPP family for bringing forward the voice of the young generation. And we have build up a positive and constructive profile for YEPP in the international youth scene.

Having said this I am almost at the end of my speech. And this is also the moment to thank my fellow Board Members for their work and their friendship.

And of course the one and only AP. Mommerency for running the YEPP office: The backbone of our organisation.

So time is up‌ After four years serving in the YEPP Board and six years in YEPP activities it is time sign off. A lot has been achieved, the organisation is in good shape and there is a great future ahead of us. I can only be grateful for an amazing experience and the things I learned. I am confident that both YEPP and me will move on. It was a pleasure serving YEPP! Rutger-Jan Hebben YEPP President 2001-2003

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