Academic Preparation Kit – Järvenpää 2016

Preparation Kit for Delegates Järvenpää 2016 – Regional Session of EYP Finland 4th - 6th November 2016

European Youth Parliament (EYP) The European Youth Parliament represents a non-partisan and independent educational project, which is tailored specifically to the needs of the young European citizens. European Youth Parliament Finland, established in 2001, is the National Committee of the EYP in Finland.

The EYP encourages independent thinking and initiative in young people and facilitates the learning of crucial social and professional skills. Since its inauguration, many tens of thousands of young people have taken part in Regional, National and International Sessions, formed friendships and made international contacts across and beyond borders. The EYP has thus mad a vital contribution towards uniting Europe.

Today the EYP is one of the largest European platforms for political debate, intercultural encounters, political educational work and the exchange of ideas among young people in Europe. The EYP consists of a network of 41 European associations in which thousands of young people are active in a voluntary capacity.

The EYP is a programme of the Schwarzkopf Foundation.

European Union (EU) The European Union is an economic and political union of 28 Member States. The EU was established by the Treaty of Maastricht in 1992 upon the foundations of the European Communities.

The EU has developed a single market through a standardised system of laws, which apply in all Member States, and ensures the free movement of people, goods, services, and capital, including the abolition of passport controls within the Schengen area. It enacts legislation in justice and home affairs, and maintains common policies on trade, agriculture, fisheries and regional development.

Eighteen Member States have adopted a common currency, the euro.

With a view to its relations with the wider world, the EU has developed a limited role in foreign and defence policy through the Common Foreign and Security Policy. Permanent diplomatic missions have been established around the world and the EU is represented at the United Nations, the World Trade Organization (WTO), the G8 and the G-20.

The EU operates through a hybrid system of supranationalism and intergovernmentalism. In certain areas decisions are taken by independent institutions, while in others, they are made through negotiation between Member States.

The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community formed by six countries in the 1950s. Since the, it has grown in size through enlargement, and in power through the addition of policy areas to its remit. The last amendment to the constitutional basis of the EU came into force in 2009 and was the Lisbon Treaty.

The Institutions of the European Union The European Council is responsible for defining the general political direction and priorities of the EU. It comprises the heads of state of government of EU Member States, along with its President (currently Donald Tusk from Poland) and the President of the Commission.

The Council of the European Union (commonly referred to as the Council of Ministers) is the institution in the legislature of the EU representing the governments of Member States, the other legislative body being the European Parliament. The exact membership depends on the topic: for instance, when discussing agricultural policy the Council is formed by the 28 national ministers whose portfolio includes this policy area.

The European Parliament is directly elected parliamentary institution of the EU. Together with the Council, it forms the bicameral legislative branch of the EU. The Parliament is composed of 751 MEPs. The current president is Martin Schultz from Germany.

The European Commission is the executive body of the EU. It is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union’s treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union. The Commission operates as a cabinet government, with 28 commissioners. The Current President is Jean-Claude Juncker from Luxembourg.

Other important institutions of the EU include the Court of Justice of the European Union and the European Central Bank. The EU also has several agencies and other institutions.

Committee topics Järvenpää – Regional Session of EYP Finland 2016 The Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO): Chairpersons: Ine Weyts (BE) and Mariann Jüriorg (EE) E-public, e-participation and e-voting: with nationalistic movements rising in the European Union, how can digital technologies help foster active citizenship and bring the European Union’s institutions closer to the people?

The Committee on Culture and Education (CULT I): Chairpersons: Milja Miettinen (FI) and Lucie Mérelle (FI/UK) Digital exclusion and cyberbullying: considering that reportedly 6% of kids between the age of 9 and 16 have been victims of cyberbullying, how can the European Union’s educational systems foster attitudes in students that lead to ethical use of digital technologies?

The Committee on Culture and Education II (CULT II): Chairpersons: Yasmin Kartes (DE) and Josef Khomyak (FI) On inclusion and equality: guided by the 2016-2018 EU Youth Strategy’s aim to provide more equal opportunities for young people in the job market and to encourage young people to actively participate in society, how should the educational systems of the European Union’s Member States facilitate these objectives?

The Committee on Culture and Education III (CULT III): Chairpersons: Maryia Hermanovich (BY) and Saara Kiiskinen (FI) Towards mobility and intercultural understanding: keeping in mind the barriers that regional and minority language speakers face in society, employment and education, what approach should the European Union take towards regional and minority languages within its Member States?

The Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL): Chairpersons: Barbera de Mol (NL) & Wahid Reza (FI) Employment perspectives: with youth unemployment rates varying widely across Member States, how can the European Union provide effective support to tackle youth unemployment in all Member States?

The Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI): Chairperson: Isabella Servanto (FI) From food fad to fast-food culture: considering the diversity of eating habits across European Union Member States, how can the European Union pave the way towards greener and less wasteful food consumption?

The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE): Chairpersons: Manon Louvet (FR) and Margarida Frango (PT/FI) Between integration, accommodation, and assimilation: considering the large influx of refugees to the European continent from conflict areas in the Middle East, what values should guide European Union Member States in designing asylum policies for these new Europeans?

The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs II (LIBE II): Chairpersons: Jules Genbrugge (BE) and Kaya Safa (UK) Between mourning and fear: given the increasing frequency of (domestic) terrorist attacks in Europe, what steps should Member States take to ensure that societies remain inclusive to people of all cultural backgrounds, ethnicities, and religions?

Committee on Constitutional Affairs

E-public, e-participation and e-voting: with nationalistic movements rising in the European Union, how can digital technologies help foster active citizenship and bring the European Union’s institutions closer to the people?

Chairpersons: Ine Weyts (BE) and Mariann Jüriorg (EE) 1. At a Glance/ Executive Summary The citizens of the member states of the European Union (EU) are less satisfied with the EU than 15 years ago. In 2014 a survey showed that almost 90% of the Europeans feel attached to their country, but only 45% feel attached to the EU . In many member states, for example in Finland and Austria, nationalists want to have a more independent government . As exemplified by ‘Brexit’, nationalist movements can have a significant influence on the whole Union. The refugee crisis in Europe, has provided fuel to the flame of nationalistic and far right parties, as they are getting more and more supporters in the member states . At the same time e-public, e-participation, and e-voting - ICT-supported participation by the citizens in government processes - could be useful tools to bring the citizens closer to the European Union’s institutions. The system of e-voting has already successfully been implemented in some places, most successfully in Estonia.

(1)

(2)

(3)

2. Main Problem More than half of the citizens of the EU do not know what their rights are as EU citizens, and they do not feel like their voice is being heard. Nearly 70% would like to know more about their rights. E-participation and e-public could help the citizens to get more information about their rights. The citizens’ lack of information about what is being decided by EU institutions is one of the reasons why so many EU citizens feel distant from the Union. Most citizens learn about political decisions when they have already been accepted. In addition, the turnout in elections for the European Parliament has been decreasing for years . Enabling EU citizens to get more information more easily about EU’s decision making processes, helping them to understand which decisions may be of interest to them, is the first step in getting the citizens more involved.

E-participation as such can be used in a lot of different ways of which most people in the EU are still unaware. One example of this is creating a public participation portal: through this portal the citizens can be engaged more directly in the legislative and policy-making processes, for example by proposing new legislations or suggesting amendments for existing laws. This could be especially useful for the European Union, as all the actors are physically far from one another and thus Internet and different e-tools could be successful in bringing people together on relevant topics. Of course creating such tools can be very challenging: in order for the citizens’ opinions to actually make a change, the system needs to have a legal basis and a certain way for the ideas to actually get implemented.

E-voting has the potential to raise the turnout of the European Parliament elections. This would strengthen the democratic validity of the Parliament through making sure that the Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) really represent the European citizens. E-voting could also help people with reduced mobility, for example the elderly, travellers, workers abroad or people living far from the polling stations, get more involved with the EU, offering them the opportunity to cast their vote online. With 8 million economically active EU citizens living in an EU country other than their own, this is an important issue to consider. Research has also shown that Internet voting is 16 times less time-consuming than on-paper voting. E-voting could further eliminate the problem of votes being “bought”, as in the example of Estonia’s system, people can vote online as many time as they want, and each vote cancels the last. Of course many challenges should be considered, such as the transparency of the procedure, technological issues and problems and technical skills of the voters. In addition, a common legal basis needs to be established on how to extend e-voting to all member states.

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

3. Actors, Interests and Conflicts •

Citizens of the European Union: in the end it will all come down to the citizen’s willingness and motivation to participate in the procedures of the EU. The citizens need to be provided with sufficient knowledge and resources in order to fully understand and participate. Thus e-voting could be very beneficial in order to provide the citizens with an easier way to take part to elections. Also this way people would not have to go to certain polling stations that might be hard to reach for them.

•

The European Commission: with managing the European Citizens’ Initiative , the European Commission creates an opportunity for the citizens to propose legislations on EU’s exclusive and shared competences for example environment, public health, transport and agriculture. The European Citizens’ Initiative could be further developed, with the help of e-participation for example, to get more input from the citizens in the future.

The European Parliament: being the only institution of the European Union where the members are directly elected by the citizens, the elections of the Parliament could be a useful and efficient opportunity for implementing the e-voting procedure.

Governments of the member states: the local governments act as stepping stones for the citizens to feel closer to the EU Institutions. This requires cooperation between the governments and the EU, as well as taking steps towards reaching the common goals of the Union. The governments could foster eparticipation through setting up platforms on the internet where the citizens could engage more in the legislative and policy-making procedures. National governments could also implement e-voting as an option to cast a vote in elections.

(8)

(9)

•

•

4. Current Legislation & Policies • Citizens for Europe : The aim of this programme is for organisations to contribute to citizens’ understanding of the EU and to foster European citizenship and improve conditions for civic and democratic participation at EU level. Citizens for Europe organises regular meetings across the EU where people can discuss certain European topics. It performs studies and joint activities in the spirit of the EU and disseminates information. This programme also contributes to international life and brings the people together.

• eParticipation Preparatory Action (2006-2008) : The ePPA was a small real life trial experiment by the European Commission that has helped to address some of the key obstacles encountered in the field of e-public and e-participation. Three calls for proposals were implemented, a total of 21 projects funded, and the evidence points to the projects contributing to reaching the objectives of the action. In terms of efficiency, the project managers largely agreed that the programme was implemented and managed very effectively.

• OurSpace : OurSpace is a youth e-participation platform that is geared towards the engagement of young people in the decision making process at both local and European level.

This open source and easy-to-use tool is designed to support anyone who needs to consult with large groups of young adults, regardless of national or language boundaries. MEPs contribute to the discussion with questions and comments. OurSpace also uses Facebook and an Android app to facilitate the use of the platform.

• PEP-Net (2008-2010) : The Pan European eParticipation Network is a platform/network of all stakeholders active in the field of e-participation. It ensures wider access to European eParticipation projects and permits more effective dialogue between eParticipation experts, researchers, practitioners, civil society organisations and the interested public with the ultimate goal of facilitating knowledge transfer and establishing European leadership in this field. It is open to all organisations willing and actively trying to advance the idea and use of eparticipation in Europe.

• In Estonia e-voting was introduced in 2005 during the local elections: then 9,317 voters casted their vote online. Since then e-voting has been used in Estonia 8 times, including two European Parliament elections. To cast a vote online, people need to sign in, using an ID card or Mobile ID. Before the vote reaches the National Electoral Commission for counting, the voter’s identity is removed from the ballot, which ensures anonymity. The opportunity to use the traditional mailin ballots still remains, so the Internet voting is not forced to the citizens. In the 2015 Parliamentary Elections, e-voting accounted for 30.5% of the voters cast. Estonians have the opportunity to cast their votes worldwide from 116 different countries.

(10)

(11)

(12)(13)

(14)(15)

(16)

(17)

(18)

Key Words • E-public • E-participation • E-voting • Nationalistic movements • EU Institutions Definitions • E-participation: E-participation aims to promote the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT’s) so the citizens can better understand the legislative and decision-making processes within parliamentary and governmental environments. The ultimate goal is to enhance the participation of citizens and for them to contribute to better legislation and policymaking. This might include certain ways for the people to contribute to the decision-making procedures, or giving them an opportunity to propose legislations via websites of online fora.

• Information and communications technology (ICT): Includes all equipment, applications and services that involve communication. Including computers, phones, televisions, radio etc.

Statistics • Turnout rates in the EU for the 2014 election have ranged from 13,1% in Slovakia to 89,6% in Belgium.

• Studies have shown that with e-voting the turnout will be higher in the long run.

• Around 8 million economically active EU citizens live in an EU country other than their own. If they would be able to cast their vote through internet wherever they are, they would be more involved in the work of the EU. (19)

(20)

Links •

E-participation: http://cordis.europa.eu/result/rcn/92448_en.html and http://eparticipation.eu/

References 1. Article on nationalism in the EU (2015) 2. Article on nationalistic parties in European countries (2016) 3. Complete list and summary about active nationalistic parties in Europe 4. Public opinion in the European Union (p.9; 2015) 5. European election turnout (1979-2014) 6. Study of the potential and challenges of e-voting in the EU (2016) 7. Introduction to e-voting in Estonia 8. The European Citizens’ Initative 9. List of competences of the EU 10. Citizens for Europe 11. eParticipation projects 12. eParticipation Preparatory Action 13. Evaluation of the ePPA (2008) 14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

OurSpace Video about OurSpace PEP-Net (2011) Statistics about Internet Voting in Estonia Introduction to e-voting in Estonia Study of the potential and challenges of e-voting in the EU (2016)

Committee on Culture and Education I Digital exclusion and cyberbullying: considering that reportedly 6% of kids between the age of 9 and 16 have been victims of cyberbullying, how can the European Union’s educational systems foster attitudes in students that lead to ethical use of digital technologies?

Chairpersons: Milja Miettinen (FI) and Lucie MĂŠrelle (FI/UK) 1. At a Glance/ Executive Summary Bullying amongst children, entails both physical and psychological violence between children in and out of the school setting. It has been recognised as a serious issue when it comes to violations of children's rights. The newest form of bullying known as cyberbullying entails children who experience repeated verbal or psychological harassment through digital technologies. With the rise of mobile technologies along with individuals having constant access to the Internet, a sense of anonymity, and lack of accountability, cyberbullying affects a substantial amount of people including children and teens.

2. Main Problem In recent years, cyberbullying has been increasing due to the accessibility of the Internet and the widespread use of personal devices, tablets, and laptops. However, obtaining information and data about bullying as a form of violence against and among children is a difficult task due to a variety of definitions and the reluctance of children to speak out. This absence of specific and targeted information makes effective policy making difficult.

According to the EU Kids Online study (1), around 50% of those who bully or have been bullied offline say that they have also bullied or have been bullied online. The same study showed 9 to 16 year olds spent on average 88 minutes online every day and 75% used the Internet for interactive communications via social networking and instant messaging.

The way in which the youth accesses the Internet is rapidly changing with a growing number accessing through handheld devices. Therefore, visibility and intervention opportunities for adults and teachers are far more limited than in the case of offline bullying. Through the use of mobile devices and the Internet, bullying is no longer restricted to the school setting. Whether schools should play a leading role in combating cyberbullying is therefore a hot topic.

Lastly, cyberbullying does not happen exclusively through websites or social media. It happens also through mobile phone calls, texting, and video clips or photos. This being said, more youngsters are showing knowledge and an understanding of what cyberbullying entails. However, a large percentage still find themselves unable to prevent and combat it.

3. Actors, Interests and Conflicts â—?

Council of the European Union: within the council Education ministers from the member states meet to discuss proposals regarding their field proposed by the European Commission, to adopt laws and coordinate policies. Only the Council of the European Union and the European Council can work towards

harmonisation of education legislation. The European Parliament and European Commission cannot call for harmonisation and only support national legislation. ●

Consortium of Institutions for Development and Research in Education in Europe (CIDREE): an Europewide network of educational bodies and institutions which play a recognised national role in the field of curriculum reform, development, and/or educational research. Here the educational experts from different countries can share their experience and knowledge with each other.

●

The European Parliament and European Commission: have a supportive role when it comes to educational policies of Member States. This is called a “supportive competence”. Thus, legally binding EU acts cannot require the harmonisation of EU countries’ laws or regulations, to create, for example, an EUwide curriculum. Members States can only be invited or proposed to cooperate with the EU to achieve joint goals.

●

Member states: especially their education ministries, have the highest power to change and reform national educational systems.

●

Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs): work against cyberbullying with private, national, or EU funding to promote a safer Internet environment for children. For example, Childnet International, Cybersmile, e-Enfance, and EU kids online.

●

Networking sites: have a been called for action by the European Commission in order to make the Internet a safe, tolerant and better environment to children and to provide educational and awareness material as well.

4. Current Legislation & Policies ●

The 2006 World Report on violence against children(2) by the UN: an important reference for policy makers and other stakeholders working on violence against children, including cyberbullying. It presents a detailed picture of the overall violence against children, including violence in schools, and proposes recommendations for action to prevent and respond to it.

●

The CEO coalition: to make a better Internet for kids: launched in December 2011, focuses on responding to emerging challenges arising from the diverse ways in which young Europeans use the Internet by calling for action from companies. Companies’ signatories to the Coalition are committed to take positive action to make the Internet a better place for kids in the following 5 areas:

●

1.

Simple and robust reporting tools for users

2.

Age-appropriate privacy settings

3.

Wider use of content classification

4.

Wider availability and use of parental controls

5.

Effective takedown of child sexual abuse material

The European Cyberbullying Intervention Project (ECIP)(3), and the European Cyberbullying Research Project (ECPR)(4): attempt to map the existing cyberbullying problem in the EU and to analyse the forms of bullying, especially cyberbullying. The ECIP works in six countries and promotes development of prosocial behaviour, reducing antisocial behaviour and reducing the involvement of adolescents in cyberbullying.

ECPR also aims to create new tools for the evaluation of traditional and cyberbullying.

●

European Strategy for a Better Internet for Children(5): an EU-wide strategy, which develops baseline requirements and proposes actions to be taken by the Commission, member states and the networkindustry as well. However, this regulation still remains an option.

●

European Framework for Safer Mobile Use by Younger Teenagers and Children(6): February 2007, is an EU-wide self-regulatory agreement between European mobile operators and content providers to support safer mobile use among young people. This framework includes: access control for adult content, awareness raising campaigns, the classification of commercial content (national standards of decency and appropriateness) and the fight against illegal content on mobiles.

●

The Safer Social Networking Principles(7): a self-regulatory agreement and it’s signed by the major social networking service providers in the Europe. These 21 companies have committed to implement measures to ensure the safety of minors on their services. A commitment was reached to set guiding principles for safer social networking.

●

The United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)(8): says that all member states are obliged to take "all appropriate legislative, administrative, social and educational measures to protect the child from all forms of violence" and support and promote the realisation of this Convention.

5. Key Words ●

Social networking

●

Data protection

●

Verbal abuse online

●

Ethical use of digital technology

●

Social issues of the Internet

6. Definitions ●

Cyberbullying: “A repeated verbal or psychological harassment carried out by an individual or group against others. It can take many forms: mockery, insults, threats, rumours, gossip, "happy slapping", disagreeable comments or slander. Interactive online services (e-mail, chat rooms, instant messaging) and mobile phones have given bullies new opportunities and ways in which they can abuse their victims”, the EU Commission.

●

Self-regulatory agreement: "The possibility for economic operators, the social partners, nongovernmental organisations or associations to adopt amongst themselves and for themselves common guidelines at European level (particularly codes of practice or sectoral agreements)", European Economic and Social Committee, 2003.(9)

7. Statistics

8. Links -

Research, Statistics and Facts on cyberbullying

https://deletecyberbullying.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/euconference-cyberbullying-28-maymadrid-background-paper-coface.pdf -

European framework on making the Internet a safe place for kids

https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/self-regulation-better-internet-kids -

The role of Child Protection systems in protecting children from bullying and cyberbullying

http://ec.europa.eu/justice/fundamental-rights/files/s3_forum_bullying_en.pdf -

An Introduction to cyberbullying in the EU

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberbullying#European_Union -

Report on EU Kids Online

http://www.lse.ac.uk/media@lse/research/EUKidsOnline/EU%20Kids%20III/Reports/Perspectiv esReport.pdf -

A documentary and examples on Cyberbullying

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFZufznYuAI -

Cyberbullying risks

http://europa.eu/epic/news/2014/20140805-cyberbullying-harm-european-children_en.htm -

The homepage of CIDREE

http://www.cidree.org/ -

The TABBY project

http://ing.tabby.eu/the-tabby-project.html 9. References/Sources 1)

https://lsedesignunit.com/EUKidsOnline/index.html?r=64

2)

http://www.unicef.org/violencestudy/reports/SG_violencestudy_en.pdf

3)

http://www.bullyingandcyber.net/en/ecip/project/

4)

http://www.bullyingandcyber.net/en/

5)

https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/european-strategy-deliver-better-internet-our-children

6)

https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/european-framework-safer-mobile-use-younger-teenagersand-children

7)

https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/sites/digital-agenda/files/sn_principles.pdf

8)

http://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/crc.aspx

9)

http://www.eesc.europa.eu/?i=portal.en.self-and-co-regulation-definitions-concepts-examples

Committee on Culture and Education II

On inclusion and equality: guided by the 2016-2018 EU Youth Strategy’s aim to provide more equal opportunities for young people in the job market and to encourage young people to actively participate in society, how should the educational systems of the European Union’s Member States facilitate these objectives?

Chairpersons: Yasmin Kartes (DE) and Josef Khomyak (FI) 1. At a Glance/ Executive Summary Even though unemployment rates are dropping, Europe is still suffering from a high youth unemployment rate of 19,7 % . So far equality is not achieved for all Europeans as the youth is not equally included in society. An educational system in which the European Union provides a great curriculum that enables all young people to succeed on the labour market has yet to be achieved.

(1)

(2)

2. Main Problem Since 2008, youth unemployment has been growing. Young people all over Europe are struggling to find even the most basic jobs. Older and more qualified workers seek jobs at places which hired graduates 10 years ago. This creates inequality in the labour market as young people who want to work and participate within society are unable to do so. However, outside of economic problems, the young unemployed also face social problems, such as poverty, mental health problems, and social exclusion. The psychological and social effects of unemployment are as disturbing as the economic effects.

The political system also suffers. The disconnection of the young population has been seen in low voter turnouts and general lack of trust in politics. This disinterest towards politics has never been stronger than in the last EP elections. The average turnout rate was 42.61%, compared to 56.67% in 1994 . This indifference to active citizenship is especially noticeable when the demographic group with the biggest employment problems is seeking least to be represented in the democratic system.

(3)

(4)

3. Actors, Interests and Conflicts •

•

•

Committee of the Regions (CoR): The Committee of the Regions is the voice of regions and cities in the EU. It finances local job programmes and training institutions for young people. Next to that, the CoR’s Europe 2020 Monitoring Platform, consisting of a group of over 160 cities and region in the EU, looks at the cooperation between the EU and governments on national, regional and local level. This helps to achieve the Europe2020 goals more efficiently.

Consortium of Institutions for Development and Research in Education in Europe (CIDREE): an Europewide network of educational bodies and institutions which play a recognised national role in the field of curriculum reform, development, and/or educational research. Here the educational experts from different countries can share their experience and knowledge with each other.

Employers: The firms which operate inside the EU are mainly incentivised by profit. In order to expand, a firm looks for employees. Often in difficult economic situation such as the one the EU is in now, firms are able to pay less for employees as there is more competition for jobs .

European Commission: Since 2012, the EU has been working towards lowering youth unemployment through education. An example of this would be the Erasmus+ Programme. The Commission is the main executive body of the regarding education however, can be viewed as suggestions for the Member States with no certainty of which member states will follow. The European Commission cannot call for the harmonisation of national curricula. Decision towards harmonisation in education, such as the Bologna Process, must therefore be initiated by the member states. Agenda set by the EU Council in the field of youth is also non-binding as the EU has no legislative power in the area of culture and education.

The European Council: a body which includes all heads of states, its president Donald Tusk and the president of the commission. The European council is responsible by steering the Europe 2020 growth strategy. They annually assess the progress of the growth strategy and discuss priorities for the strategy.

(3)

(4)

•

•

•

•

•

•

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) : a consultative body of the EU, which guides the civil society and national social partners in the implementation of the Europe 2020 growth strategy by coordinating its projects and organising meetings with national ESC’s and similar organisations.

Member states: through the ministry of education, member states attempt to shape curricula and educational systems that ensure the employability of the students. However, with the rapid rate of innovation and rapidly changing markets, it is becoming ever harder to ensure that students are a great fit for employment.

Students: the students are on the receiving end of policies. Education is attempting to ensure that they have the skills, knowledge and attitudes necessary for employment. However, ever more often students leave universities without the necessary digital skills or work related skills to employed in the industry of their choice.

Teachers: on other side of the classroom is the teacher. They are influenced by national curricula, school systems, and educated through teacher trainings. It is their responsibility to teach skills, knowledge, and attitudes. However, what skills, knowledge and attitudes to teach is decided by legislators and national curricula organisations.

(5)

4. Current Legislation & Policies •

•

•

•

•

Education and Training 2020 (ET 2020): is the renewed framework for European cooperation in the youth field. ET 2020 is a forum for exchanges of best practices, mutual learning, gathering and dissemination of advice and support for policy reforms. Through work groups consisting out of experts the implementation of the ET 2020 is ensured as the work on common tools and policy guidance for all member states. With ET 2020 not only benchmarks which should be reached until 2020 but also four common objectives were set: making lifelong learning and mobility a reality, improving the quality and efficiency of education and training, promoting equity, social cohesion and active citizenship and enhancing creativity and innovation.

Erasmus+: is- the EU programme for education, training, youth and sport, managed by the European Commission, the Education, Audiovisual, and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), a series of National Agencies in Programme countries, and a series of National Offices in some Partner countries European Alliance for Apprenticeships: was created in 2013 in order to strengthen the quality, supply, and image of apprenticeships in Europe by bringing together European governments with businesses, chambers, vocational education and training (VET) providers, youth representatives and think tanks. Until now the Alliance has contributed to raise awareness to the benefits of apprenticeship as a form of workbased learning through better networking, cooperation,and sharing of expertise.

Europe 2020 framework for cooperation “Youth on The Move”: The programme focusses on four main lines of action: 1. tackle the issue of early school leaving and promote apprenticeship-type vocational training as well as high-quality traineeships.

2. focus on raising the percentage of young people in higher education.

3. remove obstacles for learning mobility, provide access to the information on the EU mobility and opportunities.

4. increase youth employment and facilitate the transition from school to work.

Youth Strategy 2016-18: sets common objectives and approaches for the member states regarding the creation of more and equal opportunities in education and the labour market, as well as the promotion of active citizenship. The EU Youth Strategy (EUYS) member states are encouraged to adopt a dual approach which contains firstly targeting youth core issues. Secondly the EUYS is based on connecting youth issues to eight other fields of action within the EU ministries: education and training, employment and entrepreneurship, health and well-being, creativity and culture, social inclusion, youth and the world.

(6)

(7)

(8)

(8)

5. Key words • • • •

Youth unemployment Social exclusion Active citizenship EU Youth Strategy

6. Definitions • • • •

• •

Active citizenship: participation in civil society, community and/or political life.

Apprenticeship: training skills, knowledge, and attitudes for a certain trade or craft by working for a master of this trade or craft.

Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET): a young person who is currently unemployment and not going to school or receiving any form of training.

Social exclusion: “experiencing poor living conditions, being unable to participate in the social and political life, being unable to enjoy cultural and recreational activities, suffering from health conditions deriving from poor living standards and experiencing obstacles to accessing health care and social services when needed; suffering from an emotional and psychological sense of exclusion and isolation from the community and/or from society at large (worsening wellbeing).”

Vocational education: a practical form of education that prepares students for a job in a specific trade, craft, as a technician or in a support role in a profession.

Youth unemployment: the term youth unemployment indicates those people between the age of 16 to 24 who are looking for a job, whether they are in education or not.

7. Statistics

Source: Eurostat 2014

Source: Eurostat

(12)

8. Links • Video: ET 2020 http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/education_culture/repository/education/gallery/videos/et2020_en.mp4 • Video: Why Can't Young People Find Jobs? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7c4H_J1YCMU • Youth Unemployment by CEPS ( leading Think Tank in Europe) https://www.ceps.eu/system/files/article/2013/08/Forum.pdf • Youth Social Exclusion http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/youth/tools/documents/social_exclusion_and_youth_work.pdf • Vocational Education and Training http://ec.europa.eu/education/policy/vocational-policy_en • Framework for european cooperation in youth field http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52012XG1220(01)&from=EN

9. References/Sources 1.

http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statisticsexplained/index.php/Unemployment_statistics#Youth_unemployment_trends 2. http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1036 3. http://cor.europa.eu/en/policies/growth-and-jobs/Pages/europe-2020.aspx 4. http://www.bridgingeurope.net/consequences-of-high-youth-unemployment.html 5. http://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/who-does-what/eu-institutions/index_en.htm 6. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/elections2014-results/en/turnout.html 7. http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/node_en 8. http://scholarship.law.berkeley.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1207&context=bjil 9. http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1147 10. http://ec.europa.eu/education/policy/strategic-framework_en 11. http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/education_culture/more_info/evaluations/docs/youth/youth-strategy2016_en.pdf http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/youth/tools/documents/social_exclusion_and_youth_work.pdf

Committee on Culture and Education III (CULT III)

Towards mobility and intercultural understanding: keeping in mind the barriers that regional and minority language speakers face in society, employment and education, what approach should the European Union take towards regional and minority languages within its Member States?

Chairperson: Maryia Hermanovich (BY) and Saara Kiiskinen (FI) 1. At a Glance/ Executive Summary Europe is a continent with many countries and nearly each country has its own language, known as the national language. Some countries have even more than one national language. According to the official definition of the language charter, there are approximately 60 minority languages in Europe . However, nearly all regional and minority language communities face difficulties in ensuring the survival and development of their languages.

Minority languages are part of Europe’s shared cultural heritage and there is a broad consensus that it is important to protect and encourage linguistic and cultural diversity during the process of continued European integration. But what legislative and policy instruments can be effective? Are there conflicts between language rights and the social policy demands of nation building? How are general European concerns reflected or challenged within individual countries?

(1)

2. Main Problem In regard to languages policies exist on different levels and with conflicting agendas. There are international policies (e.g. UNESCO’s Declaration of Linguistic Rights), European policies (e.g. the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages) and national policies (constitutions, education laws) related to the education of minority language groups. Additionally, member states may have varied ideas about the optimal level of subsidiarity, for instance in Sweden the municipalities are in charge of legislating minority language policies, whereas in the Netherlands it resides with provincial governments.

Minority languages are marginalised within nations for a number of reasons. These include the small number of speakers, the decline in the number of speakers, and their occasional consideration as uncultured, primitive, or simple dialects when compared to the dominant language. Support for minority languages is sometimes viewed as supporting separatism, for example the ongoing revival of the Celtic languages (Irish, Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, Manx, Cornish, and Breton), whereas immigrant minority languages can be seen as a threat and as indicative of the non-integration of these communities. Both of these perceived threats are based on the notion of the exclusion of the majority language speakers. These sentiments can be backed or opposed by national politicians.

3. Actors, indicators, and conflicts •

•

•

•

Businesses: even though the teaching of languages was for a long time dominated by formal education and expensive programmes, such as Rosetta Stone. Technological innovations have brought technology companies, such as Duolingo to bring language learning center stage. The European Union is already supporting Babbel, but the language learning market will potentially see more innovation.

The Consortium of Institutions for Development and Research in Education (CIDREE): focuses on establishing closer working relationships between European educational systems. Its strategy is based on the idea that information exchange in educational field benefits all involved and it is therefore an important actor in the networking of educational institutions.

The Council of Europe is a European organisation with 47 member states with the primary goal to protect Human Rights in its member states. It also aims to protect and promote the wealth and diversity of Europe’s cultural heritage and languages, mainly through the European Charter for Regional Minority Languages.

The European Commission supports efforts of national governments and NGOs to protect and preserve minority languages and encourages their learning and teaching. For example, it funded the Euromosaic study, a book which provides an overview of the variety of languages within the EU. The EU member states: Since the EU only has a supportive competence in the area of education and culture, the cooperation of the member states is of utmost importance. Examples of initiatives by member states to (1)

•

•

•

protect minority languages in the past include the Language Protection Law in the Netherlands to protect the Frisian language and the Capital Investment Fund 2015 to 2016 in Wales to protect the Welsh language.

Speakers of minority or regional languages: Speakers of minority languages are crucial to the preservation or restoration of endangered minority languages as they are the only ones with proficient knowledge of that minority language.

Ministries of Education: in each member state, the ministry of education is responsible for deciding on the curriculum directions of the national curriculum. Thereby, the ministry of education has a large role in facilitating the teaching of minority languages.

4. Current Legislation & Policies •

The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages: adopted as a convention on 25 June 1992 by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, and was opened for signature in Strasbourg on 5 November 1992. It entered into force on 1 March 1998. By signing The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, states enter into eight commitments. These can be found on the Council of Europe Website.

UNESCO’s Endangered Languages Programme: to “support communities, experts and governments by producing, coordinating and disseminating tools for monitoring, advocacy, and assessment of language status and trends; and services such as policy advice, technical expertise and training, good practices and a platform for the exchange and transfer of skills.”

Education and Training 2020: this framework includes the Erasmus+ programme and furthermore includes the “mother tongue + 2” objective, which emphasizes the necessity of mastering two other languages besides one’s mother tongue.

(2)

•

•

5. Key Words • • • • •

Endangered language Language curriculum Language learning programme Minority Language Non-territorial language

6. Definitions • •

Official languages: are the language which have a special legal recognition within a country, state or region.

Regional or minority languages: are languages traditionally used within a territory of a state by nationals of that state who form a group smaller than the rest of the state’s population.

Types of minority languages distinguished by the three Mercator centres: • Unique languages in one state: e.g. Welsh in the UK, Galician in Spain and West Frisian in The Netherlands.

• Unique languages spread over more states: e.g. Basque in Spain and France and Catalan in Spain, France and Italy.

• Trans-frontier languages: are both minority and majority depending on the state, e.g. Hungarian in Slovakia and German in Denmark, Italy, Belgium and France.

• National languages at state level, but non-official working languages of the EU, e.g. Luxembourgian in Luxembourg and Irish in Ireland.

• Non-territorial languages: e.g. Roma and Jiddish.

(3)

7. Statistics

• • • •

The critical threshold for the survival of a language is estimated at 300,000 speakers.

80% of the European regional or minority languages are endangered.

There are approximately 60 minority languages in Europe.

56% of the EU citizens are able to have a conversation in another language than their mother tongue.

8. Links

• European Commission policies concerning Regional and minority languages http://ec.europa.eu/languages/policy/linguistic-diversity/regional-minority-languages_en.htm • European Research Centre on Multilingualism and language learning – Facts & figures http://www.mercator-research.eu/minority-languages/facts-figures/ • Language Minorities and Their Educational and Labor Market Indicators http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2004/2004009.pdf • Language Diversity Map http://www.map.language-diversity.eu/ • Promotion of Regional and Minority Languages in Europe https://www.fuen.org/fileadmin/user_upload/downloads/rml2future-guidance-2014.pdf

9. References/Sources 1.

2.

3.

http://ec.europa.eu/languages/policy/linguistic-diversity/regional-minority-languages_en.htm http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/education/minlang/aboutcharter/default_en.asp http://www.mercator-research.eu/minority-languages/facts-figures/

Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL)

Employment perspectives: With youth unemployment rates varying widely across Member States, how can the European Union provide effective support to tackle youth unemployment in all Member States?

Chairpersons: Barbera de Mol (NL) & Wahid Reza (FI) 1. At a Glance/ Executive Summary Even though many young Europeans are highly educated, many of them still have difficulties finding a job and therefore remain unemployed for an undetermined period of time. There already are several measures in place with the aim to solve this problem on the European level. However, partly because of the strong diversity in laws and culture between the European Union (EU) Member States, they have not been successful enough throughout the entirety of the union. It is crucial that the youth unemployment rates are lowered; otherwise the social and economic complications caused by youth unemployment will get even more serious in the future.

2. Main Problem Whilst the EU unemployment rate has fallen to 10.1% , the youth still faces difficulty finding a job. The youth unemployment rate has grown immensely ever since the recession in 2008, and currently sits at 19.6%. However there is a great disparity between richer and poorer member states with 49% and 46% unemployment rates in Greece and Spain respectively.

One of the greatest problems of youth unemployment is that it prevents the youth from gaining job experience, which leads to the unemployed youth not gaining experience needed to qualify for a job in the future either. This extends the job searching process and usually leads to loss in working skills, risk losing confidence in their ability to find a job, and risk the negative psychological and social consequences of poverty. As a result of youth unemployment, a large portion of the youth end up in internships and training programs. However, currently 14 million Europeans between the age of 15 and 29 are not in employment, education, or training (NEET).

Extrapolating on this issue, youth unemployment places national economies under a burden, slowing down economic development and having a negative impact on countries’ GDPs. With a higher unemployment rate, the governments have to distribute social benefits to a greater mass of people. Also the unemployed youth faces an economic burden: the feeling of social exclusion is very common when unemployed, which can lead to work efficiency and skills weakening. Furthermore, unemployment also places a mental burden on the unemployed youth. It has been proven that youth unemployment increases the rates of alcohol and drug usage along with growing rates of mental health problems, such as depression. In addition, youth unemployment increases the risks of poverty and crime within countries.

The European Union has recognised the problems and burdens of youth unemployment and has attempted to tackle this problem with multiple efforts through various legislation and policies (see “Current Legislation & Policies”). However, these measures still have not been successful everywhere. In some member states, like Germany and Austria, the measures in place have largely been successful towards solving the problem; however, in countries like Greece and Spain youth unemployment rates are still above 45%. Therefore, the European Union is in need of new and innovative solutions in order to fight youth unemployment in all its member states.

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(4)

3. Actors, Interests and Conflicts •

•

Companies: play a large role in the issue of youth unemployment because they provide jobs for most people.

Companies generally search for people who are qualified for the job, and often the youth do not meet the requirements and/or do not have the experiences to be hired. The problem is that when companies do not hire youngsters due to lack of experience, they never gain experience, leading the youth into a downwards spiral.

The European Union: plays a significant role in providing jobs for the youth in its member states. The union also has a great impact on national governments’ legislation and policies regarding youth unemployment.

The EU is not necessarily responsible for providing the youth with jobs, but takes great initiative in order to tackle this problem all across Europe. The EU has introduced various policies (see “Current Legislation & Policies”) in order to tackle the problem of youth unemployment, but they have not been sufficient. o There are specific EU bodies and agencies that can be called upon when trying resolve the problem of youth unemployment. For example, within the Committee of Regions, there is the Commission

for Social Policy, Education, Employment, Research and Culture (SEDEC), which is a body responsible for matters concerning employment policy, social policy, education, training, etc.

Moreover, the European Commission is one of the most important bodies concerning the matter of employment, as it is the executive body of the EU. The Commission is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing new decisions, and upholding current treaties.

National governments: as the European Union holds a shared competence in the area of employment, the national governments are the key actor when it comes to providing employment opportunities.

Governments can naturally have a great impact on the employment rates in their country; however, given the European sovereign debt crisis, many governments are financially limited. In this area the EU has an important role.

The youth: even though an increasing amount of European youngsters are getting more and more educated, it still does not guarantee them a job. There appears to be a mismatch between the skills taught in school and the skills required for jobs, leading to the youth not being attractive for companies to hire. Apart from the financial troubles unemployment brings along, the youth also suffers socially. The unemployed youth are at higher risk of getting excluded from the society and developing mental illnesses such as depression, and youth unemployment might also lead to an increase in crimes rates and in the usage of drugs and alcohol. Youth unemployment also creates problems for the rest of the society as they have to carry the financial, social, and economic burdens of the unemployed youth.

(5)

•

•

(6)

(7)

4. Current Legislation & Policies • The Youth Employment Initiative (2012) is the one of the main financial sources to implement, reinforce, and accelerate measures outlined in the Youth Employment package. This measure is most influential in member states with a youth unemployment rate above 25%, and it supports the unemployed youth in those countries through providing them with apprenticeships, traineeships, job placements and/or further education, aiming at achieving a qualification for a job.

• The Youth Employment Package (2012): the most important programme trying to tackle youth unemployment, created by the European Commission. This package includes several programs such as: • The European Alliance for Apprenticeships (2013) is a platform that brings together key actors such as public authorities, businesses, education and youth representatives in order to improve the quality and supply of apprenticeships across the EU. This platform makes it easier for all actors to cooperate with each other.

• The Youth Guarantee (2013) guarantees every EU citizen under the age of 25 a job, apprenticeship, traineeship, or continued education within 4 months after completing a formal education and being unemployed. This ensures that the European youth gets some sort of job experience shortly after formal education. o A Quality Framework for Traineeships (2014) was established to complement the Youth Guarantee, ensuring that the youth get high-quality work experience under safe and fair conditions. This for example ensures that the youth is not exploited by companies during their internships.

• The Youth on the Move (2010) package is an older but also somewhat successful package that was launched as part of the Europe 2020 strategy. This includes: • Youth Opportunities Initiative (2011) encourages people who left school without having achieved upper-secondary education to return to school or start vocational training. The initiative helps graduates to get a first work experience through using the European Social Fund, innovative approaches, and making it easier to work in another EU country.

• Your first EURES Job (2011) helps people up to 35 years old to find a job in another Member State than they are residing in with the purpose of filling vacancies in certain sectors (e.g. teaching and education) and supporting certain groups of people (e.g. young people).

(8)

(9)

(10)

5. Key Words • • • • •

Not in employment, education or training (NEET) Youth unemployment Vocational training Apprenticeship Social exclusion

6. Definitions • • • • • •

Economically inactive: A person who is currently not employed and is not looking for employment.

Labour market: The relationship between people who are willing and able to work in a given area (local, national, or international) and the employers who are willing and able to offer a given amount of jobs.

Lost generation: The generation of youth that could not benefit from existing measures because they were not yet in place or effective enough.

Unemployed: A person who is eligible and actively searching for work but has not been able to secure a job.

Unemployment rate: The number of unemployed people divided by the potential labour force.

Youth: A person between the age of 15 and 24.

7. Statistics

Youth unemployment in the Euro area & the EU

Activity of the youth on an economic level

8. Links • Consequences Of High Youth Unemployment: http://www.bridgingeurope.net/consequences-of-high-youth-unemployment.html • Educational attainment statistics: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statisticsexplained/index.php/Educational_attainment_statistics#Level_of_educational_attainment_by_age_and_sex • European institutions and other bodies: https://europa.eu/european-union/about-eu/institutions-bodies_en • Figure youth activity: employed, unemployed or inactive: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statisticsexplained/index.php/File:Population_employed_unemployed_inactive,_2012.png • Graph Youth Unemployment Rates (EU-28 and EA-19): http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/File:Youth_unemployment_rates,_EU-28_and_EA19,_seasonally_adjusted,_January_2000_-_July_2016_.png • Lost Generation: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/a-lost-generation-europes-unemployed-youths-face-yearstrapped-in-a-downward-spiral-of-poverty-and-8677508.html • Percentage of unemployed youth per country: http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.UEM.1524.ZS?year_high_desc=true • Structure of basic EU institutions: http://www.dadalos-europe.org/int/grundkurs4/eu-struktur_1.htm • The basics on youth guarantee: http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1079&langId=en • The basics on youth unemployment: http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1036 • Youth Employment Initiative: http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1176 • Youth on the Move: http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=950&langId=en

9. References 1.

2.

http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Unemployment_statistics http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/File:Youth_unemployment_rates,_EU28_and_EA-19,_seasonally_adjusted,_January_2000_-_July_2016_.png 3. http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/young-people-and-neets-1 4. http://www.bridgingeurope.net/consequences-of-high-youth-unemployment.html 5. http://cor.europa.eu/en/activities/commissions/Pages/cor-commissions.aspx?comm=SEDEC 6. http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statisticsexplained/index.php/Educational_attainment_statistics#Level_of_educational_attainment_by_age_and_ sex 7. http://www.bridgingeurope.net/consequences-of-high-youth-unemployment.html 8. http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1176 9. http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1079&langId=en 10. http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=950&langId=en

Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI)

From food fad to fast-food culture: considering the diversity of eating habits across European Union Member States, how can the European Union pave the way towards greener and less wasteful food consumption?

Chairperson: Isabella Servanto (FI) 1. At a Glance/ Executive Summary Every European wastes, on average, 173 kg food annually . Numerous food fads and fast-food chains contribute by supporting unsustainable methods of food production. Examples of unsustainable methods of food production are inorganic food production and the production of environmentally unsustainable groceries, such as quinoa, almond milk and soy products . Not only does the wasting of food affect the environment; it poses a significant economic loss for retailers and households as well . Furthermore, the great culinary diversity amongst EU member states creates an obstacle in the endorsement of a unified plan to promote a greener and less wasteful food consumption.

(1)

(2)

(3)

2. Main Problem One of the biggest obstacles that the EU currently faces is the inefficient usage of the existing resources concerning food and the overproduction of food. Therefore reducing food waste was adopted as one of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Currently, up to 20% of the food produced within the EU is going to waste . This indicates a great economic loss for the consumers and retailers.

Secondly, inorganic production methods for meat and dairy contribute to pollution of the environment through the usage of pesticides and chemicals. Nonetheless, fast-food chains and the large food companies aim to maximize their profit margin by marketing and selling as much of their product as possible. An additional risk is that a lot of the food may be unethically produced.

Another important challenge is the diversity of the EU Member States’ cuisines and culinary traditions. Therefore implementing a universal plan for greener and less wasteful food consumption in all the member states is difficult .

(4)

(4)

3. Actors, Interests and Conflicts •

•

The European Commission: is the executive body of the European Union as such they are the driving force behind the Circular Economy Package and the initiators of the EU Platform on Food Losses and Food Waste.

Additionally, they are focussed on ensuring that common measurements and definitions are used in regard to food waste.

European Economic and Social Committee (EESC): an EU advisory body comprising representatives of workers’ and employers’ organisations and other interest groups. The EESC called for the EU to develop a comprehensive ”food policy” combined with a broad-based bioeconomy strategy . The strategy advocates the integration of environmental sustainability into national dietary guidelines and EU-wide advertising for healthy food. However, the ineffective cooperation and unintegrated approach caused the strategy to fail.

European Environment Agency (EEA): an agency of the EU that provides independent information of the environment, thus aiding those who are developing, such as food producers, implementing and evaluating environmental policy .

European Food Safety Authority (EFSA): responsible under the General Food Law Regulation for the scientific and technical evaluation of the risk involved with specific foods and feeds, including the socioeconomic and environmental effects of food production.

(5)

•

(6)

•

4. Current Legislation & Policies •

•

Common Agricultural Policy (CAP): a strategy introduced in 1962 and has changed quite a lot. The most recent change was in 2013. The main aim of the CAP is to ensure a fair standard of living for the agricultural community and to assure the availability of food supplies at reasonable prices. It also ensures an internal agricultural market within the EU. EU Action Plan for the Circular Economy: ratified in september of 2015, the Action Plan imposes the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) upon the EU Member States; the Member States are supposed to halve their food waste per capita at retail and consumer level by 2030.

•

EU Platform on Food Losses and Food Waste: a platform organised by the European Commission, which brings together national governments and private sector entities in order to discuss the topic of food losses and food waste.

Europe 2020 Strategy - A resource-efficient Europe calls for an increase in resource efficiency, to: “find new ways to reduce inputs, minimise waste, improve management of resource stocks, change consumption patterns, optimise production processes, management and business methods, and improve logistics".

General Food Law Regulation: dating back to 2002, the regulation covers the entire production process.

Even including the feed used to nurture the animals used for food production. The regulation was aimed to achieve a high level of protection of human health and the protection of consumer interests.

(7)

•

(8)

•

5. Key Words • • • • • • •

Consumers Food waste Green consumption Sustainability Economic loss Municipal waste Culinary traditions

6. Definitions •

• •

•

Food fad: a diet that promises weight-loss or other health advantages, such as a longer life, without having any scientific evidence that the nutrition plan will have the promised results. These diets are characterized by restricted or unusual food choices, for instance the atkins and paleo diet.

Food waste: food that is discarded or lost uneaten. This can occur during production, processing, retailing or consumption.

Green consumption: consumption that takes the present and the future environment into consideration.

Green consumption puts a part of the responsibility on the consumers, and highlight the impact that the consumers can have on their environment.

Differing culinary traditions: traditions in different countries obviously differ a lot. This is also the case with food. Every culture, country or ethnicity has their own cuisine. The significant difference in the standards of food between countries, makes it even harder to come to an effective common approach to tackle the issue of food waste. The food cultures are mainly the Northern, Southern, Central, Western and Eastern food traditions.

7. Statistics

8. Links • Economic consequences of wasting food: https://www.sustainablebusinesstoolkit.com/the-economics-of-food-waste/ • Sustainable agriculture: http://asi.ucdavis.edu/programs/sarep/about/what-is-sustainable-agriculture • Article on food waste: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/jan/10/half-world-food-waste • EESC on prevention and reduction of food waste: http://www.eesc.europa.eu/?i=portal.en.nat-opinions&itemCode=25955 http://webapi.eesc.europa.eu/documentsanonymous/ces1918-2012_00_00_tra_ac_en.doc • European Commission on EU action against food waste: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/resource.html?uri=cellar:e669092f-01e1-11e4-831f01aa75ed71a1.0001.01/DOC_1&format=PDF • Video on food waste by EC: http://europa.eu/!Kx43Pg 9. References/Sources 1. http://www.eufusions.org/phocadownload/Publications/Estimates%20of%20European%20food%20waste%20l evels.pdf 2. http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/diet/dieting-fads-that-are-ruining-the-world/newsstory/e41e453db0101ad5aad52f0578ab7c1a 3. https://www.sustainablebusinesstoolkit.com/the-economics-of-food-waste/ 4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_European_cuisines 5. http://www.eesc.europa.eu/?i=portal.en.news.39520 6. https://europa.eu/european-union/about-eu/agencies/eea_en 7. http://ec.europa.eu/food/safety/food_waste/eu_actions/eu-platform/index_en.htm 8. http://ec.europa.eu/environment/eussd/food.htm 9. http://europa.eu/!bW34PY 10. http://ec.europa.eu/food/safety/food_waste/index_en.htm

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs I (LIBE 1)

Between integration, accommodation, and assimilation: considering the large influx of refugees to the European continent from conflict areas in the Middle East, what values should guide European Union member states in designing asylum policies for these new Europeans?

Chairpersons: Manon Louvet (FR) and Margarida Frango (PT/FI) 1. At a Glance/ Executive Summary Today, more than 65 million people around the world are forcibly displaced from their home due to violence, human rights violations, conflicts or persecution . They become either internally displaced people if they stay within their own country, refugees, or asylum-seekers. Syria is the largest source country of refugees and Afghanistan the second . Because Europe is the nearest as well as the safest location for the refugees from Middle East to go to, it is now facing a major migration flux . Trying to balance the rise of nationalistic parties across Europe, the legal obligations the European Union (EU) has towards international refugees, and human solidarity, an agreement on a common refugee policy at the EU level has proven to be difficult to conduct, and the EU seems to hesitate which values it should follow.

(1)

(2)

(3)

2. Main Problem The influx of refugees and their integration, accommodation and assimilation to the local culture has been a great challenge for Europe and the EU. The arrival of 1.26 million asylum seekers who have fled Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and other war-torn countries to Europe in the past year, and the ever growing number of refugees coming to Europe, has become a prominent problem for the EU member states. Refugees’ first choice is naturally not to abandon their homes and start over in a strange culture. However, when the alternative is threat of death, most of the refugees have no other choice than to resort to human traffickers in order to get to EU border-countries and from there onwards.

The processes of integration of the asylum-seekers into European societies are often poorly designed. There is a common misconception that refugees are a financial burden on European countries. However, in many cases refugees have valuable knowledge and experience, as well as dedication to learn new skills, which can be useful for the receiving countries. Refugees coming to Europe could therefore be a positive force for economic as well as human development. Respecting and making use of the knowledge, skills, and training that refugees bring with them can help fill in gaps in the European labour market. In addition, if refugees are formally employed, they are able to contribute to the host country’s revenues and social security. The sooner the asylum-seekers get employed, the more they will help the public finances by paying taxes and social security contributions. Their successful integration into labor markets could also decrease some of the adverse effects of unemployment and aging populations.

However, the attitudes of asylum-seekers also play a key role in successful integration. An asylum-seeker’s interest in integration may depend on whether they see prospects for repatriation or resettlement in a third country.

Therefore, the integration of refugees is a dynamic two-way process which requires efforts from both parts, host countries and refugees.

It is important to bear in mind that the distinction between assimilation and integration processes are significant. The experience of assimilating differs from integrating because assimilation implies losing one’s identity and it becoming absorbed in the host country's culture. Integration, on the other hand, makes room for a person’s individual cultural values, practices, and identity. Integration is naturally preferred in the EU, since it acknowledges the mutual relationship and impacts that refugees and individuals in the host culture have on each other.

In theory, the EU’s goal is to act on the refugee influx collectively. However, in practice, the majority of incoming refugees are burdening especially the union’s border countries. The situation now is unacceptable and inadequate for both those countries and for the refugees suffering in bad living conditions. One reason for the ineffective spread of refugees across member states is the Dublin Regulation of the EU. According to the Dublin Regulation a refugee has to stay in the first EU Member State he or she arrives in until their asylum claims are processed. This rule is meant to prevent asylum-seekers from moving around the EU and filing asylum applications in several member states until one of them gets approved. However, Dublin Regulation is a rule that has trapped thousands of refugees in Greece and Italy, simply because those countries are the easiest to reach by boat across the Mediterranean.

The EU member states have different capabilities and resources to carry out integration and accommodation processes for the refugees they receive. For example impoverished Greece has troubles to offer a programme of effective integration and assimilation, whilst for example Germany is able to put forth a larger amount

of funding for these processes. In addition to developing and furthering the integration of the refugees into European society, more needs to also be done to address the conflicts the refugees are fleeing from. The EU also has to ensure that its response to this refugee crisis matches its values and legal responsibilities. Working together, the EU member states should more actively and efficiently ensure protection and respect for the rights of refugees on EU territory.

3. Actors, Interests and Conflicts •

•

Authoritarian Regimes in conflict areas, e.g. Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq: violence of a regime or civil war are important reasons for people having to flee for their safety. While the conflicts in these countries continue, the number of refugees seeking for asylum is increasing.

Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department of the European Commission (ECHO): the European Commission is in charge of meeting the most pressing needs of refugees in Europe, protecting and supporting them, and increasing their self-reliance. In order to do so, it is funding humanitarian aid and helping the member states for example financially.

Border member states, e.g. Greece, Italy: these member states are directly and firstly affected by the arriving of the refugees. They have to provide the resources and infrastructures to host the refugees at least temporarily, and they are also responsible for registering refugees arriving to Europe. The border member states also have the greatest responsibility to manage security threats facing the refugees on the coasts: most of the refugees coming to Europe are traveling in unsafe conditions, for example in overcrowded boats, across the Mediterranean.

Member states unwilling to welcome refugees, e.g. Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, and Slovakia: the rise of nationalist parties across Europe is one reason for widespread opposition against receiving refugees in some member states. It has led to for example building a wall on the border with Turkey in Bulgaria and closing the borders and legalising the use of non-lethal weapons on migrants in Hungary .

Some member states refuse to implement the quota policy of the European Union and refuse to welcome any refugees.

Member states willing to welcome refugees, e.g. Germany: many member states are in favor of welcoming refugees for humanitarian reasons and to respect the right of asylum. Some of these member states who are willing to welcome refugees, however, do not agree with the quota policy.

Middle Eastern countries, e.g. Jordan and Lebanon: small neighbouring countries of Syria and Afghanistan are hosting more refugees than all of the Member States together, even though they have a much lower Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Turkey: the majority of the refugees willing to go to Europe have to travel through Turkey. In July 2016, Turkey was hosting over 3 million Syrian refugees . The EU and Turkey made an agreement in March 2016 to end the irregular immigration from Turkey to the EU . According to this agreement for every Syrian person being returned to Turkey from the EU, another Syrian will be resettled to the EU. In addition the EU promised financial help to Turkey in order to offer proper facilities for refugees.

(4)

•

•

(5)

•

•

•

(6)

(7)

4. Current Legislation & Policies •

•

Common European Asylum System (CEAS): The CEAS is a system that combines of three EU directives and two regulations. CEAS attempts to harmonise the standards of protection by further aligning the EU member states' asylum legislation and by increased solidarity and sense of responsibility among EU member states, and between the EU and non-EU countries.

The European Commission has been pushing forward the “Common European Asylum System” for years to bring greater cohesion to EU legislation regarding asylum seekers and refugees. The commission is in favour of a quota system to distribute refugees and asylum seekers evenly amongst EU member states. The Home Affairs Directorate-General of the Commission is their executive arm for this kind of legislation and in charge of the implementation of FRONTEX and EASO (European Asylum Support Office), among others.

FRONTEX: is an agency that facilitates cooperation between border authorities of different Member States.

The agency was set up in 2005 to help guard EU borders from illegal activities. Frontex does intelligence gathering and it has “Rapid Border Intervention Teams”, which are armed border guards that can be send to support Member States guarding their borders.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR): a UN agency that delivers development aid on the ground at the request of governments or the UN, as well as supporting refugees’ (8)

(9)

•

•

(9)

rights and assisting them in questions of legal matters. They have been calling for reforms of the existing EU legislation concerning asylum seekers and advocate stronger commitment towards accepting asylum seekers. The European Commission is their second biggest donor to their development aid programs.

5. Key Words • Refugee • Integration • Value • Safety • Border 6. Definitions •

• •

Refugee: A refugee is someone who has been forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, war, or violence. A refugee has a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group. Most likely, they cannot return home or are afraid to do so. War and ethnic, tribal and religious violence are leading causes of refugees fleeing their countries. (UNHCR) Migrant: any person who moves, usually across an international border, to join family members already abroad, to search for a livelihood, to escape a natural disaster, or for a range of other purposes. (UNHCR) Hotspot: A registration centre in an EU Member State, of which purpose is to identify and relocate refugees.

Refugees are hosted in hotspots for the time it takes to identify their situation. Hotspots have been, and are, overcrowded because the EU did not plan these centers to host so many people - this leads to unsanitary living conditions alongside insecurity.

(10)

7. Statistics

Source: http://syrianrefugees.eu/asylum/

8. Links • News articles about the refugee crisis: http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/situation-for-refugees-in-transit-zone-is-getting-worse-08-292016 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/04/eu-refugee-crisis-number-of-asylum-seekersdoubled-to-12-million-in-2015 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/refugee-crisis-we-know-about-the-problem-buthow-do-we-address-it-10495707.html • About Refugees Integration: https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/01/13/europe-integrating-refugees-next-big-challenge • Migration and asylum in the EU: https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/explainers/understanding-migration-and-asylum-europeanunion https://www.loc.gov/law/help/refugee-law/index.php • Video: the refugee crisis: perspectives from across Europe and the Atlantic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=30&v=paGmuAkJa8U • Statistics: http://www.theatlantic.com/notes/all/2015/08/the-global-refugee-crisis/402718/ • The Economist - How to manage the migrant crisis: http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21690028-european-problem-demands-common-coherenteu-policy-let-refugees-regulate • The EU-Turkey agreement, a paradox: http://www.migrationpolicy.org/news/paradox-eu-turkey-refugee-deal • The Guardian - Conditions for asylum seekers in Greece and the European Commission’s instructions: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/feb/10/eu-gives-greece-one-month-to-improve-conditionsfor-refugees 9. References 1.

Europa - Refugee and internally displaced persons

2. Europa - Syria remains the world’s largest source country of refugees during 2015 with over 4.9 million people, followed by Afghanistan with over 2.5 million 3. Eurostat - Record number of over 1.2 million first time asylum seekers registered in 2015 4. Europa - Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection 5. Hungary lawmakers approve use of non-lethal weapons on refugees 6. Europa - Refugee crisis data in Turkey 7. Europa - EU-Turkey Agreement 8. Common European Asylum System 9. About Frontex and it's functioning 10. Human Rights Watch, conditions in Greeks hotspots

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs II (LIBE 2)

Between mourning and fear: given the increasing frequency of (domestic) terrorist attacks in Europe, what steps should Member States take to ensure that societies remain inclusive to people of all cultural backgrounds, ethnicities, and religions?

Chairpersons: Jules Genbrugge (BE) and Kaya Safa (UK) 1. At a Glance/ Executive Summary Europe saw a rise in deaths from domestic terror attacks between 2015-16 with perpetrators generally coming from marginalised backgrounds. Concurrently, mainstream media and nationalist organisations have begun to portray a negative picture of certain ethnic and religious groups. As factors such as the refugee crisis come into play, this has created a tense and divisive atmosphere amongst different communities in today’s society.

(1)

(2)

2. Main Problem Following recent terror attacks in EU member states, reports of discrimination and xenophobia against minority groups have increased across the entire continent. Cases of Islamophobia are growing more rapidly than ever; antiMuslim rhetoric is widely shared on social media leading to more people taking a negative stance towards Islam.

While far-right political parties and organisations have gained popularity, violent attacks against refugees skyrocketed during the first months of 2016. In addition to this, governments have increased the use of racial profiling to combat terrorism, causing even more tension between different groups within society. All these factors have led to a feeling of exclusion amongst minority groups. In certain cases, victims of discrimination develop hatred towards today’s society and its core values, resulting in radical political or religious ideas; the main foundations of modern terrorism. Eventually, a vicious circle arises. We cannot safeguard international security and prevent future terrorist attacks as long as discrimination, especially Islamophobia, remains an issue.

(3)

(4)

(3)

(5)

3. Actors, Interests and Conflicts •

Since freedom and social policy are both shared competences, the European Commission along with member states can both contribute to legislation regarding discrimination and human rights.

Throughout the European Union, multiple anti-racism organisations exist. The most prominent are part of the European Network Against Racism (ENAR). By breaking down structural barriers and policies that limit minorities’ opportunities, they try to achieve full equality for all European citizens. ENAR publishes an annual report about discrimination and racism in Europe.

The Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) is one of EU’s decentralised agencies. These agencies are set up to provide expert advice to the institutions of the EU and Member States on a range of issues. Working in partnership with EU institutions, its Member States and other organisations at the international, national and regional levels, the FRA plays an important role in helping to make fundamental rights a reality for everyone living in the EU. (7)

•

(6)

•

(8)

4. Current Legislation & Policies •

All member states have accepted the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD). They are therefore obliged to prevent, prohibit and eradicate all forms of racial discrimination and incitement to racial hatred.

The charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union was signed by all member states (excluding the UK and Poland). It brings all fundamental rights, protected by the EU in a single document.

The Treaty of Amsterdam of 1997 introduced a specific power to combat discrimination on a wide range of grounds of sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation In addition to European legislation, multiple member states have their own rules on discrimination. For example, violent action, cruelty, and coercion by threat made on the basis of the victim's actual or perceived national, ethnic or religious status are punishable in Hungary.

(9)

(10)

•

(11)

•

(12)

•

(13)

5. Perspectives Depending on future national election results in Member States, terrorist attacks and the outcome of the asylum crisis, cases of discrimination can either increase or decrease.

While far-right parties do not necessarily support discrimination and racism, they believe religious freedom, especially when it comes to Islam, should be restricted. By doing this, they want to improve national security.

However, a lot of people believe that discrimination is a serious problem which has to be tackled. As an answer to recent xenophobic manifestations, pro-refugee and pro-Islam marches are organised and supported by people of all sorts of backgrounds.

How can we stop discrimination, while also bearing in mind that domestic security is one of Europe’s biggest problems?

By which means can we work towards inclusion of all groups in our society including both minority groups and people with far-right views? How can we find common ground?

(14)

(15)

6. Key Words • • • • • •

Islamophobia Positive discrimination Racial profiling Social segregation Stereotypes Xenophobia

7. Definitions •

Discrimination: Any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on race, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin which has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life.

Ethnicity: The fact or state of belonging to a social group that has a common national or cultural tradition.

Racism: Prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one's own race is superior.

Social exclusion: The marginalization of individuals our groups in society.

(16)

•

(17)

•

(18)

•

8. Statistics

(19)

(20)

(21)

Links

• Understanding terrorism from a psychological perspective: http://www.apa.org/monitor/2009/11/terrorism.aspx • Article about the burkini ban in France: https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2016-08-25/the-serious-purpose-behind-france-s-silly-burkini-ban • Euractiv article about bans on headscarves: https://www.euractiv.com/section/social-europe-jobs/opinion/ban-on-headscarves-and-religious-clothing-isdiscrimination/ • Fundamental Rights report: http://fra.europa.eu/sites/default/files/fra_uploads/fra-2016-fundamental-rights-report-2016-2_en.pdf • Independent about the situation in Calais: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/calais-jungle-refugees-targeted-by-armed-far-right-militia-inbrutal-campaign-of-violence-a6870816.html • Statistics about the perception of the refugee crisis:

http://www.pewglobal.org/2016/07/11/europeans-fear-wave-of-refugees-will-mean-more-terrorism-fewer-jobs/ • Video: Dalia Mogahed at TED: http://www.ted.com/talks/dalia_mogahed_what_do_you_think_when_you_look_at_me • Article about the causes of terrorism: http://terrorism.about.com/od/causes/a/causes_terror.htm • Article about the misconception that all muslims are terrorists: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/01/14/are-all-terrorists-muslims-it-s-not-even-close.html • Article on racial profiling: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/racial-profiling-seems-to-be-a-weapon-in-europes-war-onterrorism/2016/02/15/78788aea-cb91-11e5-b9ab-26591104bb19_story.html • Video: the psychology of prejudice and discrimination: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7P0iP2Zm6a4

References: 1. Ben Farmer, Who were the Paris terrorists?, 18/06/16 2. Amanda Sharples, How to avoid picking up prejudice from the media, 27/09/16 3. Cynthia Kroet, Violence against refugees rising in Germany, 30/05/16 4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

21.

Richard Wike, Europeans fear wave of refugees will mean more terrorism, fewer jobs, 11/07/16 Anthony Faiola, Racial profiling seems to be a weapon in Europe’s war on terrorism, 15/02/16 European Network Against Racism, ENAR’s mission EUR-lex, Division of competences within the European Union Fundamental Rights Agency, about the FRA UN Office of the High Commissioner, International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination Fundamental Rights Agency, Racism and related intolerances EUR-lex, Charter of fundamental rights of the European Union Academy of European Law, EU anti-discrimination law and human rights frameworks Legislationline, Hungary anti-discrimination legislation Nicholas Vinocur, Marine Le Pen's election pitch, 04/09/16 Nicola Slawson, Thousands march in London during pro-refugee demonstration, 17/09/16 UNESCO, Learning to live together Oxford dictionary, ethnicity Oxford dictionary, racism Richard Wike, Europeans fear wave of refugees will mean more terrorism, fewer jobs, 11/07/16 Richard Wike, Europeans fear wave of refugees will mean more terrorism, fewer jobs, 11/07/16 Datagraver, People killed by terrorism per year in western Europe 1970-2015, 22/03/16

Partners of Järvenpää 2016 – Regional Session of EYP Finland

European Youth Parliament Finland – EYP Finland ry Melkonkatu 24 00210 Helsinki info@eypfinland.org www.eypfinland.org