Turku NS 2023 Resolution Booklet

TURKUNATIONALSESSION 2023

Table of contents

Turku 2023 – National Session of the European Youth Parliament Finland General Assembly, 10 April 2023

Programme of the General A ssembly

Monday 10.4.2023

9:00 Opening of the General A ssembly

9:30 Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Foreign Affairs

10:15 Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

11:00 Coffee Break

11:15 Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection

12:00 Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Economic and Monetar y Affairs

13:00 Lunch

13:45 Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

14:30 Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Industr y, Research and Home Affairs

15:15 Coffee Break

15:30 Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Womenʼs Rights and Gender Equality

16:15 Closing Ceremony

17:00 Departures

Turku 2023 – National Session of the European Youth Parliament Finland General Assembly, 10 April 2023

General A ssembly Procedure

Procedure and time settings

1. Presenting of the Motion for a Resolution by the Board

2. Proposition Speech (3 minutes)

3 Position Speeches (max 2 x 2 min each)

4 Answer to Position Speeches (2 minutes)

5. Three rounds of Open Debate

6. Response to Final Round of Open Debate and Summation speech (3 minutes, split between 2 delegates with 1 transfer of the microphone)

7. Voting procedure

Roles in the General A ssembly

Proposition Speech(es)

During this time one member of the proposing committee will go to the podium and deliver a speech on the resolution. The proposing committee presents the rationale and context of the resolution and their solutions rather than defending it to the GA

Position speeches

The Position Speech is a speech held by any other committee but the proposing one. The speech can either agree with the proposed resolution or the speech can thoroughly disagree with the proposed resolution. In either way the rationale behind the position should be elaborated on

The Position Speech should not pick at individual clauses or details but rather is used when a delegate fundamentally agrees or disagrees with the content of the resolution The Position Speech is held from the podium

Response to Position Speech(es)

Turku 2023 – National Session of the European Youth Parliament Finland General Assembly, 10 April 2023

A delegate from the proposing committee has the chance to respond to the Position Speech(es) The response will be delivered from the floor It should last for about 90 seconds and address the main questions and concerns raised in the position speeches.

Open debate

Any committee with a question, comment, or suggested amendment on the resolution can raise their committee placard and, when recognised by the Board, pose it to the proposing committee The Board will take 4-5 points from the floor before allowing the proposing committee to respond to all of them. During each debate, committees must raise the placard with their committee name to show that they want to speak and wait for the Board to recognise them

Response to Open Debate

A delegate from the proposing committee has the chance to answer the questions, comments, and suggestions brought up in the most recent round of open debate. The responses will be delivered from the floor, including the last round, and the committee will be given one minute to prepare their responses aer each round.

Summation Speech

During the Summation Speech, a delegate from the proposing committee has the final chance to use all rhetorical energy and skill to convince people to vote for their resolution

Direct Responses

This placard can only be used to directly answer a point of the Open Debate. The Direct Response should refer to the core of the last point made and not just be on the same topic. The Direct Response can only be raised once per debate If a Direct Response is misused, it still counts as used

GA Stats

Chairpersons will use GA stats to submit a record of the points and direct responses made during GA. Chairpersons will also use GA stats for collecting and announcing the votes of their delegates. The session homepage is http://stats eyp org /session/625/

Turku 2023 – National Session of the European Youth Parliament Finland General Assembly, 10 April 2023

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS (AFET)

Friends Close, Enemies Even Closer: With the historic accession of Sweden and Finland into NATO, how should the EU and NATO develop the Joint Declaration on EU-NATO Cooperation, particularly from the perspective of defence in Northern Europe and the Arctic?

Submitted by: Deniz A siçi (TR), Emilia Berndtsson (Gymnasiet Lärkan), Leotrim Deliu (Omnia aikuisten peruskoulu), Faisa Hassan (Turun normaalikoulu), Helinä Koivuranta (Lauttakylän lukio), Alisa Krol (Helsingin Suomalainen Yhteiskoulu), Katariina Lehto (Puolalanmäen lukio), Elin Andersson Quist (Lauttakylän lukio), Mariia Tikhonova (Omnia Vocational School), Alina Varano (Turun normaalikoulu), Anna Maëlle Zbinden (CH), Frederick Lalu (Chairperson, FI), Pablo Luengo (Chairperson, ES)

The European Youth Parliament aims to improve security in Northern Europe and the Arctic regarding defence and environmental issues by ensuring efficient cooperation and communication between Member States of NATO, the EU, and the Arctic Council. Building a more financially independent EU would be in the best interest of every Member State. Non-violent strategies promoting the mission of the EU need to be emphasised to build a peaceful and secure Europe,

because:

A. The EU is excessively dependent on external energy sources, especially from Russia,

B. The EU lacks the geopolitical power and capacity to tackle problems concerning the Arctic region such as climate change,

C. The militar y defence in Northern Europe is limited, leading to this region remaining vulnerable to increasing tensions between Russia and the EU,

D The focus on militar y-based partnerships mentioned in the Joint Declaration on EU-NATO Cooperation of 2023 could make the EU seem like a militar y-based organisation, without a comprehensive, non-violent way of cooperation on issues such as the environment and infrastructure,

Turku 2023 – National Session of the European Youth Parliament Finland General Assembly, 10 April 2023

E. The Arctic Circle is estimated to contain 160 billion barrels of oil and 30% of the planetʼs undiscovered natural gas, making it an important region in geopolitical terms,

F. Member countries of the Arctic Council are expressing their interest in the natural resources of the Arctic, increasing the potential for conflict,

G. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has led to Arctic Council meetings as well as further cooperation concerning the Arctic being halted,

H. The largest part of NATOʼs joint defence budget is provided by the United States, leading the EU Member States to lack the motivation to achieve strategic autonomy in defence,

I. Differences in the objectives and policies of the EU and NATO are causing disagreements between members of these bodies leading to inefficient cooperation;

The European Youth Parliament,

1 Requests the European Commission to further develop the EU renewable energy financing mechanism and the REPowerEU plan, taking into account the European Green Deal to achieve:

a. an increase in the use of geothermal power and renewable energy sources such as hydroelectric and wind power in Member States,

b. EU independence from Russian fossil fuels by the year 2030;

2 Urges the EU to continue striving for permanent obser ver status in the Arctic Council;

3. Calls upon EU Member States belonging to the Arctic Council to collaborate in 1 representing the interests of the EU in the Council meetings;

4. Invites the European Defence Agency to further deepen cooperation with NATO to build 2 a strong defence in Northern Europe;

1 Finland, Sweden and Denmark.

2 The European Defence Agency (EDA) supports its 27 Member States in improving their defence capabilities through European cooperation

Turku 2023 – National Session of the European Youth Parliament Finland General Assembly, 10 April 2023

5. A sks the EU and NATO to develop a framework based on Article 12 in the Joint Declaration on EU-NATO Cooperation 2023 regarding humanitarian, environmental, 3 and infrastructural issues;

6 Reminds Member States to cooperate with NATO and the Arctic Council to increase:

a. cooperation in building a better environmental policy of the Arctic,

b. recognition of the indigenous communities and ecosystems that are harmfully affected by the geopolitical and environmental situation in the Arctic;

7. Requests both EU and NATO members to promote the importance and urgency of the effects of climate change by empowering indigenous communities in the Arctic and their eco-activism;

8. Suggests to the Arctic Council members to hold meetings and take immediate action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions regardless of the absent states due to political issues;

9. Encourages the European Defence Agency to improve the EUʼs defence capabilities by:

a. further supporting the production of militar y equipment in the EU,

b. continuing to monitor the supplies and militar y performance of national defence forces;

10. Calls upon the EU and NATO to create a shared council where representatives and obser vers (i.e. ministers of foreign affairs and defence) can collaborate on defence and foreign policy topics concerning safety, preventive maintenance of militar y equipment, 4 and peace promotion.

3 Article 12: “A s the security threats and challenges we are confronted with are evolving in scope and magnitude, we will take our partnership to the next level on the basis of our long-standing cooperation. We will further strengthen our cooperation in existing areas, and expand and deepen our cooperation to address in particular the growing geostrategic competition, resilience issues, protection of critical infrastructures, emerging and disruptive technologies, space, the security implications of climate change, as well as foreign information manipulation and interference”.

4 Preventive maintenance: The art of performing regularly scheduled maintenance activities to help prevent unexpected failures in the future

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON EMPLOYMENT AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS (EMPL)

Give Us a Job: As the record high employment rates following the Covid-19 pandemic are largely driven by an increase in precarious work, such as zero -hour contracts and involuntary part-time employment, how should the EU and its Member States provide adequate and fair working conditions for all workers?

Submitted by: Marium Abdelaziz (FI), Manuela Barbarić (CH), Dávid Gábor Erős (Perhon lukio), Miska Jär venpää (Tampereen lyseon lukio), Ava Lindfors (Gymnasiet Lärkan), Veera Mertala (Tampereen lyseon lukio), Roger Penter (Novidan, Loimaan lukio), Phuc Tran (Mäntän Lukio), Vini Venetvaara (FI), Yupar Win Thu (Mäntän lukio), Ida Eerola (Chairperson, FI)

The European Youth Parliament aims to protect the rights of workers and the unemployed to secure their financial stability and physical and mental wellbeing. The EU should prioritise enhancing its employment and social policy to tackle injustices such as poor working conditions, unfair employment contracts and lack of protection for workers. The end goal is to establish an environment in which workers can safely work and enjoy the fruits of their labour, because:

A. Employees can be wrongly classified as self-employed and therefore lack access to workersʼ rights such as sick pay and holiday pay,

B. A s zero-hour contracts lead to var ying working hours and income, the individuals solely 5 relying on such contracts face increased financial insecurity,

C. Despite there being support to outright ban zero-hour contracts, they can still work as a flexible way to earn money for those who do not rely on them as a main source of income,

5 Zero-hour contract is not a legal term, yet it is a commonly used term for employment contracts that have no guarantee of the number or the frequency of working hours.

D. Research shows that poor working conditions can lead to health complications such as poor mental health, which can have negative consequences to the company,

E. Due to requirements to receive unemployment benefits in many Member States, job-seekers may be pressured to rapidly take up insecure employment,

F. There is variation in the definitions of disability and disability benefits among Member States,

G. Vulnerable employees, such as migrants, may not have adequate knowledge of their rights as a worker,

H. Circumstances such as strict trade union legislation or the nature of a job can make collective workplace action, such as strikes, increasingly difficult;

1. Calls upon the European Council to harmonise definitions used by Member States in employment law, including the definition of a zero-hour contract;

2. Further calls upon the European Council to create EU-wide requirements to be able to classify an individual as self-employed;

3. A sks Member States to implement legislation that only allows zero-hour contracts under certain circumstances such as second jobs, emergencies and short-term cover in the case of illness;

4 Suggests Member States improve social security safety nets for precarious workers by considering:

a. further trials of Universal Basic Income (UBI) , 6

b. improving the accessibility of applying for and retaining unemployment benefits as needed;

5. Proposes Member States to implement disability benefits that are not subject to means-testing or sanctions;

6 Universal Basic Income (UBI) refers to recurring financial support from the state to all individuals universally without any means-testing

Turku 2023 – National Session of the European Youth Parliament Finland General Assembly, 10 April 2023

The European Youth Parliament,

Turku 2023 – National Session of the European Youth Parliament Finland General Assembly, 10 April 2023

6. Urges the European Commission, in social dialogue with the relevant business and worker representatives, to introduce guidelines protecting the right of workers in ever y profession to go on strike safely;

7 Encourages Member States, together with the social partners , to increase awareness of 7 workersʼ rights and unionisation by:

a. including information on workersʼ rights and unions in school curricula,

b. improving the accessibility of information on workersʼ rights and unions,

c. promoting workersʼ rights and unionisation through media campaigns;

8. Requests the European Commission to create guidelines with the aim of requiring complete transparency on employment contracts, following from the example of the Directive on Pay Transparency.

7 Social partners are groups that cooperate in working relationships to achieve a mutually agreed-upon goal, typically for the benefit of all involved groups. Examples of social partners include employers, employees, trade unions, and governments

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON THE INTERNAL MARKET AND CONSUMER PROTECTION (IMCO)

The Slow Road to eGovernment: With the 2030 Digital Compass and the European Declaration on Digital Rights and Principles calling for a human-centred and prosperous digital future, how can the EU ensure that no citizens are le behind in the digitalisation of public services?

Submitted by: Anna Maslova (Jyväskylän lyseon lukio), Atilla Karakaya (TR), Daisy Doan (Mäntän lukio), Dihn Mihn Tran (Salon lukio), Henrik Tamminen (Raudaskylän Kristillinen Opisto), Johanna Melin (SE), Kavika Vasanthakumar (Helsingin Suomalainen Yhteiskoulu), Miriam Lubrich (CH), Thu Hanh Bui (Mäntän lukio), Öyku Berkel (TR), Nea-Sofia Rikala (Chairperson, FI)

The European Youth Parliament aims to support Member States in creating more secure, safe, accessible, inclusive, sustainable, and connected digital platforms and environments with clear EU-wide standards. Furthermore, we aim to provide basic ICT skills to everyone for free while keeping in mind the gaps between citizens of various ages and genders in both technological knowledge and employment in the IT sphere,

because:

A Women are under-represented in the field of information and communications technology (ICT),

B. The eGovernment Action Plan established by the European Commission has fallen short from its set goals,

C. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has many limitations and needs to be revised,

D 90% of jobs in Europe require a basic level of digital skills, yet around 42% of Europeans lack said skills,

Turku 2023 – National Session of the European Youth Parliament Finland General Assembly, 10 April 2023

E. Out of all security breaches in the EU in 2021-2022, 82% occurred because of human error,

F. In 2022, 52% of EU citizens had sought out health-related information online,

G 63% of EU citizens want a secure single electronic identification for all ser vices,

H. The proportion of the EU population aged 16 to 74 that had never used the internet was 7% on average in 2022,

I. The economic cost of using physical invoices reaches over EUR 50 billion ever y year for private and public enterprises throughout the EU,

J. Over 10 terabytes of data is stolen monthly,

K 39% of seniors (65-74 years old) have not used technology in the last 3 months,

L. There is a vast disparity in the digital infrastructure between Member States, defined as the foundation of information technology and operations,

M. The need to ensure data privacy throughout the EU increases with data moving across borders,

N. Almost half of the EU citizens aged between 16 and 74 keep their old electronic device in the household compared with 10% who recycle it,

O. 56% of respondents to a European Commission sur vey have experienced at least one of the nine types of online scams or fraud in the last two years;

The European Youth Parliament,

1. A sks companies to encourage women working in the ICT sector to publicly share their experiences in the field;

2. Calls upon the European Data Protection Board (EDPD) to collaborate with the European Commission to revise and amend the GDPR;

3. Instructs the Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG Connect) to provide a hotline for problems regarding digitised public ser vices and scams;

4. Urges Member States to implement a recycling and reusing system for used digital devices;

5. Proposes to the European Commission to create an EU-wide application for all eGovernment ser vices comprising of five sections: identification-related documents, medical records and documents, school and work records, and credible information on health and detecting scams;

6. A sks Member States to provide free courses regarding:

a) cyber skills in the school curricula,

b) digital skills, especially for unemployed people and those who require such skills in their profession,

c) basic ICT skills for seniors in collaboration with the AGE Platform Europe;

7. Recommends Member States to follow Denmark's example in saving money by encouraging businesses and government agencies to transfer to electronic invoicing;

8. Suggests Member States to apply blockchain technology on eGovernment platforms of public agencies concerning processes such as data storage security, verification of digital identity, supply chain management, voting systems, and smart contracts;

9. Encourages the European Commission to continue expanding the Wifi4EU project;

10. Instructs the European Commission to use the Recover y and Resilience Facility (RRF) in collaboration with Member States for the provision of free-of-charge electronic devices connected to the internet in public spaces;

11. Urges the European Commission to invest in the expansion and development of sustainable digital infrastructure;

12. Calls upon the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) to collaborate with Member States' police departments to create an "authority group" of task forces specialising in cyber-crime, data security, and finding illicit content on the internet with the help of artificial intelligence (AI);

13. Encourages Member States to cooperate with the EDPB, through the process of Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), to protect the security of cross-border data flows.

2023 – National Session of the European Youth Parliament Finland General Assembly, 10 April 2023

Turku 2023 – National Session of the European Youth Parliament Finland General Assembly, 10 April 2023

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC AND MONETARY AFFAIRS (ECON)

The End of Cheap Money: With the Household Index of Consumer Prices showing double digit inflation for the first time in decades, raising prices for consumers all over Europe, how should the European Commission and European Central Bank coordinate their fiscal and monetary policies to return to the ECB's target rate for inflation?

Submitted by: Inam bin Alam (FI), David Blank (SE), Jamina Bürge (CH), Leonita Deliu (Kirkkojär ven koulu), Karīna Drozdova (SE), Albin Elmquist (SE), Said Khalef (CH), Susanna Korpela (Turun normaalikoulu), Hsa Htoo Kʼpaw (Lauttakylän lukio), Isa Lundström Cavegård (SE), Emilia Malkov (Salon lukio), Anna Frolova (Chairperson, LV), Nella Salminen (Chairperson, FI)

The European Youth Parliament aims to achieve the inflation target rate of 2% annually, mitigate the negative repercussions of prolonged inflationary pressure, and decrease poverty and socio-economic inequality. By addressing these issues, we seek to recover stability and competitiveness, reduce the financial burden on Member States and establish a safety net for the socio-economic consequences of severe inflation, because:

A A s of Februar y 2023, inflation in the eurozone was 8,5%, remaining above the European Central Bankʼs (ECB) inflation target rate of 2%,

B. Inflation led to an increase in economic inequality,

C. Disruptions in global supply chains and volatile demand starting from the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 led to an increase in prices,

D. There is inflation divergence between Member States, with inflation in Latvia being at 20,1% while being at 6,6% in Luxembourg,

E. Exchange rate fluctuations negatively affect international trade,

Turku 2023 – National Session of the European Youth Parliament Finland General Assembly, 10 April 2023

F. There are differences in compliance with the Stability and Growth Pact (SGP) among 8 Member States,

G. Russiaʼs invasion of Ukraine has put significant pressure on food and energy supply, which are both significantly contributing to the cost-of-living crisis,

H. The rising prices in relation to the overall cost of living have led to people struggling to afford basic necessities,

I. The trust of people in banks and most public institutions has further diminished in an inflationar y environment,

J. More businesses are now filing for bankruptcy coinciding with high inflation;

The European Youth Parliament,

1. Proposes the Council of the EU to reduce energy consumption costs for consumers and companies by introducing a price cap on energy, following the example of the price cap on gas;

2. Recommends Member States to reduce economic inequality by introducing progressive taxation measures while accounting for inflation;

3. Invites Member States to diversify key trade partners as a safety net against supply shocks;

4 Calls upon the European Commission to assist Member States experiencing higher inflation rates by creating Countr y-Specific Recommendations (CSRs) in the European Semester of 2023;

5. Suggests the ECB to regulate exchange rate fluctuations that could disrupt trade balance by being more involved in foreign exchanges, including but not limited to the United States (US) and China;

6 Instructs the Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN) to create general guidelines for the coordination of fiscal and monetar y policies between Member States and the ECB;

8 The Stability and Growth Pact (SGP) is a set of rules aiming for the coordination of Member Statesʼ fiscal policies

Turku 2023 – National Session of the European Youth Parliament Finland General Assembly, 10 April 2023

7. Designates the European Commission to further promote energy independence through projects supporting the green transition, such as REPowerEU;

8. Further calls upon the European Commission to create CSRs for alternative spending schemes on matters such as healthcare, education, infrastructure, and militar y spending;

9. Encourages Member States to provide assistance to businesses heavily affected by inflation in the form of:

a. governmental contracts,

b. trainings helping them adapt to changing economic conditions;

10 Urges Member States to accelerate the adoption of the Directive on Adequate and Fair Minimum Wages in the European Union, including regular updates to the level of the minimum wage.

Turku 2023 – National Session of the European Youth Parliament Finland General Assembly, 10 April 2023

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON CIVIL LIBERTIES, JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS (LIBE)

Ends to Justify the Means: With groups such as Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion performing attention-grabbing demonstrations in museums, art galleries, streets and motorways all across Europe, what stance should the EU take on civil disobedience to influence climate policy?

Submitted by: Ansa Ekman (Helsingin Suomalainen Yhteiskoulu), Malek Hamdeni (European School of Helsinki), Sofianna Kläusler (Etelä-Tapiolan lukio), Nella Leussu (Kuopion Lyseon lukio), Kaisla Mauno (Sammon keskuslukio), Matilda Ojala (Kuopion Lyseon lukio), Maya Olivieri (IT/BE), Martta Pyykönen (Helsingin Saksalainen koulu), Aino Sainio (Helsingin Suomalainen Yhteiskoulu), Heta-Maria Uotila (Lauttakylän lukio), Milla Vesa (Töölön Yhteiskoulu), Iivari Mantere (Chairperson, FI)

The European Youth Parliament aims to ensure the access to civil disobedience to all 9 citizens of the EU whenever it is necessary. It furthermore strives to provide a safe environment for citizens to express their opinions and have their opinions heard without feeling afraid of negative repercussions. It also aspires to provide a space for climate activists to fight for the preservation of collapsing ecosystems,

because:

A. The EU has not established a concrete stance on the issue of civil disobedience, leading to a large number of discrepancies between the codes of law of Member States,

B. Protests are protected by the freedom of speech and assembly, but the line between legal and illegal acts is not clearly differentiated by the laws of the EU or Member States,

C Violent protests and acts of civil disobedience against climate change can damage private property and thus cause financial damage to third parties,

9 Public, non-violent, and unlawful action that aims to change public policy or opinion and bring publicity

D. Protests against climate change can result in police brutality and injuries to the protestors, resulting in failure to protect the freedom of peaceful assembly,

E. Protests can cause legal, economic, and physical harm to both protesters and other involved parties such as police officers, politicians, and bypassers,

F. Many young people do not feel heard in political decision-making, causing concern about the future amongst youth,

G. Radical actions oen get more publicity than small, peaceful actions, leading to protesters preferring this as the way to solve the problem of not being acknowledged,

H. People are concerned by the significant amount of time needed for the conception and adoption of ecological solutions in the democratic law-making process,

I. Police officers and protesters may face false accusations, claims of misconduct, and abuse,

J. Information about the democratic decision-making processes of Member States can be out of reach for citizens, increasing distress about the lack of action related to climate change;

The European Youth Parliament,

1 Reminds all Member States that the EU does not consider violence to be a response to provocation, whatever the source may be;

2. Urges Member States to tolerate peaceful civil disobedience;

3. Requests Member States to enforce repercussions for authorities who do not respect the fundamental right of peaceful assembly;

4. Suggests Member States to extend and update their legislation regarding the legalities of protesting to clarify the rights and responsibilities of all parties involved;

5. Invites the European Commission to collaborate with Europol to create guidelines for police departments encouraging the implementation of body cameras;

6. Requests the Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs (DG HOME) to expand the Internal Security Fund to fund police training events across Member States concerning the appropriate use of force in response to protests;

Turku 2023 – National Session of the European Youth Parliament Finland General Assembly, 10 April 2023

Turku 2023 – National Session of the European Youth Parliament Finland General Assembly, 10 April 2023

7. Calls upon the European Commission to ensure the safety of parties involved in acts of protest or civil disobedience by improving existing laws around protests and police brutality;

8 Encourages Member States to invite youth to partake in decision-making processes and encourage them to be involved in politics by:

a. creating multi-platform media campaigns and appropriate workshops in schools,

b. inviting Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), such as Eurodesk, to further spread awareness about political participation;

9 A sks the European Council to launch an international website offering citizens and businesses a place to share small ecological actions;

10. Invites Member States to continue working to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050;

11. Requests Member States to increase transparency in their legislative processes, specifically with regard to climate policy.

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON INDUSTRY, RESEARCH AND ENERGY (ITRE)

Houses Warm, Wallets Empty: Aer Russia's withdrawal and exclusion from the European energy market in 2022 caused consumer prices and energy company profits to skyrocket, highlighting Europe's geopolitical dependency on fossil fuels from authoritarian states, how can the EU guarantee affordable energy for all without running out of supply?

Submitted by: Brian Chirio (Tampereen yhteiskoulun lukio), Defne Çolak (TR), Alexandra Filipova (European School of Helsinki), Arthur Heinonen (European School of Helsinki), Emilie Huotari (Helsingin ranskalais-suomalainen koulu), Oran Lafferty (IE), Michael Meenan (IE), Alma Milivić (Tampereen lyseon lukio), Florence Willich (CH), Milana Ševo (Chairperson, RS)

The European Youth Parliament aims to lower the energy prices, while ensuring that sufficient amounts of affordable energy are readily available in all Member States by reforming and regulating the energy market. We aspire to meet our energy transition goals by investing in renewable energy and research. In addition, we desire to promote efficient energy usage to diminish energy consumption. It is our goal for the EU to become more self-sufficient, but still maintain the balance through enhanced trade with non-authoritarian states, because:

A. The EU is vastly dependent on fossil fuel imports from non-EU countries,

B. Roughly 75% of the building stock in the EU is energy inefficient, producing large amounts of energy waste,

C. The EU has failed to establish sufficient mechanisms to promote large-scale investment in renewable energy research,

D Current energy prices are unaffordable for many low-income households, as well as small businesses,

Turku 2023 – National Session of the European Youth Parliament Finland General Assembly, 10 April 2023

E. The existing energy market framework is not compatible with the evolving geopolitical landscape,

F. Renewable energy remains an underutilised resource within urban environments,

G There is an absence of import infrastructure for the cross-border movement of energy, resulting in an insufficient number of energy providers,

H. Insufficient energy storage infrastructure impedes the effective retention of plentiful renewable energy resources;

The European Youth Parliament,

1 Appeals to the European Commission to introduce legislation that would require businesses to reduce energy consumption in commercial settings during non-business hours;

2. Seeks that the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB), as a partner in the InvestEU project, allocates funds for the renovation of residential buildings with the aim of improving heating, insulation and energy efficiency;

3 Calls upon the European Commission to fund the research and growth of green energy industries by:

a. allocating funding by utilising existing resources such as the Recover y and Resilience Facility (RRF),

b. taxing superprofits among energy providers; 10

4. Endorses the European Commission to support new partnerships with energy provider countries while supporting the development of new energy import infrastructure;

5. Requests Horizon Europe to invest in EU-situated research aiming to aid the 11 development of renewable energy sources and their implementation on a larger scale;

6. Suggests Member States to reform to the current energy market and prevent the overpricing of energy by:

a. establishing a common minimal tax rate for taxing superprofits,

10 Superprofits refer to above-average enterprise profits, caused by an exceptional and unpredicted situation in the economy beyond the control of the enterprise.

11 Horizon Europe is the EUʼs key funding programme for research and innovation with a budget of EUR 95.5 billion

Turku 2023 – National Session of the European Youth Parliament Finland General Assembly, 10 April 2023

b. subsidising the price of gas to reduce the wholesale price of electricity;

7. Trusts the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) to expand the use of Contracts for Difference (CfDs) among Member States; 12

8 Strongly encourages Member States to promote the capacity market system to 13 guarantee a stable supply of energy;

9. Further encourages Member States to increase the use of renewable energies that are best available for production in the specific countr y, for example, geothermal energy in Finland;

10. Advises Member States to create new gas import agreements with various countries to avoid the dependence on a singular supplier

12 Contract for Difference (CfD) is a subsidy model in which both positive and negative deviations from a fixed reference price are paid out to the contractual partner

13 In capacity markets, large energy consumers, such as national governments, pay energy providers today in exchange for a promise to have the necessar y infrastructure for producing a certain amount of energy in the future

Turku 2023 – National Session of the European Youth Parliament Finland General Assembly, 10 April 2023

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON WOMEN'S RIGHTS AND GENDER EQUALITY (FEMM)

The Birds and the Bees: With a large share of young people unsatisfied with the relationship and sex education provided by schools, and information on topics such as sexual orientation and gender identity missing from several national curricula, how can European countries ensure young people are best prepared for healthy, safe and fulfilling romantic and sexual relationships throughout their lives?

Submitted by: Taisia Hottola (Ressun lukio), Sofie Mäkinen (Turun normaalikoulu), Veera Malinen (Kuopion Lyseon lukio), Ea Marjokorpi (Kuopion Lyseon lukio), Tua Marjokorpi (Kuopion Lyseon lukio), Luise Nurminen (Turun normaalikoulu), Aino Ranta (Lahden Lyseon lukio), Rebecca Shergold (CH), Halyna Yevstihnieieva (Jyväskylän Lyseon lukio), Nadia Schnider (Chairperson, CH)

The European Youth Parliament aims to ensure high quality sexuality education for European youth. It stands with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and World Health Organization (WHO) in the position that this encompasses fact-based information on the physiological, psychological and social aspects of sexual well-being from an inclusive and consent-centred standpoint, because:

A Sexual well-being plays a significant role in humansʼ overall well-being and quality of life,

B. According to UNESCO, people who received Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE)14 demonstrate healthier sexual practices, lower rates of unwanted pregnancy and teen dating violence, and a better overall understanding of sexual well-being,

C. Only a few Member States offer CSE before the onset of puberty as recommended by UNESCO,

14 Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) is the process of teaching and learning about the biological, emotional and social aspects of human sexuality with the help of an age-appropriate curriculum based on human rights

Turku 2023 – National Session of the European Youth Parliament Finland General Assembly, 10 April 2023

D. The significant rise of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) affecting young people in Europe is largely attributed to lacking sexuality education,

E. The WHO designates the coverage of LGBTQIA+ topics and gender roles as a 15 quintessential element of CSE,

F. Not ever y child in the EU has equal access to CSE, particularly neglecting children in areas with an underfunded education sector,

G. There are great disparities in sexuality education curricula between Member States,

H. Lacking financial resources as well as religious and cultural stigmas have been identified as barriers to the wide-spread implementation of CSE,

I The internet offers readily available yet potentially harmful misinformation regarding sexuality,

J. Uninformed consumption of online pornographic material among young people may lead to a distorted image of healthy sexual relationships;

The European Youth Parliament,

1. Declares that CSE must be accessible for all the schools that seek it;

2. Suggests Eurostat to conduct an annual sexuality education quality ranking of schools in Member States;

3 Strongly encourages Member States to include CSE in national curricula at all levels of education starting from preschool, following the UNESCO sexuality education matrix for age–appropriate sex education;

4. Welcomes Member States to refrain from separating sexuality education classes by gender ;

5. Trusts Member States to incorporate workshops and theme-days on sexuality education in schools;

15 LGBTQIA+ is an acronym standing for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex and A sexual, with the plus symbol accounting for intersectionality and representing other gender and sexual minorities.

Turku 2023 – National Session of the European Youth Parliament Finland General Assembly, 10 April 2023

6. Calls upon the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) to expand the scope of the Erasmus+ funding scheme to include the initial implementation on CSE programmes in underfunded schools;

7 Designates the EACEA to introduce a certification-based Erasmus+ Teacher Academy based on CSE;

8. Endorses the UNESCO and WHO to devise an easily accessible online platform containing CSE materials for young people;

9. Invites UNESCO, in collaboration with research institutions, to supplement the materials on CSE with research on the intersection of religious and other cultural beliefs;

10 Proposes to the WHO to create a multilingual platform for youth seeking help related to sexual well-being, which:

a. allows users to remain anonymous,

b. provides contact information to local youth psychologists and sexual health professionals,

c. further provides an around-the-clock helpline staffed with trained professionals, d implements a chat-bot to answer simple questions;

11. Directs the EACEA to establish a multimedia campaign on dismantling sexuality education stigma, specifically targeted at older generations.