Academic Preparation Kit Grenoble 67th International Session of the EYP

The European Youth Parliament

June 20th 2011

Topic Preparation Kit The 67th International Session Rhône-Alpes, France

„Growing, Giving, Receiving“

European Youth Parliament, Sophienstraße 28-29, 10178 Berlin, Germany. Tel.: +49 (0)30 97 00 50 95 Fax::+49 (0)30 280 95 150

I. DELEGATES’ PREPARATION KIT

a. Committee Topics For your information you will find a list of all 15 Committee Topics. Always be aware of the work of the other Committees, since everybody will participate in the final discussions of the General Assembly.

b. Committee Topic Preparation Overviews: The overviews are written by the Committee chairpersons to serve as background material. They aim to identify the key issues at stake while synthesizing the topic area. The objective is naturally to keep these overviews as balanced as possible, yet they may not receive unanimous consent. It should be noted that the EYP strongly encourages independent thinking so feel free to disagree!

Keywords: The non-exhaustive list of keywords intends to facilitate searching for information, may it be documents, news items or articles, at different types of search engines, news websites and encyclopedias.

Research Links: As regards the suggestions for research links, the list is by no means exhaustive. Rather than citing individual links, we have preferred indicating links to websites where several relevant documents and articles can be found. Please note that the EYP is not responsible for the contents on various websites; the texts reflect the opinions of their authors only.

We wish you successful preparation and interesting reading!

Richard Royal

Ville Vasaramäki

President

Executive Director 2

II. COMMITTE TOPICS

 AFET 1 - Committee on Foreign Affairs 1 "Little more than a re-branding of existing policies”: In reaction to accusations of a too cautious approach to the 'Arab Spring', how should the EU consider its policies in the Southern Mediterranean in order to fully and durably support their "new beginning"?

Chaired by: Hessam Mobasser (BE)

 ECON - Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs With a view to the Basel III framework and Solvency II regulations - How should Europe improve the stability of it banking and financial sectors whilst seeking to find the appropriate balance between societal demands and global competitiveness?

Chaired by: Philip Danielsson (SE)

 EMPL 1 - Committee on Employment and Social Affairs 1 "Indignados", the young Europeans? Despite greater opportunities for study and mobility, the current European youth's unrest is deep. Which measures should be implemented by EU institutions and the relevant national stakeholders to help young people find their place in society?

Chaired by: Ruben Wagenaar (NL)

 CULT 1 - Committee on Culture and Education 1 Guggenheim Goodness: With an ever increasing awareness of the dual economic and cultural benefits of the arts sector, how should EU Member States work with cultural institutions for the benefit of Europe’s countries and citizens?

Chaired by: Leonie Goettsch (NL)

 AFET 2 - Committee on Foreign Affairs 2 More than 15 years after Dayton Agreements, ‘Bosnia-Herzegovina faces its worst crisis since the war’. What should be the EU’s role in ensuring the stabilisation of a country recognised to have ‘a European future’ ?

Chaired by: Anna O’Leary (IE) 3

 LIBE 1 - Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs 1 Should 'deprivation of freedom' mean 'deprivation of rights'? How should constituents of the Council of Europe assess their detention conditions so as to ensure that basic rights of prisoners are legally guaranteed and practically respected ?

Chaired by: Zeynep Yavuz (TR)

 CULT 2 - Committee on Culture and Education 2 Sexual Education, whilst recognised to be a vital part of well-being, remains diversely implemented in Europe. What principles and what method(s) should form the basis of a framework for consistent and effective sexual education for all young Europeans?

Chaired by: Bentley Yaffe (TR)

 DEVE - Committee on Development In the aftermath of the 2011 Presidential Election in Côte d'Ivoire. What should be the priorities of the EU ‘Recovery Package’ so as to ensure both a swift political transition and a sustainable economic recovery ?

Chaired by: Schima Labitsch (AT)

 AFCO - Committee on Constitutional Affairs Not deep enough? In light of the increasing competencies of the EU, should Citizens now accept that there can no longer be representation without taxation? How should Member States assess the scope of the EU's Traditional Own Resources?

Chaired by: Kerstin Mathias (DE)

 LIBE 2 - Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs 2 Taking into consideration the tightened refugee and migration situation due to political situations in Libya, Egypt and Tunisia, as well as internal EU differences regarding the management of migration, how should the EU consider its migration policy in order to adequately face contemporary challenges of both legal and illegal immigration into Member States?

Chaired by: Rodrigo Reis (IT)

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 TRAN - Committee on Transport and Tourism Not far enough nor fast enough ? The publication of the EC White Paper on Transport in March 2011 provoked a wide range of concerns both among the actors of the transports sector and environment activists. Whilst Transport is responsible for more than a quarter of its CO2 emissions, how should a comprehensive and coherent transport policy of the EU look in reaction to fears regarding both short and long-term impacts of Carbon?

Chaired by: Masoumeh Moridian (AT)

 ITRE 1 - Committee on Industry, Research and Energy 1 The Post Fukushima World. What should constitute an integrated European energy policy in order to ensure safety of the continent’s supply and infrastructure?

Chaired by: Zosia Wasik (PL)

 REGI - Committee on Regional Development Whether it is cross-border, transnational or interregional, the European territorial cooperation concretely contributes to building the EU. Within the frame of the discussions on the 2014-2020 Cohesion Policy, what role and which means should have the European territorial co-operation within the future EU Regional Policy?

Chaired by: Katie Teahan (IE)

 EMPL 2 - Committee on Employment and Social Affairs 2 Whilst it will still need to reply to the numerous challenges of its population ageing, Europe’s capacity to innovate may be limited by the reduction in the number of working and young people in the coming years. Which common priorities should the European institutions and the main political, economic and social stakeholders agree upon so as to take up the challenges of ageing, in particular through innovative solutions that would benefit to all the generations?

Chaired by: Linda Zeilina (LV)

 ITRE 2 - Committee on Industry, Research and Energy 2 'At the heart of EU policy' (Lange Report, February 2011): Finding the balance between competitiveness, growth and jobs creation. What should be the focus of EU industrial policy in the next 10 years?

Chaired by: Katya Opanasjuk (UA) 5

III. Committee Topic Preparation AFET 1 - Committee on Foreign Affairs 1 "Little more than a re-branding of existing policies” : In reaction to accusations of a too cautious approach to the 'Arab Spring', how should the EU consider its policies in the Southern Mediterranean in order to fully and durably support their "new beginning" ?

 OVERVIEW On the 19th of December 2010 Mohamed Bouazizi set fire to himself as a protest to the seizure of his fruit stand by the Tunisian Police1. What he didn’t know at that moment is that only weeks after the entire Arab world would be ablaze. The following is a brief overview of the events that have occurred since then in a select number of Arabian states. This overview is in no way a complete narrative of every civil uprising in the entire Arab world, but merely an anthology of the most prominent developments. Further research is therefore imperative in order to fully understand the problem, to recognise the main actors and to understand the options that are before European decision makers at the moment the discussions on this topic start.

Tunisia In December 2010 wikileaks leaked2 a number of documents3 showing the dissatisfaction of the United States government with the government of Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali4. These leaks and the hard crackdown of the Tunisian police on the illegal fruit and vegetable stands5 spark a wave of protests in a number of major cities in the country. Encouraged by this act of desperation thousands set to the streets and demanded the resignation of the Tunisian government. After less than a month of protests and the army’s refusal to shoot6 the protesters7 with live ammunition, Ben Ali flees the country on the 14th of January, followed by his PM and the de facto leader of Tunisia Mohamed Ghannouchi on the 27th of February8. The situation since then has remained relatively calm under the rule of interim president Fouad Mebazaa.

1 http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE6BI06U20101219 2 http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/15/tunisia-wikileaks-ghannouchi?intcmp=239 3 http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/us-embassy-cables-documents/217138 4 http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/feb/02/wikileaks-exclusive-book-extract 5 http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/22/world/africa/22sidi.html 6 http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/e01ffbc4-27e5-11e0-8abc-00144feab49a.html 7 http://www.euronews.net/2011/01/20/tunisian-army-loved-for-not-shooting/ 8 http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/27/tunisian-prime-minister-ghannouchi-resigns

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France, Italy, Germany are together the recipients of over 50% of Tunisia’s exports9.

Convseratives may argue that as such it would have been in their (and therefore the EU’s) interest if Tunisia had not undergone a regime change. And indeed other than a few voices of concern about the instability in the country by low ranking officials, and except for the debates on how to manage the sudden flow of refugees from the region, the EU has remained deafeningly silent on the issue.

Egypt Following the chain of events in Tunisia the Egyptian people took to the streets in a very similar way after a number of people set themselves on fire10 between the 17th and 22nd of January 2011. Several groups on Facebook called the people to stage a massive protest on the 25th of January11. The call did not go unanswered12 and Egypt was engulfed in 18 days of protest13 as thousands flood the streets of Cairo and gather on Tahrir square. The protests were marked by the army’s reluctance to chase the demonstrators off the streets.

Commentators suggest that the Egyptian army is almost completely dependent on the US government for their funding14 15 and would not risk the anger or disapproval of their sponsor by shooting at civilians.

On the 11th of February President Hosni Mubarak finally steps down after 30 years of ruling the country16. Before resigning he appointed Omar Suleiman as vice president, in an attempt to quell the protests and remain in control. Suleiman previously had a career in intelligence and had been linked to the CIA in several cases17. Just as the case was in Tunisia, the EU does not issue a joint reaction to the unrest and the regime change in Egypt, albeit for different reasons this time. Because of the considerable American support to the Egyptian army, the country has largely been of interest to the US’ foreign policy and not the EU’s. Mubarak could be perceived to be the US’ primary ally in the Middle East and a key figure in the Middle East.

Libya On the 17th of February18 protests19 erupted in the Libya’s second biggest city Benghazi.

What followed was an out-and-out civil war that is still going on today between the Libyan army aided by the supporters of current ruler Mu’ammar Al-Gaddafi and the rebel forces

9 https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ts.html 10 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12204999 11 http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/feb/05/egypt-rebirth-of-a-nation 12 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12272836 13 http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/11/us-egypt-idUSTRE70O3UW20110211 14 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41521234/ns/world_news-mideast_n_africa/t/new-challenges-us-egyptian-military-ties/ 15 http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/06/world/middleeast/06military.html 16 http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/11/hosni-mubarak-resigns-egypt-cairo?intcmp=239 17 http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/30/world/middleeast/30suleiman.html 18 http://www.libyafeb17.com/ 19 http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/feb/17/libya-day-of-anger-protests

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mainly based in Benghazi and Misrata. The fights20 went on up to the point that the Libyan army cleared itself a way to the rebel stronghold in Benghazi and started its advance towards the city21.

After a failed attempt at supporting the rebels by the UK Special Forces22, France and the UK23call for the implementation of a no-fly zone over Libya at the emergency EU summit 24 on the 11th of March. On the 17th of March the UN Security Council passed a resolution25 that approved a no-fly zone and ‘all necessary measures’ to enforce it in order to protect civilians under threat of attack from the Libyan regime. The resolution is backed by 10 Security Council members, with five abstentions. Immediately after this a ‘coalition of the willing’ with the UK, the US and France as its main actors, starts military strikes against Gaddafi’s bases26. On the 16th of June, Gaddafi’s son told the Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera that he was willing to hold elections within three months27.The EU28 on its part has stated its unequivocal support of the rebel Transitional National Council and has even opened an EU representation office in Benghazi to solidify this support29. One could suggest that in the case of Libya when compared to Tunisia and Egypt the EU and the US acted with atypical swiftness and determination. The reasons as to why the EU moved to military action (albeit under the NATO flag) so quickly in this case as opposed to the other cases of mass violence against protesters in the Arab states is food for thought to say the least.

Syria The ‘Arab Spring’ only really kicks off in Syria in March after security forces kill 5 protesters in the city of Deraa30. Since then demonstrations have taken place almost daily in many cities across Syria. The protests have grown bigger as the demonstrators are more and more enraged by the amount of deaths on their side and the apparent readiness of their government to quell the unrest by any means necessary. According to the UN at least 1,100 people have lost their lives until since the start of the protests till June 201131. The unrelenting crackdown on the demonstrators by the Syrian police invokes the image of the Iranian security forces in Tehran in the post-election turmoil. The connection to Iran is not only coincidental apparently as different sources confirm that the Syrian government is indeed acquiring financial, logistical

20 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12480844 21 http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/13/gaddafi-forces-rout-rebels-brega-east-libya 22 http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/06/sas-diplomatic-mission-in-libya 23 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12708175 24 http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/11/nicolas-sarkozy-libya-air-strikes 25 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12783819 26 http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/19/libya-air-strikes-gaddafi-france 27 http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE75F0BD20110616?pageNumber=3&virtualBrandChannel=0&sp=true 28 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/9409545.stm 29 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13494248 30 http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/19/syria-police-seal-off-daraa-after-five-protesters-killed 31 http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=38665

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and technical support from Iran32 33 34. Iran as a Shi’a35 country has an interest in keeping Bashar Assad’s Allawite36 government in power in Syria that is populated mostly by Sunni Muslims. This connection makes an intervention in the area a very risky step as the intervening countries could find themselves in war with a much bigger enemy than Assad.

Until June 2011 however the EU’s response to the situation in Syria has been very weak in comparison to their reaction to the Libyan crisis. An arms embargo is put in place on the 9th of May and on the 23rd of May the EU announces further sanctions on Syria, Assad and senior members of his government37.

Bahrain The uprisings in Bahrain started in February as a direct reaction to the successful Tunisian and Egyptian revolutions38. The demonstrations that took place on the Pearl Roundabout were quickly snuffed however by the Bahrain government39. Several sources report Saudi involvement in fighting the majorly Shi’a protesters40 41 42 . There are also reports of Iran supporting the Shi’a protesters in a bid to gain an ally in the Persian Gulf43 44 45. With Iran and Saudi Arabia squaring up to each other the conflict on this small island in the Gulf could potentially have calamitous consequences for the energy supply of Europe and the world46.

The EU’s response to the situation has thus far been to urge the Bahrain government to stop the violence against its people in a resolution of the European Parliament47. No actions have been undertaken by the Council48 or the High Representative49 as of yet.

Yemen The situation in Yemen largely resembles that in the countries presented previously50 51. The reason why the situation in Yemen is of vital importance to the EU and the US though is the

32 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/8558066/Foreign-Office-confirms-Iranian-support-forSyria.html 33 http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=217584&R=R3 34 http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/08/iran-helping-syrian-regime-protesters 35 http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/subdivisions/sunnishia_1.shtml 36 http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/12399/Alawite 37 http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/23/syria-assad-eu-sanctions 38 http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/14/middle-east-iran-bahrain-yemen 39 http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/18/bahrain-destroys-pearl-roundabout 40 http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/apr/16/bahrain-eyewitness-riot-police?intcmp=239 41 http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/29/us-saudi-protest-idUSTRE73S60220110429 42 http://www.jpost.com/VideoArticles/Video/Article.aspx?id=209125 43 http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,6504403,00.html 44 http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/09/world/middleeast/09iran.html 45 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12513479 46 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/concoughlin/8389222/Why-the-Bahrain-rebellion-could-provecalamitous-for-the-West.html 47 http://www.europarl.europa.eu/en/pressroom/content/20110323IPR16194/html/Bahrain-EP-condemns-violent-repressionof-demonstrators 48 http://www.consilium.europa.eu/showPage.aspx?lang=EN 49 http://www.eeas.europa.eu/ashton/index_en.htm 50 http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/27/yemen-protests-president-saleh?intcmp=239 51 http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/apr/13/yemen-violence-leaves-six-dead

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alleged presence of Al Qaeda in the country52. Thanks to Al Qaeda the opposition in Yemen has been fighting the government forces with almost equal arms53. The violence escalated to the point that an assassination attempt on President Saleh was undertaken54 after which he was taken to Saudi Arabia to heal from his wounds. Voices are rising even in Saudi Arabia for Saleh to relinquish power and organise new elections before the situation gets out of hand and Al Qaeda is able to seize power55 56. The gravity of the consequences if Al Qaeda would strengthen its position in Yemen is not to be underestimated. The US government has already announced an increase of their covert operations in Yemen in response to the Al Qaeda threat57.

Delegates arriving at the session to discuss AFET I should look to consider the events of the world around them and consider how the EU and its Member States have reacted. At the core of debate are issues pertaining to the idea of a Common Foreign Policy, the voice of EU leadership, and the extent to which the EU should consider interventionism. Conversely, one could arrive with a view triumphed by political scientist Andrew Moravcsik of the EU as a ‘quiet superpower58’ and deduce that a more passive approach is more suitable. Foreign Policy is often a value driven debate, this Committee demands opinion and demands a powerful resolution from the youth of Europe.

 KEY WORDS Arab Spring, MEDA countries, CFSP



LINKS

Please see the references.

52 http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/22/us-yemen-president-aqap-idUSTRE72L3QK20110322 53 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-13775625 54 http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jun/03/yemen-clashes-ali-abdullah-saleh?intcmp=239 55 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-13801383 56 http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jun/05/yemeni-president-saleh-urged-deal 57 http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/national-security/cia-to-operate-drones-overyemen/2011/06/13/AG7VyyTH_story.html 58 http://www.princeton.edu/~amoravcs/library/quiet.pdf

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ECON - Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs With a view to the Basel III framework and Solvency II regulations - How should Europe improve the stability of it banking and financial sectors whilst seeking to find the appropriate balance between societal demands and global competitiveness?

 OVERVIEW Since the beginning of the financial crisis in 2008, beginning with the fall of Lehman Brothers, there has been an enormous activity in the area of financial regulations. The aim has been to reduce the risk of a new crisis by imposing stricter standards on banks and insurance companies (financial institutions) regarding inter alia risk management and capital requirements. This topic deals with the regulations set forth in the Basel III framework59 and Solvency II directive60.

Background It is important to understand the reason for the huge effort that has been put behind new regulations. A majority of all large companies and small business are heavily relying on credits for their day to day business. Banks are the primary providers of this capital through their core business model – lending money and receiving fees and interest in return. There is also a great interdependence between financial actors - they rely on being able to borrow from each other in order to have enough capital to undertake their commitments to their customers.

However, when a big financial institution falls, the trust between actors on the financial market disappears and suddenly no one wants to lend capital to each other. The result is a frozen capital market that can create a stop in the whole economy. Accordingly a big financial institution can be “too big to fail” because if it does it poses a threat to the whole system.

Basel III and Solvency II The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS), consisting of central bank representatives, has decided on certain measures to correct the shortcomings noticed in banking regulations from the previous crisis in order to prepare the sector for future crises.

The Basel III framework aims to improve the banking sector’s ability to absorb shocks arising from financial and economic stress. The framework raises the standards on quantity and quality of capital that a bank needs to store, which will strengthen the resilience of individual banking institutions. It also introduces capital buffers and leverage and liquidity ratios that target system wide risks.

In addition to these measures, Basel III introduces stronger supervision, risk management and disclosure standards. The rules are to be gradually phased in from 2013 and take full effect in 59 Summary: http://www.bis.org/bcbs/basel3.htm 60 Summary: http://www.fsa.gov.uk/pages/About/What/International/solvency/index.shtml

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early 2019.61 The EU is adopting the Basel III rules, with some alterations giving more flexibility for banks with insurance subsidiaries, by amending the capital requirements directive (CDR IV)62. While Basel III has received a lot of support by politicians, there are still some disagreements regarding how much and what kind of capital is required to achieve financial stability. Some say that more capital is required and that banks should be forced to retain more of there profits during boom years while others are concerned that forcing banks to store more capital would slow down the global economic recovery through a decrease in lending. The Institute of International Finance (IIF) in Washington, a trade body representing some 390 financial firms, claims that the regulation proposed in Basel III would have a significant negative impact on employment and growth extending over several years.63 The Solvency II directive was adopted in 2009 and is to be implemented within the Member States until 2012.64 The directive calls for similar regulations as the Basel III framework but is targeting insurance companies. The purpose has been to both strengthen the relationship between solvency requirements and risk taking and to improve consumer protection. The directive is based on three pillars. The first pillar contains quantitative requirements on capital insurance companies need to hold, the second calls for increased standards on the quality of risk management procedures within insurance companies and the third pillar cover supervisory reporting and disclosure.65 Solvency II has been met with mixed response by the insurance industry. Critical voices have been raised mainly concerning the exclusion of pension funds, the distribution of capital requirements between insurance firms and that the time frame of risks in the insurance business varies significantly to that of the banking business.

The core question of our topic is what level of regulation is appropriate to satisfy societies demand for a stable, reliable financial sector without harming the competitiveness of European financial institutions and reducing the supply of credits? How should citizens react to taxpayer’s funds being utilised or set aside for the world financial system? Are the proposals in Basel III and Solvency II the right measures to prevent future financial crises and ensure a stable supply of credits? Or is there a risk that more regulations at this stage would harm the recovery of the world economy by reducing the amount of available capital on the market?

And could this in return lead to a decreased competitiveness of the European economy as a whole?

 Keywords: Basel III, Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, Solvency II, Capital Requirements Directive, liquidity crisis, solvency crisis, boom-bust, credit crunch, banking regulation

61 http://www.bis.org/speeches/sp110118.pdf 62 http://www.euractiv.com/en/financial-services/eu-adopt-new-basel-rules-2011-news-497736 63 http://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/2010/05/26/basel-iii-grounds-for-optimism/ 64 http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/insurance/docs/solvency/solvency2/faq_en.pdf 65 http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/insurance/solvency/architecture_en.htm

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 Links/sources The Bank for International Settlements hosts the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision.

Click your way around and you will find all relevant documents on Basel I, II and III: http://www.bis.org/bcbs/basel3.htm Reports made by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision and the Financial Stability Board on the short-term and long-term effects of tighter capital regulation: http://www.bis.org/publ/othp10.htm (short-term impacts) http://www.bis.org/publ/bcbs173.pdf (long-term impacts) http://www.bis.org/speeches/sp110118.pdf The European Commission’s (Internal Market) website. Here you will find the original Capital Requirements Directive as well as all following revisions: http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/bank/regcapital/index_en.htm#crd The European Commission’s (Internal Market) website’s FAQ on Solvency II provides a good overview and answers most factual questions: http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/insurance/docs/solvency/solvency2/faq_en.pdf A short description of the basic architecture of Solvency II: http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/insurance/solvency/architecture_en.htm A good overview on the EU’s response to Basel III: http://euractiv.com/en/financial-services/eu-adopt-new-basel-rules-2011-news-497736 An educational article on Basel III and the problems with the banking system today : http://www.economist.com/node/15328883

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EMPL 1 - Committee on Employment and Social Affairs 1 "Indignados", the young Europeans? Despite greater opportunities for study and mobility, the current European youth's unrest is deep. Which measures should be implemented by EU institutions and the relevant national stakeholders to help young people find their place in society?

 OVERVIEW In May of this year, Spain was hit by a wave of protests by a spontaneously formed mass of young people. Calling themselves ‘Los Indignados’ (the Angry Ones), the protestors demanded jobs, better living standards, fairer political standards and changes to their government’s austerity programme66. The protestors argued that the political elite in Spain had ignored the plight of the younger generation. Indeed, while the Spanish youth are academically more prepared than ever, their job-prospects look grim: 41.6% of the Spanish youth were unemployed in 201067. Since the global economic recession started in 2008, unemployment rates in the EU have risen dramatically. Young people were hit disproportionally hard. While generally great disparities in youth unemployment rates in the EU exist (varying between 8.7% in the Netherlands and 41.6% in Spain in 201068), young people, on average, were more than twice at risk of becoming unemployed compared to the adult working population (20.9% versus 8.3%).

Studies on rising youth unemployment during the crisis have identified two groups that are particularly at risk of poor employment outcomes69. ‘Youth left behind’ refers to a group who tend to lack a diploma, come from an immigrant/minority background and/or live in disadvantaged, rural or remote neighbourhoods. The second group of youths facing difficulties is the group of ‘poorly-integrated new entrants’. While these young people often have diplomas, they often find it difficult to find stable employment. They frequently go back and forth between temporary jobs, unemployment or inactivity.

The factors that contribute to youth unemployment are numerous and complex. The global economic crisis has exacerbated many structural problems that young people are facing. Jobs are being cut due to the crisis and young people are suffering from an overcrowded labour market. Even for those who are employed, jobs are often highly flexible and insecure, with a

66 http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/21/spain-reveals-pain-cuts-unemployment?INTCMP=SRCH 67 http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/statistics_explained/index.php/Unemployment_statistics 68 http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/tgm/graph.do?tab=graph&plugin=1&pcode=tsdec460&language=en&toolbox=type 69 Scarpetta, S., A. Sonnet and T. Manfredi (2010), “Rising Youth Unemployment During The Crisis: How to Prevent Negative Long-term Consequences on a Generation?”

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low likelihood of these jobs providing a stepping stone to permanent employment, as employers are increasingly using internships to replace regular employment70.

However, demographic and political factors are important contributors to the problem too. A careful analysis and understanding of more structural labour market issues is essential if Europe is to recover from the economic crisis in a sustainable fashion. In this respect, it will be important for EMPL I to consider the influence of for example employment protection regulations, minimum wages and Active Labour Market Policies (ALMPs) on both the level of and changes in youth unemployment.

On the issue of education, every year approximately one in seven young Europeans drop out of school prematurely71, lacking the skills, experience or diploma to successfully enter the overcrowded labour market. The transition from education to the labour market appears to be a structural problem, with most business leaders believing that Europe’s young people lack ‘soft skills’ that are considered essential by employers72. An important challenge will be to improve the quality of education and training so that young people are better equipped for the labour market.

As part of the Europe 2020 strategy, the European Commission has set up its flagship programme ‘Youth on the Move’73, in order to tackle youth unemployment and promote youth mobility. Chief amongst its goals are reducing school drop-out rates in the EU to below 10% and ensuring that 40% of young people complete higher education74. In order to achieve these ambitious goals, the EU has a strong focus on promoting youth mobility and modernising education and training systems. However critics believe it fails to present a clear strategy to tackle youth unemployment mainly re-brands existing funding and largely relies on Member States for its implementation75.

Youth unemployment is of great concern to the future of Europe, as people who become unemployed during their early working years may become demoralised, and people who fail to find a job after leaving full-time education may see deterioration in their human capital and employment prospects. This could lead to social exclusion. The job crisis is pushing more and more youths, even those who performed well in prosperous times, into the group at risk of becoming a ‘lost generation’76. Given that populations in Europe will age in the years to come and the labour force is expected to decline, it will become increasingly important to make full

70 http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?language=EN&reference=A7-0197/2010 71 http://ec.europa.eu/education/school-education/doc/earlycom_en.pdf 72 http://www.euractiv.com/en/socialeurope/soft-skills-seen-key-employability-news-505005 73 http://ec.europa.eu/youthonthemove/ 74 http://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/targets/eu-targets/index_en.htm 75 http://www.euractiv.com/en/enterprise-jobs/eu-youth-job-strategy-under-fire-news-497858 76 http://www.acus.org/new_atlanticist/european-youth-unemployment-creating-lost-generation

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use of the potential of young people and provide them with the necessary opportunities to find their place in society.

 KEY WORDS Youth unemployment, Youth on the Move programme, labour mobility, social exclusion

 Research Links EU Youth Report 2009 http://ec.europa.eu/youth/pub/pdf/eu-youth-report_en.pdf

European Employment Observatory Review – Youth Employment Measures 2010 http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=738&langId=en&pubId=628&type=2&furtherPub s=no Council Recommendations of on policies to reduce early school leaving http://ec.europa.eu/education/school-education/doc/earlyrec_en.pdf Employment in Europe 2010 Report http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=113&furtherNews=yes&langId=en&newsId=948 Youth Unemployment in Europe and the United States http://ftp.iza.org/dp5673.pdf MEPs mull plan to limit youth unemployment to four months http://www.euractiv.com/en/socialeurope/meps-mull-plan-limit-youth-unemploymentfour-months-news-496085

Please also see all footnote references.

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CULT 1 - Committee on Culture and Education 1 Guggenheim Goodness: With an ever increasing awareness of the dual economic and cultural benefits of the arts sector, how should EU Member States work with cultural institutions for the benefit of Europe’s countries and citizens ?

 OVERVIEW The European Union and the world economy went through a deep financial and economic crisis in 2008 and 2009. The first signs of recovery were visible in 2009, where soon after the EU faced a new challenge with the 2010 Euro Crisis. These developments have brought many European states to adopt tough austerity measures and make significant budget cuts in a variety of sectors – including the arts sector. Announcements of VAT increases77, increases in ticket prices and closures of museums and other cultural institutions leave a trail of public rage and dissatisfied citizens. However, rather than victimizing the sector in times of crisis, it is worth to reroute the discussion and see what the possibilities are for the arts sector to benefit the states and citizens of Europe.

The creative industry accounts for 3.0% of employment and 3.3% GDP of EU Member States combined78. Belonging to this sector are performing arts, visual arts, cultural industries79 and cultural heritage. Additionally, in the economic study of arts and culture, the artist’ labour market is also contained. These segments that comprise the arts sector each involve different stakeholders, and each have their own economic and cultural contribution80. An illustrative example of these dual influences, specifically from the area of visual arts, is the Guggeheim Museum Bilbao (GHB) in Spain. The museum makes it possible for the general public to enjoy a vast collection of contemporary art, exhibiting works from both internationally renounced names and regional artists, and its presence stimulates local, regional and also international art creation. At the same time, the museum transformed the Basque region from an industrial area to a tourist hot spot, and brought about new employment opportunities, urban development and increased fiscal return as a consequence of the popularity of the museum. The Guggenheim Effect was born. The Guggenheim system however, has not gone without scrutiny and the GHB has been described a ‘franchise’ museum, and nicknamed the McDonald’s of the art world81.

77 Value added tax (VAT), a type of consumption tax. The VAT on cultural goods and services is generally low (around 5-6%) or is exempted, however some governments such as those of the Czech Republic and the Netherlands have announced to increase the VAT in the sector to 19%.

78 ec.europa.eu/enterprise/newsroom/cf/_getdocument.cfm?doc_id=6222 79 Examples of cultural industries are film, print, design, publishing and music.

80 For a comprehensive overview of the ‘sub-sectors’ and their respective stakeholders please refer to The Production and Consumption of the Arts: A View of Cultural economics by Throsby (1994), which is provided. Note that in this publication the cultural industry is relatively under-discussed 81 http://www.artnews.com/issues/article.asp?art_id=1026

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The cultural function of art is multifaceted: it is symbolic, communicative and stimulates fantasy and imagination, it can carry a political message or serve as social inquiry, it offers a platform for expression or for psychological healing, and it can preserve past achievements.

However, the art world is as economic as it is cultural, and holds many people’s daily jobs, has a distinct trade scene and a unique ‘product’. Some ‘sub-sectors’ of the art world are more autonomous than others that depend on public and private support. In times of crisis however, it needs to be considered whether the social, cultural and economic benefits gained from intervention by EU Member States outweigh the direct costs involved in comparison to alternative means of achieving the same ends. This begs a second question: how should these alternative models take shape? With some EU programmes already concerned with arts sector, such as the Cultural Programme (2007 – 2013) by the European Commission and Europeana82, what opportunities are there for Member States to pluck the economic and cultural fruits of the arts sector, to benefit the European citizen?

 Keywords Cultural economics, Guggenheim effect, VAT increases on culture, cultural industry, franchise museums, Cultural Programme (2007 – 2013), budget cuts

 Links Official material VAT rates http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/taxation/vat/how_vat_works/rates/index_en.htm Contribution of the cultural and creative industries to the Europe 2020 strategy http://ec.europa.eu/culture/news/news2962_en.htm Cultural Programme (2007 – 2013) http://ec.europa.eu/culture/pub/pdf/cult_prog_2009_en.pdf Informative material Public funding for culture in Europe http://www.culturalpolicies.net/web/statistics-funding.php Overview of tendencies in public expenditure on culture in European states http://www.sica.nl/en/node/28179 (download .pdf) Cultural Policy profiles of European states 82 A digital encyclopedia with licenced contributions from a large number of European cultural institutions

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http://www.culturalpolicies.net/web/countries.php The Guggenheim effect http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1310/is_1998_Sept/ai_54116031/ The arts sector and the current financial crisis http://www.realinstitutoelcano.org/wps/portal/rielcano_eng/Content?WCM_GLOBAL_C ONTEXT=/elcano/elcano_in/zonas_in/spanish+language+culture/ari116-2009 Literature Throsby, D. (1994). The Production and Consumption of the Arts: A View of Cultural economics. Journal of Economic Literature, Vol. XXXII (March), pp. 1 - 29.* Throsby, D. (2010). The Economics of Cultural Policy, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Plaza, B., Tironi, M., Haarich, S. N. (2009). Bilbao's Art Scene and the “Guggenheim effect” Revisited. European Planning Studies, Vol. 17 (11), pp. 1711 – 1729.*

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AFET 2 - Committee on Foreign Affairs 2 More than 15 years after Dayton Agreements, ‘Bosnia-Herzegovina faces its worst crisis since the war’. What should be the EU’s role in ensuring the stabilisation of a country recognised to have ‘a European future’ ?

 OVERVIEW Introduction ‘For half a decade now, Bosnia-Hercegovina has been sliding backwards,’ US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and British Foreign Secretary William Hague wrote in a piece carried by the main Bosnian papers. ‘That slide has accelerated in recent months, and now demands a firm response from the international community, above all from the European Union,’they added.83 In the Republika Srpska entity, harsh nationalist rhetoric and current actions of opposing groups in society are challenging the Dayton framework. They risk dragging BosniaHercegovina backward towards the unpleasant past. This comes just at the moment its neighbours start moving towards a European future. Bosnia, which still does not have a central government eight months after general elections, is mired in the most serious crisis since the end of its 1992-1995 war. Clinton and Hague in the aforementioned article stressed Bosnia's institutions were ‘gridlocked’ and warned against the nationalist moves of the authorities of Republika Srpska which along with the Muslim-Croat Federation makes up post-war Bosnia. It is stated that the real victims of this paralysis are not Bosnia and Herzegovina’s politicians who are both in term attempting to seize power, but its citizens – the very people these political leaders were elected to serve. Instead of living in a free, fair and prosperous society, many remain living under the shadow of division and fear. Further from this they are suffering from poverty, unemployment and lack of opportunity.84 In recent times Bosnia's political crisis deepened further following hard-line Bosnian Serb threats to hold a referendum on the central justice system, which they claim is biased against them. However, their leader Milorad Dodik very recently gave up on referendum plans after a visit from EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton last month. This highlights the key role that the EU has the potential to play in this situation. Clinton and Hague also both voiced their ‘strong support’ for Danish diplomat Peter Sorensen. Sorensen was recently appointed head of a ‘strengthened’ EU delegation in Sarajevo. They urged Sorensen to use ‘all of the levers available to achieve progress.’85 Bosnia's two entities each have their own government

83 AFP (Agence France-Presse ) – Jun 7, 2011 Accessed at: http://iipdigital.usembassy.gov/st/english/texttrans/2011/06/20110608134808su0.220863.html#axzz1Pk73ThTk 84 Ibid.

85 Ibid.

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and are linked by weak central institutions. This, it is often claimed is where the problems begin.

The Role of the Judiciary Recently EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule opened a structured dialogue on the work of the judiciary in Bosnia-Herzegovina in Banja Luka, the Serb Republic (RS). Prior to arriving, Fule told reporters in Sarajevo that the structured dialog on the Bosnia judiciary was part of the Stabilization and Association Process. The aim of this process was to and that its aim was establishing an independent, impartial and efficient judiciary in Bosnia.86 Before that, due to claims of dissatisfaction with the way the judicial institutions of BosniaHerzegovina are led, and particularly because of failures to prosecute war crimes committed against Serbs, Dodik launched an initiative which was ratified by the RS parliament. It is important to recognise the impact of these claims upon the sentiments expressed in current Serbian society. The decision on the referendum provoked strong responses from the Bosniak (Muslim) political circles in Sarajevo, but also from the international community, and was soon cancelled, following Dodik's meeting with Ashton.

History and Specificities of Dayton Accords Dayton Peace Agreement: These accords put an end to the three and a half year long war in Bosnia, one of the armed conflicts in the former Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia.

The agreement's main purpose is to promote peace and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and to endorse regional balance in and around the former Republic of Yugoslavia. 87 The State of Bosnia Herzegovina was set as a confederation of the Federation of BosniaHerzegovina and of the Republika Srpska. Although highly decentralised in its Entities, it would still retain a central government, with a rotating State Presidency, a central bank and a constitutional court. Before concrete discussion of this topic can be achieved it is important to note the exact division of land and resources as outlined by the Dayton Accords. For example, before the Dayton agreement Bosnian Serbs controlled about 46% of Bosnia and Herzegovina (23,687 km2), Bosniaks 28% (14,505 km2) and Bosnian Croats 25% (12,937 km2). 88 Shortcomings and cause for current unrest Dayton's two main shortcomings may be traced to firstly, enabling international actors (such as the OHR), unaccountable to Bosnia- Herzegovina's (BiH) citizens, to shape the agenda of post-war transition. This extended to enacting punishment over local political actors leaving

86 Council of Europe, The Lisbon Network 2010, Accessed at http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/cooperation/lisbonnetwork/themis/Ethics/Paper1_en.asp 87 Summary, Dayton Peace Accords, Art. V, Annex 1-B Accessed at: http://www.state.gov/www/regions/eur/bosnia/bossumm.html 88 Dayton Agreement Land Division Accessed at: http://medlibrary.org/medwiki/Dayton_Accord

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each ethnic group dissatisfied with the results.89 There are several areas of discontent on each side. The Bosnian Serbs contest the somewhat limited results (although strongly favoured in statistical terms), such as the arbitration over the Brcko district; the Bosniaks for the claims of ignoring the human rights issues such as the Srebrenica massacre and recognising Serbian entities such as the Republika Srpska. The Bosnian Croats, in turn claim the lack of equality, lacking a Croat Entity. As can be seen with recent developments, the eyes of many political heavyweights have once again turned towards this region, further examination for the reasons behind the current unrest is essential for an in-depth understanding of this topic.

Current Situation and Questions to consider The crux of the matter lies in how best should the ‘strengthened’ EU delegation approach this complex and delicate situation? As Catherine Ashton’s recent visit to the region has shown, the possibility for the EU to act as a mediating force is enormous, but what should be the EU’s priorities? Further from this, it is essential to note, however backseat it may seem, that the role US will play and has indeed played in the past. Is it achievable and practical to expect the US to sit back whilst the EU handle’s what many will claim to be its own problem?

While the Dayton Accords remain the consensual basis of Bosnia-Herzegovina’s peace, some argue that the political structures they created are cumbersome and are currently impeding Bosnia’s ability to reform itself. Is this so? As has been stated at the beginning of this overview, Bosnia-Herzegovina is rapidly sliding towards murkier waters, how best can the EU approach this matter, and in what capacity?

 Keywords: Dayton Peace Agreement, Bosnia- Herzegovina, genocide, international law, judiciary, European Council, EU foreign policy.

 Links: Academic Texts: Bieber, Florian (2010) ‘Constitutional reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina: preparing for EU accession’ Published by European Policy Centre. Accessible at: http://kbs-frb.org/uploadedFiles/KBSFRB/Files/Verslag/EPC-POLICY%20BRIEF-04-2010.pdf Kostic, Roland. Uppsala University, Peace and Conflict Studies Document, prepared by

89 Charles-Philippe David, 2011. "Alice in Wonderland meets Frankenstein: Constructivism, Realism and Peacebuilding in Bosnia", Contemporary Security Policy 22, No.1.

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Roland Kostic, entitled “Reconciling the Past and the Present Evaluating the Dayton Peace Agreement 1995” Accessible at: http://www.ucdp.uu.se/gpdatabase/info/Bos%201.pdf Maksic, Adis and Toal, Gerard (2011) ‘Is Bosnia-Herzegovina Unsustainable? Implications for the Balkans and European Union.’

Journal: Eurasian Geography and Economics, Vol. 52, No. 2.

Date: March 31, 2011 Publisher: Bellwether Publishing, Ltd. Accessible at: http://bellwether.metapress.com/content/q6r5349w655030q2/ Opinion/ News On the current situation: Time Magazine, October 2010 http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2023347,00.html The Economist Blog, May 2011. http://www.economist.com/blogs/easternapproaches/2011/05/bosnias_continued_troubles

On Ashton’s visit and the judiciary: Balkan Insight, May 2011 http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/bosnia-on-brussel-s-agenda

Council Conclusions: Brussels, March 2011 http://www.consilium.europa.eu/App/Search/SearchNews.aspx?command=d&id=650&lang =EN&doclang=EN&dockey=120066

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LIBE 1 - Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs 1 Should 'deprivation of freedom' mean 'deprivation of rights'? How should constituents of the Council of Europe assess their detention conditions so as to ensure that basic rights of prisoners are legally guaranteed and practically respected ?

 OVERVIEW The purpose of prison sentence is to act as a punishment for criminals, to prevent them from continuing criminal activities and to ensure the reintegration of the prisoner back into the society after release. The European standards established by the Council of Europe are based on these assumptions90 and aim to clarify that all prisoners shall be treated with respect for their basic human rights. These basic rights are covered by the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms91 which the 47 member states of the Council of Europe are party to.

The European Convention on Human Rights, the convention establishes a number of fundamental rights and freedoms such as the right to life, prohibition of torture, prohibition of slavery and forced labour, the right to respect for private and family life, freedom of thought, conscience and religion, freedom of expression, and the right to marry. Anyone who believes that a Member State has violated any of the fundamental human rights can reach to the European Court of Human Rights, whose rulings are binding on the state concerned. Just as the ex-prisoner John Hirst, who was prevented from voting by section 3 of the Representation of the People Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, did in 2001, by lodging an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.92 Hirst won his case in the Human Rights Court, where his lawyers defended that prisoners should have the right to vote under the Convention’s guarantee to the right to free elections, the right to free expression, and prohibition of discrimination. There is a current move to recognise these rights for prisoners. Seven years after the court’s decision,the UK is considering giving prisoners the right to vote although it has been fighting a rearguard action since the court ruled on the issue of votes for prisoners in 2005. Many nations such as Denmark, Sweden and Switzerland, have no form of electoral ban for prisoners. In 13 European countries, the right to vote is given depending on the crime committed or the length of the sentence. Other than the UK, Russia, Armenia, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Romania, Hungary and Luxembourg also has an outright ban on prisoners voting.

Europe splits over prisoner voting rights, some believing that if convicted people are given the

90 See: https://wcd.coe.int/wcd/ViewDoc.jsp?id=955747 91 See: http://conventions.coe.int/treaty/en/treaties/html/005.htm 92The article exlains the story behind the voting case which was brought up in the European Court of Human Rights, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4314218.stm

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right to vote it would bring the law into disrepute and some defending that the right to vote is a basic human right that shouldn’t be taken away due to any kind of conviction. 93 Although, the European Court of Human Rights has confirmed its position that there should be no blanket ban against prisoners voting, the European Prison Rules state ‘Prison authorities shall ensure that prisoners are able to participate in elections, referenda and in other aspects of public life, in so far as their right to do so is not restricted by national law.’94 This is, but one area to examine when looking at prisoner’s rights.

Aside from the contemporarydebate between the Council of Europe and the Member States, such as the suffrage case, there are major treaties and committee established by the council in order to reach its purpose to secure the basic human rights of the prisoners. The abolition of the death penalty by the European Convention on Human Rights has been a pre-condition for joining the Council of Europe since 1989. The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment established by the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment makes unannounced visits to police stations, prisons, immigration detention centres, psychiatric hospitals and other places where persons are deprived of their liberty, issues a report containing recommendations aimed to improve the situation in the country visited, creates an ongoing dialogue with the authorities of the state visited based upon the findings contained in the report. Finally, the European Prison Rules, established by the Council of Europe, formulate the minimum standards regarding prison staff, prisoners and pre-trial detainees, governing every aspect of life in prison such as contacting with the outside world, hygiene level and nutrition, healthcare, and education.95 However, it is true that not all aspects of the European Prison Rules are fully applied in all member states. One of the major problems is that in some the European countries, prisons and pre-trial detention centres are overcrowded which brings constant lack of privacy with it.

The “’gang rule’ still exists in some of the prisons, which could be very destructive and also harm other prisoners.96Although there are telephones available in all prisons all calls are taped except those to legal counsel. The Governor may also restrict phone use or send back letters sent to the prisoners if there are too many arriving, although violating the European Convention on Human Rights and the European Prison Rules. 97

93 The article presents different views about prisoners' right to vote in the UK, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11674014 94 Article 24.11, European Prison Rules 95 Collection of fact sheets explaining the European prison reform, The Council of Europe and European Prison Reform(2009) http://book.coe.int/sysmodules/RBS_fichier/admin/download.php?fileid=3354 96 Facts released in Thomas Hammarberg’s view point on the European Prison Rules and ‘ rights, http://www.coe.int/t/commissioner/Viewpoints/070305_en.asp 97 An article explaining the deficient implementation of the European Prison Rules in the UK prisons, which also applies to the situation in other European Prisons, http://www.abouthumanrights.co.uk/prisoners-rights-if-convicted-crime-servingsentence.html

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Advocates argue that it is an indisputable fact that the Council of Europe has contributed greatly to the improvement of conditions in places of detention through its missions and competent advice. This being the case it cannot be ignored that there are still numerous cases to resolve. To delve further into this topic it is necessary to examine the two main reasons behind these conflicts, these being the incongruities between the European Prison Rules and the European Convention on Human Rights, and secondly the deficient implementation of the agreed rules and conventions by the member states of the Council of Europe in the European Prisons. At the crux of this matter, there is the argument that prisoners have consciously chosen to exclude themselves from society by engaging in crime and to counter this that being a prisoner does not make that individual any less human. Should deprivation mean deprivation of human rights? Is it possible for both EU and non-EU countries to reach a coordinated and one-size-fits-all agreement? These, along with the aforementioned topics in this overview, are only some of the topics facing the Committee on Civil Liberties I.

 Key Words: Prisoners rights, European Prison Rules, The European Convention on Human Rights, Right to free election, Overcrowding, Violation of privacy, The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment

Official Materials: European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (Text of the Convention and Explanatory Report) http://www.cpt.coe.int/en/documents/eng-convention.pdf European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) Rules of Procedure http://www.cpt.coe.int/en/documents/rules-procedure.pdf European Covention on Human Rights http://www.echr.coe.int/nr/rdonlyres/d5cc24a7-dc13-4318-b4575c9014916d7a/0/englishanglais.pdf European Prison Rules https://wcd.coe.int/wcd/ViewDoc.jsp?id=955747

Informative Sources: Prisoners’ right to vote: the blurred line between the European Convention on Human Rights and the European Union 26

http://www.openeurope.org.uk/research/EUECHRprisoners.pdf Reasons behind overcrowding in European Prisons (pages 17-19) http://www.esc-eurocrim.org/newsletter/Nov09ESCnewsletter.pdf

Media Coverage The UK Defies European Court of Human Rights by Denying All Prisoners the Right to Vote, an article explaining the current situation in the UK considering prisoners voting rights http://hrbrief.org/2011/04/the-uk-defies-european-court-of-human-rights-by-denying-allprisoners-the-right-to-vote/ Thomas Hammarberg’s view point on the European Prison Rules and the prisoners rights http://www.coe.int/t/commissioner/Viewpoints/070305_en.asp Europe Split Over Prisoner voting rights http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11676456

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CULT 2 - Committee on Culture and Education 2 Sexual Education, whilst recognised to be a vital part of well-being, remains diversely implemented in Europe. What principles and what method(s) should form the basis of a framework for consistent and effective sexual education for all young Europeans?

 OVERVIEW Due to the differences in cultural and religious perception across Europe, sexual education remains a very diversely implemented concept across Europe. These differences have manifested in the wide spectrum of sexual education programmes found across Europe, ranging from comprehensive sexual education starting from a young age, to little or no sexual education at all. While the cultural and religious differences that have traditionally dominated the debate on sexual education remain, there seems to be a prevailing attitude in Europe that; ‘No quantity of research will settle the moral and religious disputes that circle around the sex education debate. What research can do is [sic] point parents, educators, and policy makers towards positive healthy outcomes for young people’98.

This shift in focus coincides with the change in societal perceptions of sexuality and morality across Europe, and the rise of health concerns regarding higher teenage pregnancy and abortion rates and the spread of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs). While sexual education seems the ideal way to facilitate ideas of safety and health, the content of the classes, who teaches them and at what age they should be introduced remains at the core of this debate.

In countries such as the Netherlands, where sexual education introduced at the age of 10 focusing on both the biological and the psychological aspects of sexuality and relationships has been a legislated part of the curriculum since 1993, there is a significantly lower rate of teenage pregnancy.99 However, in countries such a Poland where the Roman Catholic Church maintains an important presence, such a comprehensive application of an open and informative sexual education system remains a contentious issue. Sexual education remains focused on traditional and religious values and family roles and required parental consent.

While many European countries focus their educational models on a safe and responsible attitude towards sexual health and education, there remains an argument that children should not be taught about sex at a young age and that when they are, the education should focus on abstinence. While this theory has many supporters for moral and religious reasons, another

98 Abstinence Only vs. Comprehensive Sex Education; University of California AIDS Research Institute.

99 A fifth of the teenage pregnancy rate of the UK (27 births per 1000 teenagers), the country with the highest percentage of teenage pregnancies in Western Europe.

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school of thought may advocate abstinence highlights the fact that it is the only method that is certifiably 100% effective in preventing pregnancy and STIs100.

Organisations have already started advocating guidelines that will form a framework as to how young people will be taught about sexuality and relationships. The SAFE Project, supported by the European Commission Directorate General for Health and Consumer Protection, states that such guidelines should be determined on the understanding that ‘All young people have the right to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health information, education and services, to be more active citizens, to have pleasure and confidence in their sexuality, and to be able to make their own informed choices’. In 2010, the World Health Organisation (WHO) also issued comprehensive European guidelines to help public bodies develop criteria for sexual education based on a ‘positive interpretation of sexuality, as a part of physical and mental health’101.

A new aspect to this debate has been introduced with the increase of sexual content available in the traditional and digital multimedia platforms. With easy access to Internet pornography and with the media and advertising sectors more willing to exploit sexual themes, young people are being introduced to sexual themes at an increasingly younger age. Thus, can the youth really still be considered innocently unaware of sexuality, when considering sexual themes readily accessible on a variety of multimedia platforms? And if they are being subjected to such sexual content from a younger age, should the content and focus of sexual education be revised to address this issue?

How should a European framework react to all of these considerations? Which institutions should be responsible for drafting the guidelines, and which ones should be responsible for the application across Europe? What is ultimately the aim of sexual education, and which methods best suit this aim?

 Keywords The SAFE project, WHO, cultural and religious differences across Europe, European teenage pregnancy rates, sexuality in the media

 Research Links Studies

100 A study published in the February 2010 issue of the Archives of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine found that abstinence programmes may be able to prevent sexual activity amongst youths if introduced at a young age.

101 See http://www.euro.who.int/en/what-we-publish/information-for-the-media/sections/latest-press-releases/neweuropean-guidelines-on-sexuality-education-experts-say-sexuality-education-should-start-from-birth

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The SAFE Project, supported by the European Commission Directorate General for Health and Consumer Protection; http://www2.hu-berlin.de/sexology/BIB/SexEd/SexEd.html Guttmacher Institute Report on Teenage Sexual and Reproductive Behaviour on Developed Countries (specifically Chapters 6 & 8 of the report) www.guttmacher.org/pubs/eurosynth_rpt.pdf

Abstinence vs. Comprehensive Sex Education, The American perspective http://ari.ucsf.edu/science/reports/abstinence.pdf

Articles Abstract for study on impact of abstinence education http://www.doctorslounge.com/index.php/news/pb/9697 British teen pregnancy and the Dutch model (pages 17 – 20) http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0012/001201/120152e.pdf Discussion of media exposure to sexual content influencing sexual behaviour http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/117/4/1018.full?linkType=FULL&journalCode =pediatrics&resid=117/4/1018

Other Sources Discussing the merits of the Swiss system; http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2006/05/15/AR2006051500809.html Problems with sexual education within the UK; http://www.independent.co.uk/extras/big-question/the-big-question-why-are-teenagepregnancy-rates-so-high-and-what-can-be-done-about-it-1623828.html World Health Organisation guidelines; http://www.euro.who.int/en/what-we-publish/information-for-the-media/sections/latestpress-releases/new-european-guidelines-on-sexuality-education-experts-say-sexualityeducation-should-start-from-birth Country papers on Youth Sexuality Education in Europe http://english.forschung.sexualaufklaerung.de/3029.html Sexual education and pornography 30

http://www.lsureveille.com/entertainment/study-more-teenagers-get-sexual-educationfrom-porn-1.2542251

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DEVE - Committee on Development In the aftermath of the 2011 Presidential Election in Côte d'Ivoire. What should be the priorities of the EU ‘Recovery Package’ so as to ensure both a swift political transition and a sustainable economic recovery ?

 OVERVIEW ‘We need to rebuild this country from almost zero’102 The Ivorian elections in October 2010 have opened yet another chapter of bloodshedin the history of Cote d’Ivoire, a country marked by grand economic and political volatility ever since its independence from its colonial power France in 1960. During President Félix Houphouet-Boigny’s rule of the country as the first president for almost 33 years, it experienced a period of economic prosperity due to extensive cocoa production, rendering it arguably the most successful Western African country. With the easy access to land and forest for both, foreigners and national citizens however, the most crucial division of the country was yet to be established. When profit was no longer to be made due to the over-exploitation of land, the issue of Ivoirité103 was raised. The main rift between the Northern part of the country, mainly Muslims, and the South, mainly Christians, was laid, and this cleavage resulted in a civil war from 2002-2003.

The elections in October 2010 constituted the final step in the Ouagadougou Peace Agreement signed in 2007, aiming at restoring legitimate leadership of Laurent Gbagbo, in power since 2000. The different political leaders running for office, Laurent Gbagbo, Allassane Ouattara and Henri Konan Bedie, emerging from different ethnic groups, made the elections a decisive event with great salience.104 Ouattara, former Prime Minister to Houphouet-Boigny, emerged as a winner, with Gbabgo not accepting the result. Despite pledges from the international community to step down, it was not until his capture by Ouattara’s forces in April 2011 that the latter could take over state duties. Ouattara has voiced his wish to put Gbagbo in front of court in order to face justice.105 The post-election phase as well as Gbagbo’s capture put the country near a civil war, with over 3000 people being killed, over 1 million leaving the country and the stock exchange closed for weeks. Côte d’Ivoire’s economy is market based and relies heavily on the agricultural sector, which is very sensitive to price fluctuations. Due to a collapsed banking system and a three months cocoa ban by Ouattara, the economy has suffered severely, with

102 Mariam Dao Gabala, Ivorian Women Leaders Caucus. In: France 24. International News. May 27, 2011.

103 Ivoirité: Definition of who is Ivorian and who is not, based on characteristics of an indigenous Ivorian.

104 Côte d’Ivoire elections. October, November 2010. http://www.electionguide.org/election.php?ID=1912 105 International Herald Tribune, April 11, 2011. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/12/world/africa/12ivory.html?_r=1&ref=ivorycoast

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prevailing violence in the country making it hard for workers to take up their routine in the cocoa fields.106 Côte d’Ivoire’s sustainable and swift recovery of the crisis is essential, because it represents the largest economy in the West African Economy & Monetary Union, the major platform to conduct business with West Africa for Europeans and plays a key role for neighbouring landlocked countries in terms of sea access. Moreover, it is argued that an unsuccessful management of the crisis can easily destabilise the whole region of West Africa. The role of the European Union (EU) is of great importance in Côte d’Ivoire, taking into consideration its important role in trade with the country (80% of Ivorian exports) entailing an interim Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA)107 and a European Development Fund (EDF)108 of € 256 Million for the time period 2008-2013. Thus, it is the biggest financial backer of Côte d’Ivoire and the Euro the pegging currency for the CFA-Franc, rendering the latter a stable unit for the country. As with May 2011, the EU has lifted its economic sanctions it has imposed on the country in order to force Gbagbo’s step-down and commits to cooperate fully with Ouattara’s new government. In contrast, the arms embargo against the country, decided by the UN in April 2011, is still upheld by the EU. The ‘recovery package’109 being launched by the European Commission foresees € 180 Million for the reconciliation, democracy and basic social needs in the country as well as a clearance Ivorian debts vis-à-vis the European Investment Bank. Concrete steps include the opening of a humanitarian office in the country’s administrative centre, Abidjan.

The question this topic tackles is not normative in nature, namely whether the EU should support the new leader or not, or whether the elections were of legitimate and fair nature.

The Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) has clearly communicated: ‘(to) cooperate fully with the elected government and support the restoration of law and order as well as social and political reconciliation’.110 Therefore, the nature of this debate is the content of the EU’s ‘recovery package’ destined to aid the newly elected government in the recovery of the country. The following challenges hereby need to be taken under scrutiny.

Political. The post-electoral crisis inherent was a fight over power and interests between Ouattara and Gbagbo, leaving behind a deeply split country. The prevailing atrocities on both sides, from pro-Gbagbo and pro-Outtara supporters are a threat to security, confidence and are to be seen as crime against the human rights. It is justice that both camps seek to pursue,

106 Msnbc.com, Stocks & economy, May 26, 2011. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43177714/ns/businessstocks_and_economy/t/ivory-coast-cocoa-crop-survives-crisis---now/ 107 For further information on the interim EPA: http://ec.europa.eu/trade/wider-agenda/development/economicpartnerships/negotiations-and-agreements/ .

108 For further information on the EDF for Côte d’Ivoire: http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/where/acp/country-cooperation/coted-ivoire/cote-d-ivoire_en.htm .

109 Press release ‘recovery package’: http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/11/241 .

110 Council of the European Union. Factsheet Côte d’Ivoire. EU Response to date 04/05/2011.

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and that these atrocities can be subsumed under, therefore how to achieve and negotiate such justice is of pressing salience for the reconciliation and recovery of the country.

International. That Ouattara was largely installed by foreign forces, could turn out to be a big handicap in the future, as anti-Western feelings and perceived assaults to national sovereignty among pro-Gbagbo supporters prevail. This, their perception of Ouattara merely advancing French interests and the presence of French troops on Ivorian land, can contribute to further violence and unrest in the near future. On that note, Achille Mbembé, a Cameroonian-born historian and critic of French involvement in Ivory Coast, argues that inherent to the conflict was ‘a continuity in the management of Françafrique — this system of reciprocal corruption, [...]’111, whereas France, on the other hand, refers back to the UN Security Council for justifying intervention in the Ivorian conflict and declares to have no interest in pursuing paternalism. Other external peripheral actors to the conflict include the United Nations (UN), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU).

Economic. The fair and equal access to economic participation for all ethnic groups has been claimed as crucial. This is hindered by prevailing corruption in the management of the country’s main resources such as cocoa, wood and oil, which constitutes the main rivalry between politicians and the military. Thus, the question of how equal access to those resources can be achieved in the long run is of high relevance. On a demographic note, it is the thousands of people in the West who have fled from violence and still fear to come home, which slow down economic recovery. It is argued that tackling the issue of economic and financial wealth can facilitate the reconciliation and reintegration of people and camps, however, whether this should be the prime priority of the EU ‘recovery package’ is to be questioned.

Ethnic Division. Another challenge at stake is the access to political participation and stability for all ethnic groups, currently heavily undermined by Ouattara’s decision of alienating former pro-Gbagbo supporters in the making of the new government.

A crucial issue this topic has to deal with is the scope a EU ‘recovery package’ should take on and to what extend interference could fuel violence and help recovery, respectively. To what extent is Côte d’Ivoire’s recovery one of domestic action? Also the issue of ‘political conditionality’112 can be of interest and the question whether embargos are useful or hindering tools for rebuilding from ‘ground zero’. Can we draw back on the concept of ‘state building’113 in order to deduct concrete, lasting and innovative solutions? In light of its critical

111 Mbembé, Achille. In: International Herald Tribune. Diplomatic Memo. French Colonial Past Casts Long Shadow Over Policy in Africa by Steven Erlanger. April 11, 2011.

112 ‘Political conditionality’: witholding humanitarin aid until certain foreign policy objectives are met.

113 ‘State building’: purposeful action to develop the capacity, institutions and legitimacy of the state in relation to an effective political process for negotiating the mutual demands between state and societal groups. (Concepts and Dilemmas of State Building in Fragile Situations by DAC Fragile States Group, OECD/AC Discussion Paper, 2008.)

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status quo and the small window of opportunity presented to Ouattara to successfully transform the country, it is indispensable to take actions, which take into account Côte d’Ivoire’s history and are tailored to the specific needs of Côte d’Ivoire and its people

 Keywords: EU ‘recovery package’, EU-Côte d’Ivoire relations, cocoa production, Laurent Gbagbo, Allassane Ouattara, (political) ‘conditionality’, ‘state-building’, ECOWAS, AU, Economic Partnership Agreement with Côte d’Ivoire, European Development Fund, recovery, reconciliation, ethnic divisions, French/international interference.

 Research Material: Scientific Literature Woods, Dwayne. The Tragedy of the Cocoa Pod: Rent-Seeking, Land and Ethnic Conflict in Ivory Coast. The Journal of Modern African Studies, Vol. 41, No. 4 (Dec., 2003), pp. 641655. Published by: Cambridge University Press.

Bakarr Bah, Abu. Democracy and Civil War: Citizenship and Peacemaking in Côte d’Ivoire.

African Affairs, Vol. 110, Issue 439 (April 2011), pp. 597–615. Published by: Oxford University Press.

Cooper, Frederick (2002). Africa since 1940. The Past of the Present. New approaches to African History. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge, UK. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=FGDIT4WPTWEC&pg=PR1&lpg=PR1&dq=frederic k+cooper+africa+since+1940&source=bl&ots=fwSkjrO7in&sig=-d_K31tvyOynULMIxhXReEhgbQ&hl=en&ei=04H6TfH_C4TKhAeottiZAw&sa=X&oi=book_result&c t=result&resnum=2&ved=0CCwQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false

Official Documents European Union | European External Action Service – EU relations with Ivory Coast http://eeas.europa.eu/ivory_coast/index_en.htm Council of the European Union | Factsheet Côte d’Ivoire – EU Response to date 04/05/2011 http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/EN/foraff/121866.pdf Europe.eu | Press release RAPID – Recovery Package Côte d’Ivoire

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http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/11/537&format=HTML&aged =0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en Informative Sources Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)| OECD/DAC Discussion Paper – Concepts and Dilemmas of State Building in Fragile Situations, by DAC Fragile States Group, 2008 http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/59/51/41100930.pdf

Human Rights Watch | News – Côte d’Ivoire: Gbagbo Supporters Tortured, Killed in Abidjan, June 2, 2011 http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2011/06/02/c-te-d-ivoire-gbagbo-supporters-torturedkilled-abidjan African Studies Center | K-12 African Studies – French in West Africa http://www.africa.upenn.edu/K-12/French_16178.html

Media Coverage New York Times| International Herald Tribune – Ivory Coast http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/ivorycoast/index.h tml?scp=1&sq=Cote%20d'Ivoire&st=cse EUobserver | Headline News - MEPs question French intervention in Ivory Coast, by Andrew Willis, April 14, 2011 http://euobserver.com/9/32163 BBC News | Mobile – Ivory Coast Timeline http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/1043106.stm France 24 | International News – Debate Ivory Coast’s Road to Recovery, 4 part documentary coverage http://www.france24.com/en/20110525-special-programme-ivory-coast-road-recoveryinauguration-ouattara-gbagbo-reconciliation-security-economy-part-1# http://www.france24.com/en/20110525-special-programme-ivory-coast-road-recoveryinauguration-ouattara-gbagbo-reconciliation-security-economy-part-2 http://www.france24.com/en/20110525-special-programme-ivory-coast-road-recoveryinauguration-ouattara-gbagbo-reconciliation-security-economy-part-3

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http://www.france24.com/en/20110525-special-programme-ivory-coast-road-recoveryinauguration-ouattara-gbagbo-reconciliation-security-economy-part-4

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AFCO - Committee on Constitutional Affairs Not deep enough? In light of the increasing competencies of the EU, should Citizens now accept that there can be now representation without taxation? What should be the scope of EU Direct Taxation?

 OVERVIEW "No taxation without representation" is a slogan originating during the 1750s and 1760s that summarised a primary grievance of the British colonists in the thirteen Colonies, which was one of the major causes of the American Revolution. “Representation without taxation”, however, describes a rather different phenomenon that might well lead to a European tax revolution.

The EU’s budget is currently mainly funded with resources that come from the Member States, with only a limited percentage coming from the EU's own resources. Currently accounting for approximately €141,9 billion the EU’s budget is generated from three different pillars.

Traditional own resources: mainly custom duties charged on imports from non-EU states. It is gradually decreasing as a consequence of the lower tariffs applied by the EU on imported products.

A resource based on value added tax (VAT)114: A standard percentage rate that is applied to each Member State’s Gross National Income (GNI)115. The VAT base to be taxed is capped at 50% of GNI for each country. This source contributes with around €14 bn to the European budget.

A resource based on GNI: A uniform percentage rate applied to the GNI of each Member State. Even though this was originally designed as a means to balance revenue and expenditure it has become the largest source of revenue with €92.7bn in 2010.116

114 VAT (Value added tax) is a sales tax levied on the sale of goods and services.

115 Gross national income (GNI) comprises the value within a country (i.e. its gross domestic product), together with its income received from other countries (notably interest and dividends), less similar payments made to other countries.

116 European Commission – Financial Programming and Budget: “Where does the money come from?“ http://ec.europa.eu/budget/explained/budg_system/financing/fin_en.cfm

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Art. 269 of the TEC (retained in the Lisbon Treaty) states that ‘the budget shall be financed wholly from own resources’.117 In the current system revenue flows from the above mentioned sources. However, even though the GNI resource is legally an own resource, in economic terms it is more an inter-governmental transfer than a revenue instrument that ‘belongs’ to the EU level of governance. As such, it has been subject to criticism, notably from the European Parliament. There is widespread concern that the various corrections mechanisms undermine the fairness of the system. In addition, with the exception of customs duties stemming from the customs union, existing resources display no clear link to EU policies. Criticisms are also made of the complexity and opacity of the funding arrangements.

The current system is said to amplify the tendency of Member States to focus attention on net accounting balances, which do not properly reflect a juste retour from the budget or EU membership in general. By contrast, Member States are mostly supportive of the GNI resource, which is easily integrated into national public finances, straightforward to administer and generally considered to be fair. Also, it is a revenue stream that adjusts flexibly to ensure that EU expenditure is funded at all times.

Within the discussions about the EU’s financial framework 2014-2020 Commissioner Janusz Lewandowski has questioned the EU’s revenue sources and put forward the option of reducing Member States’ contributions by abolishing the VAT-based own resource and progressively introducing one or several new own resources as a replacement118. Options for new own resources include, but are not limited to: Financial Transaction Tax (FTT), Financial Activities Tax (FAT), auctioning of greenhouse gas emission allowances, aviation charge and EU VAT, an EU energy levy and an EU corporate income tax. Quantitative analyses suggest that some of these taxes could cover for more than half of the EU’s current budget.119 However, the UK and Germany promptly rejected the idea, stressing that taxation is a matter for Member States to determine at a national level. The French government rendered this proposal as “completely inopportune120” and said that any kind of supplementary tax is currently not welcome. The power to levy taxes undoubtedly raises fundamental political issues and constitutes a significant transfer of sovereignty. Up until now Poland and Belgium are the only EU countries in favour of a new EU levy. 121 Some claim that the basis for new own resources could not only serve to finance the EU but could potentially also contribute to other more political goals, such as contributing to the

117 Treaty Establishing the European Community (TEC): http://eur-lex.europa.eu/JOHtml.do?uri=OJ:C:2010:083:SOM:EN:HTML 118 See for instance: http://www.bnegroup.org/blog/eu-budget/lewandowski%E2%80%99s-eu-tax-gamble-the-thing-is-the-eualready-collects-its-own-taxes/ 119 Commission Staff Working Document: EU Budget Review – Technical Annexes: http://ec.europa.eu/budget/reform/library/communication/annexe_technique_en.pdf 120 See http://euobserver.com/?aid=30606 121 “Brussels preparing proposal for EU wide tax“: http://uk.reuters.com/article/2010/08/09/uk-europe-taxidUKTRE6782QW20100809

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efficient pursuit of EU policy objectives, connecting revenue raising to EU policies, connecting citizens to and achieving visibility for EU public finances, achieving a politically acceptable balance in the contributions of individual Member States, improving the functioning of the single market, as well as enhancing the accountability and transparency of EU spending.

Equally the European Commission regards financial autonomy for the Community desirable.

In this context own resources are often interpreted to mean revenue sources that belong exclusively and as of right to the EU level. That being said the key question underlying this topic on multi-level fiscal governance focuses on the problem of allocating state functions and instruments to the different levels of government. The main guiding principle in answering that question is the question on how far European integration should go and whether the transfer of traditional national competences to the European level is desirable. Economists usually assume that both the monetary and fiscal domain are under control of unified actors.

However, in the EU this is not the case since every Member State has the authority for its budget policy. Politically this is understandable since “no taxation without representation” is a founding value of democracies. We therefore need to address a more fundamental question: what are the sources of legitimacy for an integrated fiscal policy? What principles should underpin the revenue side of the EU’s budget and how should these be translated in the own resource system?

As EU Commissioner Janusz Lewandowski put it: ‘Europe and the world are changing. We must make sure that the EU budget is shaped to serve 500 million European citizens.’ The question that remains is how to do this.122

 Key words: Traditional Own Resources, Financial Framework 2014-2020, direct EU taxes, EU’s revenue sources

 Links: Official: EU resources in 2010: http://ec.europa.eu/budget/explained/budg_system/financing/fin_en.cfm Commission outlines vision for taxing the financial sector

122 Brussels wants EU taxest o fuel budget: http://www.euractiv.com/de/node/498951

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http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/10/1298&format=HTML&age d=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en General Information on EU taxation http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/taxation/gen_info/index_en.htm The EU budget review – communication by the Commission: http://ec.europa.eu/budget/reform/library/communication/com_2010_700_en.pdf

Technical annex: http://ec.europa.eu/budget/reform/library/communication/annexe_technique_en.pdf Budgetary crisis: schuman foundation http://ec.europa.eu/budget/reform/library/news/20101011_FondRobSch_Lamassoure_en.p df EU budget review: Options for change http://ec.europa.eu/budget/reform/library/focus/study_options_for_change_June09.pdf Summary of the hearing of Janusz Lewandowski – Budgets :http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?language=en&type=IMPRESS&reference=20100108IPR66980

News: Brussel preparing proposal fur EU-wide tax http://uk.reuters.com/article/2010/08/09/uk-europe-tax-idUKTRE6782QW20100809 Budget review: Lessons learnt for tomorrow's budget http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/10/1351&format=HTML&age d=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en Brussels wants EU taxes to fuel budget: http://www.euractiv.com/de/node/498951

Videos: An overview of the EU budget (video): http://ec.europa.eu/budget/biblio/multimedia/video/video_en.cfm#1@1-0-0-low A short introduction to the EU’s budget (video): 41

http://ec.europa.eu/budget/biblio/multimedia/video/video_en.cfm#1@0-0-0-low Brussels for EU tax: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRUyIxDcEcg&feature=related

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LIBE 2 - Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs 2 Taking into consideration the tightened refugee and migration situation due to political situations in Libya, Egypt and Tunisia, as well as internal EU differences regarding the management of migration, how should the EU consider its migration policy in order to adequately face contemporary challenges of both legal and illegal immigration into Member States?

 OVERVIEW In December 2010 pro-democracy movements sprang up across Tunisia, Egyptians ousted longtime leader Hosni Mubarak and Libyans rose up against dictator Moammar Gadhafi in a revolt that has since spiraled into Civil War. For years Europe had been comfortable with the status quo of the region in the name of what might be now be termed ‘regional stability’.

Unemployment rates123, although high in some countries, were kept steady and Arab autocrats policed borders and coasts to stop migrants heading north. However, as a consequence of this political turmoil several thousand refugees have fled to Southern Europe in what Italian Foreign Minister Frattini has called a ‘biblical exodus’124. The central question lies within this ‘exodus’, how best should Europe proceed in light of this situation?

Immigration policies are part of the EU’s establishment of the area of freedom, security and justice. The treaty of Amsterdam established this in 1997125. However, the Europe Union does not exclusively manage this competency as it is shared with Member States’ own policing and border control. Since the terrorist attacks on September 11th 2001, followed by the attacks in Madrid and London, it has been argued that migration has posed a security threat.126 This has been ranked beside terrorism and organised crime at the top European Security Agenda. 127 Delegates should seek to consider whether humanitarian concerns should be secondary in this instance.

Some claim that this perceived threat to national security, added to the recent economic recession, has allowed political opportunism of ultra-right and populist parties to capitalise on the migration debate. They have done so in the form of making political gain in elections across Western Europe. This can be seen from elections most recently in Finland with the ‘Perussuomalaiset’/‘True Finns’ gaining seats and in Sweden with the ‘Sweden Democrats’. If

123 See World Bank figures: http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS 124 Quoted in the Daily Telegraph, UK 23/2/2011: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8343963/Libya-Italy-fears-300000-refugees.html 125 http://www.touteleurope.eu/fr/en/policies/security-and-justice.html 126 Michela Ceccorulli, 2009, Migration as a security threat: internal and external dynamics in the European Union, Garnet Working Paper No: 65/09, pp.1-10 127‘ Climate Change, Migration and EU Security’ Shakti Prasad Srichandan http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/files/16622_1109esdf_srichandan.pdf

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ethnic nationalism on the rise, should this be perhaps countered by a reassessment of migration policy as outlined by the EU? Frontex was established in 2005 as the frontline to ensure security of EU’s external borders.

Whilst it is not the only European institution involved in this topic, its role cannot be underestimated. Along with the European Commission, Frontex has been involved in the implementation of migration policy at the borders of the EU. Aiming to assist Italian and Maltan128 authorities with the influx of migrants, Operation Hermes was put in place in the beginning of 2011. However, in the controversial words of Ilkka Laitinen, the agency’s Executive Director, ‘There are two persistent illusions. One, that border control is the panacea that solves all irregular immigration and cross-border crime. Two, that Frontex is responsible for controlling the EU’s borders’.129 During the European Council Meeting of 11th March 2011, EU Heads of State welcomed the communication on a ‘Partnership for Democracy and Shared Prosperity’. Here, the EU Commission set out its plans for a radical restart of Euro-Mediterranean relations. Further, they pledged to ‘support all steps towards democratic transformation, political systems that allow for peaceful change, growth and prosperity, and a more proportionate distribution of the benefits of economic performance.’130 Although an ambitious plan to foster development in the economic realm, it is argued here that the Council has not done its research in the political realm. Perhaps agreeing upon a common asylum mechanism would advance the Union’s efficiency to tackle political and economic refugees while upholding human security benchmarks, but can this be achieved? If so, how?

Popular uprisings in the Arab world are forcing the EU to rethink its immigration and asylum policy. How best should the EU proceed in this area? The underlying question of such multilayered topic lies in what is EU priority, keeping people out or facilitating humanitarian assistance? When approaching this question we must bear in mind the complexity of relations both between member states within the EU and also the EU and it’s interaction with the outside world.

 KEYWORDS Arab uprising, refugees, EU’s migration policy, migration contemporary challenges, asylumseekers, political refugees, FRONTEX, European Council, European Commission.

128http://www.europarl.europa.eu/en/headlines/content/20110228STO14485/html/Arab-revolutions-put-EU%27simmigration-and-asylum-capacity-to-test 129 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/30085d52-96b8-11e0-baca-00144feab49a.html#axzz1PT4jAJrr 130 Timo Behr, 2011, Europe and the Arab World: Towards a Principled Partnership, pp.1-3

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 LINKS Official materials: http://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/policies/immigration/immigration_intro_en.htm http://www.touteleurope.eu/fr/en/policies/security-and-justice.html http://www.europarl.europa.eu/en/headlines/content/20110228STO14485/html/Arabrevolutions-put-EU%27s-immigration-and-asylum-capacity-to-test http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/justice_freedom_security/index_en.htm www.frontex.europa.eu

Informative Sources: Michela Ceccorulli, 2009, Migration as a security threat: internal and external dynamics in the European Union, Garnet Working Paper No: 65/09, pp.1-10 – (will send the PDF to delegates) Timo Behr, 2011, Europe and the Arab World: Towards a Principled Partnership, pp.1-3 (will send the PDF to delegates) http://www.eu2011.hu/news/council-discusses-schengen-area-and-refugees

Media Coverage: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/30085d52-96b8-11e0-baca-00144feab49a.html#axzz1PT4jAJrr http://www.npr.org/2011/03/18/134622556/arab-refugees-encounter-harsh-welcome-bysome http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110406/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_europe_arab_migrants

Additional Links: http://www.frontex.europa.eu/hermes_2011_extended/background_information/

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TRAN - Committee on Transport and Tourism Not far enough nor fast enough ? The publication of the EC White Paper on Transport in March 2011 provoked a wide range of concerns both among the actors of the transports sector and environment activists.

 OVERVIEW Transport is a vital part of our economy with mobility being necessary for both growth and job creation131. The transport sector employs around 10 million people and accounts for 5% of the EU’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).132 Therefore, effective transport systems are fundamentally important for European companies’ ability to compete in the global economy.

The movement of goods, regardless whether it is raw material or finished products, plays a vital role in our economy and is often overlooked. What the movement of goods allows us to do is balance the surpluses and shortages of a number of areas, so that all regions can reach a higher level of development. On average about 26000 flights are handled daily over Europe and according to EUROCONTROL the total number is predicted to rise to 20.4 million in 2030.133 This is indicative of the axiom that our lifestyle heavily relies on transport and its quality is directly linked to our standard of living. The ease of transportation could be argued to be the hallmark of any industrialised civilization.

Transport is responsible for 31%134 of the EU’s energy consumption. In 2007, 28.4% of the EU’s CO2 emissions were directly linked to transport, road transportation with 70.9% contributing by far the biggest share.135 The usage of private transport is likely fuelled by the desire to have greater mobility and flexibility, leading to increased pan-European congestion and pollution. Critics argued that all this contributes to global warming, making the ozone layer thinner and greatly impacts air quality. There are also other concerns which underline the need to reform the EU’s transport system. Oil will become scarcer in future decades since it is sourced increasingly from unstable parts of the world. Hence oil prices will increase enormously, especially since transport still depends on oil for 96% of its energy needs. In addition congestion costs Europe about 1% of its GDP each year. Also, infrastructure is unequally developed in the Eastern and Western parts of the EU. In the new Member States

131 See European Commission ‘Transport 2050’ Plan 132 Transport 2010: http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/11/197&format=HTML&aged=0&language=en 133 According to date provided by EUROCONTROL, the European organisation for safety of air navigation : www.eurocontrol.int/faq/corporate 134 For detailed transport statistics visit Eurostat : http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/statistics_explained/index.php/Passenger_transport_statistics 135 For further information on CO2 emissions from transport by mode see: European Commission – EU Energy in Figures 2010: ec.europa.eu/.../ext_co2_emissions_from_transport_by_mode.pdf

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there are currently only around 4 800 km of motorways and no purpose-built high-speed rail lines.136 After the launch of the “White Paper on Transport” in 2001 the EU has inter alia already made progress in the following areas: Promotion of inter-modality and the 2007 Action Plan for Freight Transport Logistics, development of infrastructure charging with the revision of the Eurovignette Directive, the promotion of cleaner cars and fuels, the adoption of the 3d road safety action programme, the promotion of public transport by e.g. the introduction of a mobility week in 2002 and a total of €4.1 billion allocated to research in the transport area.137 Ten years after this the European Commission published a new “White Paper” which provides a roadmap with 40 concrete initiatives for the next decade to build a competitive transport system. The aim is to increase mobility, remove major barriers in key areas and fuel growth and employment. At the same time, the proposals aim at dramatically reducing Europe's dependence on imported oil and cut carbon emissions in transport. It determines the following key goals to be reached by 2050: No more conventionally-fuelled cars in cities.

40% use of sustainable low carbon fuels in aviation; at least 40% cut in shipping emissions.

A 50% shift of medium distance intercity passenger and freight journeys from road to rail and waterborne transport.

All of which will contribute to a 60% cut in transport emissions by the middle of the century.138 The White Paper aims for removing major barriers and bottlenecks in many key areas. The following areas shall benefit from these measures: transport infrastructure and investment, innovation and the internal market. Furthermore a Single European Transport Area should be created to enable more competition and a fully integrated transport network.

Many solutions have already been proposed in this field and it will hence be necessary to evaluate their effectiveness and determine whether they set the right priorities. The main question that will need to be addressed is how we can bring economic growth and our standard of living in line with environmental protection and a coherent and sustainable panEuropean transport system.

136 Transport 2010: http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/11/197&format=HTML&aged=0&language=en 137 European Commission – White Paper on Transport 2011: http://ec.europa.eu/transport/strategies/2001_white_paper_en.htm 138 European Comission – White Paper on Transport 2011: http://ec.europa.eu/transport/strategies/2011_white_paper_en.htm

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 Keywords White Paper 2011, Transport 2050, CO2 Emissions, Greenhouse Effect, sustainable mobility

 Links Official Materials The official version of the White Paper 2011, available in different languages http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:52011DC0144:EN:NOT

European Commission: Mobility and Transport The White Paper as a roadmap to a Single European Transport Area - towards a competitive and resource efficient transport system: http://ec.europa.eu/transport/strategies/2011_white_paper_en.htm United Nations Statistics Division Greenhouse Gas and CO2 Emissions: http://unstats.un.org/unsd/environment/air_co2_emissions.htm EU draft on EU Constitution - Transport and Transeuropean Networks: http://en.euabc.com/upload/pdf/transport.pdf Transport: Looking for sustainable mobility http://europa.eu/pol/trans/index_en.htm

Informative Sources A small movie describing the Greenhouse Effect: http://earthguide.ucsd.edu/earthguide/diagrams/greenhouse/ The causes of the Greenhouse Effect: http://environment.about.com/od/globalwarming/a/greenhouse.htm Short- and long-term causes of CO2: http://www.co2science.org/about/position/globalwarming.php Flash Eurobarometer Poll on the Future of Transport: http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/flash/fl_312_en.pdf

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Media coverage Transport 2050: Commission outlines ambitious plan to increase mobility and reduce emissions: http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/11/372&format=HTML&aged =0&language=en Transport 2050: The major challenges, the key measures: http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/11/197&format=HTML &aged=0&language=en Greenpeace: European Commission’s White Paper on transport delays meaningful climate action for a generation: http://www.greenpeace.org/eu-unit/en/News/2011/Commission---white-paper-transport/

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ITRE 1 - Committee on Industry, Research and Energy 1 The Post Fukushima World. What should constitute an integrated European energy policy in order to ensure safety of the continent’s supply and infrastructure?

 OVERVIEW ‘European governments will need to know what happened in Japan and look at it in terms of nuclear new built and the existing fleet. The big question is what this means for EU energy targets. Will the politicians have the capacity to push them through?’ – asked Peter Atherton, a utility analyst at Citigroup, financial services company.139 The sustainable, safe and diverse energy supply is a crucial element of all areas of human lives. So far, Europe’s energy policy is based on several different sources: The import of gas and oil, storages of fossil fuels and renewable sources of energy. The last few years are often referred to as “nuclear renaissance” since governments and the population seem to be less anxious about the nuclear threat, this in turn encouraged a lot of new countries to also make use of this energy source.

The nuclear disaster in Fukushima did not only cause a debate on the future of nuclear energy but also pushed the European Union to rethink its main energy objectives. Post-Fukushima it is even more crucial for European leaders to ensure the safety of energy, which includes both the security of constant, uninterrupted supplies as well as safety of infrastructure and transport.140 In 2007 the European Commission ratified the Energy Policy for Europe 141, which aims to achieve a series of ambitious targets on greenhouse gas emissions and renewable energy through a comprehensive package of measures. This document faces also other challenges such as increasing dependence on imports or access for all consumers to affordable and secure energy. To meet all these challenges, the EU has set the priority objective to create a genuine internal market for energy. This March, each European country had to transpose the ‘Gas and Electricity Directive’ to their national legislations.142 In addition, the European Commission adopted the Communication ‘Smart Grids. From innovation to deployment’, which will allow electricity current to flow exactly where and when it is needed at the cheapest cost. They will also in particular give consumers the ability to follow their actual electricity consumption in real time. Smart grids should reduce CO2 emissions in the EU by 9%143. The European Commission has also organised several events such as European Union 139Nuclear debate sees rise in EU carbon prices: http://euobserver.com/9/31987 140 Secure and competitive energy sources are the priority of “Europe 2020 - A strategy for competitive, sustainable and secure energy”, which was adopted by the European Commission in 2010, for more information on the strategy see: http://ec.europa.eu/energy/strategies/2010/2020_en.htm 141 For more information see: http://ec.europa.eu/energy/strategies/2007/2007_01_energy_policy_europe_en.htm 142 „The Gas and Electricity Directives” include three Regulations on: one on conditions for access to the natural gas transmission networks, one on conditions for access to the network for cross-border exchanges in electricity and one on the establishment of the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators. This directive is an important step forward creating the European internal market for energy.

143 ec.europa.eu/energy/gas.../smartgrids/doc/20110412_press_summary.pdf

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Sustainable Energy Week and Energy Days, which aim to draw citizens’ attention to the problem of the energy. However, after the Fukushima disaster all these priorities might be questioned. Certainly, the biggest doubts have risen around the question of the nuclear power.

In the EU there are 143 nuclear power plants (NPP), which produce around a third of the electricity and 15% of the energy consumed in the EU.144 Objectively, it is not that much, but one has to remember that there are countries like France, which draws more than 75% of its energy from NPPs.145 However, the anti-nuclear movement is getting increasingly stronger and also some politicians claim that Europe needs to find a way to fulfill its citizens energy needs without nuclear reactors. For example, the German government has recently decided that by 2022 all German NPPs will be shut down and Germany will have to be able to provide energy from renewable and fossil sources. On the other hand, there are also a lot of countries that see no competitive alternative for nuclear energy and will therefore not halt plans to build new reactors. Since energy, such as the vast majority of policies, comes under the heading of shared competences, both Member States and the EU have the power to make laws. Brussels does not have the legal competence to force Member States to stop using NPPs. What it can do, however, is to raise their standards. The European Commission together with the European Safety Regulator’s Group (ENSREG) agreed on so called ‘stress tests’ which will check the condition of all NPPs in Europe. Not only will they focus on regular modalities for a comprehensive risk and safety assessments, but also, drawing a lesson from Fukushima, they will try to preview consequences of all sorts of natural disasters and man – made accidents, such as airplane crashes and terrorist attacks. Moreover, there have been talks aiming to create common European standards of nuclear energy supplies and infrastructure, as right now there are none. The European Union also will have to think how to tackle the problem of the nuclear waste, which is hazardous of human health and environment. What is more, international research continues into safety improvements, such as replacing nuclear fission by nuclear fusion.

The European Energy Commissioner, Günther Öttinger, questioned the EU’s usage nuclear energy at a press conference just after the Fukushima disaster. However, the problem that we are facing is a lot broader. One has to remember that the EU pledged to meet ambitious goals to reduce CO2 emissions. These goals were first included in the Energy Policy for Europe, and then underlined by “Europe 2020 - A strategy for competitive, sustainable and secure energy” and by Energy Roadmap 2050. 146 Another problem is that the EU greatly depends on energy imports with more than 50% of its energy still being imported, much of it coming from Russia, whose disputes with transit countries have repeatedly disrupted supplies in recent

144 http://ec.europa.eu/energy/nuclear/index_en.htm.

145 http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf40.html.

146 In the Europe Roadmap 2050 the EU has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 80-95% below 1990 levels by 2050 in the context of necessary reductions by developed countries as a group.

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years. It is true that Europe is seeking for an alternative for oil delivery, with projects such as the Nabucco pipeline, which attempts to lessen European dependence on Russian energy. At the same time energy amounts to 25,9% of the EU’s green house gas emissions and therefore it is also seeking alternatives for fossil fuels.147 Moreover, it might be also high time for the EU to start internal systematisation rather than search for solutions abroad. Jerzy Buzek, President of the European Parliament, pointed out that one of the most important goals of the Polish Presidency in the European Council will be to further work on the creation of the internal European energy market, which would both create a European energy network and encourage new investments in energy infrastructure.

How should the European energy policy look like after the disaster in Fukushima? Should former goals and policies be completely reconsidered or only slightly changed? To what extent should the EU rely on nuclear energy? Are the ‘stress tests’ enough to ensure the safety of the NPPs or are they only short – term solutions? If so, what could be the long- term ones?

Which alternatives should be used to meet the goals of the EU’s climate change directives and not coming back to fossil fuels? What should be done to ensure the security of oil and gas supplies? Is the EU in need of the internal energy market? These are some crucial questions that will need to be addressed in order to draft a post-Fukushima European energy policy.

 LINKS: http://www.ensreg.eu/ - European Safety Regulator’s Group (ENSREG) website http://www.iea.org/ - International Energy Agency http://ec.europa.eu/energy/index_en.htm - the European Commission website on Energy http://www.europarl.europa.eu/activities/committees/homeCom.do?language=EN&body=I TRE – ITRE Committee in the European Parliament http://europa.eu/pol/ener/index_en.htm - website about energy policy http://www.eusew.eu/ - European Union Sustainable Energy Week http://ec.europa.eu/energy/publications/doc/2011_energy_infrastructure_en.pdf - brochure on energy infrastructure http://ec.europa.eu/research/energy/euratom/index_en.cfm - what are nuclear fission and nuclear fusion?http://ec.europa.eu/energy/gas_electricity/index_en.htm some information on the internal market

147 http://www.myclimate.org/en/information-climate-tips/facts-about-climate-change/role-of-humans/greenhousegases.html

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 DOCUMENTS: http://ec.europa.eu/energy/publications/doc/2011_energy2020_en.pdf - “Europe 2020. A strategy for competitive, sustainable and secure energy” http://ec.europa.eu/energy/energy_policy/doc/01_energy_policy_for_europe_en.pdf - An energy policy for Europe 2007 http://eurlex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:52011DC0109:EN:HTML:NOT Energy Efficiency Plan 2011

–

http://ec.europa.eu/energy/strategies/2011/doc/roadmap_2050/20110503_energy_roadmap _2050_state_of_play.pdf - Energy Roadmap 2050 http://ec.europa.eu/energy/gas_electricity/smartgrids/doc/20110412_act_en.pdf Grids. “Smart Grids. From innovation to deployment”

- “Smart

 MEDIA COVERAGE: http://www.europarltv.europa.eu/en/themes/nuclear.aspx - TV programmes on nuclear energy http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2008/apr/30/particlephysics.energy1 - beginners guide.

How the nuclear power plants work http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/datablog/2009/aug/14/nuclear-power-world Nuclear power around the world

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http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Nuclear-Power/Despite-Fukushima-NuclearPower-Production-to-increase-by-27-before-2020.html despite Fukushima, nuclear power production will increase http://www.economist.com/research/articlesBySubject/displaystory.cfm?subjectid=821240&s tory_id=18441163 – synthesis of the situation just after the Fukushima http://www.economist.com/blogs/dailychart/2011/03/nuclear_power nuclear energy producers

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world’s

http://www.economist.com/node/18774834 - Germany says no to nuclear energy

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largest

REGI - Committee on Regional Development Whether it is cross-border, transnational or interregional, the European territorial cooperation concretely contributes to building the EU. Within the frame of the discussions on the 2014-2020 Cohesion Policy, what role and which means should have the European territorial co-operation within the future EU Regional Policy ?

 OVERVIEW The European Union is one of the wealthiest regions in the world, yet economic and social inequality still exists within and between its borders. The intended purpose of Cohesion, or Regional Policy as it is also known, is to develop measures that will reduce these inequalities that exist among its 27 Member States and 271 regions, with the intention of creating a stronger and more integrated Europe on an economic, social and political scale.148 Cohesion policy redistributes funds so that all people can feel the economic and social benefit of being part of a political union, wherever they live. Cohesion policy is the second largest area of expenditure for the EU, accounting for approximately ₏50 billion of the overall EU budget, and is targeted through three funds: The European Regional Development Fund, the Cohesion Fund and the European Social Fund.149 Cohesion Policy is divided into different areas to target funding: Regional Convergence, Regional Competitiveness and Employability, and European Territorial Co-operation. The Regional Convergence objective, formerly known as Objective 1, applies to areas whose Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is less than 75% of the European average. The new accession states since 2004, and peripheral countries, are the main target of this funding and it consumes the biggest proportion of the budget for regional policy (81.5%). This objective mainly focuses on infrastructure projects to allow such countries to reach the same level of development as the rest of the Union.150 Regional Competitiveness and Employability (formerly Objective 2) accounts for 16% of the budget and applies to all regions, developing their attractiveness for inward investment in industry and commerce.151 The third strand of cohesion policy, and the focus of this topic, is European Territorial Cooperation (ETC), whose main aim is to minimise the effects of physical borders and encourage people in close proximity to work together. The ETC consumes less than 2.5% of the regional budget, which is dramatically less than the other two objectives. ETC programmes are implemented by the Commission initially and are then administrated through

148 See Article 174 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, For more general information on the impacts and results of Cohesion Policy: http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/policy/impact/index_en.htm 149 For more information on Cohesion Policy funding: http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/thefunds/index_en.cfm 150 Regional Convergence - http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/how/index_en.cfm#1 151 Regional Competitiveness and Employability - http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/how/index_en.cfm#2

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a series of committees on both a European and national scale who decide funding is to be allocated.152 Within ETC, there are three strands which target specific areas aimed at developing further territorial cooperation: cross-border, trans-national and inter-regional. Cross-border programmes focus on enhancing regions on either side of internal and external borders.153 Examples of such programmes in action include a cross-border tourism project on the AustroHungarian border, aimed at enhancing economic cooperation across the borders.154 Transnational Cooperation promote and encourage relationships between greater European regions, including the ones surrounding sea basins, allowing for a more coordinated approach to dealing with shared problems, including the current Baltic Sea Region Project. 155 Interregional Cooperation provides a framework allowing for the exchange of experiences between local and regional actors from across Europe in order to share best practice and reduce inequality, such as the ‘Creative Growth’ creating links between the business and creative sectors.156 The challenge within this topic is two-fold; first looking at future cohesion policy and whether or not the ETC should play a role in that policy. With discussions for the Cohesion policy 2014-2020 already well underway, and with the Lisbon Treaty highlighting the scope for Territorial Cooperation to play an enhanced role in this area, there are a number of factors to be considered when prioritising the areas for cohesion policy. 157 Both the European Commission and the European Parliament, Committee of the Regions call for Cohesion Policy 2014-2020 to be officially linked to the Europe 2020 strategy as proposed under the Lisbon Treaty.158 The Europe 2020 Strategy shares many of the same aims of economic and social growth with Cohesion Policy which is why there are suggestions that both of these programmes be linked. The Commission and Parliament also call for the budget for regional funding to stay the same as the previous period, especially in light of the current economic crisis.159 Criticisms of the policy include claims that territorial cooperation is an unnecessary pursuit and that Member States could execute the aims of the policy on their own, without the need for coordinated EU governance.160 An argument which could stem from the fact

152 Institutions Implementing ETC: http://www.ewt.gov.pl/English/Institutions/Strony/Institutions.aspx 153 Cross-border Cooperation: http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/cooperation/crossborder/index_en.htm 154 Austro-Hungarian Cross-border Cooperation: http://www.at-hu.net/at-hu/en/projects.php 155 Transnational Cooperation: http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/cooperation/transnational/index_en.htm) Baltic Sea Regional Project: http://eu.baltic.net/ 156 Interregional Cooperation: http://www.interreg4c.net/http://www.interreg4c.net/ Example of Inter-regional Coopeartion – “Creative Growth”: http://www.creativegrowth.eu/ 157 Summary of EU Cohesion Policy 2014-2020: http://dev.euractiv.com/en/regional-policy/eu-cohesion-policy-2014-2020linksdossier-501653?display=normal 158 Fifth Report on Economic, Territorail and Social Cohesion: http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/docoffic/official/reports/cohesion5/index_en.cfm 159European Parliament Press Release, 16/06/2011: http://www.cor.europa.eu/pages/PressTemplate.aspx?view=detail&id=5cd9a64f-8ce0-411a-a29a-8f130c3f6c8 160 Elisa Roller, DG Regional Policy on European Cohesion Policy post 2013: http://www.regional-studiesassoc.ac.uk/events/2010/may-pecs/papers/Roller.pdf

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that the budget for ETC is significantly less than those funds allocated for convergence and competitiveness objectives and are therefore perceived to be of less importance. There are also criticisms of the ETC in relation to its vague aims and overcomplicated monitoring procedures.161 Even Johannes Hahn, Commissioner for Regional Policy, acknowledged that while some are of the dissenting opinion that the ETC is a luxury policy which we can no longer afford, he himself views its goal as integral to the future development of the Union, however with some added reforms.162 Therefore the main issues which need to be addressed in this topic concern the direction of Cohesion Policy in the future, and if the European Territorial Cooperation in its current form has any role in the execution of this policy. How should this role best be monitored and funded?

Keywords: Cohesion Policy 2007-2013, 2014 – 2020. European Territorial Cooperation, Cohesion Funding, Europe 2020 strategy, future of European territorial cooperation.

 Links: Future cohesion policy: The basis of EU's competitiveness: http://www.euractiv.com/en/regional-policy/future-cohesion-policy-basis-euscompetitiveness-analysis-505513 Introduction to European Territorial Cooperation http://www.ewt.gov.pl/english/Strony/Introduction.aspx The Community Strategic Guidelines on Cohesion 2007-2013, background: http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/information/guidelines/archives_background_en.cfm Impact and results of Cohesion Policy: http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/policy/impact/index_en.htm Fifth report on economic, social and territorial cohesion: http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/docoffic/official/reports/cohesion5/index_en.cf m ETC post 2013 Discussion Paper – Interact: http://www.interacteu.net/downloads/2152/ETC_beyond_2013_%257C_Position_Paper_%257C_07.2010.pdf

161 Position Paper by Interact on European Territorial Cooperation post 2013: http://www.interacteu.net/downloads/2152/ETC_beyond_2013_%257C_Position_Paper_%257C_07.2010.pdf 162 Speech by Johannes Hahn on Territorial Cooperation - A key element for the future of Cohesion Policy: http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/hahn/headlines/speeches/pdf/01102010_european_territorial_coop_en.pdf

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Examples of ETC Policies in action http://www.interact-eu.net/links/links/17/291 European Parliament Committee for the Regions http://www.cor.europa.eu/pages/HomeTemplate.aspx Press Release - 16.06.2011 - Local and regional leaders urge Barroso to draw up ambitious EU budget and to consider their role in Europe 2020 strategy http://www.cor.europa.eu/pages/PressTemplate.aspx?view=detail&id=5cd9a64f-8ce0-411aa29a-8f130c3f6c85 European Parliament Committee for Regional Development Resolution, April 2011: Objective 3 – a challenge for European Territorial Co-operation – the future agenda for cross-border, trans-national and inter-regional cooperation. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&mode=XML&reference =A7-2011-0110&language=EN Europe 2020 Strategy http://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/index_en.htm CPMR Technical Paper 2014-2020 Regional Policy; What architecture should it adopt?

How should it be implemented: http://www.crpm.org/pub/docs/292_ntp_scenario_ag_aberdeen-en.pdf Press Release http://www.europarl.europa.eu/document/activities/cont/201104/20110407ATT17219/20 110407ATT17219EN.pdf European Parliament: Resolution on EU cohesion and regional policy after 2013: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=%2F%2FEP%2F%2FTEXT+TA+P7-TA-20100356+0+DOC+XML+V0%2F%2FEN&language=EN EurActiv: Special report on Europe's regions in 2020: http://www.euractiv.com/en/specialweek-regions2020 EuroparlTV: How Regional Policy Works: http://www.europarltv.europa.eu/de/player.aspx?pid=9d756785-d519-4fc0-b9979eef00a47b5e Presentation on the problems of Cohesion policy: http://www.regional-studies-assoc.ac.uk/events/2010/may-pecs/papers/Roller.pdf

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Speech by Johannes Hahn, Commissioner for Regional Policy on Territorial Cooperation: A key element for the future of Cohesion Policy: http://ec.europa.eu/commission_20102014/hahn/headlines/speeches/pdf/01102010_european_territorial_coop_en.pdf What do you really know about EU Cohesion Policy? http://www.notre-europe.eu/fileadmin/IMG/pdf/ECP_rational_and_objectives.pdf Reaction to “What do you really know about EU Cohesion Policy?” http://www.notre-europe.eu/uploads/tx_publication/DebateCohesion-Becker.pdf What next for EU Cohesion Policy? http://www.epc.eu/documents/uploads/pub_1243_what_next_for_eu_cohesion_policy.pdf

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EMPL 2 - Committee on Employment and Social Affairs 2 Whilst it will still need to reply to the numerous challenges of its population ageing, Europe’s capacity to innovate may be limited by the reduction in the number of working and young people in the coming years. Which common priorities should the European institutions and the main political, economic and social stakeholders agree upon so as to take up the challenges of ageing, in particular through innovative solutions that would benefit to all the generations?

 OVERVIEW Population ageing presents one of the most pressing and consequential challenges for the existing political, economic and social structures worldwide. The European Union has recognised the importance of population ageing by naming 2012 as the ‘European Year of Active Ageing and Intergenerational Solidarity’. The fastest growing segment of the population in industrialized economies (such as Europe, North America, Australia and parts of Asia) is that 50 years old and older163. It is projected that by 2025 more than 25% of the population of European countries will be over 65 years old164; and over the next 30 years number of people aged over 60 will potentially grow by 50%, with the number of adults between 20-59 falling by 6%, and numbers of those aged 20-29 falling by 9 million165. These demographic changes are also due to falling fertility rates and the ageing of the baby-boom generation (1945-65), presenting serious challenges for meeting the needs of all generations.

Moreover, population ageing will affect all areas of life, requiring new ways of organising practices in healthcare and the labour market. However, Europe as a region has been at the forefront of many innovative policies in the past century, aimed at providing resources and services for older people, such as retirement income systems and institutionalised long-term care166. Therefore, it is time for the European institutions to identify key stakeholders and to decide on innovative ways of addressing demographic changes.

Population ageing and longer life expectancy call into question the sustainability of the existing pension systems and retirement age, since pensions will have to be provided for a larger share of the population and for a longer duration of retirement. Moreover, the costs of healthcare provision and long-term care will create challenges for public funds to ensure the welfare of the elderly. Hence, policy-makers, and those responsible for pension policy in particular, will face the challenge of ensuring intergenerational fairness – guaranteeing satisfactory living standards for the current generations, while avoiding compromising the livelihoods of future generations.

163 US CENSUS Bureau 2010. Available at: http://2010.census.gov/2010census/ 164 World Population Ageing 1950-2050, UN Population Division, DESA, 2002. Available at http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/worldageing19502050/ 165An Aging World: 2008, CENSUS Bureau, June 2009. Available at: http://www.census.gov/prod/2009pubs/p95-09-1.pdf 166 Zaidi A. (2008) Features and Challenges of Population Ageing: The European Perspective. Policy Brief. March (I).

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Also, the continuous shrinking of the working population167 poses a serious challenge to European economies in terms of their ability to continue to grow and be competitive in an increasingly global world. On the other hand, the recent Economist Intelligence Unit research shows that business actors see population ageing in a more positive light, perceiving it as offering new opportunities for businesses168.

Societal structures will be fundamentally affected by the demographic changes. The data shows that women on average live longer than men, and tend to bear more of the burden of caring for both the younger and the elderly family members. This raises questions about future changes in gender roles and family structures, and the ways people who contribute to the society in non-quantifiable manner can be provided for in the pension system.

The increase in the numbers of old people will also raise questions regarding the ways for ensuring the key elements for a productive life in the old age, such as social connectedness and the ability to remain socially active. Great increases in the numbers of the elderly also pose challenges for maintaining social cohesion and interactions across generations.

Importantly, the Flash Eurobarometer survey in 2009 showed that majority of European citizens believed that there is a conflict across generations when it comes to agreeing what is best for society169.

The main question surrounding population ageing now is how to reconcile the needs of all generations in times of rapid demographic changes that will affect all spheres of life. Thus it is important to examine which European institutions can play a role and how; and which stakeholders and common priorities can be identified for more effective tackling of the challenges. Innovative approaches to address social, economic and political issues will be key, as Bob Dylan once suggested “the times they are a-changin” and new problems will require new solutions in the short and long-term.

 Keywords Longevity, population ageing, innovation, intergenerational solidarity, demographic changes, intergenerational justice.

 Research Links Official Material: European Commission Demography Report 2010:

167 UN World Population Prospects (2002 Revision) and Eurostat (2004) Demographic Projections (Baseline Scenario).

168The Economist Intelligence Unit (2011) A silver opportunity? Rising longevity and its implications for business.

169European Commission (2009) Intergenerational solidarity. Analytical report, Flash Eurobarometer.

269. Available at: http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/flash/fl_269_en.pdf

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http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/emplweb/families/admintool/userfiles/file/Demogra phy_report_2010_EN.pdf A Policy Brief on Intergenerational Solidarity: http://www.euro.centre.org/data/1277212383_19649.pdf A Policy Brief on the Features and Challenges of Population Ageing: http://www.euro.centre.org/data/1204800003_27721.pdf Summary of the European Commission Flash Eurobarometer Survey on Intergenerational Solidarity: http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/flash/fl_269_sum.pdf Eurostat Statistics on Population Structure and Ageing: http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/statistics_explained/index.php/Population_structure_and_ag eing Department of Economic and Social Affairs: “Population Division Replacement Migration: Is It a Solution to Declining and Ageing Populations?” http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/migration/migration.htm

Informative Sources: AXA Global Forum for Longevity Website – Opening Perspectives on Longevity (includes videos): http://www.globalforumforlongevity.com/en/ Policy Briefs on Various Population Ageing Issues: http://www.monitoringris.org/index.php?id=15 The Economist Intelligence Unit - A silver opportunity? Rising Longevity and its Implications for Business: http://www.businessresearch.eiu.com/silver-opportunity.html

Informative Media Coverage: BBC News Article - “Ageing, Europe’s Growing Problem”: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/2248531.stm Expand+ Westen, M. Investments & Pensions Europe - “Longevity: Beyond Buyout and Buy-in”: 61

http://www.ipe.com/magazine/longevity-beyond-buyout-and-buyin_39971.php?categoryid=14941 New York Times Opinion Pages –“ Here Come the Elderly”: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/14/opinion/14iht-edjackson.html?_r=1

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ITRE 2 - Committee on Industry, Research and Energy 2 'At the heart of EU policy' (Lange Report, February 2011): Finding the balance between competitiveness, growth and jobs creation. What should be the focus of EU industrial policy in the next 10 years?

 OVERVIEW In light of the economic turmoil caused by the global recession starting in 2008, it has become evident that competitiveness of the EU encapsulates a multitude of issues that link society, the environment and business. Nonetheless, one could argue that the EU's weaknesses in maintaining a high level of competitiveness include the scarcity of funds allocated to R&D170, insufficient educational levels of the work force and high costs of labour (caused by the high levels of taxes and social charges). Moreover, the issues of globalisation, rapid technological change and an ageing population increase the challenges that the EU is to face in the upcoming years. Thus, it could be argued that the common strategy should strive for unlocking the EU's innovative potential and increasing the availability of high quality human capital.

The DG Communication on 'An Integrated Industrial Policy for the Globalisation Era'171 (hereafter referred to as ‘Communication’) adopted by the European Commission on 28 October 2010, as part of the Europe 2020 strategy, defines industry as a core element of the EU economy. This is in context of the EU in pursuit of staying a global economic leader.

According to the Communication, industry must be placed centre stage if Europe is to remain a global economic leader. It sets out a strategy that aims to boost growth and jobs by maintaining and supporting a strong, diversified and competitive industrial base in Europe offering well-paid jobs while becoming less carbon intensive. This Communication greatly impacts the welfare of EU citizens by sustaining large numbers of jobs within the EU via three mechanisms. Firstly, and directly, by employing substantial numbers of people, many of them in highly-paid and highly-skilled jobs. Secondly, indirectly, by buying large quantities of raw materials, energy, intermediate goods etc. from EU-based suppliers. And finally through induced employment: boosting solvent demand, i.e. consumption spending, which creates further employment at EU-based suppliers of goods and services.

With the Single Market, its 500 million consumers and 20 million entrepreneurs (see http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/tajani/hot-topics/industry/index_en.htm), some may claim that there is no benefit to the concept of national economic sectors or industries; 170

1R&D - Research And Development. Discovering new knowledge about products, processes, and services, and then applying that knowledge to create new and improved products, processes, and services that fill market needs.

171 2DG Communication - a Directorate-General of the European Commission. Its mission is to inform the media and citizens of the activities of the European Commission and to communicate the objectives and goals of its policies and actions.

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hence the most efficient way to secure the future prosperity and sustainability of Europe appears to be building a strongly integrated economic area with elements of social policy. Is this so? The key actions for European industrial competitiveness defined by the Communication include, but are not limited to the improvement ('fitness check'172) of the existing and development of the new legislation to foster the creation and growth of SMEs173, upgrading energy-intensive industries, transport, energy and communication infrastructure with innovations and the further development of space industrial policy.

With the main goals being defined, the challenge to live up to the ambitious plans has begun.

This requires the implementation of mutually reinforcing policies (EU Single Market Strategy, Strategy on Raw Materials, etc.). Thus the question arises, should we ensure that the Member States unite their efforts in order to maintain a long-lasting competitiveness of Europe on the international economic arena and at the same time take into account the social security and welfare of their citizens?. The EU industry has been seriously affected by the recent economic crisis, revealing a number of structural weaknesses. Industries, together with public authorities, are faced with the challenge of undertaking the necessary structural adjustments in a politically and socially acceptable way. This remains at the heart of this topic and provides the central challenge for this committee.

 Keywords Competitiveness, direct (indirect, induced) employment, EU industrial policy 2020, single market, industrial innovation, clean transport systems and sustainable mobility174.

 Research Links Official materials: http://www.codexnews.com/pcodex/contents.nsf/f6a6b953ad596decc1256e5000781b65/49 5d22aa75e87cecc225785a006258e5/$FILE/Report%20on%20an%20Industrial%20Policy%20f or%20the%20Globalised%20Era.pdf http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/industrial-competitiveness/industrialpolicy/files/communication_on_industrial_policy_en.pdf

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’Fitness check’ – actions taken by the Commission to complement evaluation of individual pieces of legislation. ‘Fitness checks’ are aimed to assess whether the regulatory framework for a policy area is fit for purpose and, if not, what should be improved.

173 SME – Small (headcount < 50, turnover ≤ € 10 million) and Medium-Sized (headcount < 250, turnover ≤ € 50 million) Enterprises.

174 5 Sustainable mobility - mobility that meets the needs of society to move freely, gain access, communicate, trade and establish relationships without sacrificing other essential human or ecological requirements today or in the future

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http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/industrial-competitiveness/industrialpolicy/files/member_states_competitiveness_performance_and_policies_en.pdf http://ec.europa.eu/budget/reform/library/communication/com_2010_700_en.pdf

Informative Sources: http://europedia.moussis.eu/books/Book_2/6/17/01/index.tkl?all=1&pos=228 http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/index_en.htm http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/pubdocs/2007/84/en/1/ef0784en.pdf

for comparative analysis: http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/12/pdf/competitiveness.pdf

Media Coverage: http://www.euractiv.com/en/priorities/growth-jobs-reshaping-eu-lisbon-strategy/article183277 http://www.industrialpolicy.eu/ http://www.social-europe.eu/2011/02/for-a-real-european-industrial-policy/

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