Luxembourg IF resolution booklet

RESOLUTION BOOKLET LUXEMBOURG 2018

1ST INTERNATIONAL FORUM OF EYP LUXEMBOURG

GA PROCEDURE - The Board shall read out the topic question, which shall be followed by two minutes for the delegates to reread the resolution they will be discussing - After the reading time has passed, the board will invite one member of the proposing committee to give a three minute defence speech from the podium - If the board has received and approved amendments, the board shall invite one member of each committee that proposed an amendment to deliver a two minute amendment speech from the podium - The proposing committee shall be given one minute to respond to each amendment from the floor, for a maximum of two minutes - After the response the floor will be opened for four rounds of open debate, with each round consisting of points from other committees, followed by a response from the proposing committee - After the fourth round of open debate, one delegate from each amending committees will be invited to deliver a one and a half minute amendment speech from the podium - After the summation speech by the amending committees, up to two delegates from the proposing committee will be invited to deliver a three minute summation speech from the podium - At the conclusion of each debate, the amendments will be voted on, followed by the resolution itself

HANDING IN AMENDMENTS - Please have your chair pass on any amendments at latest two debates before the topic you would like to make the amendment on. We will accept at most two amendments, if possible from multiple committees. The board reserves the right to not accept an amendment if it appears to strongly contradict the direction the resolution is going into.

SCHEDULE DAY 1 09.30 - Arrival at the venue 10.00 - 10.55 AFET 1 10.55 - 11.20 Coffee Break 11.20 - 12.10 CRIM II 12.10 - 13.00 DEVE 13.00 - 14.00 Lunch 14.00 - 14.50 ENVI I 14.50 - 15.40 PECH 15.40 - 16.00 Coffee Break 16.00 - 17.00 ENVI II 17.00 - 18.00 AFET II 18.00 - Departure

DAY 2 09.10 - 10.00 ECON 10.00 - 10.50 EMPL 10.50 - 11.10 Coffee Break 11.10 - 12.00 ITRE 12.00 - 13.00 CRIM I 13.00 - 13.45 Lunch 13.45 - 14.40 LIBE 14.40 - 15.30 INTA 15.30 - 16.00 Coffee Break 16.00 - 17.00 CULT 17.00 - Departure

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS I Havoc in the Holy Land: With the Trump administration’s recent decision of opening the new US embassy in Jerusalem, and bearing in mind the subsequent protests in Gaza, how should the EU cooperate with foreign actors to facilitate the peace-making process between Israel and Palestine?

Submitted by: Nika Aghajani (SE), Silva Bišofa (LV), Doireann Brosnan (IE), Ruben Gevorgyan (AM), Mete Hergül (TR), Hugo Hosman (NL), Sana Khan (LU), Jakub Soukup (CZ), Bianca Voican (AT), Diogo Capelo (PT, Chairperson) The European Youth Parliament, A. Noting with regret the lack of diplomatic support Palestine is receiving, such as the amalgamation of Palestinian and Jordanian delegates at the 1991 Madrid Conference, B. Deeply concerned that the peacemaking process may be hindered due to the grievances held by both parties, stalling prolific negotiations, C. Acknowledging that previous conflicts have resulted in a deteriorating sense of trust between Israeli and Palestinian citizens , D. Appreciating events which have broken the stigma of distrust between Israel and Palestine such as the Nobel Prize being awarded to Menachem Begin for his contribution to peace agreements, E. Aware that the United States has historically backed Israel over Palestine, as shown by the withdrawal of approximately $360 million in financial aid to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine (UNRWA), F. Noting with concern that the ineffectiveness of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) is dividing the Palestinian people between Fatah and Hamas, causing increasing support in the Anti-Semitic agenda promoted by Hamas, G. Emphasising that both parties have cultural, religious and historical links to Jerusalem, providing them with equal claims to the Holy City, H. Deeply disturbed by the existence of illegal Israeli settlements on the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT), I. Recognising that restricted access to water, food and pharmaceuticals by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) in the OPT has resulted in 70% of the people in the Gaza Strip being dependent on humanitarian aid, J. Noting with regret the human rights violations and international law breaches carried out by both the Palestinian and Israeli parties, such as the illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank, including but not limited to, K. Deeply concerned by the non-peaceful protests and violent retaliations of the Palestinian and Israeli parties which has resulted in numerous casualties such as 58 Palestinian deaths, 3494 injuries in 2017,

L. Deeply alarmed that two-thirds of the 5 million Palestinian refugees displaced by the conflict are currently unable to reside in UNRWA refugee camps, 1. Calls upon the European External Action Services (EEAS) and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to pursue and increase cooperation regarding their shared interest in a two-state solution with the 1967 borders and Jerusalem as the capital of both states; 2. Requests the EEAS act as a mediator in order to ensure a respectful Israeli- Palestinian peace negotiation process; 3. Calls upon Member States to continue their support of the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) joint strategy in support of Palestine; 4. Calls upon the Israeli and Palestinian parties to convene in order to issue a joint statement regarding their disagreements and expressing mutual anticipations of peace amongst the two states; 5. Calls upon the EU to take into consideration the historical aspects of the conflict in all its future actions in the region; 6. Encourages the political parties of Palestine to collaborate for the fulfillment of the vision of the Palestinian Reform and Development Plan (PRDP); 7. Invites Member States to continue supporting PEGASE in order to expand its financial and advisory aid to the Open Government Project in the PRDP; 8. Urges the European Commission to oversee the equal development of East and West Jerusalem to form a coherent city through the improvement of living conditions while preserving the historical, religious and cultural texture of the city; 9. Requests the Israeli government to comply with Article 49 of the Geneva Convention and withdraw their illegal settlements in the OPT; 10. Further asks the European Commission to take extensive measures should Israel not comply with the above, such as economic sanctions; 11. Calls upon Israeli and Palestinian governments to take into consideration the wishes of the people living within illegal settlements when deciding upon their future residence, 12. Invites Fatah and Hamas to collectively work on the PRDP, calling for a return to the status quo ante which existed before the Fatah-Hamas conflict in September 2005; 13. Urges Israel to eradicate all obstructions stalling the maintenance of water systems and humanitarian aid in OPT to fulfill the minimum standards of the World Health Organisation; 14. Requests Amnesty International to start an investigation into the war crimes allegedly committed by both Israel and Palestine; 15. Calls upon UNRWA to improve the definition of refugees who are eligible to receive aid under varying conditions; 16. Calls upon the European Council on Refugees and Exiles to conduct research in cooperation with NGOs such as the Human Rights Watch to:

a. determine in which areas of the region refugees are deprived of humanitarian aid,

b. issue reports to humanitarian and inter-governmental organisations monthly,

c. develop successful methods in order to deliver the humanitarian aid, in coopera

tion with regional actors.

FACT SHEET The 1991 Madrid Conference was a peace conference co-sponsored by the United States and the Soviet Union meant to negotiate the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Participants included Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.

Menachem Begin was the Prime-Minister of Israel between 1977 and 1983. Begin shared the Peace Prize with Egypt’s President Anwar el-Sadat for the peace treaty concluded between Israel and Egypt.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine (UNRWA) is a United Nations humanitarian aid program directed at Palestine and the near East. Its services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, among others.

The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) is an administrative body created after the 1994 Gaza-Jericho Agreements to control the Gaza Strip and Areas A and B of the West Bank.

Fatah is a Palestinian nationalist political party holding the second largest number of seats in the Palestinian Legislative Council.

Hamas is a islamic-fundamentalist organisation. Hamas won the 2006 Palestinian Legislative elections, and after the coalition with Fatah broke into violent conflict between the two factions, Hamas took over control over the Gaza Strip in the 2007 Battle of Gaza.

The Occupied Palestinian Territories designate the lands assigned to Palestine in the 1967 Green Line (the West Bank including East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip), which are under Israeli occupation.

The Israeli Defense Forces are the military forces of the State of Israel.

The European External Action Service is the European Union’s diplomatic service. It provides support to the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy in carrying out the Union’s Common Foreign and Security Policy.

The Organisation for Islamic Cooperation is the second largest intergovernmental organisation after the UN. It claims to be the voice of the Islamic world and its 57 member states cooperate to promote international peace and harmony.

The two-state solution is a proposed solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in which two sovereign states (Palestine and Israel) would coexist peacefully within established and secure borders.

The 1967 borders (also known as the Green Line) are the borders set out in the 1949 Armistice Agreements between Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt and Syria. It served as the de facto borders of Israel until the Six-Day War in 1967.

The European Neighbourhood Instrument is the financial arm of the European Neighbourhood Policy. It promotes humanitarian aid and services to society in Palestine such as forums and seminars.

The Palestinian Reform and Development Plan outlines the PNA’s vision for an independent state of Palestine.

The PEGASE is a EU direct financial support programme open to donations from any individual, organisation or state. It supports the Palestinian National Reform and Development Plan and in 2018, its budget was €152.8 million.

The Open and Accountable Governance Project is a concept defined by the OECD as the “culture of governance based on innovative and sustainable public policies and practices inspired by the principles of transparency, accountability, and participation that fosters democracy and inclusive growth built upon the principles of government transparency and accountability, as well as citizen participation.”

Article 49 of the Geneva Convention establishes that “the Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies.”

The Fatah-Hamas conflict was an armed conflict between the two factions resulting in the split of the PNA in 2007.

The European Council on Refugees and Exiles is a European network of 95 NGOs and 40 countries.

It has the objective of protecting and advancing the rights of refugees and asylum seekers.

The Human Rights Watch is an international NGO conducting research and advocacy in matters of human rights.

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON ORGANISED CRIME, CORRUPTION AND MONEY LAUNDERING II Trafficking in human beings: besides the legal sex workers employed in the European sex industry, organised crime groups abundantly feed on sexual exploitation, which resulted to 15,846 registered victims in 2013/2014 alone. Taking into account the variance in legal approaches Member States have adopted, how can human trafficking be tackled in the future?

Submitted by: Júlia Aguilera (ES), Anna Gottliebsen Crisp (DK), Misha Doomen (NL), Anna von Groß (SE), Zeynep Kaçar (TR), Danilo Knežević (BH), Luka Mgaloblishvili (GE), Joel Rusanen (FI), Dimitris Sergetzis (GR), Luc Vorsteveld (NL, Chairperson) The European Youth Parliament, A. Bearing in mind that 70% of the humans trafficked in the EU are EU citizens, B. Alarmed by organised crime groups abundantly feeding on sexual exploitation resulting in 15,846 victims in 2013/2014 alone, C. Noting with approval that human trafficking is one of Europol’s priority crime areas under the 2018-2021 EU policy cycle, D. Congratulating successful initiatives that improve cooperation in tackling human trafficking such as the Stockholm programme1, E. Expressing gratitude to the work of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) such as La Strada2 in the field of human trafficking, F. Aware of the diverse viewpoints and morals in Member States’ civil societies when it comes to sex and prostitution, G. Noting with concern that there is no common EU-wide legislation on prostitution due to a lack of EU competence in this policy field, H. Concerned that the variance in legal approaches that Member States have on prostitution could be exploited by organised crime groups, I. Deeply disappointed that the security and support frameworks for victims looking to report exploitation are severely lacking, 1 The Stockholm Programme, adopted by the European Council in December 2009, provides a framework for EU action on the issues of citizenship, justice, security, asylum, immigration and visa policy for the period 2010–2014.

It calls for a coherent policy response which goes beyond the area of freedom, security and justice.

2 La Strada International works from a human rights perspective in support of trafficked persons to ensure a world without trafficking in human beings where human rights are respected. La Strada’s primary goal is empowering trafficked persons, improving their position through promoting their universal rights, including the right to choose to emigrate and work abroad and to be protected from violence and abuse.

J. Recognising the lack of presence and action of law enforcement in high risk areas for human trafficking, K. Alarmed by the inconsistent and incomplete data on victims of human trafficking and the methods of detection, L. Emphasising the possible correlation between the recent migrant crisis and a possible increase in human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation, M. Deeply concerned by the lack of public awareness in regards to human trafficking, N. Disappointed by the lack of knowledge and training in regards to the detection and reporting of human trafficking by public officials, O. Alarmed that funds with the purpose of combating human trafficking provided by the EU might be used inefficiently by Member States, P. Keeping in mind that possible corruption in public institutions could be a catalyst to human trafficking; 1. Advises Member States that criminalise prostitution to implement the Nordic Model1 of decriminalising prostitution; 2. Urges Member States to establish protection programmes for victims of human trafficking; 3. Calls upon Europol to assist Member States cooperating in securing the human rights of trafficking victims; 4. Asks Member States to promote cooperation and exchange of information on human trafficking in public sectors; 5. Encourages cooperation between Member States regarding immigration and its connection to human trafficking, by focusing on minors that enter the EU unaccompanied; 6. Suggests Member States design and implement a programme with the aim of helping public officials share knowledge on human trafficking; 7. Encourages national law enforcement agencies to report human trafficking data; 8. Recommends Member States to include human trafficking and its consequences in national education programmes; 9. Calls upon the European Commission to propose guidelines for the repurposing of funds for combating human trafficking; 10. Strongly endorses cooperation between financial institutions and national law enforcement agencies across Member States to track and detect potential victims of human trafficking.

3 The Nordic Model approach to prostitution (sometimes also known as the Sex Buyer Law, or the Swedish, Abolitionist, or Equality Model) decriminalises all those who are prostituted, provides support services to help them exit, and makes buying people for sex a criminal offence, in order to reduce the demand that drives sex trafficking

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON DEVELOPMENT Undernutrition in a world of over-abundance: in 2018, UNICEF stated that childhood undernutrition accounts for approximately 3 million deaths globally. How can the EU support developing nations in effectively tackling the causes and burden of childhood undernutrition?

Submitted by: Annie Mira Free (ES), Pieter Garicano (NL), Magdalena Gautsch (AT), Małgorzata Kupiec (PL), Louisa Mathoux (FR), Sara Mitrović (RS), Katy O’Connor (IE), Jenna Rovio (FI), Eva Russell (DK), Ben Stemper (LU), James Bradfield (IE, Chairperson) The European Youth Parliament, A. Aware of the ever rising global food requirements caused by population growth, B. Concerned by the desensitisation of the public in developed countries regarding the severity and the ubiquitous nature of undernutrition, A. Conscious that the proportion of wasted1 and stunted2 children is significantly higher in rural than in urban areas, B. Noting with regret that girls are more exposed to undernutrition because of gender inequality, C. Bearing in mind the potential hazards of environmental factors on crop yields, D. Fully alarmed by the effects of humanitarian disasters on countries’ ability to produce food, E. Aware of the intergenerational cycle in which an undernourished individual is likely to give birth to an undernourished infant later in life, F. Acknowledging the long term developmental consequences of childhood undernutrition such as reduced mental capacity, decreased school performance, and decreased adult stature, G. Alarmed by the fact that one third of global food production is wasted, H. Noting with deep concern the unequal global food distribution between developed and less developed countries, I. Alarmed by the misuse of humanitarian aid by heads of households, governments, and distributors, J. Fully aware of the role of clean water in preventing undernutrition;

1 2

A form of acute undernutrition where a child will have a low weight-for-height (WFH) A form of chronic undernutrition where a child will have a low height-for-age (HFA)

1. Supports the implementation of goal-oriented funding of NGOs to improve sexual and health education; 2. Calls upon the European Commission to expand the aims of Horizon 20201 to include research into more efficient farming methods including insect farming, permaculture2, and independent GMO research; 3. Requests that the European Commission’s Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations department (ECHO)3 oversee the delivery of humanitarian aid to its intended target, 4. Encourages Member States to draw attention to the economic benefits to the taxpayer of reducing the burden of undernutrition through school outreach projects and a media information campaign; 5. Recommends that the European Commission allocates more funding for organisations that provide the school meals as an incentive for attendance; 6. Expresses its appreciation for ‘mobile teaching kitchen’ models4 that teach preparation of nutritionally balanced and locally sourced meals; 7. Recommends the expansion of current programmes which send healthcare professionals to areas of the world where undernutrition is prevalent; 8. Further recommends these programmes include regular nutritional assessments for women of childbearing age; 9. Supports the development of food-based guidelines5 for women of childbearing age to provide nutritional advice throughout the lifecycle; 10. Urges the European Commission to make funds available to facilitate the recovery of agricultural land damaged in humanitarian disasters, by restoration of soil, restoration of infrastructure, provision of food aid until harvests return, and provision of farming resources; 11. Expresses its hope that the European Commission maintains existing water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programmes in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).6

1 Horizon 2020 is an €80 billion research and innovation fund available between 2014 - 2020 2 Agricultural ecosystems intended to be sustainable and self-sufficient 3 ECHO provides humanitarian assistance to over 120 million of those affected by disaster 4 Mobile teaching kitchens are modified vehicles which provide a space to teach culinary and food preparation skills 5 Food-based guidelines provide concrete examples of foods and portion sizes to consume rather than relying on complex scientific terms 6 The SDGs are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT, PUBLIC HEALTH AND FOOD SAFETY I Vaccine hesitancy: Due to the decrease of vaccination rates in the recent years, cases of measles in the EU more than quadrupled from around 4000 in 2015 to almost 17.000 in 2017. What stand should the EU take in order to protect its citizens from contagious diseases such as the measles, otherwise preventable by vaccines, while also assuring their citizens’ right to choose when it comes to health care?

Submitted by: Noah Andries (BE), Ben Graham (IE), Betül Sena Güneş (TR), Milica Helmih (RS), Anders Holst Jakobsen (DK), Maika Marcos (ES), Mariana Martins (PT), Menno Uphoff (NL), Danai Varna (GR), Daša Pogorelec (SI, Chairperson) The European Youth Parliament, A. Deeply disturbed by the quadrupling of measles cases in the European Union from about 4000 in 2015 to 17000 in 2017, B. Congratulating Slovakia, Hungary, Sweden, Croatia, Spain, Portugal, and Lithuania on reaching the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) 95% vaccination rate target in 2016, C. Taking into consideration that herd immunity1 is essential for the protection from infectious diseases for all citizens, D. Bearing in mind the abundance of false information regarding vaccination circling on the internet, E. Taking into account that parents’ decision to not vaccinate their children can put both their own and other people’s children at risk, F. Noting with regret that more and more parents believe health workers do not provide balanced information on both the benefits and risks of vaccination, G. Aware of the differences in vaccination policies among Member States, leading to different immunisation rates, H. Deeply concerned that the governments of some Member States are facing problems when purchasing vaccines due to lack of availability or high prices, I. Noting with regret that in certain Member States, such as France, unvaccinated children are not allowed to attend school,

1 Herd immunity occurs when the vaccination coverage is high enough that it provides a measure of protection even for those who cannot be vaccinated due to certain medical conditions or beliefs.

J. Noting that immigrants coming to Europe are often not vaccinated, possibly creating a danger of preventable diseases breaking out, K. Appreciating the World Health Organisation’s contribution to a global immunisation coverage, including their framework of priorities and guiding principles to promote the health of refu gees and migrants; 1. Calls upon Member States to increase understandability, access to and prioritization of factual information about the contents and effects of vaccines on government sites; 2. Asks content providers such as social media platforms to add warnings to false information regarding vaccination published on their platforms; 3. Advises Member States to provide accurate information regarding the medical and scientific background of vaccines in their respective national school curricula; 4. Encourages Member States to provide vaccine information to all expecting and new parents in hospitals; 5. Expresses its hope that Member States raise awareness by assisting the World Immunisation Week1 with engaging events at educational institutions and workplaces; 6. Invites Member States to fully support and enable the activities of pro-vaccination Non-Governmental Organisations; 7. Strongly recommends Member States to employ an opt-out model2 for vaccine scheduling in order to increase the convenience of the vaccination process; 8. Urges the Member States to remove any financial barriers for citizens seeking essential vaccinations; 9. Suggests the European Commission to enable Member States’ acquiring of new vaccines by subsidising the purchase of vaccines in case they are unable to do so themselves; 10. Encourages Member States to further simplify the vaccination process by removing geographical impediments and arranging routine vaccines in local facilities, such as schools.

1 The World Immunisation Week, which takes place on the last week of April, aims to highlight the collective action needed to ensure that every person is protected from vaccine-preventable diseases.

2 The opt-out model assumes that a child will receive their vaccines unless parents/guardians contact the relevant authority informing them otherwise. This method of contact and the required paperwork should be determined by each Member States.

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES Catch of the Future: Farmed fish and aquaculture is providing the EU with approximately 20 % of its annual fish production. How can European countries ensure an ethical and sustainable production whilst meeting the needs of their citizens?

Submitted by: Nathalie Bredberg (SE), Navya Govind (DK), Petra Gudac (HR), Nikos Kalantzis (GR), Mats Meeus (NL ), Jacobus Petersen (NL), Gil Ribeiro (PT), Maud Wangsmo (LU), Ada Yıldırım, (TR, Delegate), Sara Gulbjørnrud Huseby (DK/NO)

The European Youth Parliament, A. Aware that the aquaculture industry in the EU is projected to double in size by 2030, B. Alarmed by the overexploitation of wild fish stocks and animal products, C. Expressing its appreciation for the AQUAEXCEL2020 programs aquacultural research, D. Bearing in mind the problems of unnatural pace of animal growth in other industries due to growth promoting supplements, E. Deeply concerned by the health risks caused by the consumption of farmed fish and shellfish , among others due to metal pollution, fish infected by sea lice, and lack of EU regulation on the use of antibiotics and other medicine in aquaculture, F. Disturbed by the difficulty of detecting metal pollution at an early stage of fish breeding, G. Taking into account that ecosystems may be damaged by fish farm waste, construction of fish farms, escaped fish, and nutrient pollution, H. Further concerned by the high costs of recently researched and developed technologies for sustainable aquaculture, such as aquaponics, limiting their implementation in the industry, I. Emphasizing the potential to use aquacultural waste to create a circular system, J. Noting with regret that higher concentrations of fish per cubic metre in fish farms lead to problems such as disease outbreaks, sea lice and harvest failure, K. Recognising the enormous potential genetic modification has to improve several aspects of aquaculture harvest, such as food and harvest time efficiency, L. Taking into consideration feed used in fish farms often times comes from unsustainable sources such as the catching of wild fish;

1. Urges the European Commission to allocate more funds within the Horizon2020 program to startups in the field of sustainable aquaculture; 2. Invites The European Market Observatory for Fisheries and Aquaculture (EUMOFA) to assist legislators and policymakers with an aim to support new enterprises in the aquaculture industry; 3. Urges the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) to fund sustainable aquaculture businesses; 4. Calls upon the European Commission to re-evaluate its current restrictions on GMO research on fish, to allow for research into the safety of genetically modified fish for human consumption while taking into account the well-being of the fish; 5. Requests the Joint Research Centre (JRC) to look into the use of unnatural growth promoters, use of antibiotics and medicine, maximum limit of fish per cubic meter in enclosures, and water quality in the aquaculture industry; 6. Asks the European Commission to take the JRC’s research findings into account when writing legislation on the aquaculture industry; 7. Invites the European Commission’s Research Executive Agency (REA) to fund the development of technologies that ensure food safety in aquaculture by:

i. supporting projects that improve early detection of heavy metals,

ii. supporting innovations in combating fish lice,

iii. funding research that prevents the spread of fish and seashell diseases; 8. Requests the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to advise Member States on aquaculture-related food contamination; 9. Appeals to Member States to establish standards for safe food contaminant levels, taking into account EFSA advise; 10. Encourages the European Commission to allocate further funds from Horizon2020 towards research on sustainable aquaculture technologies and innovation, such as circular waste management systems, land based aquaculture tanks, and GMO projects enhancing the efficiency of fish farming; 11. Calls upon the Aquaculture Advisory Council (AAC) to:

i. advise the European Commission on which aquacultural development projects

should be funded through the REA and the Horizon 2020 programme,

ii. evaluate the results of Horizon2020-backed research and development projects

and make recommendations for their implementation in the industry; 12. Urges the European Commission to continue funding aquaculture research through the proposed Horizon Europe fund when Horizon2020 ends;

FACT SHEET Mining and fossil fuels have led to mercury pollution in the oceans which builds up in fish and consumers. Mercury is hard to detect in small quantities, making it difficult to find before it does harm.

It is a problem specific to aquaculture because of the large density of fish.

Fish lice, or sea lice, are parasites that live on and can kill fish as well as make them not viable as food. Like mercury pollution, fish lice affect aquaculture operations especially because of the large density of fish.

Aquaponics is a circular system in which aquaculture (the farming of fish) is combined with hydroponics (the farming of vegetables in water). This reuses the water used to keep the fish to produce vegetables; one kg of fish can yield 40 kg of vegetables. The plants also help by cleaning the water, cutting down on water costs.

A circular system is an artificial ecosystem, in which every part contributes to the maintenance and health of the system.

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s) are organisms whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques.

Escaped fish are fish that escaped from fish farms and have been thrown into the oceans. There they are mixed with wild fish populations and pose a threat to them because of diseases they may be carrying.

Biodiversity is the amount of different species living in a certain ecosystem. It’s important for the health of the ecosystem to maintain this balance.

Aquaculture/fish farming is the cultivation of fish, shellfish, and water plants such as seaweed in a controlled environment of fresh or marine water.

AQUAEXCEL2020, a Horizon 2020 research infrastructure project, aims to support the sustainable growth of the aquaculture sector in Europe. AQUAEXCEL2020 comprises a large group of leading European aquaculture research facilities that work towards advanced integration and standardisation of tools for aquaculture research.

Aquacultural (solid) waste provides essential nutrients required for plant growth and has the potential to be repurposed into a fertilizer.

Horizon 2020 is the biggest EU Research and Innovation programme with nearly €80 billion of funding available over 7 years (2014 to 2020). It contains specific projects and for the development of European aquaculture.

The Joint Research Centre (JRC) is the European Commission’s science and knowledge service.

The JRC employs scientists to carry out research in order to provide independent scientific advice and support to EU policy.

European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) is the fund for the EU’s maritime and fisheries policies for 2014-2020. One of the main work areas of the fund is supporting sustainable aquaculture developments.

The European Commission’s Research Executive Agency is a funding body for research and innovation. It manages EU research grants. Its responsibilities include helping manage parts of Horizon 2020, the EU’s framework programme for research and innovation and running research projects supported under Horizon 2020 and FP7, its predecessor.

Horizon2020 is the financial instrument implementing the Innovation Union, a Europe 2020 flagship initiative aimed at securing Europe’s global competitiveness. Horizon2020 is the biggest EU Research and Innovation programme ever with nearly €80 billion of funding available over 7 years (2014 to 2020) – in addition to the private investment that this money will attract. One of its work areas is Aquatic Resources, which focuses on competitive and environmentally-friendly European aquaculture.

Horizon Europe is the next research and innovation framework programme after Horizon2020 expires. The Commission has published its proposal for Horizon Europe, an ambitious €100 billion research and innovation programme that will succeed Horizon 2020.

European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is an agency funded by the European Union that operates independently of the European legislative and executive institutions and EU Member States. As a risk assessor, EFSA produces scientific opinions and advice that form the basis for European policies and legislation on food and feed safety, nutrition, animal health and welfare, plant protection and plant health.

The European Market Observatory for fisheries and aquaculture (EUMOFA) is a market intelligence tool on the European Union fisheries and aquaculture sector. It aims to increase market transparency and efficiency, analyse EU markets dynamics and support business decisions and policy-making.

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT, PUBLIC HEALTH AND FOOD SAFETY II Rise of the Resistance: With Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) thought to be responsible for 25,000 preventable deaths across the EU each year and a new ‘One Health Action Plan’ in place, what further steps should the EU take to minimise the threats and halt the dangers associated with AMR? Submitted by: Daniel Arroyo (ES), Julia Kikel (AT), Karolina Lach (PL), Yannick Streef (LU), Gaby Thiwa (LU), Michaela Trčková (CZ), Siofra Watson (IE), Amy Zhuang (LU), Alexandra Entwistle-Thompson (UK, Chairperson) The European Youth Parliament, A. Fully alarmed by the high number of Europeans who die annually as a result of multidrug resistant bacteria, B. Deeply concerned by the lack of public knowledge surrounding AMR1, with only a third of Europeans receiving the relevant information on the use of antimicrobials, leading to both inappropriate and excessive use of antibiotics by the general public, C. Conscious that information, such as the course length2, is often not explained by healthcare professionals when prescribing antimicrobials to patients, D. Noting with deep concern that without effective antimicrobials common medical interventions could become life threatening, and the success of medical procedures will be compromised, E. Alarmed by the fact that an estimated 30% of prescriptions for antibiotics are not medically appropriate, F. Acknowledging that AMR costs the EU €1.5 billion annually as a result of prolonged hospital stays, an increased number of staff per patient and productivity losses, G. Keeping in mind the easy access to antimicrobials in certain European countries, with an estimated 7% of antibiotics in the EU being purchased without a prescription, H. Congratulating initiatives such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) ‘World Antibiotic Awareness Week’ and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)3 ‘European Antibiotic Awareness Day,

1 Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is when a microorganism resists antimicrobial treatment due to changes within the microbe, rendering antimicrobials ineffective.

2 The course length is the specific amount of time for which an antimicrobial has been prescribed and is to be taken.

3 An independent agency of the EU whose aim is to reduce infectious diseases across Europe.

I. Taking into account that the development of new antibiotics is not economically attractive for the pharmaceutical development industry, J. Stressing the inadequate funding available for research and development, with no novel classes of antimicrobials having being discovered since the 1980s, K. Appreciating the impact of the One Health Action Plan1 which aided the decrease of antibiotic use by a remarkable 6% over 6 years, L. Disturbed by the continued use of antibiotics in EU livestock as prophylaxis2 or growth promoter, despite EU Regulation 1831/2003/EC banning this practice since 2006, M. Recognising with regret the lack of willingness of many Member States to become engaged with the aforementioned issues surrounding AMR; 1. Appeals to the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA)3, as well as healthcare services, to use public advertisements, social media and workshops targeted to each specific age group and Member State, to promote a basic understanding of AMR and its implications; 2. Encourages Member States to further regulate the supply of antibiotics by legally requiring prescriptions from qualified prescribers to prevent self- medication, prophylactic use and online sales; 3. Requests the heads of medical institutions to introduce compulsory further trainings for healthcare professionals to;

i. Stress the importance of both the patient and prescriber in understanding hand

hygiene4 and the concept of AMR,

ii. Train them to explain the purpose and effect of antimicrobials as well as the need

to adhere to the patient information leaflet provided with antimicrobials; 4. Calls upon the European Commission to provide monetary grants to incentivise people to further research AMR and develop novel antimicrobials, including but not limited to

i. Subsidised fees for students undertaking an AMR-related PhD,

ii. Grants to pharmaceutical antimicrobial development companies,

iii. Increase funding for the “FORMAMP�5 program; 5. Encourages the scientific community and Member States across the EU to share clinical data on AMR in databases, similar to the GLASS IT platform6; 6. Urges Member States to give healthcare professionals supplying antimicrobials the authority to require a second medical opinion by an independent source if they judge necessary; 7. Calls upon the ECDC to investigate the origins of infections which occur from the antimicrobial resistant organisms within outbreak regions in any healthcare establishments; 1 A plan to support Member States and the EU in providing innovative and effective responses to AMR. 2 Treatment which is taken to prevent a disease from occuring.

3 A European organisation made up of public health NGOs, patient groups and health professionals working to aid the public health of Europe.

4 Act of cleaning hands with the purpose of eliminating microbes associated with antimicrobial resistance.

5 A project focussing on innovative antimicrobial medication design.

6 A web based platform for global data sharing on AMR.

8. Recommends that the healthcare services across the EU invest in surfaces that inhibit the growth of microbes in hospitals; 9. Proposes that the EPHA coordinates the creation of anonymous national database that collect and analyses information on the prescribing and supply of antimicrobials, in order to recognise overuse and intercept early resistance patterns; 10. Strongly advocates for Member States to list antimicrobial resistance as a public health threat in order to ensure that AMR is kept high on the political agenda; 11. Calls upon the European Commission to further enforce the ban of antimicrobials as prophyi. laxis and a growth promoter in livestock by: i. Establishing a clear legal basis on the banning of antimicrobials and improved justification of checks, ii. Introducing stricter and more frequent controls on the use of antimicrobials, iii. Imposing larger fines on offenders; 12. Urges Member States to implement the above mentioned in accordance with a country-specific timeline determined by healthcare professionals.

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS II The EU’s next six?: With the European Commission publishing the Strategy for the Western Balkan countries and announcing 2025 as a feasable date for them to become a part of the European Union, what measures can be taken in order to efficently achieve this goal in the given timeframe?

Submitted by: Tomas Cihak (UK/CZ), Alice Demchenko (UA), Jef Druyts (BE), Karl Richard Herem (EE), Fjona Hysi (AL), Kerstin Klaminger (AT), Melise Lundberg (SE), Emmanouela Pagoni (GR), Henry Willis (UK) and Jovan Zejak (RS), Iker Bengoetxea (ES, Chairperson) The European Youth Parliament, A. Bearing in mind the complex ethnic composition and tumultuous history of the Western Balkan countries, B. Alarmed by the use of nationalist and extremist rhetoric by some political leaders in the Western Balkan countries, C. Concerned by the high scepticism of the Western Balkan citizens of their countries prospects of joining the EU in the near future, D. Noting with regret the lack of improvement in the relation between Serbia and Kosovo, which is obstructing both parties’ accession to the EU, E. Aware of the fact that Kosovo’s accession to the EU requires the recognition of its independence by all EU Member States, F. Regretting the two decade long dispute between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) concerning the name of the later and the right of both countries to use the term “Macedonia”, G. Keeping in mind the fragility of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s institutions as a result of the tensions between the different ethnic groups of this country, H. Alarmed by the separatist rhetoric of the current president of the Republika Srpska1, which further exacerbates the aforementioned tensions, I. Aware that according to the EU’s Western Balkan Strategy2, none of the Western Balkan countries can currently be considered a functioning market economy, J. Taking into account that certain Western Balkan countries have a limited quality of public services due to financial difficulties, 1 The Republika Srpska is one of two constitutional and legal entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is largely populated by ethnic Serbs.

2 The Western Balkan Strategy is a credible enlargement perspective for an enhanced EU engagement with the Western Balkan region, proposed by the European Commission.

L. Noting with regret that the foreign policy of various Western Balkan countries is not always aligned with that of the EU, M. Fully alarmed by the growing political and economical influence of countries such as Russia, Turkey and China in the Western Balkans; 1. Reaffirms the EU’s commitment made in the Western Balkan Strategy to integrate the Western Balkan countries into the EU in the near future; 2. Expresses its appreciation for initiatives such as the Brdo-Brijuni Process1, which aims to strengthen cooperation between the Western Balkan countries; 3. Requests the EU Information Centre (EUIC)2 to improve the image of the EU in Western Balkan countries by increasing the amount of workshops and seminars that they provide in the region; 4. Encourages the beginning of a constructive dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia; 5. Endorses the recent “Prespa Agreement”3 reached between FYROM and Greece; 6. Supports the preservation of the current territorial structure and integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as determined by the Dayton Agreement4; 7. Condemns the separatist rhetoric and militaristic tendencies of the president of the Republika Srpska; 8. Endorses the consolidation of the common market in the Western Balkans discussed at the Western Balkans Summit5 in Trieste in 2017; 9. Encourages EU corporations to invest in the Western Balkan countries; 10. Calls upon Western Balkan countries to increase their efforts to fight organised crime and corruption through bilateral cooperation with EU Member States; 11. Recommends the formation of a department within the Council of Europe’s Group of States Against Corruption (GRECO)6 to support Western Balkan countries; 12. Invites the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR)7 to support the strengthening of democratic political institutions, rule of law and protection of human rights in the Western Balkan Countries; 13. Urges the Western Balkan states to align their foreign and defense policies with the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP)8.

1 The Brdo-Brijuni Process is an initiative launched in 2010 by the governments of Slovenia and Croatia which aims at strengthening the ties and cooperation between countries in the Western Balkan region.

2 The EU Information Centre is a network of several centres present all across the EU, as well as in non-EU countries, aiming to enhance the EU related flow of information among the public.

3 The Prespa Agreement is the agreement signed on the 12th of June, 2018 by the Prime Ministers of Greece and FYROM, which, among other things, changed the name of the later country to “Republic of North Macedonia”.

4 The Dayton Agreement is an agreement signed in 1995 between the Former Yugoslavia, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, which put an end to the Bosnian war and defined the structure of the Bosnian state as we know it today.

5 The Western Balkan Summit in 2017 was the fourth annual summit within the Berlin Process initiative for European integration of Western Balkan states. It gathered several heads of government from various EU Member States as well as from Western Balkan states.

6 The Group of States Against Corruption is the Council of Europe’s anti-corruption monitoring body, established in 1999.

7 The European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights is a funding instrument for the EU External Action Service aiming to support projects in the area of human rights, fundamental freedoms and democracy in nonEU countries.

8 The Common Foreign and Security Policy is the organised, agreed foreign policy of the EU for mainly security and defence diplomacy and actions.

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC AND MONETARY AFFAIRS A pathway to sustainability?: With the EU expressing its support for the rising sharing economy, as exemplified by companies such as Uber and AirBnB, how can the EU establish a general framework to further regulate such companies?

Submitted by: Ibrahim Al-hariri (UK), Alex Bourke (IE), Vladan Božić (RS), Chrysalina Gouli (GR), Sinan Can Gulan (TR), Joris Ligthart (NL), Alisa Maluhina (LV), Agata Oskroba (PL), Nadezhda Ter-Martirosyan (AM), Jakub Vondráček (CZ), Maria Skorokhod (Chairperson, BY) The European Youth Parliament, A. Pointing out that there is room for further growth in the sharing economy sector as only half of EU citizens are aware of what it is and only one in six has used collaborative platforms, B. Aware that sharing economy platforms do not guarantee the protection of consumer rights, C. Realising the complications in defining the legal roles of actors involved in the sharing economy, which may lead to enterprises underpaying taxes, D. Noting with regret the insufficient information exchange between sharing economy enterprises and Member States, E. Aware that the absence of a working contract between sharing economy platforms and service providers leads to a lack of labour rights protection of the latter, F. Keeping in mind that uncertainties in imposing taxes leads to lower costs for sharing economy enterprises relative to traditional businesses, creating an unfair competitive advantage, G. Acknowledging that the effects of any relevant legislative changes in the sharing economy sector will need to be closely monitored, H. Viewing with appreciation that the sharing economy contributes to Member States’ economic prosperity in various ways; 1. Advises all collaborative economy platforms, excluding the crowdfunding sector, to introduce background checks for users and a review system following the example of Uber and AirBnb; 2. Invites sharing platform enterprises to clearly inform their customers on the nature of their service prior to their first transaction; 3. Advises crowdfunding platforms to develop and include fraud prevention measures following the example of Kickstarter, whose terms of use legally oblige project creators to fulfill their commitments;

4. Advises Member States to classify the difference between a trader and a prosumer1 based on the frequency of transactions and profit size; 5. Advises Member States to hold regular meetings with representatives of both sharing economy enterprises and traditional businesses to ensure sufficient information exchange and develop a clear taxation system accordingly; 6. Strongly suggests Member States to introduce legislation which grants labour rights to service providers that qualify as traders specifically in the labour market and transportation sectors of sharing economy; 7. Advises the European Commission to establish an independent advisory board of experts to assist Member States in setting regulation for the sharing economy enterprises and to monitor this over time.

1

A prosumer is a person that uses common-based peer production.

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON EMPLOYMENT AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS Rise of the Machines: Given the rise of Artificial Intelligence in business applications and everyday life, how can the EU prepare the next generation for a shift in labour requirements and support the current labour market in adapting to changing demands?

Submitted by: Milica Antić (RS), Inma Díaz-Vieito Mateos (ES), Fredrik van Dijkman (SE), Isaac Fernandes (UK), Mariam Hovhannisyan (AM), Nedas Kuzas (LT), Palina Mizhyieuskaya (BY), Nicoleta Nour (SI), Emer O’Hara (LU), Elina Rozenfeld (EE), Tom Suelmann (NL, Chairperson) The European Youth Parliament, A. Concerned by the lack of common EU-wide legislation regulating artificial intelligence1 (AI) and its role in the society, B. Recognising the need for joint action on AI to remain competitive on a global scale, C. Alarmed by the large profit disparity between corporations that have implemented AI and small and medium enterprises (SMEs); D. Fully aware that current vocational curriculum will be outdated due to the technological progress in the field of AI, E. Observing that skills such as critical thinking and analytics are insufficiently covered in school curricula, F. Taking note of the fact that the unemployed are not financially stable, G. Further noting that retraining citizens who may lose their job to AI is a costly endeavour, H. Fully alarmed by the drastic changes to the labour market created by AI, I. Bearing in mind that AI will be implemented in repetitive, cognitive tasks first, such as the 38% displacement of the jobs in the transport sector, J. Noting with deep concern that 47% of the workers will need upskilling and reskilling by 2030 as a result of the AI revolution, K. Approving the potential growth of jobs in sectors of the workforce such as the expected 34% growth in the health sector, L. Noting with regret that the labour market needs time to react to advances in the rapid implementation of AI in businesses, 1 Artificial Intelligence is a branch of Computer Science that focuses on creating intelligent machines that work like humans.

M. Acknowledging that in the future employers might have difficulties retraining their personnel due to lack of resources;

1. Congratulates the Member States on signing the Declaration of Cooperation on AI1 in 2017; 2. Approves the European Commision investing EUR 1.5 billion into AI research for the period 2018-2020 under the Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme;2 3. Supports the European Commision in developing guidelines on AI production and usage by late 2018; 4. Endorses Competitiveness of Enterprises and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises3 (COSME) on Loan Guarantee Facility4 (LGF) for offering loans to SMEs; 5. Expresses its appreciation towards the Initiative to establish a European Lab for Learning & Intelligent Systems to cooperate on the development of new AI technology on the EU level; 6. Suggests Member States to update high school curricula to focus on critical thinking and analytics as well as vocational curricula to remove the redundant areas; 7. Further encourages Member States to further incorporate computer science and basic knowledge on AI in high school curricula by 2025; 8. Calls upon the European Social Fund5 to offer scholarships to the unemployed pursuing re-education; 9. Further calls upon Member States to promote existing free online courses on AI and other fields through TV and newspapers in order to reach mature audiences; 10. Welcomes the European Commission on the New Skills Agenda for Europe;6 11. Suggests Member States to subsidise employers that re-educate their employees.

1 In the Declaration of Cooperation on AI 25 Member States declared to join forces to ensure the opportunities of AI whilst collectively dealing with its challenges.

2 Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme allocates nearly EUR 80 billion in funds over 7 years, promising more breakthroughs, discoveries and world-firsts by taking great ideas from the lab to the market.

3 COSME is an EU program with a budget of EUR 2.3 billion, supporting: entrepreneurship, access to finance and markets for SMEs, and more favourable conditions for business creation and growth.

4 The COSME Loan Guarantee Facility is a window of the Single EU Debt Financial Instrument which supports European enterprises’ growth and research and innovation (R&I), by providing loans and leases to SMEs. 5 The European Social Fund is Europe’s main instrument for supporting jobs, helping people get better jobs and ensuring fairer job opportunities for all EU citizens by investing in human capital.

6 The New Skills Agenda for Europe launched 10 actions to make the right training, skills and support available to people in the EU.

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON INDUSTRY, RESEARCH AND ENERGY Towards a more sustainable Europe: Europe produces 25 milion tonnes of plastics every year, 39,9% of them being packaging. While plastic packaging is one of the limited options to extend the shelf life of food only a third of plastic packaging is recycled. What measures can be taken in order to decrease plastic waste in form of food packaging?

Submitted by: Cai Arcos Botias (ES), Ivan Barišić (HR), Deivid Çifligu (AL), Ava Cornelis (BE), Edvardas Luko Stella Miettinen (FI), Milica Mijailović (RS), Markéta Stuchlíková (CZ), Julien Wald (LU), Anastasiia Yakubyshyn (UA) , Kaya Safa (Chairperson, UK) The European Youth Parliament, A. Concerned by the excessive use of petrochemical plastic food packaging, B. Noting the continuous efforts of the European Commission in reducing plastic usage through the Directive 94/62 (European Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive)1, C. Anticipating the implementation of the European Commission’s proposed Directive on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment2, D. Noting with regret that 50% of plastic waste coming from food packaging is low-grade3 single-use plastics, E. Noting with regret that up to 8 million tonnes of plastic finish their life cycle in ocean waters per annum, F. Noting with regret the lack of public institutions devoted to waste management in developing countries, resulting in 80% of plastics finishing their life cycle in 10 less economically developed country (LEDC)-located rivers, G. Concerned by the significant dependency of Member States on non-renewable waste management infrastructure, with Romania and Cyprus disposing up to 80% of their plastic through non-renewable means, H. Aware of the lack of investment into methods such as depolymerisation, which converts plastics into again-usable products, I. Concerned about the lack of labelling system in environmental recycling labels, 1 The Directive 94/62 (European Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive) primarily sets targets for Member States in the recovery and recycling of plastic waste.

2 The proposed Directive on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment aims to ban 10 single-use plastic products that are frequently disposed of in a non-environmentally friendly manner 3 Low Density Polyethene, also known as LDPE, are the plastics that are being used for food packaging, also the cheapest kind of plastics to produce.

J. Concerned about the lack of available competitive alternatives to plastic, with bioplastics representing only 1% of the plastic packaging market share, K. Emphasising that it is less profitable to recycle low-grade plastics as opposed to high-grade plastics, L. Acknowledging that more resources are required to recycle used, mixed and contaminated plastics, M. Alarmed by the lack of funds for environmentally-conscious businesses to effectively recycle their plastic waste; 1. Congratulates the European Commission on funding initiatives that construct depolymerisation plants, such as DEMETO1, through the Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme; 2. Requests the European Commission to reduce tariffs on imported products using alternatives to plastic packaging, such as bioplastics; 3. Calls upon the European Commission to allocate funding to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and startups, such as the Ocean Cleanup2, that develop methods of removing pre-existing plastic waste from ocean waters; 4. Encourages the European Committee for Standardisation3 to develop a unitary standard for Member States on how much plastic waste can be disposed in non-renewable manners; 5. Calls upon the European Commission to establish a labelling system on all plastic food packaging, informing consumers of the type of plastic used and its plastic grade; 6. Further calls upon the European Commission to introduce a warning logo on food products using low-grade plastic packaging; 7. Encourages Member States to implement deposit-waste refund systems, such as that of Pantti4 in Finland; 8. Urges Member States to further the discontinuation of exporting plastic waste beyond China to all non-EU states that fail to adhere to basic environmentally-minded waste management standards; 9. Calls upon EuropeAid5 to call for tenders procuring specialists to develop waste management infrastructure in LEDC-states; 10. Calls upon Member States to make petrochemical plastic alternatives economically viable by implementing subsidies that offset the cost difference between petrochemical plastics and alternative forms of packaging; 11. Calls upon the European Environmental Agency to develop environmentally-conscious bin disposal designs to be used in public institutions.

1 DEMETO is a Horizon 2020-funded programme that promotes original methods of depolymerising polyethylene terephthalate, the most common thermoplastic polymer.

2 The Ocean Cleanup is a non-profit organisation based in the Netherlands that develops advanced technologies aimed at eliminating the world’s oceans of plastic.

3 The European Committee for Standardisation develops and defines voluntary standards at the European level in relation to different products, materials and services.

4 Pantti is an initiative of the Finnish government that charges EUR 0.51 per litre of beverage bought by consumers, which is in turn refunded following the return of the container to be recycled.

5 EuropeAid is the informal name for the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development.

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON ORGANISED CRIME, CORRUPTION AND MONEY LAUNDERING I Creative accounting: Responding to the challenges caused by new money laundering methods such as using cryptocurrencies, and the fact that laundered money already accounts for 4.5% of the world’s GDP, what approach could the European Union take in order to protect its economy and citizens?

Submitted by: Daria Gundina (UA), Tomáš Kovářík (CZ), Karolina Kuźniar (PL), Morana Mladić (HR), Emilė Petravičiūtė (LT), Alexandra Salo (FI), Mipham Samten (UK), Christophe Schmit (LU), Jill Somers (IE), Jeroen Vangeneugden (BE), Aleksa Antić (Chairperson, RS) The European Youth Parliament, A. Concerned that governments are vulnerable to gross corruption, thus facilitating money laundering activities and causing social unrest, B. Aware of difficulties in cooperation between Member States and non-Member States in combating money laundering, C. Disturbed by money laundering distorting the financial market, thus jeopardising banks and their liquidity, D. Fully aware that by the establishment of front companies, legal businesses suffer from unfair competition, E. Aware that the lack of an intermediary and user identification in cryptocurrency transactions results in difficulties with locating and tracing money obtained from illegal activities, F. Notes that the “Smurfing method” enables splitting of one’s assets into multiple different accounts, making the source of the funds harder to trace, G. Fully aware of a lack of public awareness on the topic of money laundering and its negative effects, H. Noting with concern that the static nature of legislation and the increasing pace of changing criminal behavior presents difficulties in reducing money laundering activities, I. Further aware of the inefficiency of fining financial institutions for enabling Money Laundering such as with the Deutsche Bank scandal, J. Alarmed that the structural differences of Financial Intelligence Units’ (FIU) among Member States limit law enforcement agencies’ effectiveness in reducing financial crimes, K. Deeply disturbed that up to 70% of Money Laundering cases have a cross-border dimension;

1. Aims to establish a society in which the EU’s economy and its citizens are protected from the effects of money laundering; 2. Calls upon the European Commission to reinstitute the bi-annual “EU Anti-Corruption Report” with the aim of creating a European standard for government transparency; 3. Invites Member States to support sanctions for individuals working in the financial sector who intentionally participate in the act of money laundering to reduce the risk of a moral hazard; 4. Encourages Member States to adopt a “Source of Wealth” policy, with a particular focus on government officials; 5. Further calls upon the Member States to establish an integrated rating system based on an individual’s history of involvement with suspicious transactions thus aiding financial institutions in accessing the suitability of a potential account holder; 6. Invites the European Commission to further sustain cooperation between Member States and non-Member States by:

a. continuing the implementation of disincentives used by the Financial Action

Task Force (FATF) regarding the financial activities of “blacklisted countries”,

b. progressing negotiations with said countries in regards to the enforcement of

anti-money laundering recommendations to minimise such activities within Mem ber States; 7. Encourages Member States to support efforts in the virtual currency sector to standardise identification efforts across e-wallet providers, to be requested and used only in the support of criminal prosecutions; 8. Further invites Member States to accelerate the use and development of new data-analyzing techniques such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, designed to identify complex transaction patterns, in order to adapt to constantly changing Smurfing techniques; 9. Calls upon the European Commission to implement a whistleblower protection program in order to protect those exposing money laundering activities; 10. Suggests that Member States raise awareness about the effects of money laundering on individuals by using targeted messages through key financial institutions’ services, and local government facilities; 11. Recommends that Member States’ company registers conduct audits to ensure that the genuine beneficiary of a company is stated in the company’s official accounts; 12. Reminds Member States to regularly update their legislation in regards to advancements in criminal practices, such as money laundering through virtual currencies, using information provided by FATF reports; 13. Further encourages Member States to allocate a portion of the fine issued to citizens to be invested by financial institutions solely to improve their anti-money laundering procedures and methods through specific research and training; 14. Requests Member States to improve Financial Intelligence Units’ efficiency by:

a. extending the FIU’s global data-sharing network to non-EU countries,

b. harmonising the cooperation between FIU and law-enforcement by adopting a

hybrid structure in order to accelerate investigation procedures and facilitate com

munication between the two institutions.

FACT SHEET Front companies are subsidiary or shell companies used to conceal illegal activities.

Cryptocurrencies are digital assets designed to work as a medium of exchange that use strong cryptography to secure financial transactions, control the creation of additional units, and verify the transfer of assets.

Smurfing is a commonly used money laundering method, which involves the use of multiple individuals and/or multiple transactions for making cash deposits, buying monetary instruments or bank drafts in amounts under the reporting threshold.

Deutsche Bank AG was fined almost $700 million for helping wealthy Russians move money out of the country. The bank is still struggling to reach the anti-money laundering standards.

The EU Anti-Corruption Report was the European Commission’s short-lived anti-corruption reporting mechanism, which was planned to be published on a bi-annual basis to monitor and assess the efforts of Member States of the European Union in tackling corruption. The report failed because the personnel who worked on the reports failed to gather the materials in the time frame given.

A moral hazard occurs when a individual takes more risks because someone else bears the cost of those risks.

Source of Wealth Refers to the origin of the entire body of wealth of the client as the information that should be obtained will give an indication as to the volume of wealth the client would reasonably be expected to have, and provide a picture of how it was acquired.

Integrated rating system is a credit rating which contains the history of the transactions a person made that seemed suspicious. This suspicious transaction rating would help financial institutions to be cautious about their clients or even decline to provide their services to some individuals.

Financial Intelligence Units are central national agencies responsible for receiving, analysing, and transmitting disclosures on suspicious transactions to the competent authorities are the final important actors on this topic.

The Financial Action Task Force is an intergovernmental organization founded in 1989 on the initiative of the G7 to develop policies to combat money laundering.

The FATF blacklist was the common shorthand description for the Financial Action Task Force list of “Non-Cooperative Countries or Territories�.

Artificial intelligence, sometimes called machine intelligence, is intelligence demonstrated by machines, in contrast to the natural intelligence displayed by humans and other animals.

A company register is a register of organizations in the jurisdiction they operate under.

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON CIVIL LIBERTIES, JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS Finding Justice: Taking into account the new EU legislative proposals on Whistleblower Protection, how should the Member States’ national policies be harmonised in order to meet the set European standards?

Submitted by: Ivana Babic (FR), Kateryna Borysova (UA), Titas Byla (LT), Rodrigo Carreira (PT), Črtomir Kovač (SI), Iris Kuruca (TR), Stella Levin (SE), Olavs Rāciņš (LV), Lesley Spedener (LU), Lenka Zivanovic (RS), Heidi Park (Chairperson, SE) The European Youth Parliament, A. Aware of the scandals regarding whistleblowers1, such as Cambridge Analytica, Panama Papers and Dieselgate, B. Acknowledging the adverse effects of whistleblowing on the economies of companies and the economic welfare of employees when actors such as large enterprises are accused of corruption and criminally charged, C. Emphasising the importance of whistleblowing as it is considered to be one of the most effective ways of uncovering wrongdoing, D. Recognising the need for whistleblowers to only disclose information to the relevant actors and information that is relevant to the case, E. Alarmed by the fact that 49% of EU citizens do not know how to report corruption, and only 15% are aware about whistleblower protection laws, F. Concerned that whistleblowers are stigmatised by large parts of society, G. Expressing its appreciation for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) such as Transparency International2 and European Center for Whistleblower Rights3 in assisting whistleblowers during the investigation of their cases, H. Noting with deep concern how potential whistleblowers may be discouraged due to the possible repercussions such as losing their jobs and causing financial instability, I. Keeping in mind the consequences actions of whistleblower may cause such as harm to their 1 Whistleblowers are employees who report illegal activities occurring in public or private organisations.

2 Transparency International is an organisation that takes a stance against corruption through creating anti-corruption conventions, prosecuting corrupt leaders, and holding companies accountable for their behaviour.

3 European Center for Whistleblower Rights is an organisation dedicated to strengthening whistleblower protections and ensuring that the crime and public health dangers exposed by whistleblowers are investigated and remedied.

J. Deeply concerned by the possibility of biased judicial procedures in cases in which the disclosed information given by the whistleblower conflicts with the interests of their national governments, K. Deeply conscious about the lack of a common legal definition of whistleblowing among Member States, L. Deeply concerned by the lack of common EU-wide comprehensive legislation, as well as the discrepancies in national legislations to protect whistleblowers across Member States, M. Keeping in mind that some whistleblowers themselves have partaken in illegal actions such as the case in Cambridge Analytica;

1. Appreciates the European Commission’s proposed directive on whistleblower protection; 2. Approves the European Commission’s proposed three-tier reporting mechanism1 for companies, public bodies and non-profit organisations; 3. Endorses the European Commission’s proposal to create feedback obligations for authorities and companies, having to respond and follow-up to the whistleblower’s reports within 3 months within internal reporting channels;2 4. Calls upon Member States to impartially inform citizens about whistleblowers and provide training for public authorities on how to tackle whistleblower cases; 5. Urges Member States to enforce policies in both the public and the private sector, including informing employees of their rights and whistleblowing procedures; 6. Calls for Member States to ensure that the public and private sectors meet the required measures to protect whistleblowers as stated in the European Commission’s directive proposal on whistleblower protection; 7. Encourages the aforementioned NGOs further assist the personal wellbeing and safety of whistleblowers even after the investigation has been closed; 8. Urges Member States to create a common legal definition of whistleblowing; 9. Expresses its hope that the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers adopt the new directive proposed by the European Commission on whistleblower protection; 10. Encourages Member States to study the best practices from the national legislations already in place, such as in France and Sweden; 11. Requests the European Commission to periodically review and evaluate the effectiveness of each Member State’s whistleblower protection policies; 12. Expresses its hope that Member States will reduce the sentences of whistleblowers who have partaken in illegal actions themselves and have been criminally charges; 13. Calls on Transparency International to establish a review system of the national judiciary proceedings dealing with cases potentially treated in a biased manner.

1 The three tier reporting mechanism consists of (1) internal reporting channels, (2) reporting to competent authorities if internal channels do not work or could not reasonably be expected to work, and (3) public/media reporting if no appropriate action is taken after reporting through other channels or in case of imminent or clear danger to the public interest or irreversible damage in order to ensure confidentiality.

2 Internal reporting channels refers to communication of misconduct within the organisation.

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE A lion’s share: generating more than €17 billion annually, wildlife trafficking consists one of the most lucrative businesses worldwide. With the EU still serving as a transit hub, what further steps shall be taken to prevent the illegal trading of endangered species of flora and fauna across international boarders?

Submitted by: Zhina Garmsiri (FI), Filip Král (CZ), Julia Macha (PL), Karen Mnatsakanyan (AM), Érica Moreira, (PT), Gunnel Skold (SE), Joshua Stratford (UK), Alesia Vasku (AL), Ilias Pagkozidis (Chairperson, GR) The European Youth Parliament, A. Noting with deep concern that endangered species population has suffered a 40% population drop between 1970-2000, B. Noting further that illegal wildlife trading represents the second largest threat to an endangered species survival, C. Deeply disturbed by the consequences of poaching such as deforestation, imbalance in the food chain, loss of biodiversity, and the incidental killing of non targeted species,1 D. Bearing in mind that wildlife tourism provides a substantial source of income for citizens of developing nations, E. Fully aware that diseases may be transmitted once invasive species are introduced to a different environment, F. Observing that the high profitability and low detection rate of poaching boosts illegal wildlife trafficking, G. Alarmed by the fact that wildlife trafficking in the countries of origin of the species is fueled by inadequate infrastructure and financial resources, H. Highlighting the link between wildlife trafficking and low governance in the country of origin of the species, I. Taking note that wildlife trafficking is used as a funding source for terrorist groups, J. Keeping in mind the inefficiency of the current detection systems of illegal wildlife products in transiting countries, K. Realising that insufficient information and knowledge over wildlife products contributes to a strengthening demand, L. Noting with deep concern that the rise in online wildlife trafficking puts pressure to an already burdened system;

1 Non Targeted Species are species that are killed accidentally while poaching for endangered species of wild flora and fauna.

1. Expresses its appreciation for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 141 and 15;2 2. Welcomes the EU’s accession to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora in 2015; 3. Welcomes the EU Action Plan against Wildlife Trafficking; 4. Calls upon the European Commission to:

a. extend the Action Plan against Wildlife Trafficking,

b. adapt it to present needs; 5. Invites Member States to increase the efficiency of detection systems in transfer points with the help of advanced body scans and specialised personnel at customs checks; 6. Emphasises the need for fighting corruption in the countries of origin by establishing a rotation system in the responsible security personnel, code of conduct and protocol for sanctioning corrupted officials and a global monitoring system with the help of non governmental organisations (NGOs) such as Transparency International;3 7. Urges the European Commission to increase financial support to TRAFFIC4 through Horizon 2020 for the further investigation of transit hubs of trafficked goods; 8. Invites Member States to raise awareness over the consequences of wildlife trafficking through:

a. introducing middle school crash courses,

b. supporting relevant NGOs’ media campaigns through Horizon 2020; 9. Invites the European Commission to provide position-tracking chips to animals, financial support, trainings, and employment of ex-poachers as guards of world heritage parks; 10. Congratulates the effort of the Global Coalition to End Wildlife Trafficking Online;5 11. Invites Member States to incentivise tech businesses that engage in combating illicit trading; 12. Calls on Member States to introduce a quality certificate for websites, where legal trading of flora and fauna by-products take place.

1 Goal 14 is to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.

2 Goal 15 is to protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.

3 Transparency International is a movement promoting transparency, accountability and integrity at all levels and across all sectors of society.

4 TRAFFIC is a wildlife trade monitoring network.

5 The Global Coalition to End Wildlife Trafficking Online brings together companies from across the world in partnership with wildlife experts at WWF, TRAFFIC the wildlife trade monitoring network, and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) for an industry-wide approach to reduce wildlife trafficking online by 80% by 2020.

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON CULTURE AND EDUCATION Endangered linguistic species: Some of the EU’s 60 regional and minority languages are currently facing extinction. Bearing in mind the importance of multilingualism in Europe, what can European States do to defend their rich linguistic heritage?

Submitted by: Mark Alvares Peres (UK), Hestia Barçi (AL), Nastasja Kerkovic (RS), Marie Kinkela (HR), Sofia Koplatadze (GE), Carlos Sanchez Borell (ES), Saviël ter Hart (NL), Ellie Wu (CZ), Albert Zudek (SI), Gabija Zukauskaite (LT).

Aïcha Bouchelaghem (Chairperson, CH) The European Youth Parliament, A. Alarmed by the fact that 90% of the world’s 7000 languages could become extinct within the next 100 years without preservation efforts, B. Taking into account the right to freely speak in one’s own language is outlined in the Universal Declaration on Linguistic Rights, C. Affirming the aims and principles outlined in the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages (ECRML), such as the respect for the geographical area of each language, the need for promotion of minority languages, and the encouragement of the use of Regional Minority Languages in speech and writing, both in public and private life, D. Noting with deep regret that some European States still have not signed or ratified the ECRML, E. Aware that the EU has a supporting competence in matters related to culture, F. Acknowledging the efforts and influence of intergovernmental organisations (IGOs) such as UNESCO and the Council of Europe in protecting languages and preserving cultural heritage, G. Recognising need for a differentiated approach for different RMLs due to the unique context of each individual RML, H. Noting with regret that RML speakers adopt the majority language of their respective States as their primary language of communication, I. Bearing in mind that transnational non-territorial languages such as Roma and Yiddish face significant difficulties in claiming their linguistic rights, J. Disturbed by the fact that Slovakia is in violation of the principles outlined in the ECRML despite ratifying it, K. Believing that the most effective way of preventing language endangerment is by preserving, promoting and revitalising RMLS;

1. Congratulates the Irish government on its efforts to preserve and increase the use of Irish Gaelic as part of the national planning framework Ireland 2040; 2. Asks NGOs to organise educational events in collaboration with RML-speaking communities in culturally relevant areas about the cultural and linguistic heritage of the region; 3. Emphasises the contribution of such projects as Erasmus +, the Lifelong Learning Programme and Creative Europe in promoting language diversity and cultural heritage; 4. Calls for such programmes to include the promotion of RMLs; 5. Calls upon NGOs to diversify their online projects to promote RMLs’ e-learning through creating learning websites and making e-books available in RMLs; 6. Recommends NGOs cooperate in creating a comprehensive strategy towards RMLs that avoids overlap of responsibilities and tackles all endangered languages irrespective of political, social or other obstacles; 7. Calls upon the Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture (DG EAC) to organise forums that discuss the situation of non-territorial languages such as Romani in the relevant Member States; 8. Requests the DG EAC to assist relevant Member States with the translation of legal frameworks such as the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities into RMLs spoken on their respective territory; 9. Calls upon the European Commission to establish an Agency on Linguistic Diversity responsible for conducting research on various RMLs throughout the EU; 10. Further calls upon the European Commission to appoint language ambassadors as part of the Agency of Linguistic Diversity that are tasked with communicating the situation and needs of relevant RMLs to government representatives, keeping track of the situation of RMLs in Europe; 11. Invites NGOs to advise national governments on domestic measures and practices aimed at the protection of RMLs; 12. Congratulates Italy’s adoption of a law which funds of newspapers written in RMLs; 13. Calls upon the European Parliament to consider triggering article 7 of the Treaty on the European Union (TEU) in case Slovakia does not repeal its controversial state language law; 14. Suggests Member States request the European Commission to allow the use of co-official RMLs in the European Parliament as well as provide live translation; 15. Calls upon UNESCO to formally endorse the Universal Declaration on Linguistic Rights; 16. Proposes that RML speakers assist with the creation of grammar books as well as dictionaries; 17. Hopes national governments introduce text corpora for officially recognised RMLs.

FACT SHEET The Universal Declaration on Linguistic Rights or Barcelona Declaration aims at supporting linguistic rights, especially those of endangered languages. It was adopted at the conclusion of the World Conference on LInguistic Rights held in June 1996 but has not yet gained the formal approval from UNESCO. The European Charter on Regional and Minority Languages (ECRML) is the European convention for the protection and promotion of languages used by traditional minorities. Together with the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities it constitutes the Council of Europe’s commitment to the protection of national minorities.

Regional Minority Languages (RMLs) designate languages traditionally spoken in a given territory or by a given minority.

UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation. It seeks to build peace through international cooperation in Education, the Sciences and Culture.

The Council of Europe is Europe’s leading human rights organisation. It includes 47 member States, 28 of which are EU Member States.

Ireland 2040 - Our Plan is the long-term strategic planning framework plan proposed by the Irish government, aimed at guiding national, regional and local planning and investment decisions over the next 25 years.

Erasmus + is the EU’s programme to support education, training, youth and sport in Europe.

The Lifelong Learning Programme (LLP) is designed to enable people to take part in learning experiences, therefore funds exchanges, study visits, and networking activities.

Creative Europe is the European Commission’s framework programme for support to the culture and audiovisual sectors.

The Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture (DG EAC) is the Commission department responsible for EU policy on education, culture, youth, languages and sport.

The Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities is designed to protect the rights of persons belonging to national minorities.

Article 7 of the Treaty on the European Union (TEU) states, amongst other, that, on a reasoned proposal by a third of the Member States, by the European Parliament or by the European Commission, the Council may decide to suspend the voting rights of a Member State in serious and persistent breach of the EU’s founding values.

A text corpus (pl. corpora) is a large and unstructured set of texts usually electronically stored and processed. It is used amongst other to check occurrences and validate linguistic rules within a specific language territory.

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