Academic Preparation Kit - Braga 2015 - 33rd National Selection Conference of EYP Portugal

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Academic Preparation KitBRAGA 2015 - 33rd NatioNal SelectioN coNfereNce europeaN Youth parliameNt portugal

APPEJ - Associação Portuguesa do Parlamento Europeu dos Jovens/European Youth Parliament PortugalRua Dona Antónia Augusta de Sousa, nº 63, 4460-665 Custóias, Matosinhos, Portugalwww.pejportugal.com · [email protected]

DisclaimerPosition Papers

Committee TopicsGROWING

CULTREGI

EMPLLIVING

AGRIINTA

IMCOMOVING

DROITRAN

ContactsPartners

This Academic Preparation Kit was compiled for the 33rd National Selection Conference of the European Youth Parliament Portugal, which will take place in the city of Braga, from the 18th to the 22nd of November, 2015.

TOPIC OVERVIEWS

The Topic Overviews are written by the Committee Chairpersons and serve as background material. They aim to identify the importance of the issue at hand, as well as the principal matters within it, the interconnections amongst the main actors in those matters and the actions already taken by them, while offering a short look at their possible future development.

They are written with the intention of providing stimulating, yet neutral, introductions. It must be noted that the content of the Overviews does not reflect the positions of the Associação Portuguesa do Parlamento Europeu dos Jovens (APPEJ)/European Youth Parliament Portugal (EYP PT), who strongly encourages independent thinking, and are the sole responsibility of their authors. Likewise, while the National Selection Conference will be held under the patronage of various public entities, no claim is made that their views are in any way represented by the contents of this preparation kit.

KEYWORDS

The non-exhaustive list of keywords intends to facilitate the search for information, may that be documents, news items or articles, through different types of search engines, news websites or encyclopaedias.

LINKS

As regards the suggestions of research links, the list is by no means exhaustive. Also, several of the websites may contain relevant information other than the one cited herewith. Several links have been made available through footnotes. Please note that the EYP PT is not responsible for the contents of the various websites; the texts, images and/or audio or video clips reflect the opinions of their authors, only. We recommend that you print this preparation kit, together with all the research you will conduct on your own and bring all those materials with you to the conference.

Wishing you a good read and successful preparation,

Henrique Vieira MendesPRESIDENT, BRAGA 2015

Mafalda Rodrigues and Miguel Paiva

HEAD-ORGANISERS, BRAGA 2015

Ana NunesPRESIDENT, EYP PT

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ForewordDear Delegates,

When pondering upon the umbrella theme of the 33rd National Selection Conference of the European Youth Parliament Portugal, we looked for thoughts, opinions, suggestions by an array of people, only to later discover that people were indeed the theme we had been searching for all along. In this lighting paced world, it is easy to forget that people are the driving force behind it all. People, and their needs, are the ones that should be promoted, helped and protected. That is why we chose the theme: “Growing, Living, Moving: European Demographics” for Braga 2015.

We have selected some of the most pressing questions of our times for you to debate. We want you to come to Braga not only to study what has been said and done about them, but to find, propose and defend your own ideas, visions and solutions.

The first three issues concern growth. How do Europeans grow, learn and enter the job market? How can the EU itself facilitate the growth of each of its regions?

The following three concern living. What are we producing and eating? How should we negotiate with other world regions? And how can we regulate new business ideas?

Last but not least, we’ll devote our attention to the movement of people, goods and new challenges of modern transport.

So much to think about, we know, we’ve all been there. You have been invited to four days of exchanging, working and debating, but the million euros’ question

is: will you come prepared? We challenge you to do so. For you will meet bright, creative and fun people and you will learn, teach and share with all of them. The more each of us knows, the more we all can share.

To help kick-start your preparation, the Chairpersons have spent weeks working tirelessly to make sure you have all you need. We remind you to once again read the EU Explained brochure and understand the framework upon which we will be debating.

Once you have done that, use the Overviews to gain further insight into the topics: all of them! Then, do your own research. Finally take all of that knowledge and apply it to the Position Papers you will be writing and keep yourselves up to date right until you travel to Braga.

We are fully aware that spending so much time going through politics related academic materials in a foreign language is challenging. But what rewarding experience have you had that has been easy?

We are certain that, once you are there, you will have the time of your life. You will become EYPers, and those are some of the most extraordinary young people in Europe. That is why we are looking forward to meeting every single one of you and to show you what EYP is all about. Just remember:

Prepare now, so you can learn and grow!

Prepare now, so you can better live the session!

Prepare now, so that after the session you can move to even bigger challenges!

Yours in anticipation,

THE TEAM OF CHAIRPERSONS,

Alice, Anna, Carolina, Christian, Henrique, Joanna, João, Lourenço, María, Nathan and Tereza

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Position PapersThe countdown to the session has begun and we are already in a preparation frenzy. In fact, we have waited quite some time for this and, naturally, much of that time was spent preparing. For you, because you deserve a session that is academically challenging whilst promoting the best of EYP spirit.

So, what can you do to be prepared when we are more than ready? ‘Outprepare’ us! How? Easily… if you just follow these steps:

Read the introduction to this Preparation Kit, the EU Explained and all Committee Topic

Overviews. Use the keywords and links therein to set you off on your own research.

Then, study your information carefully, search your conscience (and your creativity,

too), make up your mind and write your Position Paper.

As soon as you have finished it save it according to the specifications to your right

and send it to your Teacher. The Teachers should collect all Delegation’s Position Papers and send them to [email protected] by no later than Sunday, November 8th.

It may happen that your Chairperson will get in touch with you with further pre-session

preparation instructions or requests. For that reason, we must ask that, from this moment until all Session-related communication has ended, you make an effort to check your e-mail inboxes every day.

Why write a Position Paper?

The purpose of the Position Paper is to generate support on an issue. It describes a personal position on a topic and the rationale behind it. The Position Paper is based on facts that provide a solid foundation for your argument and should be adequately presented by: using evidence to support your position, such as statistical evidence or dates and events; validating your position with authoritative references or primary source quotations; examining the strengths and weaknesses of your position; evaluating possible solutions and suggesting courses of action.

A good Position Paper should not be much longer than one A4 page with the format settings presented to your right (and which we ask you to preserve) , and can be structured as follows:

INTRODUCTION

It should clearly identify the issue and state the author’s position. It should be written in a way that captures the reader’s attention.

BODY OF TEXT

It may contain several paragraphs; each of them presenting an idea or main concept that clarifies a portion of the position statement and is supported by evidence or facts. Evidence (first source quotations, statistical data, interviews with experts and/or indisputable dates or events) should lead to the main concept or idea presented in the paragraph. The body may begin with some background information and should incorporate a discussion on all sides of the issue at hand.

CONCLUSION

It should summarise the main concepts and ideas and reinforce, without repeating, the introduction or body of the paper. It could include suggested courses of action and possible solutions. We have included further instructions in the template you will be using (separate MS Word file), so please be sure to refer to that.

PLEASE USE THIS TEMPLATE

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Topics

“We really need a rethinking of education and a redesigning of our system, so it prepares our children for the future with the skills that are needed for today and tomorrow.”

KYLLONENM, Marjo, Helsinki’s education

manager

Finland revolutionising its Educational System, teaching by topic rather than subject is just the last example of the different approaches to Education in Europe. Building on the Education & Training 2020 framework, what should the EU’s role be in supporting its Member States’ educational reforms?

GROWING MOVING LIVING GROWING MOVING LIVING GROWING MOVING LIVING GROWING MOVING LIVING GROWING MOVING LIVING GROWING MOVING LIVING GROWING MOVING LIVING GROWING MOVING LIVING GROWING MOVING LIVING GROWING MOVING LIVING GROWING MOVING LIVING GROWING MOVING LIVING GROWING MOVING LIVING GROWING

C U L T C O M M I T T E E O N C U LT U R E

A N D E D U C AT I O N

Although COM(2015)0365 was recently approved to strengthen the EU’s approach towards regional development, much can be done to further improve regional protection tools. In light of the recent failure of support in Greece, what other steps should the EU pursuit to ensure adequate regional protection is in place?

R E G ICOMMITTEE ON REGIONAL

DEVELOPMENT

Battle for employment: The social and economic costs of youth unemployment are threatening long-term damage to Member States. With over 20% of under-25 Europeans being unemployed, how should the EU address youth unemployment whilst avoiding pushing the problem to other age groups?

E M P L COMMITTEE ON EMPLOYMENT

AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS

GMOs: bearing the risks and reaping the benefits. What position should the EU take considering GMOs’ capacity to boost production and efficiency worldwide, without disconsidering current issues with intellectual property rights and uncertainty in terms of the health and environmental impact of their application?

A G R ICOMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE

AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT

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Since 2012, the EU and the United States have been negotiating the creation of the largest free trade zone in the world under the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. With large scale opposition and protests in Member States, how should the EU stand in the debate between consumer protection, transparency and the advantages of a liberalisation of trade between the world’s two biggest trading blocks?

I N T AC O M M I T T E E O N

I N T E R N A T I O N A L T R A D E

The shared economy and anti-competition laws: innovative shared economy applications, such as Uber and AirBnB, have been met with great resistance throughout Europe. Although potentially beneficial to consumers, they are incompatible with current legislation, disruptive to the labour market, and a threat to government-protected industries.What should the EU’s role be in regulating this new economy?

I M C OCOMMITTEE ON INTERNAL MARKETS AND CONSUMER

PROTECTION

The increasing number of refugees coming from the Mediterranean and war zones such as Syria have raised issues of solidarity between Member States. What role should the EU play in upholding the Geneva accords by offering shelter to asylum seekers and war refugees alike, whilst safeguarding its borders and homeland security?

D R O IC O M M I T T E E O N H U M A N

R I G H T S

Unmanned revolution: with the development of new technologies, Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems will soon flood the market. How should the EU regulate the civilian use of drones to account for privacy risks without undermining its potential?

T R A NCOMMITTEE ON TRANSPORT

AND TOURISM

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becoming greater in quantity, size, extent or intensity. having or showing life.

becoming greater in quantity, size, extent or intensity. having or showing life.

growing.

“We really need a rethinking of education and a redesigning of our system, so it prepares our children for the future with the skills that are needed for today and tomorrow.”

- KYLLONEN, Marjo, Helsinki’s Education Manager

Finland revolutionising its Educational System, teaching by topic rather than subject is just the last example of the different approaches to Education in Europe. Building on the Education & Training 2020 framework, what should the EU’s role be in supporting its Member States’ educational reforms?

Chaired by: ALICE MUNNELLY (IE)

CULT COMMITTEE ON CULTURE AND EDUCATION

• Education and Training 2020 Framework (ET 2020): ET 2020 is the strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training. It provides common strategic objectives for Member States, including a set of principles for achieving these objectives, as well as common working methods with priority areas for each periodic work cycle. The framework takes into consideration the whole spectrum of education and training systems from a lifelong learning perspective, covering all levels and contexts (including non-formal and informal learning).

• Open Method of Communication (OMC): OMC is an instrument for cooperation between Member States in the policy areas where the scope for EU legislation is limited. The policy areas fall within the national competence. EU holds a role of coordination, shared or supporting competence.

• Copenhagen Process: aims to improve the performance, quality and attractiveness of vocational education and training (VET) through enhanced cooperation at European level. The process is based on mutually agreed priorities that are reviewed periodically.

• Bologna Process: A collective effort of public authorities, universities, teachers, and students, together with stakeholder associations, employers, quality assurance agencies, international organisations, and institutions, including the European Commission tasked with creating a more comparable, compatible and coherent system for European higher education.

• Erasmus+: it succeeds the Lifelong Learning Programme in the role of funding European exchanges of learners and teachers in all age groups, as well as cooperation among European educational institutions until 2020.

• Knowledge Triangle: Linking ‘Education, Research and Innovation’ is considered key to contributing to jobs and growth.

• Knowledge Economy: A system of consumption and production that is based on intellectual capital, rather than one which is agriculture or manufacturing based.

• European Structural and Investment Funds: provide EU Member States with financial assistance to deliver the EU2020 strategy of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, increasing economic activity and employment across the EU.

Key Terms

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Topic RelevanceIn the wake of an unprecedented economic crisis, the EU set up Europe 2020,1 a strategy for restoring job creation and achieving sustainable growth. This strategy identified education as a driving force for growth, enabling EU citizens to participate in the knowledge economy. As a response to the urgent need to modernise education and training systems, the Education and Training 2020 framework was established by Council of the EU conclusions of May 12th 20092 and builds on the Education and Training 2010 framework. Underpinned by the lifelong learning concept, the strategy covers learning in all contexts – whether formal, non-formal3 or informal – and at all levels.

Europe 2020 has increased the visibility and importance of European cooperation in education and training by means of the OMC. Given that the responsibility for education and training systems lies with the Member States, the EU’s role in supporting and supplementing efforts to improve and modernise their education systems relies on working groups composed of experts nominated by Member States and other key stakeholders. As such, the EU works with Member State authorities in identifying issues, providing evidence of what works and what doesn’t, setting joint targets and mutual learning. Progress is monitored with the help of indicators4 and against a set of benchmarks, designed to contribute to evidence-based policy making and identifying challenges.

Major goals are to reduce the percentage of school drop-outs to below 10 per cent and to increase the

percentage of 30-34 year olds with a tertiary or equivalent educational attainment to at least 40 per cent by 2020. A stocktaking exercise done in 2014 by the European Commission and EU Member States to assess progress revealed that early school leaving now stands at 11.1%5 and 19 Member States have reached the Europe 2020 headline target,6 but there are still more than 5 million early school leavers, with high unemployment rate (41%).7 Higher education attainment continues to improve and is now 37.9%.8 16 Member States have met the Europe 2020 headline target, but employability of graduates remains a severe problem in countries most affected by the crisis. Drawing on these conclusions, the European Commission has proposed six new priorities for 2016-2020.

Member States: As per Article 6 e) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, the EU only has a competence to support , coordinate or supplement actions of the member states in regards to education, meaning that Member States are the main decision makers in this matter.

The EU:

• European Commission: The Directorate General (DG) for Education and Culture (EAC) is the executive branch of the EU responsible for policy on education, culture, youth, languages, and sport. The EAC also supports these issues through a variety of projects and programmes, notably Creative Europe and Erasmus+. It is

1 http://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/index_en.htm

2 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2009:119:0002:0010:en:PDF

3 http://pjp-eu.coe.int/en/web/youth-partnership/non-formal-learning

4 https://crell.jrc.ec.europa.eu/ET2020Indicators/5 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM:2015:408:FIN6 Ibid7 Ibid8 Ibid

led by a Commissioner, Tibor Navracsics, and a Director General, Xavier Prats Monné, who report to the European Parliament.

• Council of the EU: The Council configuration responsible is that of Education, Youth, Culture and Sport.

• European Parliament: The Committee responsible for this topic is the Committee on Culture and Education (CULT). The Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) can also be called to give an opinion due to the overarching links between education and employment, especially concerning vocational training.

Stakeholders

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European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop): a decentralised EU agency that supports development of European VET policies and contributes to their implementation.

Eurydice: a network that supports and facilitates European cooperation in the field of lifelong learning by providing information on education systems and policies in 37 countries and by producing studies on issues common to European education systems.

Joint Research Centre – CRELL Lifelong Learning Programme: supports the EAC in building a comprehensive and coherent quantitative monitoring framework. This framework aims to guide policy-makers and steer Member States towards increased effectiveness, efficiency and equity in their education and training systems.

European Civil Society Platform on Lifelong Learning (EUCIS-LLL): an umbrella association that gathers 36 European organisations active in the field of education and training, coming from all EU Member States and beyond.

Main Confl ictsMobility of persons in the EU is central to providing for knowledge sharing and efficiency, principles on which European Education and Training 2020 is based. However, limitations to mobility arise in the form of incomparability between qualifications. How can the EU ensure that both the content of, and certification from, the different education systems are comparable across the EU given that it is not entitled to harmonise the laws and regulations of its Member States in the field of education? EU initiative in this field, with particular regard to language policy, may risk further infringing upon national identities in a time when many claim that the EU has adopted English as its ‘lingua franca’.

Member State autonomy in deciding the fees for education programmes may also pose a barrier to mobility. EU initiatives such as Erasmus+ aim to overcome these conflicts. Nonetheless, their success is to be considered given that most Erasmus+ programmes comprise of one year abroad, rather than the completion of one’s degree in a host Member State.

One key challenge for the European Education and Training 2020 initiative is to tackle the number of low-achieving European students in mathematics.9 Combined with the prevailing trend amongst university students toward oversubscribed professions such as law, this lag in math ability has caused a mismatch in jobs and skills. Furthermore, without competent individuals in the areas of math and science, Europe cannot participate in the technological advancement of the knowledge economy to the extent that is necessary for sustainable growth.

Legislative BackgroundDespite individual Member State responsibility for Education & Training, a large emphasis has been placed on cooperation and mutual learning at EU level since the Copenhagen Process launched in 2002,10 especially with regard to vocational training.11 In 2006, Mobility has been at the forefront of recent decisionmaking in terms of education, evidenced by the development of a European Qualifications Framework12 and the merging of transnational partnership schemes under the umbrella, Erasmus+. Additionally, since 2013, Erasmus+ now extends to sport13 with reference to sport’s ability to foster social inclusion. In 2009, the Council of the EU decided to build upon the Education & Training 201014 programme with Education and Training 2020,15 in order to enable the European

9 http://ec.europa.eu/education/policy/strategic-framework/archive/documents/

wg-mst-final-report_en.pdf

10 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=URISERV:ef0018

11 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=URISERV:ef0023

12 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:c11104

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Commission, together with the Member States, to examine how the coherent framework of indicators and benchmarks based on the ET 2010 work programme could be harmonised. In their efforts to achieve the standards set out in ET 2020, Member States receive guidance in niche areas of education and training from European initiatives such as The European Institute of Innovation and Technology16 and the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency.17 Collaboration between Member States is also aided by networks such as Eurydice , which provides comparable information on European education systems and policies.

Key Quest ions• What purpose does mobility serve in improving

education?

• How can the standard of teaching be equalised across the EU?

• In which ways can the EU participate in the development of non-formal education programmes?

• How can the EU facilitate mutual learning between teachers, as well as students across the EU?

• How can the EU reduce the existence of a mismatch between skills and jobs in Europe?

• How can the EU reduce the rate of early school leavers?

ET 2020

• http://epthinktank.eu/2013/10/02/european-cooperation-in-vocational-education-and-training-europe-2020-strategy/

• http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=CELEX:52009XG0528(01)

• http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:ef0016

• h t t p : / / w w w. e v t a . n e t / w e b s i t e _ d o c s /presentation_ehess.pdf

• http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-e x p l a i n e d / i n d e x . p h p / E u r o p e _ 2 0 2 0 _indicators_-_education#Early_leaving_from_education_and_training_is_declining

• http://ec.europa.eu/education/pol icy/strategic-framework/index_en.htm

• http://pjp-eu.coe.int/documents/1017981/7110668/10_pdfsam_GettingThere_WEB.pdf/d8e5d38a-1f10-4613-98de-c7c01d133b1f

Statistics

• http://www.iiea.com/files/admin/Image/Infographics/eu2020infographics/EU2020-Infographic-EarlyLeaversfromEducationAndTraining.jpg

• http://www.iiea.com/files/admin/Image/Infographics/eu2020infographics/EU2020-Infographic-ThirdLevelAttainmentBrown.jpg

Erasmus+

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qJOl3tF8cs

• https://euobserver.com/news/124931

• http://eu2013.ie/media/eupresidency/content/imagegalleryitems/Erasmus_NEW-664x609.gif

Eurydice

• https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/fpfis/mwikis/eurydice/index.php/Publications

The Bologna Process

• http://ec.europa.eu/education/policy/higher-education/bologna-process_en.htm

Comment

• https://euobserver.com/education/120537

• https://euobserver.com/education/122336

Links for further research

13 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/

TXT/?qid=1442767768867&uri=URISERV:150102_1


TXT/?uri=uriserv:c11086


TXT/?uri=uriserv:ef0016


TXT/?qid=1442767768867&uri=URISERV:i23030


TXT/?qid=1442767768867&uri=URISERV:cu0004


TXT/?qid=1442767768867&uri=URISERV:c11061

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Although COM(2015)0365 was recently approved to strengthen the EU’s approach towards regional development, much can be done to further improve regional protection tools. In light of the recent failure of support in Greece, what other steps should the EU pursuit to ensure adequate regional protection is in place?

Chaired by: CAROLINA MACEDO DOS

SANTOS (PT)

REGI COMMITTEE ON REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Regional development: Reduction of regional disparities by supporting (employment and wealth-generating) economic activities in regions, as defined by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

European Structural & Investment Funds (ESIF):1 Instruments designed to strengthen the EU’s economical, social and territorial cohesion, including:

• European Regional Development Fund (ERDF): Corrects imbalances between its regions;

• European Social Fund (ESF): focuses on investing in human capital in the European Union (EU);

• Cohesion Fund (CF): Helps the Member

States whose Gross National Income per inhabitant is less than 90% of the EU average;

• European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD): Fosters the development of EU’s rural areas;

• European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF): Funds the EU’s maritime and fisheries policies.

Multilevel governance: Engagement of a multiplicity of actors, of different levels of proximity to the issue at the decision making, in the decision making.

Europe 2020:2 Ten year strategy, linked to the ESIF, aiming at promoting a smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.

Key Terms

1 http://ec.europa.eu/contracts_grants/funds_en.htm

2 http://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/index_en.htm

3 http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2015/565873/EPRS_BRI(2015)565873_EN.pdf

4 http://epthinktank.eu/2015/08/05/how-the-eu-budget-is-spent-the-european-structural-and-investment-funds/esi_funds_allocation_ms/

Topic RelevanceThe prosperity of the EU depends upon fulfilling the full potential of all regions, making it important to support each region enhance growth and social cohesion. As a matter of fact, the EU has adopted some measures such as the ESIF that aim at achieving a harmonious growth, targeting, in line with the Europe 2020 strategy, the reduction of the disparities between EU regions.

In the period between 2014 and 2020, 453 180.6 million EUR3 distributed by EU Member States4 will have been invested in regional development. This means, 41.86% of the Multiannual Financial Framework, plan that

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defines what the EU must spend in various areas.

There is also extensive legislation and guidelines in place, such as the Common Provision Regulation (CPR). The management of ESIF has also been subject of studies and exhaustive monitoring mechanisms by both the EU and the National Governments, and the EU is now aiming to embrace strategies that will boost the competitiveness of less favourable regions.

In spite of all the focus on this matter, the disparities between countries persist, the implementation of the programmes seems to be ineffective, the funds are not achieving their purpose and the common dream of developing a balanced EU is still at a setback.

StakeholdersEuropean Commission (EC):5 composed by 28 Commissioners, one per Member State, the European Commission is the executive body and is responsible for proposing new laws and enforcing the existent ones, managing the policies and representing the EU.

European Parliament (EP):6 composed of 751 directly elected members, the EP shares the legislative competence with the Council of the EU, and sets its role in three main priorities: legislate, supervise other EU bodies and approve the EU Budget.

Council of the European Union (Council of the EU):7 joins together Member States’ ministers according to the policy area to be discussed. Shares the legislative and budgetary powers with the EP and coordinate the countries’ plans of action.

European Council:8 bringing together the Member States’ Heads of Government, the President of the

European Commission and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs & Security Policy, the European Council does not have legislative powers. However the European Council has political influence, and is the one responsible for setting the EU’s agenda.

Committee of the Regions (CoR):9 is an advisory body of the EU that represents the regional and local governments.

European Economic and Social Committee (EESC):10 representing the interests of workers, the EESC is another body with an advisory role.

European Court of Auditors (ECA):11 the EU’s independent auditor, controls the management of EU finances.

Regional Governments: authorities responsible for the management of regions inside the MS, accordingly to the subsidiarity principle.

Main Confl icts

Ensuring the harmonious development of the EU and its various regions was a goal set by the Member States in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,12 a path that has been pursued for several years. Recognising the importance of strengthening the EU economies, mechanisms were created to achieve this goal.

These mechanisms were subject of extensive regulation and its implementation must follow exhaustive procedures13 involving EU bodies (namely, the European Parliament, the European Commission and the Committee of the Regions), National and Regional Governments and also

5 http://europa.eu/about-eu/institutions-bodies/european-commission/index_en.htm

6 http://europa.eu/about-eu/institutions-bodies/european-parliament/index_en.htm

7 http://europa.eu/about-eu/institutions-bodies/council-eu/index_en.htm

8 http://europa.eu/about-eu/institutions-bodies/european-council/index_en.htm

9 http://europa.eu/about-eu/institutions-bodies/cor/index_en.htm

10 http://europa.eu/about-eu/institutions-bodies/eesc/index_en.htm

11 http://europa.eu/about-eu/institutions-bodies/court-auditors/index_en.htm

12 Cf. Preamble and Article 174.º TFEU

13 http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/policy/how/stages-step-by-step/

14 https://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01024837/document

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/etudes/join/2014/514004/IPOL-REGI_ET(2014)514004_EN.pdf

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2015/563382/IPOL_STU(2015)563382_EN.pdf



15http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2015/565873/EPRS_BRI(2015)565873_EN.pdf

local actors. Moreover, studies on the benefits and drawbacks of multilevel governance were made14.

Furthermore, between 2007 and 2013, 368 ERDF, CF and ESF programmes were implemented and it is expected that by the end of 2015 the totality of programmes of the 2014-2020 period will be adopted.15

15

On the other hand, since it deals with regions and the specificities of its problems, the coordination between the EU and Member States and the Regional Governments, Regional Development is yet to achieve its full potential. Some problems are still being overcome, namely its bureaucracy, the multiplicity of actors and overlapping competences. However the delay in the implementation of programmes, which put on hold the actions planned for most of the year of 201416 can be noticed greatly.

EU efforts are facing systematic failure in effectively developing all of the EU regions, deficiencies that the intensive monitoring failed to avoid. The inability to help Greece recover from its financial, economic and social crisis and the consequent amendment to the CPR - COM(2015)036517 - are proof of such failure.

Thus, it urges to find an efficient model capable of respecting the subsidiarity principle, tackling the different issues of each of the regions, targeting the right sectors, developing thoughtful strategies, implementing effective programmes and harmonising the parts of the different stakeholders in the investment in regional protection.

Legislative Background Even though, these are not the only diplomas18 regarding this subject, the core documents on Regional Development are the following ones.

The Common Provisions Regulation (CPR),19 laying

down the general rules of implementation of the ESIF programmes, that establishes thematic objectives under which the funds must be spent, methods to which the allocation must obey and a Common Strategic Framework. In spite of provisions being of a general character, some of the measures do not apply to all of the funds.20 This document was adopted on December 17th 2013 and repealed the Council Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006.

Nevertheless, the specific provisions applicable to the ERDF, the ESF, the CF and the EAFRD programmes are established on: the European Regional Development Fund Regulation,21 repealing Regulation (EC) No 1080/2006; the European Social Fund Regulation,22 repealing

Council Regulation (EC) No 1081/2006; the Cohesion Fund Regulation,23 repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005; and the Regulation on the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development,24 repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005. All of these diplomas were also published on December 17th 2013.

The EMFF was subject of specific legislation on May 15th 2014, with the Regulation (EU) No 508/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council.25

On July 17th 2015, an amendment to CPR, COM(2015)0365, concerning specific measures applicable to the funds used in Greece, was proposed, in order to improve the effectiveness of the programmes given the exceptional situation of this

16 http://epthinktank.eu/2015/07/17/revision-of-the-multiannual-financial-framework-article-19-mff-regulation-eu-legislation-in-progress/

17 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52015PC0365&from=EN

18 For all the work done by REGI between 2009 and 2014 check the Report of Activities of the Seventh Term (2009 – 2014) and for the legislative package for 2014-2020 take a look at this presentation document of the EU Cohesion Policy for 2014-2020.

19 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32013R1303&:PDF

20 Cfr REGULATION (EU) No 1303/2013, (9)


22 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/

EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32013R1304&:PDF 16

country. Adopted on September 2015, it increases the level of initial funding and the maximum of co-financing rates and raises the ceiling for payments at the end of the programming period.

Furthermore, the Treaty on the European Union26 and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union27 are of extreme relevance when it comes to any topic regarding the EU.

Key Quest ions• Has the implementation of ESIF been successful?

• What more can be done to avoid another failure from the EU in aiding countries such as Greece?

• What part should the EU, the National Governments and the regional and local actors take in the regional development?

• What is lacking in the Cohesion Policy so that regional disparities can be reduced?

23 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32013R1300&from=EN


25 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32014R0508&from=EN

26 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:12012M/TXT&from=EN

27 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:12012E/TXT&from=EN

Database

• European Commission’s site on Regional Policy: http://goo.gl/dNhJoU

• Committee on Regional Development section on European Parliament’s site: http://goo.gl/x39NYO

• European Parliament Research Service: http://goo.gl/XaQIF7

• European Union Law database: http://goo.gl/NJZ5nd

• Summaries of Programmes implemented in each Member State: http://goo.gl/MHo5dO

Studies and opinions

• European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation as an instrument for promotion and improvement of territorial cooperation in Europe (2015): http://goo.gl/xlCxxa

• Expert evaluation network on the performance of Cohesion policy 2007-2013 (2014): http://goo.gl/1LrwVV

• Political and other forms of corruption in the attribution of public procurement contracts and allocation of EU funds: extent of the phenomenon and overview of practices (2013): http://goo.gl/jAPNZ0

• Review of the adopted Partnership Agreements (2015): http://goo.gl/iFsuut

News articles

• EU regional funds: Cornwall, Transylvania and Sicily (2014): http://goo.gl/7yvbHT

• Local government must shout louder about EU opportunities (2014): http://goo.gl/NPm4Nc

• EU officials: European inequality can only be tackled with investment (2014): http://goo.gl/yN1Tyg

• EU commission proposes controversial short-term funding for Greece (2015): https://goo.gl/Rlzyvb

Videos and infographics

• How it works: European laws (2011): http://goo.gl/JfsNo6

• EU Cohesion Policy 2014 2020 - Investing in your Regions and Cities: https://goo.gl/gUHwom

• GDP per inhabitant in PPS: http://goo.gl/61EYQM

• Investment by institutional sectors: http://goo.gl/Pnj5Rk

• EU budget explained - expenditure and contribution by member state: http://goo.gl/hgMlVO

• A reformed Cohesion Policy for Europe: http://goo.gl/XsRzxt


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Battle for employment: The social and economic costs of youth unemployment are threatening long-term damage to Member States. With over 20% of under-25 Europeans being unemployed, how should the EU address youth unemployment whilst avoiding pushing the problem to other age groups?

EMPLCOMMITTEE ON EMPLOYMENT AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS

Unemployment: The situation in which an individual is in active search for employment but is unable to find work. It is often used as a measure of the health of the economy. The most frequently used measure of unemployment is the unemployment rate. This is the number of unemployed people divided by the number of people in the labour force.

Youth Unemployment Rate: The percentage of 15-24 year olds that are seeking to obtain a job but are unable to do so. It involves both social and economic costs and threaten stability in societies, resulting in a lost generation with a long-lasting negative impact on young people.

Labour Market: The market in which jobseekers find paying work, employers find willing workers, and wage rates are determined. Labour markets can be national or international in their scope, and are made up of smaller interacting labour markets for different qualifications, skills, and geographical locations.

NEET: The situation in which an individual is “not in employment, education nor training”. It affects more than one out of seven 16-24 year olds in England alone.1

Key Terms

Chaired by: MARÍA GRANERO (ES)

Topic RelevanceThe current European youth unemployment has increased since the global financial crisis started in 2008. Up until August 2015, 4.610 million people within the age frame of 16-24 in the EU found themselves unable to enter the labour market.2 Even though the proportion of pupils and students in tertiary education in the EU-28 rose by 1.5 percentage points to reach 21.7% between 2007 and 2012, many of the qualification gains do not match the needs of the labour market.3 This is known as a skills mismatch. The issue of relevance in education has been of particular concern across many countries and efforts are underway to reform curricula in order to provide students with the necessary skills for the job market.

1 http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/lms/young-people-not-in-education--employment-or-training--neets-/february-2014/statistical-bulletin.html

2 http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Unemployment_statistics

3 http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/School_enrolment_and_early_leavers_from_education_and_training#School_enrolment

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Early unemployment has an antagonistic impact not only on the future employability of youngsters but also on their self-regard, their role in society, and their high cost to the state. New graduates lacking experience tend to find themselves caught in an endless loop; they do not have the expected necessary experience to find a job, but they need a job to gain experience. Because of this catch 22, the youth take longer to find a job compared to their experienced counterparts, which leads to loss of skills and productivity, and harms their future work prospects.

From a state perspective, having a substantial share of the young workforce unemployed, does not just affect profitability and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) but additionally increases monetary expenses for the state: youth unemployment means more social benefit expenses and less income from taxes.

Issues such as the existing mismatch between formal education and the labour market, and the lack of protection of employment rights have shown the need to empower the younger generations into the labour market and rebuild an improved system. However, possible solutions such as promoting the hiring of those aged between 16-24 years old could imply pushing the problem towards others. How can we decrease youth unemployment without affecting other vulnerable age groups?

“Stakeholders can bring genuine added value to youth policies as they know and live the realities of the labour market. This civil society ‘reality-check’ is indispensable to shaping employment policies that work”

President of the LMO, Mrs. Christa Schweng, in a European Economic and Social Committee plenary

session, July 11th, 2014.

On an individual level we can find four main stakeholders: employers, employees, employment seekers, and tax payers. The importance of the role of employers in the labour market is irrefutable, as the issue of recruiting young people lies mainly on them. However, not only are they important for job provision, but also for the development of their workers employability skills while still in education4 Companies and businesses, also play a vital role in creating and maintaining job opportunities. On the other hand, it has been widely argued that youth unemployment is simply due to a lack of jobs. However, even though this may hold true in an extension of the EU territory, the overall number of jobs in the economy has been increasing since 2009 but young people have disproportionally missed out on these opportunities. Therefore, employees and job seekers can also be considered to be part of the youth unemployment process. Furthermore, according to a recent study by the UK’s Labour Party, long-term youth unemployment is costing taxpayers more than £180m (243M€) per year, in the UK alone.5 It is due to this that we can say that youth unemployment concerns us all and thus we must put all efforts to tackle it.

On a European level, however, we bargain particularly with the European Commission, and the European Parliament for European legislation. In particular, as legislation in this field depends mainly on national collaboration, the European Council of Social Affairs Ministers takes up an imperative part. Different agencies include the European Center for the Development of Vocational Training and the European Employment Observatory, which is responsible for equipping the youth with the necessary skills to match the needs of the market. Finally, the topic of youth unemployment is also dealt at a worldwide level by, for instance, the International Labour Organisation.

Main Confl ictsDuring recent years, Europe has had to face a variety of challenges and difficulties. The need for strong and innovative youth, ready to face the challenges presented to them, is therefore greater than ever before. When trying to come up with solutions to the issue of youth unemployment being pushed to other age groups it is important to consider a couple of clashes. Firstly, unemployment early in adulthood can lead to lower wages for decades after. But the individual or generational burden is not the only cost.

Above all else, the main conflict arises on the fact that promoting enterprises to employ youth could result in unemployment in other age groups. Instead, understanding the reasons for which youth unemployment is double that of other age

Stakeholders4 http://www.impetus-pef.org.uk/whats-the-role-for-employers-in-tackling-youth-unemployment/#.VgPuamTtmko

5 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/young-jobless-cost-taxpayers-over-180m-every-year-9955995.html

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groups is vital. With this knowledge we can target our specific audience and come up with solutions that can address them without having a knock-on effect on other social groups. Research suggests that the main reasons lie on the lack of relevant qualifications leading to a skills mismatch.6 However, how successfully the EU can deal with this problem is limited by the its competences.

When dealing with employment and social policy, the main stakeholders in hand are national governments, as the EU only acts through supporting and complementing their efforts. In order to ease the transition between education and employment, facilitate the search for work, provide protection and security in the workforce and make it easier for workers to move freely around Europe, the EU developed its employment and social

policy. The EU is also in charge of coordinating and monitoring national policies, making laws on workers’ rights, coordinating social security schemes, monitoring the correct implementation of laws and policies among many other functions. In short, their competence lies mainly in providing arrangements, within which Member States must coordinate their own policies.7

Moreover, it is important to take into account that youth unemployment is a burden to society. Not only does it put an economic strain in the state, which has to support those unemployed providing them with social benefits, but also to taxpayers, who finance the state’s support.

Furthermore, it is important to bare in mind that every country is different and thus requires different measures to be put into place. In order

to succeed in finding possible concrete solutions it is important to realise the complexity of implementing legally binding measures due to each Member State’s financial stability, demographic development, culture and education. In a nutshell, a one-size-fits-all solution is not the way forward when it comes to the labour market.

Lastly, unexperienced youngsters wanting to enter the labour market find themselves in disadvantage as, usually, one of the most important criteria for entering the labour market is to have previous experience in it. However, how can one have experience without having the chance to gain it first? And how can companies demand experience if they don’t provide first chances to new workers?

Legislative BackgroundA lot has been done on a European level to deal with youth unemployment, and perhaps even more by Member States individually. What the EU can do when it comes to youth unemployment is mostly focused on benchmarking.8 The EU has supportive competences with regards to training, education and employment, which means that it can only provide support, coordinate or supplement initiatives adapted by each Member State.

Keeping in mind the goal to tackle unemployment, the European Public Employment Services (PES)9 helps every Member State and analyses the labour market to match its needs. The PES 2020 system expects to decrease both unemployment and the impacts of being unemployed, for instance the reliance on unemployment benefits.

6 http://www.economicshelp.org/blog/517/economics/reasons-for-youth-unemployment/

7 http://ec.europa.eu/citizens-initiative/public/competences/faq?lg=en

8 Benchmarking is a measurement of the quality of an organization’s policies, products, programs, strategies, etc., and their comparison with standard measurements, or similar measurements of its peers.

9 http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1100&langId=en

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The European Commission is likewise handling youth unemployment. There are calls for further communication among Member States due to the lack of homogeneity in which each Member State is handling the issue. In Sweden, for example, unemployed adolescents who have been out of work for three months are offered particular measures to inspire employment.10

The Youth Guarantee11 also aims to assist Member States’ firms in recruiting young people, guaranteeing them as an investment for these firms. A study carried out by the EESC Labour Market Observatory examined the Youth Guarantee schemes in a variety of Member States including Greece, Croatia and Italy and reached the conclusion that, if implemented in partnership with social partners and youth organisations, they have significant potential to bring about structural reforms. For example, national education systems should be better aligned to the labour market needs in order to equip young people with the skills companies demand. The Youth Employment Package (YEP), under the Employment Package, concentrates on areas which have over 25% youth unemployment and are showing increasing amounts of social rejection and an absence of job opportunities. Similar measures, for example, the Youth Opportunities Initiative and EUSkills Panorama, attempt to handle the expanding quantities of low-skilled workers.

Another relevant measure put in place to support the implementation of Youth Guarantee schemes is the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI), one of the main EU financial resources. It typically supports

the provision of apprenticeships, traineeships, job placements and further education leading to a qualification, and is therefore helpful for NEETs.

Youth on the Move (part of Europe 2020 strategy) is a policy initiative that focuses on young people, especially on their education and employment. It was initially part of the Europe 2020 strategy, beginning in 2010, and its aim is to create a constant and smart increase in these areas of society. Moreover, Youth on the Move’s mission is to leave the current state of unemployment behind and reach the EU’s target of employing 75% of the population between the ages of 20 and 64.

Key Quest ions• Whose obligation is it to provide job opportunities?

• What are the causes for youth unemployment?

• To what extent have the European Union and its institutions tackled the problem of youth unemployment?

• Why are the measures already put in place not enough to improve the youth employment rate?

• How can we decrease youth unemployment without increasing unemployment in other age groups?

L inks for further research

Unemployment statistics:

• http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Unemployment_statistics

Youth unempoyment: A European challenge:

• h t t p s : / / w w w . y o u t u b e . c o m /watch?v=hlFEa0DUPxU

Youth unemployment? Europe’s shame:

• http://europarltv.europa.eu/en/player.aspx?pid=5bc300d7-0e1a-4286-8f33-a1e80131982e

Youth unemployment hits a new high as people locked out of workforce:

• h t t p : / / w w w. s m h . c o m . a u / n s w / y o u t h -unemployment-hits-a-new-high-as-people-locked-out-of-workforce-20150219-13jiax.html

Consequences of youth unemployment:

• http://www.bridgingeurope.net/consequences-of-high-youth-unemployment.html

Youth Employment Initiative Explained (video):

• http://www.vieuws.eu/citizens-consumers/eu-youth-employment-initiative-discussed-by-european-commission-spokeswoman/

10 http://www.lline.fi/en/article/policy/20134/a-nordic-perspective-on-youth-unemployment

11 http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/news-room/content/20130108STO05234/html/Youth-guarantee-getting-young-Europeans-back-to-work

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having life. realistic. active or thriving, vigorous, strong.

living.

GMOs: bearing the risks and reaping the benefits. What position should the EU take considering GMOs’ capacity to boost production and efficiency worldwide, without disconsidering current issues with intellectual property rights and uncertainty in terms of the health and environmental impact of their application?

AGRICOMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE

Genetically Modified Organism (GMO): A genetically modified organism, in which the genetic material has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally. It is the result of a laboratory process called genetic engineering, where genes from the Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) of one species are extracted and artificially forced into the genes of an unrelated plant or animal. The foreign genes may come from bacteria, viruses, insects or animals and change the genetic information and properties of the developed organism.

Intellectual property rights: Rights given to persons over the creations of their minds. They usually give the creator an exclusive right over the use of his/her creation for a certain period of time (e.g. patents, copyright, trademarks and design rights) and enables people to earn recognition or financial benefit from what they invent or create.

Rural development: The process of improving the quality of life and economic well-being on countrysides and relatively isolated populated areas.

Key Terms

Chaired by: TEREZA VOŽENÍLKOVÁ (CZ)

Topic RelevanceApart from the United States of America (USA) and most parts of Asia, the EU has held a GMO-free stance for a long period of time.1 This was as a result of public opinion being opposed to transgenic crops. However, this firm position has changed over the past several years. In 2011, the EU decided to allow low levels of unapproved genetically modified (GM) crops in animal feed.2 At the beginning of 2015, the European Parliament lifted the EU-wide ban and allowed the Member States’ national governments to impose their own restrictions on growing GM crops.

Today, GM crops and food can enter Europe as food, animal feed, or biofuels. GM food and feed must be approved by EU regulators and must be labelled. However, meat and dairy products produced

1 http://www.economist.com/news/europe/21639578-eu-lifts-its-ban-gm-crops-gently-modified

2 http://www.genewatch.org/sub-568547

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from animals fed on GM feed are not required to be labelled.

There are two ways GM crops can be harvested: either grown experimentally with approval from national regulators, or commercially if approved by the EU.3 There are only several sorts of GM crops allowed to be cultivated in the EU (e.g. different sorts of cotton, soybean or sugar beet). Eight types of GM crops are awaiting EU approval, but only one type of maize - corn - has been grown commercially for the use in animal feed. The largest producer of GM crops in Europe is Spain with 137,000 hectares (340,000 acres) of GM maize planted in 2013 (20% of Spain’s maize production). Smaller amounts were produced in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Portugal, Romania and Poland.4

StakeholdersThe European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)5 provides assessments regarding food safety and independent scientific advice on emerging and existing risks, in close collaboration with national authorities and its stakeholders. The EFSA proposes to the European Commission, which drafts proposals for granting or refusing authorisation. Each proposal is submitted to the Section on GM Food and Feed of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health. If accepted, it is either adopted by the European Commission or passed on to the Council of the EU. The Council has three months to reach a qualified majority for or against the proposal. If no majority is reached, the proposal is passed back to the European Commission, which then adopts the proposal.

GENET,6 founded in 1995, is a European network of non-governmental and non-profit organisations engaged in the critical debate of genetic engineering. GENET’s mission is to provide information on genetic engineering to its member organisations and the interested public. Furthermore, it supports the activities and campaigns of its 51 member organizations, present in 27 European countries.

Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO)7 is an EU agency which manages a system of plant variety rights covering the 28 Member States. By applying to CPVO, breeders receive a single intellectual property right valid throughout the EU. This office is financially independent from other EU institutions.

Main Confl ictsThe prolonged public disagreement on whether to use GMOs or not results from the following factors:

GM foods are often cited as environmentally friendly, reducing the use of pesticides and herbicides as well as reducing the manpower needed for successful cultivation.8 Supporters of genetic modification often say that the technology is simply an extension of traditional plant breeding.

However, a potential downside of the GM technology is that by removing a pest that harms the crop, you could be removing a food source for an animal. In other words, an organism in the ecosystem would be harmed, which would lead to a lower level of biodiversity. Moreover, since some GM crops have been proven toxic to some sorts of organisms in the environment,9 the usage could lead to reduced numbers or even extinction of that organism.

A strong argument in favour of GM food is that they can potentially produce higher crop yields, which can help to feed people in developing countries. It is also believed that crops can be engineered to withstand extreme weather fluctuations. This means that they can provide sufficient production and quality despite a poor weather season. Since consumers want to purchase food at a reasonable cost, it may be difficult for farmers to compete with larger companies, which benefit from economies of scale10 that allow them to make a profit despite the cost of bringing in GM goods to the market.11 No matter what the level of production is, the economic impact of GM foods

3 http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-15-4778_en.htm

4 http://www.ipsnews.net/2013/03/spain-leads-the-eu-in-gm-crops-but-no-one-knows-where-they-are/

5 http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/aboutefsa

6 http://www.genet-info.org

7 https://www.euroseeds.eu/community-plant-variety-rights

8 http://www.geneticallymodifiedfoods.co.uk/fact-sheet-pros-vs-cons.html

9 http://www.who.int/foodsafety/areas_work/food-technology/faq-genetically-modified-food/en/

10 Economies of scale: a term that refers to the reduction of per-unit costs through an increase in production volume

11 http://sitemaker.umich.edu/section002.groupv/small_farms_and_GMO’s

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will play a significant role in all aspects of bringing food to the market.

Based on genetic changes, GM foods benefit from improved food quality. They can be engineered to have a higher content of a specific nutrient in order to improve a diet of a local population group (e.g. golden rice with a high level of vitamin A),12 or to stay fresher for an extended period of time (e.g. tomato exposed longer in a supermarket).

On the other hand, one of the main problems with genetic engineering is the process of inserting genes into the DNA of a food plant from another organism. Since genes operate in a complex network not fully understood, it could disrupt the functioning of other genes. It could also create novel proteins that have never been in the food supply or toxins and allergens in foods causing allergic reactions. Furthermore, given that some GM foods are modified using genes from bacteria and viruses, there is a fear that we will see the emergence of new diseases.13

Legislative Background“The EU’s legislation and policy on GMOs14 is designed to prevent any adverse effects on the environment and the health and safety of humans and animals. It reflects concerns expressed by sceptical consumers, farmers, and environmentalists. GMOs food and feed imported into the EU pass a strict evaluation and safety assessments controlled by EFSA on an EU level.”15

- The Law Congress Library

The EU has established a legal framework16 to ensure that the development of modern biology, especially of GMOs, takes place in safe conditions. The legal framework aims to protect consumers by introducing a safety assessment of the highest possible standards at EU level before any GMOs are placed on the market. Furthermore, it aims to provide clear labelling of GMOs to enable consumers and professionals (e.g. food chains, farmers) to make an informed choice, and to ensure the traceability of GMOs on the market.

12The golden rice project http://www.goldenrice.org 13http://www.globalresearch.ca/ten-scientific-studies-proving-GMO’s-can-be-harmful-to-human-health/5377054

http://www.who.int/foodsafety/areas_work/food-technology/faq-genetically-modified-food/en/

http://www.geneticallymodifiedfoods.co.uk/fact-sheet-pros-vs-cons.html

14 http://www.loc.gov/law/help/restrictions-on-gmos/eu.php#Introduction 15Restrictions on Genetically Modified Organisms: European Union - http://www.loc.gov/law/help/restrictions-on-gmos/eu.php 16 http://ec.europa.eu/food/plant/gmo/new/legislation/index_en.htm

While marketing and importing of GMOs are regulated at EU level, the cultivation of GMOs is left to the Member States. The European Commission has established an EU authorised public GMO register,17 where all the GM food and feeds are covered. EU Members have the right to restrict or prohibit the sale or cultivation of approved GMOs18 based on the adverse effects on health and the environment. Moreover, a pending European Commission proposal will give the Member States more flexibility while imposing such regulations.

Key Quest ions• Does it pay off to invest into the research of

GMOs?

• Should the MS have the right to impose their own restrictions on growing GM crops?

• What is the difference in the cost of production GMO vs. non-GMO?

• Are GMOs increasing the price of food?

• Who profits from GM foods?

• Who is in the conductance of the scientific researches of GMOs?

17 http://ec.europa.eu/food/dyna/gm_register/index_en.cfm

18 GMO database in the EU: http://www.gmo-compass.org/eng/gmo/db/

Articles

• Why GM is the natural solution for future farming: http://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/jan/31/gm-farming-natural-solution

• GM food: We can no longer afford to ignore its advantages: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/oct/13/gm-food-crops-genetic-modification

• Is opposition to genetically modified food irrational? http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-32901834

• The Truth about Genetically Modified Food: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-truth-about-genetically-modified-food/

• Arguments for and Against Genetically Modified Organisms: http://animalrights.about .com/od/animalsusedforfood/a/Arguments-For-And-Against-Genetically-Modified-Organisms.htm

• Seeds of Doubt: An activist’s controversial crusade against genetically modified crops: http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/08/25/seeds-of-doubt

• Activists in Kenya Protest Against GMO Food Introduction: http://naturalsociety.com/activists-in-kenya-protest-against-gmo-food-introduction/#ixzz3oNO7Uu7c

Links for further researchVideos:

• How are GMOs created? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2G-yUuiqIZ0

• Myths and Truths about GMO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_ztZGbLEJ0

• Why are GMOs bad? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sH4bi60alZU

• GMO A Go Go - Truth about GMOs explained in new animated cartoon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3isx_-YvOw4

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Since 2012, the EU and the United States have been negotiating the creation of the largest free trade zone in the world under the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. With large scale opposition and protests in Member States, how should the EU stand in the debate between consumer protection, transparency and the advantages of a liberalisation of trade between the world’s two biggest trading blocks?

Chaired by: JOÃO BERNARDO

GONÇALVES (PT)

INTACOMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE

The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP): TTIP is a trade agreement to be negotiated between the European Union and the United States concerning the harmonisation of industry standards and the accessibility to both markets.

Free-Trade Area: A group of countries that have no price control in the form of tariffs between one another.1 Some examples of this term are the NAFTA,2 AFTA3 and the EU.

Trade Tariffs: An indirect tax levied on imported and exported goods.

Sovereignty: Is the ultimate overseer, or authority, in the decision-making process of the state and in the maintenance of order.4

Third-Countries: Countries that can be affected by this agreement either positively or negatively, due to an increase or decrease of trade, respectively, in these countries.

Key Terms

Topic RelevanceAccording to the European Commission Directorate-General for Trade (DG TRADE) the value of exports and imports of goods between the USA and the EU was more than 500 billion euros as of 2014.5 In addition to this, the combined GDP of these two blocks made up around 46% of the world GDP in 2014.6

Taking this and the huge market of more than 830 million inhabitants into account, the executive bodies of the two economies decided in mid-20137 to start the negotiations for the creation of the largest free-trade area of the world.

The agreement’s main purpose is to help people and businesses, large and small, by establishing rules to make it easier and fairer to trade and invest between the US and the EU; by cutting red tape that companies face when exporting and by opening up the US to the EU firms.8

1 http://www.investopedia.com/terms/f/free_trade_area.asp

2 North Atlantic Treaty Organization

3 ASEAN Free Trade Area

4 http://www.britannica.com/topic/sovereignty

5 http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2006/september/tradoc_122530.pdf

6 https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2015/01/weodata/index.aspx

7 http://www.bbc.com/news/business-21439945

8 http://ec.europa.eu/trade/policy/in-focus/ttip/about-ttip/

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When the negotiations started the general idea transmitted to the population of both economies was that the treaty would have a positive impact such as economic and employment growth, and that it would naturally boost trade between the USA and the EU. On March 2013, the Centre for Economic Policy Research projected that the agreement would result in a combined annual GDP growth of around 166 billion euros by 2027.9 Nevertheless, the agreement faced opposition among the environmentalist associations, the labour unions; and more recently around some political parties.10 The major concerns of the ones against TTIP are related with health, food safety, environment and financial security; yet the European public opinion is generally in favour of the TTIP, with 58% of Europeans in favour and 25% against in November of 2014.11

StakeholdersEuropean Commission: On behalf of the member states it has the power to negotiate and decide the agreement with the US.

The US Cabinet: Composed by the most senior appointed officers of the executive branch of the United States federal government. It has a power similar to the one of the Commission, as it is able to negotiate the points of the agreement. These two entities work together through 24 joint EU-US working groups, each one devoted to a different topic of the agreement.

Labour unions: Representing millions of workers, they oppose the agreement claiming that it will either have no effect or actually harm the European labour market;

Environment NGOs: These organisations are against the agreement, fearing it will bring the EU’s environment and food safety standards closer to those of the US,12 also fearing the uncontrolled flood of GMO products13 entering Europe.

National parliaments, parties and politicians: Their power comes from the necessity of some major legislations need to be approved by the member-states parliaments. They also “draw” their power from the ability to influence public opinion through their visibility on the media channels.

Companies: Big corporations can greatly influence decision-makers due to their lobbying efforts. They are also directly affected by the treaty as it would have either a positive or negative impact on their businesses. This is also enhanced by the existence of the Investor-State Dispute Settlement.14

Public opinion/Costumers: They are firstly influenced because, according to some projections, the agreement could allow for a raise in their disposable income and a possible general price reduction. Their influence also lies with the power to elect governments.

Main conf l ictsOne of the main conflicts concerning the topic is the economic effects the trade may have on a potentially global scale. On one side the European Commission and the government of the United States claim that the TTIP will have a positive effect on economic growth and job creation.15 On the other side, several organisations such as labour unions and environmental NGOs contradict these

projections. They affirm that the treaty will have a negative impact not only in the USA and the EU, but also in third-countries, on areas of employment, food safety and overall financial security.

Another main argument against the TTIP is the Investor-State Dispute Settlement. This instrument of international public law allows a company to sue a foreign government if its policies have a negative impact on their profits. President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, said that this instrument would be out of the agreement and that the Commission is creating a new system for resolving disputes between companies and states: the Investment Court System (ICS) which will replace the ISDS “in all ongoing and future EU investment negotiations”.16

9 http://www.ceps.eu/system/files/No%2093%20Appraisal%20of%20IA%20on%20TTIP.pdf

10 https://stop-ttip.org/supporting-organisations/

11 http://www.borderlex.eu/eurobarometer-whos-ttip-eu/

12 http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/what-is-ttip-and-six-reasons-why-the-answer-should-scare-you-9779688.html

13 http://www.who.int/topics/food_genetically_modified/en/

14 https://ustr.gov/about-us/policy-offices/press-office/fact-sheets/2015/march/investor-state-dispute-settlement-isds

15 http://ec.europa.eu/trade/policy/in-focus/ttip/

16 http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/press/index.cfm?id=1364

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Another problem concerning the topic is the transparency of the negotiations. While some legislation will have be approved by national parliaments, the agreement is being discussed privately on the supranational level, in Brussels and Washington D.C.. Thus, it is not being subject to any public scrutiny which can sooner or later lead some countries’ citizens to consider that TTIP is against their national interest, which could result in a halt in the negotiations.

The last concern is related to the financial regulation, as the differences between the rules that control the financial market are very different between the two economies. There is fear on both sides of the Atlantic that if the agreement goes ahead, too many concessions will have to be made by both parties. On the US there is the fear that they will have to revoke the Dodd-Frank Act17, and that this can lead to another crisis like the economic crash of 2008.

Legislative BackgroundReader’s guide for the negotiating texts; document explaining concisely the main procedures for the TTIP negotiations, defining the 3 pillars for TTIP, presenting the negotiating texts and providing updates: http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2015/january/tradoc_153034.pdf

Paper concerning financial regulation on TTIP, explaining which are the main goals of the EU over this topic: http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2014/january/tradoc_152101.pdf

The legislation in this topic is more related to the standards and rules already in place and how they can be harmonized with ones of the US, this document gives us a table that includes all the texts prepared by the Commission and shared with the European Parliament and the European Council since the start of the negotiations: http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2015/march/tradoc_153263.pdf

This reading guide sets out the main elements in the draft text on ICS in the TTIP. It comprises a short overview of the main reform proposals followed by a more detailed explanation, and the next steps in the process. http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-15-5652_en.htm

17 http://www.cftc.gov/lawregulation/doddfrankact/index.htm

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Key Quest ions• Should the EU sign the TTIP?

• How can the EU harmonise standards on food, environment, financial security, among others, in both sides of the Atlantic?

• How can the EU guarantee the democratic principles within the ICS?

• Can we assure this would have a good economic impact?

Article that presents the possibility of the TTIP becoming a new NATO, the article also notices the risk that the cooling of ardour on both sides can threat the deal:

• http://www.politico.eu/article/will-ttip-be-an-economic-nato/

A short video explaining TTIP in his all areas, from the standards to the difficulties that it will have to deal:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4J2InGns3Y

Statistics and documents of the trade between the EU and the US:

• http://ec.europa.eu/trade/policy/countries-and-regions/countries/united-states/

Article of Dr. Martin Myant on the criticism to the TTIP, like the inaccuracy of the projections and exaggerated benefits:

• http://www.atlantic-community.org/-/ttip-exaggerated-benefits-and-shaky-estimations

Article from the Wall Street Journal that explain what is and how will work the new Investment Court System:

• http://www.wsj.com/articles/eu-proposes-n e w - t r a n s - a t l a n t i c - c o u r t - f o r - t r a d e -disputes-1442404979

An article on the numerous initiatives against the agreement, from petitions to politicians:

• http://www.globalresearch.ca/transatlantic-trade-and-investment-partnership-tt ip-negotiations-fall-apart-following-mass-protest-in-the-eu/5479985

Article of the market research firm, YouGov, that presents data of the opinion-formers that voted on the biggest parties of the United Kingdom, on the support to the TTIP:

• https://yougov.co.uk/news/2015/08/24/opinion-formers-split-support-ttip/


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The shared economy and anti-competition laws: innovative shared economy applications, such as Uber and AirBnB, have been met with great resistance throughout Europe. Although potentially beneficial to consumers, they are incompatible with current legislation, disruptive to the labour market, and a threat to government-protected industries. What should the EU’s role be in regulating this new economy?

IMCOCOMMITTEE ON INTERNAL MARKET AND CONSUMER PROTECTION

Sharing economy: Also known as a collaborative consumption, it is a trending business concept that highlights the ability and/or preference for individuals to rent or borrow goods rather than buy and own them.

Peer-to-peer market/economy (C2C market):1 It is a decentralized business model in which two customers interact to buy or sell goods and services directly with each other, without the use of a company/business. For example, the average car is used for 2 hours per day, so shared economy companies allow car owners to rent out their car during the hours that they are least likely to use it.

Creative destruction: It occurs when something new replaces something older, e.g. Uber is

becoming more and more popular on the cost of the traditional taxi services. There is a positive side, increase in efficiency and consumer benefit, but also a negative aspect such as immediate unemployment and the need to re-training.

Anti-competitive practices: Practices that prevent or reduce the competition on the market (e.g. banning services such as Uber or Airbnb may be treated as such, as they constitute a natural competition for traditional services).

E-commerce (electronic commerce): Buying and selling goods and services over the electronic network (primarily, the internet). Often results in lower prices of offered products due to smaller expenses related to marketing and distribution.

Key Terms

Chaired by: JOANNA STACHERA (PL)

Topic RelevanceDuring recent years, rapid development of technology and the internet has enabled easier access to e-commerce services, boosting the ability of the shared economy (e.g in the UK alone the number of sharers raised to 23 million).2 However, lately, this shared economy where people rent out apartments, cars, boats and other assets directly from each other through the Internet, has received a lot of criticism. The process of creative destruction, which in this case is replacing the traditional services with sharing economy based ones, has met the opposition from various fronts.

1 http://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/ctoc.asp

2 http://www.fastcoexist.com/3027062/the-collaborative-economy-is-exploding-and-brands-that-ignore-it-are-out-of-luck

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Sharing economy services became increasingly popular, making companies working according to this model, such as Uber and Airbnb, flourish on the market. The phenomenon is challenging existing sectors, such as tourism and transportation, and has been met with a mixture of optimism and court cases.3 The recently growing popularity of sharing economy services, such as Uber, has aroused multiple concerns around the EU’s Member States; from taxi driver strikes4 to complete bans put on this application.5 Some people6 argue that it is needed to increase protection for both workers and consumers, but excessive interfering with freelancing could destroy its benefits.

There is a growing demand for services like ride sharing and short-term apartment rentals that is not easily met by traditional means, often due to the capital investment required. Platforms such as Uber have been successful because of lack of the need of such investments. The transportation company requires a massive fleet of vehicles and drivers, which could be prohibitively expensive if Uber had to supply all those cars or hire all those drivers full-time.

Most of the services are not problematic, however, due to the lack of any legal regulations there are several cases of abusing the freedom assured by the Sharing Economy. Airbnb host “EJ” may serve as an example here – she wrote a blog post describing how her apartment was ransacked after she rented it out for the week. “They smashed a hole through a locked closet door and found the passport, cash, credit card and grandmother’s jewellery I had hidden inside,” she wrote. “They took my camera, my iPod, an old laptop and my external backup drive filled with photos, journals … my entire life.”7

Stakeholders EU Commission: The institution responsible for initiating legislation in the European Union and with the power to regulate competition laws. Additionally, the EU Commission is responsible for the European Competition Network.

European Competition Network (ECN): The national competition authorities of every Member State together with the European Commission. They ensure that competition laws across Member States are implemented and provide all national competition authorities with the possibility to share experience, knowledge and best practices.

Member States: Bodies that implement policies on the national level; they also benefit from regulations related to the traditional economy services, such as taxes and taxi licenses and are therefore threatened by Sharing Economy companies.

Consumers: The public, who purchases goods and has the power to choose, which services they use or which goods they buy. The customer is the end goal of businesses, since it is the customer who pays for supply and creates demand (for services such as Uber or Airbnb). They are affected by any legislative decisions regarding Sharing Economy, as it directly affects the choice of goods or services they are able to use.

Companies using sharing economy models: companies that base on the concept that “what’s yours is mine once you pay for it”, or that people will lend things to each other in exchange for money. They work by pairing customers with the providers of the services/goods, depending on their needs and preferences.

Industries affected by sharing economy companies: companies heavily penalized in comparison to sharing economy services (e.g. Uber). Laws exist both nationally and from the EU level to regulate them and make sure they live up to standards of quality, health and safety.

Main Confl icts On the one hand, the Sharing Economy services are beneficial for customers as they offer similar services, and very often of comparable or even higher standard, at lower prices. However, as those services are fairly new, they lack legal regulations and in result function on a market in the form of grey areas (neither legal nor illegal). One of the main problems that arise at this stage is limited customer safety that goes along with those services’ quality. Sharing economy businesses are

3 http://accident-law.freeadvice.com/accident-law/accidents-in-the-news/who-pays-when-uber-or-lyft-driver-causes-accident.htm

4 http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/jun/11/taxi-drivers-strike-uber-london-live-updates

5 http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-33281896

6 http://www.forbes.com/sites/valleyvoices/2015/07/22/uber-benefits-the-new-safety-net-for-the-on-demand-economy/

7 http://ejroundtheworld.blogspot.com/2011_06_01_archive.html

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deploying an array of structures by which they can profit from the work performed by others without the cost, risk or aggravation of actually dealing with them. Instead of one intermediary between a company and the workers who make its product, there can be many.

However, this triggers a loss in quality control and working conditions. Periodically, big brands find themselves having to engage in damage control: as their workers experience exploitative environments. However, those flexible working hours may be seen also as an advantage – drivers can work when the demand for it is the highest only.

For instance, Uber’s success has met opposition by professionals offering similar services, who claim that Uber creates unfair competition by entering their market without following regulations, fare schedules or obtaining (sometimes expensive) licenses. This is possible as Uber technically does not offer jobs, therefore does not have to take care of its drivers’ legal protection. However, Uber (as well as other sharing economy companies) employs alternative safety measures, such as its own rating system (direct feedback mechanism), thanks to which future passengers will be able to decide if they want to use this particular driver’s services or not; e.g. if the score of a driver is lower than 4.6 (out of 5), he cannot drive anymore. The application also checks the driver’s car insurance and criminal records.

Moreover, Uber has faced criticism claiming that it aspires to become a monopoly, that its

cars or drivers are unsafe or underinsured, that it may invade customers’ privacy, that it enables discrimination by drivers and passengers, and that it is undermining working standards for taxi drivers and compensating its own drivers poorly.

Legislative Background The main problem concerning Sharing Economy services is the lack of legislative background regulating their functioning. As for now, the European Social and Economic Committee, one of the advisory

BUY

BUY

BUY

SHARING ECONOMY

Business Innovation Observatory Sharing EconomyContact: [email protected] Learn more about the Business Innovation Observatory and the latest business and industrial innovation trends in Europe:

http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/innovation/policy/business-innovation-observatory/index_en.htm

1 The sharing economy: a paradigm shi

2 Solution 3 Challenges

BEFOREYou buy = you own

Responds to consumer needs both quickly and easily... …by matchmaking

Increasing consumer confidence

Building a database of customers and suppliers

Distinguishing your P2P business

Reducing transaction costs

BUTFinancial constraints create moreincentives for lending or sharing

NOWYou buy = you own

BUT only for a limited amount of time

€50

€50

€50

€50

€50

€50

SHARE.COM

bodies of the European Commission introduced the European Sharing Economy Coalition8 that aims to mainstream, sustain, scale up and finance the sharing economy. Moreover, the European Commission’s Directorate General for Justice and Consumers during a European Economic and Social Committee event in July 2014,9 promised to launch studies on matters such as E-privacy, insurance, liability and consumer rights in the context of the sharing economy. The EU 2020 strategy proposes that “the consumption of goods and services should take place in accordance

8 http://www.euro-freelancers.eu/european-sharing-economy-coalition/

9 http://www.political-intelligence.com/eu-regulators-have-the-sharing-economy-in-their-sights/34

with smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and should also have an impact on job creation, productivity and economic, social and territorial cohesion”.10

The current EU competition policy already addresses issues of cartels and companies abusing their dominant position, however the laws are not enforced in a way they should in order to work effectively.

During the Seminar on ‘Information in the Digital Single Market’11 in June 2015, ‘it was recognized that the focus should not be on platform-specific legislation but rather on a better enforcement of existing rules (in the field of competition, consumer legislation and data protection)’. Platforms need to be more transparent and lastly, there should be further reflection as to how to inform people sufficiently and adequately.

Key Quest ions• How does the sharing economy influence the

economies of EU Member States in both the short and long term?

• How can the EU foster fair competition between companies based on sharing economy models and traditional ones, offering the same or similar services?

• In what ways can the EU continue to encourage innovative solutions for consumers without harming their quality and safety?

• When is the extent of an individual’s ‘sharing’ activity sufficient to treat said individual as a business?

A short video explaining the concept of sharing economy:

• h t t p s : / / w w w . y o u t u b e . c o m /watch?v=5y2P4z7DM88

A podcast on the topic of sharing economy, including interview with Nathan Blecharczyk, the co-founder and CTO of Airbnb:

• http://freakonomics.com/2014/09/04/regulate-this-a-new-freakonomics-radio-podcast/

Neelie Kroes’s view on sharing economy, addressing possible solutions for taxi drivers’ strikes:

• h t t p : / / e c . e u r o p a . e u / a r c h i v e s /commission_2010-2014/kroes/en/blog/my-view-todays-taxi-protests-and-what-it-means-sharing-economy.html

Accessibility based business models for Peer-to-Peer markets economy:

• http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/innovation/policy/business-innovation-observatory/f i les/case-studies/12-she-accessibility-based-business-models-for-peer-to-peer-markets_en.pdf

An extensive report on Uber’s impact on society:

• https://lawreview.uchicago.edu/page/social-costs-uber


10 http://www.slideshare.net/speed101/sharing-economy-developments-for-2014-in-europe

11 http://ec.europa.eu/justice/events/european-consumer-summit/2015/files/summary_dsm_consumer_summit_2015_en.pdf

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producing or transferring motion or action. capable of having movement.

moving.

The increasing number of refugees coming from the Mediterranean and war zones such as Syria have raised issues of solidarity between Member States. What role should the EU play in upholding the Geneva accords by offering shelter to asylum seekers and war refugees alike, whilst safeguarding its borders and homeland security?

DROICOMMITTEE ON HUMAN RIGHTS

Refugee: Person who has fled armed conflict or persecution and who is recognised as needing of international protection because it is too dangerous for him/her to return home.

Asylum seeker: Someone who is said to be a refugee, but whose claim has not yet been definitively evaluated.

Homeland security: The condition to ensure a homeland that is safe, secure, and resilient against terrorism and other hazards.

Geneva Agreements/Accords: The Geneva Convention of July 28th 1951 on the Status of Refugees set up treaties relating to the status of refugees, that have been signed by the majority of world states.1

Asylum shopping: The practice by asylum seekers of applying for asylum in several states or seeking to apply to one in particular after having transited other states.

Key Terms

Chaired by: CHRISTIAN PARATORE (IT)

Topic Relevance“When, generations from now, people read about this moment in Europe’s history books, let it read that we stood together in demonstrating compassion and opened our homes to those in need of our protection.” – President of EU Commission Jean-Claude Junker’s State of the Union speech to the European Parliament, 2015

Since January of 2015, the European Union has been put under unprecedented pressure by a surge of migrants escaping from the Middle East and Africa. In fact the number of migrants officially detected at EU borders until August 2015 was more than 350.0002 and it is constantly increasing every day. The current refugee crisis had multiple causes, such as Civil wars affecting countries bordering the EU for instance Libya,3 Somalia,4

1 Article 31.(1) reads: “The contracting States shall not impose penalties, on account of their illegal entry or presence, on refugees who, coming directly from a territory where their life or freedom was threatened in the sense of article 1, enter or are present in their territory without authorization, provided they present themselves without delay to the authorities and show good cause for their illegal entry or presence.”

2 http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-24583286

3 http://www.economist.com/news/briefing/21638123-four-year-descent-arab-spring-factional-chaos-it-should-come

4 http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/somalia.htm

5 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/south-sudans-civil-war-what-has-happened-in-the-worlds-youngest-nation-10473778.html

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and Sudan,5 the problematic presence of the Islamic State in several middle eastern countries, Iraq and Syria,6 endangering the life of millions of civilians who consequently flee towards the EU hoping to receive shelter. EU Member States in turn have to manage this refugee flow and face the potential for this to be both an increasing and permanent problem unless the humanitarian crisis is tackled on time.

Furthermore, a large group of EU Member States (Hungary, Austria and Slovakia, for example) are currently refusing to cooperate with the Member States which are more exposed to the influx of people. This results in dishonouring the Geneva Accords by temporarily re-establishing border controls. This group of Member States claim that they are worried about, among other aspects, the potential for ISIS jihadists to enter Europe,7 and thus, these States declare the right to safeguard their homeland security.

Nevertheless, the European Commission is working on concrete proposals to help relieve the current tension, as this historical moment is considered crucial for the future of the European Union given that it requests full joint action, as well as a great sense of duty and solidarity.

Stakeholders European Union: A Union of 28 European states, all of which are currently dealing with the problematic refugee flows. The EU has decision making power through the following:

• European Commission: The executive body of the European Union responsible for proposing legislation on areas over which it assumes exclusive competence, such as on rules governing the free movement of goods and persons.

• European Council: The strategic and crisis-solving body of EU, gathering the heads of state or government of the Member States, that provides the union with general political directions and priorities, besides acting as a collective presidency. It has the legal power to adopt operative measures in case of urgent issues affecting EU’s stability and safety.

• Frontex: EU agency which coordinates European border management and security.

• European Refugee Fund: An economic support to EU countries’ efforts in receiving refugees in guaranteeing access to consistent, fair and effective asylum procedures. The Fund also supports resettlement programmes and actions related to the integration.

UNCHR: The UN Refugee Agency is the main world organization committed to saving human lives and guaranteeing the fundamental rights of refugees.

Amnesty International: It is a non-governmental organisation focused on human rights which is particularly active on the current refugee crisis.

Refugees: Those who have fled devastating situations to more stable countries to ensure their security; the majority having applied for asylum in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, and Iraq. A small portion have also applied for asylum in the EU, many of whom desire to move to Northern European countries8 to join relatives currently living over there.

Local councils: these public authorities are the ones which have to house and help the new refugees by providing adequate structures and relief goods in any possible way.

Main Confl icts The increasing flows of asylum seekers to Europe has brought on a great debate within the EU on how we should respond to the greatest refugee crisis on our continent for 70 years.

In fact, countries such as Italy and Greece are struggling to adapt to the ever growing number of refugees since they are the closest EU Member States to the Syrian war zone and North Africa. These Member States in turn believe that other European Countries should help share a greater amount of the responsibility of aiding refugees.

On the other hand, the Dublin Regulation, which

6 http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-24179084

7 http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/555434/Islamic-State-ISIS-Smuggler-THOUSANDS-Extremists-into-Europe-Refugees

8 http://news.sky.com/story/1542266/migration-perilous-route-to-northern-europe

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states that any refugee who arrives on EU land must apply for asylum in the country where he or she first sets foot in, is being used by certain Member States such as Czech Republic and United Kingdom as a legitimation of their decision to not accommodate a larger share of refugees. These are the reasons why some argue that this system has never worked properly9 and is consequently damaging the Member States that are more exposed to asylum seekers’ arrivals.

Another problem concerning the topic is that certain EU countries such as Germany and the Netherlands applied the right to provisionally re-establish border controls due to a potential threat to homeland security in line with Schengen Agreement rules.

Last but not least, a worrying fact regarding the topic is related to the growth, in size and popular support, of right winged extremists and anti EU/anti-immigration parties in the recent years, as proved by the 2014 European Parliament elections in which they recorded an unprecedented electoral boom.10 This occurred due to, among other aspects, an ever rising number of citizens of the most exposed Member States deems EU institutions are not dealing with the asylum seekers flow in a proper way and aren’t providing any concrete concerted help in this humanitarian crisis.

1951 Geneva convention on the protection of refugees: The central part of the Geneva Accords. It is the key legal document in defining who is a refugee, their rights and the legal obligations of states as well as one of the basis of international law.

Common European Asylum System: Type of migration policy pursed by the countries of European Union formed along the lines of the 1951 Geneva Convention a half-century ago. It consists of directives and regulations developed and adopted over time. However it has not eliminated differences in the way Member States treat asylum seekers and refugees.11

Dublin Regulation: EU law stating that an asylum seeker has to apply for asylum in the first EU country they entered. It was structured with the intention to stop refugees from “asylum shopping” from one EU country to the next.

Schengen Information System:12 Large-scale information system supporting external border control and law enforcement cooperation in the Schengen States. It enables competent authorities, such as police and border guards, to enter and consult alerts on certain categories of wanted or missing persons and objects. Actually this system is in operation in 22 EU Member States and Four Associated Countries that are

Legis lat ive Background

9 http://www.migrationpolicy.org/research/not-adding-fading-promise-europes-dublin-system

10 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/eu/10855876/European-elections-2014-EU-citizens-vote-against-immigrants-austerity-and-establishment.html

11 http://www.ecre.org/refugees/refugees/refugees-in-the-eu.html

12 https://www.datatilsynet.no/English/The-Schengen-Information-System-SIS/

part of Schengen Area (Switzerland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland).

Council Decision (EU) 2015/1601: On September 22nd 2015, the Council of the European Union has approved, through qualified majority voting, the proposal to relocate 120.000 refugees from Italy, Greece, and other Member States directly affected by the refugee crisis following a quota system which will be developed by EU Commission and its agencies. This did not happen without issues since Hungary, Czech Republic, Romania and Slovakia voted against and the latter threatened to appeal to the European Court of Justice, aware of the fact that 1.000.000 asylum seekers are expected to come to Europe.13

Key Quest ions• Should Member States act together or

individually in response to the rise in refugees entering in the continent?

• Should EU institutions further support the more exposed Member States to manage the arrivals of asylum seekers? If yes, how? If not, why?

• What long-term measures should the EU and its Member States adopt in order to resolve the current humanitarian crisis and guarantee a swifter and more efficient management in future crises?

• Considering that ISIS recruiters and fighters could infiltrate Europe under the guise of asylum seekers, what should the European Union do in order to safeguard both its borders and homeland?

1951 Geneva Convention:

• h t t p : / / w w w . u n h c r . o r g / p r o t e c t /PROTECTION/3b66c2aa10.pdf

UN Agency for Refugees:

• http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49da0e466.html

Amnesty International article on what the EU can do:

• h t t p s : / / w w w. a m n e s t y. o rg / e n / l a te s t /campaigns/2015/09/what-can-europe-do-to-welcome-refugees/

International Organization for Migration:

• http://www.iom.int/

Common European Asylum System:

• http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/what-we-do/policies/asylum/index_en.htm

The Guardian page for updates on the refugee flows:

• http://www.theguardian.com/world/refugees

European Asylum Law Database:

http://www.asylumlawdatabase.eu/en

Article on one of the current tensions between Member States:

• http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/19/refugees-croatia-hungary-borders-europe

Videos

Understanding the Refugee Crisis in Europe, Syria, and around the World:

• h t t p s : / / w w w . y o u t u b e . c o m /watch?v=KVV6_1Sef9M

Positions of anti-migrant and pro-migrant standoff regarding the refugee crisis in Germany:

• h t t p s : / / w w w . y o u t u b e . c o m /watch?v=bglMTGqU728


13 http://www.oecd.org/migration/comprehensive-and-co-ordinated-international-response-needed-to-tackle-refugee-crisis.htm

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Unmanned revolution: with the development of new technologies, Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems will soon flood the market. How should the EU regulate the civilian use of drones to account for privacy risks without undermining its potential?

TRANCOMMITTEE ON TRANSPORT AND TOURISM

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs): A type of aircraft that operates without a human pilot on-board, also known as drone. Recent technologies have allowed for the development of different kinds: UAVs can be autonomous or remotely piloted, known as Remotely Piloted Vehicles (RPVs). If controlled by a Ground Control Station (GCS) they are known as Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and Remotely Piloted Aerial Systems (RPAS). Moreover, they can differ in terms of function or range and altitude.1

Personal Data: Defined by Regulation (EC) no. 45/2001 as “Any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person, referred to as data subject.”

Privacy: Defined as the ability of an individual to be in control of information about oneself.

Article 29 Data Protection Working Party: Set up under Directive 95/46/EC, is an independent party

that has advisory status concerning protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data.

Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs): Technological systems that protect privacy by eliminating or reducing personal data or by preventing unnecessary and undesired process of personal data – e.g. deleting recorded videos – without compromising the functionality of the information system.

Blocking: Refers to the freezing of data by the controller; personal data blocked can only be accessed by the controller or the data subject and can be used for purposes of proof.

Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV): Television system comprised of a camera or a set of cameras monitoring a specific area, primarily for surveillance and security purposes.

Key Terms

Chaired by: ANNA PETTERSON (IT)

Topic RelevanceRemotely Piloted Aircraft Systems, widely known as drones, are no longer a farfetched dream but rather a developing sector that is soon to become commonplace.2 Until recently, drones hit the headlines mostly when they were employed for military use. However, technology is once again expanding its horizons and drones are likely to soon ignite business spheres as well as becoming popular among private individuals.

1Please find a deepened explanation of the different types of drones on the Financial Times‘s article Great and Small: the many types of drones: http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/2eeba9b0-21d5-11e3-bb64-00144feab7de.html#axzz3mm6GQL19

2 Pinpoint Resource Group. The Future of the Tech Industry? Drone Jobs. Refrained from http://www.pinpoint.jobs/the-future-of-the-tech-industry-drone-jobs/42

Considering that a device can cost as little as 300€ and that the average weight is around 20 kilograms, it is easy to foresee how drones will gain momentum in different sectors in the near future. As a matter of fact, this growing industry is expected to reach 98 billion dollars in cumulative global spending over the next decade, of which 12% will be addressed to commercial purposes.3 The practical use of these remotely-controlled aircraft ranges from emergency and security services to agriculture, from media purposes to transport and delivery of goods, as well as many other potential functionalities that are to be developed and implemented.

As The Economist defines it, we are entering the “Drone Age”:4 a new way of thinking and a new way of acting for when it comes to beam down far-flung corners of the globe as those aircrafts are becoming more affordable, usable and features-driven. Evidence supports this: Italy, France and Germany have signed “Euro-drone” in May 2015, a new European project that aims at augmenting drones’ use.5 As well as the American Federal Aviation Administration has approved in August 2015 a thousand of commercial uses of unmanned aircraft.6

However, it has to be taken into account that the positive impacts of RPAS can be rendered null and void by negative implications — especially when the latter include risks for privacy, safety, security and data protection. Europe is working towards a thorough integration of drones, following the global pace, and showing willingness to regulate the use while fostering innovation. Especially in

the last year, drones got increasing attention both from commercial businesses and hobbyists, so a thought-through, avant-garde legislation is not only advisable but also necessary in order to let the Game of Drones begin.

StakeholdersRPAS’s use involves a wide range of private and public sectors and each party is influencing the use of drones in its own way, as a matter of fact, it is a multi-stakeholder process.

Businesses are in the front line both as providers and as users. For instance, DJI a Chinese technology firm, developed into a ten billion company through manufacture of drones for both commercial and recreational use.7 This can be implemented also on a smaller scale: in fact, small and medium enterprises can find growth and employment opportunities in this sector as well. On the other side, as users, we can find countless firms that benefit from drones in numerous ways: the well-known project from Amazon of a drone-delivery-system,8 as well as Google’s, is an example.9 Even Facebook is willing to make a creative use of drones: provide Internet access to remote areas.10 “Drone Journalism” is becoming true, which would enable to have media coverage of unreachable areas, such as those undergoing armed conflicts.11

Besides the commercial use, governments could take advantage of drones in large extent both through civil and military use, for security and safety purposes. Because of this, the European Commission plays an important role and has identified areas where it could develop a regulatory framework. It aims to

increase safety, foster technologies and enhance security, while protecting citizens’ fundamental rights of privacy and data protection. It follows that, in this context it is important to guarantee third party liability and insurance, support market development in order to promote the emergence of the European RPAS industry, as reported by the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE).12

3 Business Insider UK (2014). Report on the commercial use of drones as driver of the economy. Refrained from http://uk.businessinsider.com/the-commercial-drones-market-2014-10?r=US&IR=T

4 The Economist (2015). Insight on the “Drone Age”. Refrained from http://www.economist.com/news/science-and-technology/21666118-miniature-pilotless-aircraft-are-verge-becoming-commonplace-welcome

5 Euroactiv (2015). Italy, France and Germany sign a European drone project. Refrained from http://www.euractiv.com/sections/transport/italy-france-germany-sign-european-drone-project-314675

6 Federal Aviation Administration (2015). Commercial use of drones approved in US. Refrained from https://www.faa.gov/news/updates/?newsId=83395

7 Forbes (2015). Video on how DJI became a billionaire drone company. Refrained from http://www.forbes.com/video/4216253719001/

8 Amazon’s Prime Air project can be found at http://www.amazon.com/b?node=8037720011

9 Bloomberg Business (2015). Explanation of Google’s project for drones can be found at http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-24/google-has-way-to-unclog-drone-filled-skies-like-it-did-the-web

10 BBC (2015). Facebook builds drone for Internet access. Refrained from http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-33728704

11 Examples of effective “Drone Journalism” can be found at this link: http://www.totallyunmanned.com/2014/05/02/top-5-examples-uav-use-media-industry/

12 In-depth analysis of Privacy and Data Protection implications of the civil use of drones (2015). Refrained from http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/IDAN/2015/519221/IPOL_IDA(2015)519221_EN.pdf

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Main Confl ictsThe way our data is collected, assessed and used has undergone a profound change because of technological innovation – we can easily think of social networks as an example. Especially, considered that RPAS are becoming more and more present and widespread, questions of legal frameworks and regulations arise. As many parties are involved, many conflicts of interests are posed from diverse factions included in the debate. Drones’ participation is increasing, and so are potential privacy violations. Obviously enough, enthusiasts aim for less control, more freedom and a greater range for action; while privacy campaigners point towards tighter rules and enforceable laws.

The drone buzz poses the major concern whether existing regulations are protecting citizens’ privacy and data adequately. Moreover, the suitability of current laws can be questioned, as well as what can be done in the future. Note that RPAS are by themselves extremely advanced technology, representing a combination of advanced aviation and camera technologies. Regulations do not always follow the swift pace of technological development, therefore it is important to update and revise the on-going ones so that they adapt to the new devices. The risks for privacy and data protection that drones bring about are related to the fact that they normally carry video-cameras along. These can easily record and store images and videos, potentially violating privacy and interfering with citizens’ private life. Some suggest, in order to hamper this issue, to introduce measures that protect privacy by design method, automatically deleting images that infringe the law .13

13 Joint Research Center’s report on Civil drones in Society, refreined from http://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/bitstream/111111111/33061/1/civil%20drones%20in%20society%20-%20online%20copy.pdf

14 Financial Times (2015). Insight of drones’ presence in the UK: http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/c0c5a52e-3b7e-11e5-8613-07d16aad2152.html#axzz3mm6GQL19

15 Data Protection Directive 95/46/EC: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=URISERV:l14012

16 Riga Declaration (2015). Refrained from http://ec.europa.eu/transport/modes/air/news/doc/2015-03-06-drones/2015-03-06-riga-declaration-drones.pdf

Furthermore, it has to be highlighted that the mere entertaining, recreational activities that involve the use of an unmanned aircraft are not subject to any law whatsoever. An unregulated activity is, hence, a threat to privacy. In addition, even when rights are theoretically protected, they might not be enforced, since authorities are still quite tolerant, as reported by the Financial Times.14

Legislative BackgroundTransport as well as Privacy and Data Protection are subject to European Directives, although their interpretation and implementation is under the responsibility of each individual Member State. As such, the majority of rules for civil drones are, and will remain, under the jurisdiction of Member States. However, the European Commission has put forward several projects regarding RPAS development and legal aspects.

Firstly, it is important to bear in mind the EU Data Protection Directive,15 which protects rights and privacy of persons with respect to the processing, using or exchanging of personal data. This Directive applies also to data processed by automated means.

In March 2015, a conference about RPAS took place in Riga involving the main players of the sector in order to trace the guidelines for the legislative framework to be outlined, known as the Riga Declaration.16 The main outtake of the meeting is that drones need to be treated as new types of aircraft and EU rules should be developed accordingly and proportionally. In fact, technologies and standards have to adjust in order to fully integrate drones in the European airspace and, therefore,

public acceptance and protection are fundamental. Moreover, it has been appointed that the operator of a drone is entirely responsible for its use.

Furthermore, the European Commission launched RPAS Joint Investment Programme17 in November 2013 that is intended for Research & Development (R&D) projects for the development of RPAS and its integration. This programme includes projects such as: MIDair Collision Avoidance System; Demonstration of Satellites enabling the Insertion of RPAS in Europe; Enhanced RPAS Autonomy.

Key Quest ions• How can drones be safely integrated in our

daily lives?

• How can the EU regulations make sure to respect citizens’ will and desires?

• What pan-European measures can be adopted, taking into account EU power limitations in this particular field?

• What limits and boundaries should be set in the use of drones?

• How can the EU promote RPAS industry while safeguarding citizens’ privacy?

• Do privacy concerns outweigh benefits of drone technology?18

• Should drones be operated only by trained pilots?

• Are there certain airspaces that should be inaccessible by default?

• Should there be any restriction regarding the type of cameras and recording devices installed?

17 RPAS JIP. (2013) Refrained from http://www.eda.europa.eu/what-we-do/activities/activities-search/remotely-piloted-aircraft-systems---rpas

18 The Globe and Mail (2014). Video refrained from http://www.theglobeandmail.com/video/globe-now/video-globe-now-rise-of-the-drones-do-privacy-concerns-outweigh-the-benefits-of-this-growing-technology/article19505490

European Commission’s updated strategies and measures on RPAS:

• h t t p : / / e c . e u ro pa . e u / g row t h / s e c to r s /aeronautics/rpas/index_en.htm

Brochure “Flying New Way – RPAS – A Boost for European Creativity and Innovation”:

• http ://ec .europa.eu/growth/f l ipbook/r p a s / ? g o b a c k = . g d e _ 9 4 1 2 0 7 _member_238344699#/1/

How drones can provide job growth and industrial modernisation:

• http://fti-tmt.com/europe-looks-to-drones-for-job-growth-industrial-modernization/

A Roadmap for RPAS integration in European airspace:

• http://www.asd-europe.org/fileadmin/user_upload/Client_documents/ASD_Contents/2_COMMUNICATION/2.5_Publications/2.5.5_Speeches_and_Presentations/2.5.5.1_ASD_Convent ion_Technology_Forum_2013/Technology_Forum/Business/A_Roadmap_for_RPAS_Integration_in_European_Airspace_by_2016.pdf

Links for further researchWIRED (September 2015). UK government is working with NASA to track drones:

• h t t p : / / w w w . w i r e d . c o . u k / n e w s /archive/2015-09/16/nasa-and-uk-government-drone-control

NoFlyZone: a comprehensive airspace database that provide all the sensitive areas were drones should not fly above and where you can register your own propriety:

• https://www.noflyzone.org

Drones and Aerial Surveillance, Considerations for Legislators by Gregory McNeal (November 2014):

• h t t p : / / w w w. b r o o k i n g s . e d u / r e s e a r c h /r e p o r t s 2 / 2 0 1 4 / 1 1 / d r o n e s - a n d - a e r i a l -surveillance

An illustrated history of the drone:

• http://digg.com/video/an-illustrated-history-of-the-drone

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APPEJ - ASSOCIAÇÃO PORTUGUESA DO PARLAMENTO EUROPEU DOS JOVENS/EUROPEAN YOUTH PARLIAMENT PORTUGALE-mail address: [email protected]: www.pejportugal.com

BRAGA 2015 - 33 RD NATIONAL SELECTION CONFERENCE OF EYP PORTUGALEmail address: [email protected] Facebook page: www.facebook.com/Braga2015

Head-organisers

E-mail address: [email protected] (reaches both)Mobile numbers:Mafalda Rodrigues: (+351) 915 676 118Miguel Paiva: (+351) 912 702 185

Session President

Henrique Vieira MendesE-mail address: [email protected] number: (+351) 919 061 935

Contacts All general queries should be addressed to the Head-organisers of the session. Any more specific queries may be taken up with EYP Portugal. Matters of an academic nature will be dealt with by the Chairpersons, who will contact their Delegates directly.

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P A R T N E R SUnder the patronage of the Municipality of Braga, Instituto Português do Desporto e da Juventude, I. P., BPI and Triformis.

With the support of Escola Profissional de Braga, SYnergia, Hotel Residencial Centro Comercial da Avenida, and Fundação Bracara Augusta.

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Documents

Academic Preparation Kit - Braga 2015 - 33rd National Selection Conference of EYP Portugal