NSS 2014 - Academic Preparation Kit

5/21/2018 NSS 2014 - Academic Preparation Kit

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ACADEMIC PREPARATION KIT

for delegates

European Youth Parliament Romania

National Selection Session 2014

23rd-26thMay

Oradea, Bihor County


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INTRODUCTION TO THE ACADEMIC PREPARATION KIT

Dear delegates of the 2014 spring National Selection Session of EYP Romania,

It is my utmost pleasure, as session president, to welcome you all on board and congratulate you for reaching this stage! The countdown to

the session has begun and we, the chairs team, together with the organisers, are in a preparation frenzy that seeks its equal.

Though this will not be the first EYP experience for any of you and everyone has already had the chance to get familiar with the concept of a

session, the chairs team has put together a preparation kit or overview booklet, as we like to call it in order to assist and help you with your

academic preparation, as well as provide you with a bit of inspiration and a starting point for individual research. Keep in mind that you should not

feel in any way limited by the information in this booklet your chairs are counting on you to further research and find interesting information, in

order to enhance the quality of the debates and the credibility of your Resolution. Besides this, we kindly encourage you to read through all of the

topic overviews, so as to have a clear image on what will be discussed by other committees during the session, and debated by all participants during

the General Assembly the more involved all committees are in the discussions, the more challenging, dynamic and interesting the debates are.

The topic overviews are written by the committee chairpersons and serve as background material. They aim to identify the key issues at

stake, while synthesising the topic area. They are written with the intention of providing stimulating, yet neutral, objective introductions

keep in mind that they do not reflect the personal opinion of the chairperson, nor the general opinion of the European Youth Parliament

towards the issue. At the end of each overview, we have attached a few items which are aimed at making the transition between the

introduction provided to you by the chairperson and your individual research on the topic: key words for when you search information

through different types of search engines, news websites or encyclopaedias; relevant questions food for the thought; a non-exhaustive list of

useful links.

With all these in mind, you are now free to enjoy the rest of the booklet. Should you have any questions, inquiries, remarks or suggestions

regarding the preparation, feel free to contact me or your committee chairperson anytime; for organisational issues, our beloved head-

organiser, Alexandra Popa, is available for you.

Good luck with your preparation and see you soon!

Oana Cotoar, President of the 2014 spring National Selection Session


3/13

IMCO

ECON

FEMM

ENVI

AFET

COMMITTEE TOPICS

While 3D printing is growing fast in popularity, this new technology also raises the governments' concerns about

the trade taxes and sales taxes. Bearing in mind the 3D printed handguns case in Japan, what strategy should the EU

adopt in order to assure product safety and consumer protection, whilst preventing trademark infringement and

any security issues that may come along?

Only if and when the situation is improving on the ground, in the real economy, especially on

the labour markets, can we say that the crisis is over. Werner Hoyer, President of the European Investment Bank

Europe's economy might be showing signs of improvement, but many Romanian citizens have yet to feel the benefits

as both unemployment and the cost of living remain high. How can the EU aid the Romanian government in boosting

its economy and standard of living?

Almost half of European women has experienced violence at one point. Antonyia Parvanova, Member of the

Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE)

Violence touches the lives of 1 out of 3 women in Romania and half of all women in Europe. Not only does this

damage people and their families, but it also has a significant economic cost of 228billion a year in Europe. How

can the EU support its Member States in coming up with a strategy and a legislative act on preventing violence

against women?

42% of the LGBT patients are not open with their healthcare professionals about their sexual orientation, 18% of

the Romani population have experienced discrimination and 75% of the mentally ill remain without treatment.

While the right to healthcare is recognised as a fundamental right by many international and Europeaninstruments, discrimination cases are frequent all over the continent. What measures should the Eurpean Union

take in order to tackle the aforementioned situation?

Given the recent implication of the US navy in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which brought Turkey's

attention to a potential violation of the Montreux Convention, what should Romania's position be towards tackling

this issue, considering its territorial position, energetic dependency on Russia and its membership in both EU and

NATO?
http://www.alde.eu/http://www.alde.eu/


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I. IMCO Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection

While 3D printing is growing fast in popularity, this new technology also raises the governments' concerns about the trade taxes

and sales taxes. Bearing in mind the 3D printed handguns case in Japan, what strategy should the EU adopt in order to assure

product safety and consumer protection, whilst preventing trademark infringement and any security issues that may come along?

3D printing is a process of making a

three-dimensional solid object of virtually any

shape from a digital model. Although 3D

printing is not a new concept, being in use since

the 1980s, it was not until recently that it

became widely commercialized. Nowadays, the

term of 3D printing comprises not only its

industrial part, also known as additive

manufacturing, but also the world of hobbyst

3D printing which was developed grace to

commercial distributors that made it accessible

to the public.

Some claim that 3D printing has the

potential to enhance lives in many ways and recall several advantages

and benefits of this process, such as: it increases and encourages

innovation; complete 3D models can be manufactured including those

with hollow parts that could not possibly be made by hand in one piece,

even by the most skilled engineer or craftsperson; it reduces the costsand time of manufacturing; it cuts traditional prototyping and tooling

costs and helps identify design errors earlier and reduce travel costs to

and from production facilities; it increases product availability, while

decreasing the amount of waste. Also, the process is widely applicable

in a great variety of fields, from art, architecture and construction, to

space exploration, fire arms and even medicine.

On the other hand, others argue that the dangers and challenges

3D printing poses with the current legislation outbalance the benefits

and the process should either be banned, or significant regulation

changes should be made in order to ensure a safe and profitable use.

Governments are concerned about the potential implications of

the process being implemented, as this could lead to the disruption of

traditional manufacturing processes. In what trade is concerned, the

rates of import and export duties of every developed country would

drop, affecting the economy worldwide. Apart from this, the wide use of

the 3D printing process would significantly impact the labour force and

labour market, as it is based on technology rather than on human force.

Intellectual property law and brand protection are also incident in the

matter, especially in the branch of hobbyst or home 3D printing, where

common people could easily design and print items for their personal

use, instead of purchasing them. In addition, there is the danger of

people designing and printing items which otherwise they would not be

entitled to purchase and/or posses (see the case of printed handguns in

Japan), which calls for an adjustment in the

way these categories of products are

currently regulated.In what consumer protection is

concerned, generally, when a defective

product causes damage to a consumer, he

has the right to sue the manufacturer for

injuries. Under current law, product

liability applies to commercial sellers, as it

is stated in Product Liability Directive

Oana Cotoar

President

Alexandru Paata

Chair erson


5/13

85/374/EEC. If the product is home-printed, the strict liability law will become difficult to apply, as the injured has to demonstrate who was

careless : the manufacturer, the distributor or the seller of the good (in this case, the designer of the 3D model, the provider of

the raw materials or the person using the printer).

As the topic is gaining more and more popularity, it becomes clear that it is high time the European Union, in cooperation with its Member

States, took a stance and adopted legislation in this matter specifically. But the questions stand what direction should they adopt? What changes

in the current legislation should be made? What should each actors contribution be and how far should the European Union involve into the

national position of the Member States?

Key words:

3D printing, product liability, consumer safety, brand protection, intellectual property rights, collection of trade and sales taxes, illegal products.

Relevant questions:

What is 3D printing and how does it work? What are its advantages and disadvantages?

What is the current relevant legislation in the matter? What challenges and threats does 3D printing pose to current laws? Take into

consideration: criminal law, consumer law, tax law, intellectual property law, trade law.

What choices of regulation are there and which of them would be the most appropriate in todays social and economic context? In otherwords, should there be regulation focusing on 3D printing expressly? Should the regulation ban the process completely, fully permit it, or

should a middle solution be found? What implications would a possible regulation have on society in general, and especially on economy?

To what extent should there be a unified European approach to the issue and how much freedom of choice in national legislation should

Member States have?

What actors (institutions, bodies and agencies of both the European Union and Members States, as well as external actors) should and could

be involved in dealing with the issue?

Useful links:

Essay:3D Printing and product liability: Identifying the obstacles

Council Directive concerning the liability for defective productsEuropean Comission General Product Safety Directive

Article:What is 3D printing?

Article:How does 3D printing work?

Article:Benefits of 3D printing

Article:Advantages of 3D printing

Article:3D printing will change the world

News articles on 3D printing:The Guardian
http://www.pennlawreview.com/online/162-U-Pa-L-Rev-Online-35.pdfhttp://www.pennlawreview.com/online/162-U-Pa-L-Rev-Online-35.pdfhttp://www.pennlawreview.com/online/162-U-Pa-L-Rev-Online-35.pdfhttp://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CONSLEG:1985L0374:19990604:EN:PDFhttp://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CONSLEG:1985L0374:19990604:EN:PDFhttp://ec.europa.eu/consumers/archive/safety/prod_legis/index_en.htmhttp://ec.europa.eu/consumers/archive/safety/prod_legis/index_en.htmhttp://www.3dprinter.net/reference/what-is-3d-printinghttp://www.3dprinter.net/reference/what-is-3d-printinghttp://www.3dprinter.net/reference/what-is-3d-printinghttp://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/how-exactly-does-3d-printing-work-1.1371800http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/how-exactly-does-3d-printing-work-1.1371800http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/how-exactly-does-3d-printing-work-1.1371800http://www.hhglobal.com/blog/6-benefits-of-3d-printinghttp://www.hhglobal.com/blog/6-benefits-of-3d-printinghttp://www.hhglobal.com/blog/6-benefits-of-3d-printinghttp://calipermedia.com/the-advantages-of-3d-printing/http://calipermedia.com/the-advantages-of-3d-printing/http://calipermedia.com/the-advantages-of-3d-printing/http://hbr.org/2013/03/3-d-printing-will-change-the-world/ar/1http://hbr.org/2013/03/3-d-printing-will-change-the-world/ar/1http://hbr.org/2013/03/3-d-printing-will-change-the-world/ar/1http://www.theguardian.com/technology/3d-printinghttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/3d-printinghttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/3d-printinghttp://www.theguardian.com/technology/3d-printinghttp://hbr.org/2013/03/3-d-printing-will-change-the-world/ar/1http://calipermedia.com/the-advantages-of-3d-printing/http://www.hhglobal.com/blog/6-benefits-of-3d-printinghttp://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/how-exactly-does-3d-printing-work-1.1371800http://www.3dprinter.net/reference/what-is-3d-printinghttp://ec.europa.eu/consumers/archive/safety/prod_legis/index_en.htmhttp://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CONSLEG:1985L0374:19990604:EN:PDFhttp://www.pennlawreview.com/online/162-U-Pa-L-Rev-Online-35.pdf


6/13

II. ENVI Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

42% of the LGBT patients are not open with their healthcare professionals about their sexual orientation, 18% of the Romani

population have experienced discrimination and 75% of the mentally ill remain without treatment.

While the right to healthcare is recognised as a fundamental right by many international and European instruments, discrimination

cases are frequent all over the continent. What measures should the European Union take in order to tackle the aforementioned

situation?

United in diversity. All different, but yet

so much alike. Freedom of choice, of opinions,

of speech. Freedom in general. Rights and

liberties. Peace. Equality. We all aim for this

abstract notions which in fact, carry more

power than we could even imagine. Just like a

complicated puzzle, they define the twisted

world in which we live, and placing them in the

right position is the only solution of solving

this tangled mess in which we swamp deeper

and deeper, day by day. But how can one talk

about all of those when there are people,

within the boundaries of the EU that are

subject of discrimination each day? Especially

when such injustice occurs in the medical field, action is needed, and

its needed now!

Poor mental health can have a substantial adverse impact on the

life of European citizens. Social perceptions of mental health problems

are dominated by negative stereotypes. People with mental health

problems are often thought to look strange and behave in a bizarre

fashion. But should this limit their access to healthcare?

One in four of us can expect to experience a mental health

problem during our lifetimes. There are a number of barriers for people

affected by mental illness when accessing physical health care and

monitoring. When people do access health services, their physical

health needs are often ignored or seen as a manifestation of

their mental health condition, rather than a separate health

issue. This leads to physical conditions being undiagnosed and

untreated, which can prove fatal. Concerns raised by carers

can also be ignored. This lethal discrimination helps explain why

people with severe and enduring mental illness appear to

access significantly lower quantities of several common medications for

physical health conditions.

People with serious mental illness need comprehensive

physical health monitoring at least once a year to help with risk

factors, such as weight gain associated with antipsychotic medication.

However, the recent National Audit of Schizophrenia (NAS) revealed

that, on average, only 29% of people had received a full check of

Body Mass Index (BMI), smoking, blood pressure, blood glucose and

lipids in the previous 12 months.

In addition to barriers created by exclusion of certain groups

from health insurance, Roma in socially vulnerable situations find it

difficult to pay various users taxes and the costs for medication. For

example, Bulgarian Health Insurance Act requires payment of a user fee

for each visit to the General Practitioner, for dental care, and for each

day spent in hospital. Furthermore, medication is unaffordable and a

number of types of medicines are not covered by health insurance.

Anamaria Olaru

Vice-president


7/13

Protection against discrimination, including discrimination in the sector of health, is also enshrined in international conventions, e.g. the

United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities which the EU ratified in 2010. The ratification of this Convention

entails that EU institutions and the Member States must consider and comply with the provisions of the Convention whilst developing and

implementing laws and policies.

Poor mental health has substantial personal and economic impacts across the European Union. Stigma and discrimination associated with

poor mental health exacerbate these impacts. Interventions need to be able to reduce the social distance that leads to the stigmatisation, prejudice

and social exclusion of many of our fellow Europeans.

Key actors:

European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA)

The Mental Health Economic European Network

Council of the European Union

European Parliament

European Commission

Key words:

human rights, discrimination, health care, Romani, LGBT, mental illness, professionals.

Relevant questions:

To what extent should the EU interfere with the medical professionals who often discriminate as well the before mentioned categories?

Where should the EU search for help in order to assure a fair level of equality?

How can the EU assure that access to health care is possible for those groups of people?

On what areas should the EU concentrate to make sure that the rights are totally respected?

Is there any need for a change in the rights of the citizens regarding the access to health care?

Useful links:

Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union(articles 21 and 35)

European Roma Rights Centre:Ambulance not on the way (pages: 15,16,17/ 31,32/38,39)

Speech: Improving access and combating discrimination in healthcare with a focus on vulnerable groups: FRA facts

Inequalities and multiple discrimination in access to and quality of healthcare(chapter 1.3: pages 22,23,24)

Article:To achieve Roma Equality, Europe Must Address Health Disparities

Video:Roma deprived of EU healthcare services

Video:EU LGBT survey
http://fra.europa.eu/enhttp://fra.europa.eu/enhttp://www.mheen.org/http://www.mheen.org/http://www.consilium.europa.eu/homepage.aspx?lang=enhttp://www.consilium.europa.eu/homepage.aspx?lang=enhttp://www.europarl.europa.eu/http://www.europarl.europa.eu/http://ec.europa.eu/index_en.htmhttp://ec.europa.eu/index_en.htmhttp://www.europarl.europa.eu/charter/pdf/text_en.pdfhttp://www.europarl.europa.eu/charter/pdf/text_en.pdfhttp://www.errc.org/cms/upload/media/01/E6/m000001E6.pdfhttp://www.errc.org/cms/upload/media/01/E6/m000001E6.pdfhttp://fra.europa.eu/en/speech/2013/improving-access-and-combating-discrimination-healthcare-focus-vulnerable-groups-frahttp://fra.europa.eu/en/speech/2013/improving-access-and-combating-discrimination-healthcare-focus-vulnerable-groups-frahttp://fra.europa.eu/sites/default/files/inequalities-discrimination-healthcare_en.pdfhttp://fra.europa.eu/sites/default/files/inequalities-discrimination-healthcare_en.pdfhttp://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/voices/achieve-roma-equality-europe-must-address-health-disparitieshttp://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/voices/achieve-roma-equality-europe-must-address-health-disparitieshttp://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/voices/achieve-roma-equality-europe-must-address-health-disparitieshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWBAwq3ScxIhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWBAwq3ScxIhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWBAwq3ScxIhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6GOYVsOQy4#t=81https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6GOYVsOQy4#t=81https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6GOYVsOQy4#t=81https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6GOYVsOQy4#t=81https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWBAwq3ScxIhttp://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/voices/achieve-roma-equality-europe-must-address-health-disparitieshttp://fra.europa.eu/sites/default/files/inequalities-discrimination-healthcare_en.pdfhttp://fra.europa.eu/en/speech/2013/improving-access-and-combating-discrimination-healthcare-focus-vulnerable-groups-frahttp://www.errc.org/cms/upload/media/01/E6/m000001E6.pdfhttp://www.europarl.europa.eu/charter/pdf/text_en.pdfhttp://ec.europa.eu/index_en.htmhttp://www.europarl.europa.eu/http://www.consilium.europa.eu/homepage.aspx?lang=enhttp://www.mheen.org/http://fra.europa.eu/en


8/13

III. FEMM Committee on Womens Rights andGender Equality

Almost half of European women has experienced violence at one point

Antonyia Parvanova, Member of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE)

Violence touches the lives of 1 out of 3 women in Romania and half of all women in Europe. Not only does this damage people and

their families, but it also has a significant economic cost of 228 billion a year in Europe. How can the EU support its Member

States in coming up with a strategy and a legislative act on preventing violence against women?

Human dignity, freedom, democracy,

equality, the rule of law and respect for

human rights these values have been

embedded in the European Union right from

the start. In 1948, when The Universal

Declaration of Human Rights was adopted, it

acknowledged "the equal rights of men and

women" and addressed both the equality and

equity issues. In 1979, the United Nations

General Assembly adopted the Convention on

the Elimination of All Forms of

Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

Described as an international bill of rights for women, it came into force

on 3rd of September 1981.

Violence against women, which encompasses crimes that

disproportionately impact on women such as sexual assault, rape and

domestic violence, is a violation of womens fundamental rights with

respect to dignity, equality and access to justice. Its impact stretches

beyond those women who are themselves victims of violence, since it

affects families, friends and society as a whole. They call for a critical look

at how society and the state respond to this abuse.

Civil society actors and inter-governmental organisations, including

the United Nations (UN) Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination

against Women and the Council of Europe, have sought in recent decades

to highlight the extent and nature of violence against women.

The issue of costs frequently arises when devising policies or

action plans to combat violence against women and domestic violence.

Awareness of the financial impact of violence against women is helpful

when trying to understand the magnitude of the problem and how it

affects society as a whole. Although human dignity has no price, it is

sometimes useful to refer to concrete budget lines to show the savings

governments would make if they decided to invest in measures likely to

reduce gender-based violence.

Even though the annual costs of EU regarding this issue are

impressive, studies show that they cover a

large variety of areas such as: judiciary costs

(civil, criminal and administrative), legal

costs incurred by an individual party, health

care costs, housing and shelters, lost wages

and/or decrease in taxes paid to the state due

to reduced employment and productivity,

social services for women and their children,

income support and other support services.

In addition, many studies distinguish

between direct and indirect costs of violence

against women.

Carla Sabu

Vice- resident

Horia Benga

Chairperson


9/13

Unfortunately, we are not fully aware of the situation we find ourselves into, situation which needs more support from both ordinary people and

the European Unions Institutions. Furthermore, we need to highlight the fact that women are an important part of our society which stands for all

humans rights and privileges and even a petty neglect of it would mean to offence them.

Key words:

womens rights, gender-based violence, gender equality, discrimination against women, social and economic impact

Relevant questions Why is this topic relevant?

Who are the key actors and what are their positions?

How can we try to eliminate or at least decrease the rate of women who are experiencing violence? Why do you think this problem has such an impact at an economic level?

What is your opinion about the measures which are taken now? Are they effective?

Useful links:European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights

Gender equality (European Commission)

WAVE NetworkConvention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)

The Economic Costs of Violence Against Women
http://fra.europa.eu/enhttp://fra.europa.eu/enhttp://ec.europa.eu/justice/gender-equality/index_en.htmhttp://ec.europa.eu/justice/gender-equality/index_en.htmhttp://www.wave-network.org/http://www.wave-network.org/http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/vaw/expert%20brief%20costs.pdfhttp://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/vaw/expert%20brief%20costs.pdfhttp://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/http://www.wave-network.org/http://ec.europa.eu/justice/gender-equality/index_en.htmhttp://fra.europa.eu/en


10/13

IV. AFET Committee on Foreign Affairs

Given the recent implication of the US navy in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which brought Turkey's attention to a

potential violation of the Montreux Convention, what should Romania's position be towards tackling this issue, considering its

territorial position, energetic dependency on Russia and its membership in both EU and NATO?

Since its independence in 1991, Ukraine has been a point of

ongoing concern for the EU with regard to its foreign policy in Eastern

Europe. The country is an important trading partner, and the EU has

put effort into supporting Ukraines transitiontowards becoming a modern European democracy,

which is why many Ukrainians wished to finally join

the European Union. However, due to pressures from

Russia, the government turned down EUs offer, asPresident Yanukovich chose a bailout which would

save the Ukrainian budget and tie the country even

closer to Russia. That was the moment which

triggered the first protests in Kyiv. The following

events worsened the situation. Crimeas secessionfrom Ukraine and it becoming part of Russiasterritory provoked civil wars in the eastern and

southern parts of the country.

The US navys implication in the conflict cancut both ways. Firstly, the American military support

can assure security for the Eastern Europe, and it

also represents a sign that EU does not stand alone.

On the other hand, the presence of US forces may be

seen as too much of a threat for Russia, whose

reaction may damage its European neighbours, including Romania. The

USAs vice-president Joe Biden expresses his appreciation towardsRomania, as strategic partner in these moments of instability. It cannot

be denied that Romania may become a key player in case any action is

demanded, which is why NATO promised to protect its member.

The Montreux Convention (1936) states that Turkey has

absolute control over Bosfor and Dardanele straits, meaning that the US

military forces do not have access to the Black Sea, unless Turkey

allows it. At the moment Turkey is a neutral power to the

Russian conflict, so if the conditions settled by the

Convention are not respected, the US army cannot pass

through.

Key factors in diminishing the pressure in Ukraine

are the elections which will take place on 25thMay. Thus,

the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe

(OSCE) has arranged a presence of 900 observers who will

ensure the fairness of the presidential election. The Office

for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR)

has nominated 7 Romanians to take part in this procedure.

OSCE sees this mission as one of the most important and

essential missions since its foundation, given the large

number of observers.

The Ukrainian people are demanding recognition

and protection of their human rights, while the Ukrainian

government is sending a clear indication that the EUsinvolvement in the Non- Member States affairs is notwanted. The EU is an actor that holds economic interests

in the region, yet also one that proudly declares its commitment to

uphold democratic values and human rights as key values. However,

the EU dependency on Russia, especially on gas is one reason which

demands a careful strategy from the European Union. Romania is

practically caught in the middle. Each decision taken at an EU-level

affects it directly, being the border between Russia and Europe.

Tomina Vodrici

Chairperson


11/13

Key words:

Ukraine, protests, bilateral treaties, Montreux Convention, US navy, Eastern Europe countries, NATO, Romania, strategic partner

Relevant questions:

What does the situation mean for the future of Eastern European countries and the tug of war between these states, the EU, and Russia?

How would the presence of the US army on Romanian territory affect the citizens mentality? What approach should the Romaniangovernment alongside the US forces take in order to avoid the Romanian territory become a battlefield?

Is being energetically dependent still an option? Should the EU start its own way to energetic sustainability?

Should Turkey choose sides or remain a neutral power? How can the Montreux Convention help Romania in tackling the conflict? Would it be better to threaten with military force or would a political dialogue seem enough to solve the Russian-Ukrainian conflict?

What would be the consequences of Ukraine finally joining the UE?

Useful links:

The EUs relations with Ukraine

EU-Ukraine Association Agreement

What the West must do for Ukraine

Human rights violations in Ukraine

Alternatives to Russian GasThe Ukrainian crisis from a Romanian perspective. Interview with Adrian Coroban
http://eeas.europa.eu/ukraine/index_en.htmhttp://eeas.europa.eu/ukraine/index_en.htmhttp://eeas.europa.eu/images/top_stories/140912_eu-ua_aa_what_does_the_agreement_offer_v.pdfhttp://eeas.europa.eu/images/top_stories/140912_eu-ua_aa_what_does_the_agreement_offer_v.pdfhttp://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/29/opinion/what-the-west-must-do-for-ukraine.html?ref=international&_r=5http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/29/opinion/what-the-west-must-do-for-ukraine.html?ref=international&_r=5http://www.amnesty.org/en/region/ukraine/report-2013http://www.amnesty.org/en/region/ukraine/report-2013http://euobserver.com/economic/123466http://euobserver.com/economic/123466http://english.geopolitics.ro/the-ukrainian-crisis-from-a-romanian-perspective-interview-with-adrian-corobana/http://english.geopolitics.ro/the-ukrainian-crisis-from-a-romanian-perspective-interview-with-adrian-corobana/http://english.geopolitics.ro/the-ukrainian-crisis-from-a-romanian-perspective-interview-with-adrian-corobana/http://english.geopolitics.ro/the-ukrainian-crisis-from-a-romanian-perspective-interview-with-adrian-corobana/http://euobserver.com/economic/123466http://www.amnesty.org/en/region/ukraine/report-2013http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/29/opinion/what-the-west-must-do-for-ukraine.html?ref=international&_r=5http://eeas.europa.eu/images/top_stories/140912_eu-ua_aa_what_does_the_agreement_offer_v.pdfhttp://eeas.europa.eu/ukraine/index_en.htm


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V. ECON Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

Only if and when the situation is improving on the ground, in the real economy, especially on the labour markets, can we saythat

the crisis is over.Werner Hoyer, President of the European Investment Bank

Europe's economy might be showing signs of improvement, but many Romanian citizens have yet to feel the benefits as both

unemployment and the cost of living remain high. How can the EU aid the Romanian government in boosting its economy and

standard of living?

Even though Romania has one of the smallest costs of living, it

still remains high for its citizens due to the high unemployment rates

and low salaries. A concerning fact is that almost 70% of the Romanians

think it is very hard to find a job in the country. Taking into

consideration the big number of people affected by these issues, finding

solutions for solving them is crucial for improving the standard of living

for the Romanian population. According to the

Eurobarometer, 82% of the Romanians think that the

level of poverty increased in their country in the last

three years.

The fact that is hard to find a job in Romania is a

problem which mainly affects young people who have

little or no work experience. A step forward towards

solving this issue was taken by the senate of Romania

which adopted a law that made volunteering be

recognized as work experience, a good thing for the

young generation, but this was not enough. The

problem caused by low salaries and unemployment in

Romania is the fact that a lot of people end up having a low life

standard and living at risk of poverty and social exclusion.

In order to cope with such a big issue, Romania needs the help of

the EU, its institutions and its financial instruments. Even though in the

2012-2013 financial year Romania has registered a 3.5% raise in

overall economy, the highest in the European Union, it is not able to

handle these problems alone, the help of EU being

an urgent need. The fact that reducing the level of

unemployment in the EU is one of the Europe 2020

strategy targets is very important and can help

solving related problems in Romania and the

appearance of the European Cohesion Policy, made

for achieving the strategy goals, is another

encouraging fact. Also the European Social fund can

be a very important actor in this situation.

Anton Drghici

Chairperson


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Key words:

Unemployment, Salaries, Europe 2020, European Cohesion Policy, European Social Fund

Relevant questions:

What other EU institutions and financial instruments could help Romania?

What changes should be made in Romania at a national level?

To what extent should the EU get involved in the situation?

What are the most important domains in which Romania and the EU should invest in order to provide more jobs?

How should the Romanian Government approach EU institutions?

Useful links:

Cohesion policy 2014-2020

Financial Programming and Budget EU Budget in RomaniaEurope 2020 in a nutshell

Europe 2020 targets

Video:EU Cohesion policy 2014-2020

Video:Opportunities for young people: the European Social Fund

Video:Getting people into jobs the ESF at workVideo:EU Funding
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/what/future/index_en.cfmhttp://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/what/future/index_en.cfmhttp://ec.europa.eu/budget/mycountry/RO/index_en.cfmhttp://ec.europa.eu/budget/mycountry/RO/index_en.cfmhttp://ec.europa.eu/budget/mycountry/RO/index_en.cfmhttp://ec.europa.eu/budget/mycountry/RO/index_en.cfmhttp://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/europe-2020-in-a-nutshell/index_en.htmhttp://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/europe-2020-in-a-nutshell/index_en.htmhttp://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/europe-2020-in-a-nutshell/targets/index_en.htmhttp://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/europe-2020-in-a-nutshell/targets/index_en.htmhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnzVm3KsTRQhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnzVm3KsTRQhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnzVm3KsTRQhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoDPVP_GaBshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoDPVP_GaBshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoDPVP_GaBshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApUv9aBt33Ahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApUv9aBt33Ahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApUv9aBt33Ahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApUv9aBt33Ahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApUv9aBt33Ahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkS4mTJMcFchttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkS4mTJMcFchttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkS4mTJMcFchttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkS4mTJMcFchttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApUv9aBt33Ahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoDPVP_GaBshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnzVm3KsTRQhttp://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/europe-2020-in-a-nutshell/targets/index_en.htmhttp://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/europe-2020-in-a-nutshell/index_en.htmhttp://ec.europa.eu/budget/mycountry/RO/index_en.cfmhttp://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/what/future/index_en.cfm

Documents

NSS 2014 - Academic Preparation Kit