kuopio 2013 resolution booklet

Resolution Booklet Kuopio 2013 – Regional Session of EYP Finland

25–27 October 2013

Kuopio 2013 – Regional Session of European Youth Parliament Finland

General Assembly, 27 October 2013

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European Youth Parliament (EYP) – The EYP, founded in 1987, is one of the largest European platforms for intercultural encounters, political educational work and the exchange of ideas among young people. Its mission is to support the development of young people into politically aware and responsible citizens by involving them in European political thinking and promoting intercultural understanding. Each year, the EYP involves thousands of young people in voluntary roles in 41 European countries. The EYP is a programme of the Schwartzkopf Foundation.

European Youth Parliament Finland (EYP Finland) – EYP Finland, founded in 2001, is the National Committee of the EYP in Finland. The Regional Sessions are part of EYP Finland’s annual Your European Citizenship campaign, funded by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland and various other local and national partners.



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Programme of the General Assembly 09:00 Opening of the General Assembly 09:00 Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs 09:50 Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Regional Development I 10:40 Coffee break 11:10 Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Development 12:00 Lunch break 12:45 Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Regional Development II 13:35 Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Human Rights 14:25 Coffee break 14:55 Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Security and Defence 15:45 Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy 16:45 Closing Ceremony



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Procedure of the General Assembly

General rules

The wish to speak is indicated by raising the Committee placard. Each committee may use only one Committee placard.

The authority of the Board is absolute.

Procedure and time settings

1. Presenting of the Motion for a Resolution

2. Presenting of the Friendly Amendments

3. Reading of the operative clauses

4. Three minutes to defend the Motion for a Resolution

5. Three minutes to attack the Motion for a Resolution

6. One minute to respond to the Attack Speech

7. General debate

8. Three minutes to sum up the debate

9. Voting procedure

10. Announcing the votes

Friendly Amendment

A last-‐‑minute modification to the Motion for a Resolution by the Proposing Committee. Amendments are to be handed in to the Board at least two Resolutions before the Resolution in question, or as soon as possible for the first Resolutions of the General Assembly.

Point of Personal Privilege

Request for a Delegate to repeat a point that was inaudible. Failure to understand the language being spoken does not make for a Point of Personal Privilege.

Direct Response

Once per debate, each Committee may use the Direct Response sign. Should a Delegate raise the sign during the open debate, he/she will immediately be recognised by the Board and given the floor as soon as the point being made is concluded. A Direct Response can only be used to refer to and discuss the point made directly beforehand. If two or more Direct Responses are requested at once, the Board will decide which Committee to recognise. In this case, the second Direct Response shall only be held if it can be referred to the first Direct Response, so on and so forth.



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Point of Order

These can be raised by the Chairperson if a Delegate feels the Board have not properly followed parliamentary procedure. Ultimately, the authority of the Board is absolute.

Defence Speech

One member of the Proposing Committee delivers the Defence Speech from the podium. It is used to explain the rationale of the overall lines of the Resolution and convince the Plenary that the Resolution is worthy of being adopted. This speech can last a maximum of three minutes.

Attack Speech

An individual Delegate from a Committee other than that proposing the Resolution at hand delivers an Attack Speech from the podium. It reflects an individual opinion and is used to point out the flaws of the approach taken by the Proposing Committee and should propose alternative solutions. This speech can last a maximum of three minutes.

Summation Speech

One or two members of the Proposing Committee deliver the Summation Speech from the podium; the microphone can only be passed once. It is used to summarise the debate, respond to main, selected criticism and to once more explain why the chosen approach is the most sensible. This speech can last a maximum of three minutes.



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MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY

THE COMMITTEE ON EMPLOYMENT AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS

The challenge of dramatically high youth unemployment rates: How should the European governments best offer opportunities to those aged 16-‐‑24 to ensure that the current generation of European youth does not become irresversibly excluded from the

labour market?

Submitted by: Amanda Abdelhamid (Kuopion Lyseon lukio), Uchenna Emelonye

(Kuopion Lyseon lukio), Maria Lamazhapova (RU), Jade Jiménez Salgado (Kuopion Lyseon lukio), Susanna Tenhonen (Savonlinnan Taidelukio), Sara-‐‑Maria Turkki (Mikkelin lukio), Ayda Jodayri Hashemizadeh (Chairperson, FI), Anna Pusa (Chairperson, FI)

The European Youth Parliament,

A. Keeping in mind that the current youth unemployment rate in the European Union (EU) is 23.4%,

B. Deeply regretting early school leaving due to the lack of quality of education,

C. Believing a skills mismatch in the labour market is a consequence of early school leaving,

D. Noting with regret that young people tend to choose career tracks with low employability,

E. Fully alarmed by the differences in youth unemployment rates between Member States,1

F. Noting with deep concern that job mobility within the EU leads to a brain drain in Member States with unstable economic conditions,

G. Recognising that there is a lack of financial support for young people from family and governments when entering the labour market,

H. Alarmed by the tough competition on the labour market resulting from a high age of retirement,

I. Deeply regretting both the difficulty for young people to gain their first job experience as well as employers’ lack of open-‐‑mindedness and tolerance towards young jobseekers lacking experience,

J. Bearing in mind that a high level of education does not guarantee finding a job;

1. Recommends using quality education systems such as Finland’s that have been recognised

worldwide as models to improve education in other Member States;

1 In May 2013 the highest youth unemployment rate was found in Greece (62.9%) and the lowest rate in Germany (7.7%).



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2. Approves making secondary education compulsory in order to ensure that all young people get relevant skills for a future professions;

3. Encourages the facilitation of the transition from school to work by creating training systems and vocational education with a focus on practical experience;

4. Supports providing young people with professional orientation services and information about the latest trends in the labour market through establishing campaigns, youth forums and seminars;

5. Encourages the introduction of interactive programs as a part of education by inviting professionals to share their working experiences in schools;

6. Invites national governments to enhance partnerships with international companies as well as simplifying the process of setting up businesses in order to increase the number of job opportunities;

7. Calls for enhanced cooperation between companies and youth organisations as well as the introduction of Diversity Management2 into companies;

8. Urges companies to reserve a special quota, dependant on the size of the company, for exclusive recruitment of young people;

9. Further recommends all Member States to implement the “Youth Guarantee”3.

2 Meaning the practice of getting rid of stereotypes by enhancing talent development and workforce diversity. 3 The “Youth Guarantee” ensures access to employment, education or traineeships within four months of becoming unemployed or leaving formal education. Currently Finland and Austria have implemented the guarantee.



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THE COMMITTEE ON REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT I

Reviewing the Catalan, Scottish and Flemish experience: with breakaway regions sending the EU into legally and politically unmapped territory, what should be the EU’s stance towards secession movements within its borders and the potential of

newly emerging states within EU territory?

Submitted by: Brian Uptegrove Hernández (ES), Mariah McCarron (Kuopion Lyseon

lukio), Susanna Paakkinen (Kuopion klassillinen lukio), Tom-‐‑Henrik Sirviö (Kallaveden lukio), Isa Tuuri (Mikkelin lukio), Alex Coates (Chairperson, UK), Anastasia Lvova (Chairperson, EE)


A. Bearing in mind that the current issue of secession in regions such as Flanders, Catalonia and Scotland, is unprecedented and thus lacks a standardised procedure,

B. Worried that in the case of economically prosperous regions, secession could lead to destabilisation of the common currency,

C. Deeply concerned that the loss of affluent areas could affect the country of origin’s coming stream of wealth, jeopardising sustainable growth in the EU,

D. Observing reluctance from countries of origin to be open to calls for referenda from significant political movements of separatist regions,

E. Noting with concern the lack of fruitful contact between the political authorities of the country of origin and the instigator(s) of the secession movement;

1. Urges the European Council the consistent use of the Copenhagen criteria (1993)4 as a requirement

for EU membership applications by the emerging states in the case that they occur;

2. Calls for an assembly of independent expert opinions to advise politicians of the secessionist areas on the potential joining of the Eurozone in the case of separation from the country of origin;

4 Copenhagen criteria (1993) are the criteria used for EU membership eligibility. They are : a) political: stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of minorities; b) economic existence of a functioning market economy and the capacity to cope with competitive pressure and market forces within the Union.



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3. Demands the support of sustainable growth initiatives as described in the EU’s 2020 plan5, for regions experiencing economic trouble adhering because of secession in the case that it occurs;

4. Recommends the EU to encourage and support concerned Member States to hold referenda;

5. Calls for increased political communication and mediation through independent initiatives set up by the EU analogical to the preventative activities of CMI6.

5 Europe 2020 is the European Union’s ten-‐‑year growth strategy. It is about addressing the shortcomings of our growth model and creating the conditions for a different type of growth that is smarter, more sustainable and more inclusive. 6 CMI (Crisis Management Initiative) is a Finnish-‐‑based non-‐‑governmental organisation, giving expertise in conflict prevention among other aims.



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THE COMMITTEE ON DEVELOPMENT

Dead aid? Combined, the European Commission and the EU Member States constitute the single largest donor of development aid, but the effectiveness of development aid is frequently questioned. How should the EU make sure that European efforts secure a

better economic and political future for the developing world?

Submitted by: Frida Ahonen (Tampereen yhteiskoulun lukio), Saskia Kiiski (Kuopion lyseon lukio), Paavo Koivistoinen (Kuopion Lyseon lukio), Sara Laurikainen (Kuopion Musiikkilukio), Oona Liimatta (Kuopion lyseon lukio), Beatrice Reichel (Chairperson, SE), Rebecca Smith (Vice-‐‑President, FR)


A. Noting with deep concern that certain developing countries have become dependent on development aid,

B. Recognising that providing universal primary education in accordance with the Millennium Development Goals7 (MDGs) is essential to securing a better economic and political future,

C. Keeping in mind that Gross Domestic Product8 (GDP) is not an appropriate measure of development as it does not include important indicators such as literacy rates and life expectancy,

D. Alarmed by the lack of information-‐‑sharing between the European Union (EU) and recipient governments regarding the use of development aid,

E. Recalling that EuropeAid9 is the primary channel of development aid from the European Commission, and follows three different strategies:

i) The project-‐‑based approach to support initiatives outside the public sector,

ii) The sector-‐‑based approach in cooperation with partner countries,

iii) Budget support for strengthening country ownership in case of good public management;

7 The Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) are eight goals that outline the strategy for improving living standards across the developing world in the first 15 years of the 21st Century. The MDG’s include, the eradication of extreme hunger, the provision of universal primary education and the promotion of environmental sustainability. 8 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is the value of all goods and services produced within the borders of a single country in a given year. 9 EuropeAid is the Directorate-‐‑General in charge of shaping and coordinating development policies. They act as a liaison between Europe, partner countries and other stakeholders.



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1. Calls for the Human Development Index (HDI)10 to be used instead of GDP as a measure of

development as it better reflects socio-‐‑economic progress;

2. Encourages EuropeAid to adopt sector-‐‑based approaches to development in the short term as partner countries diversify and strengthen their economies;

3. Recommends that EuropeAid simultaneously provide short-‐‑term support to project-‐‑based development initiatives that promote the provision of public services such as education, infrastructure and safety whilst creating local employment opportunities;

4. Further recommends that EuropeAid adopt a budget-‐‑based approach in partner countries that have demonstrated careful management of sector-‐‑oriented aid;

5. Invites the European Commission to initiate legislation in order to increase supervision of development aid in partner countries for all types of partnerships.

10 Human Development Index (HDI) is a measure of economic development taking into account such statstic measures as life expectancy, literacy rates and income equality in a given country. As such, it reflects living standards as well as economic wealth.



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THE COMMITTEE ON REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT II

Building the periphery: mechanisms such as the Structural Funds and the Cohesion Fund play an important role in developing the peripheral areas of Europe, but they are also costly. Keeping in mind that metropolitan areas are the primary motors of growth,

how should the EU best support its peripheral areas to suit the needs of their population?

Submitted by: Uliana Belonogova (Kuopion Lyseon lukio), Sanna Jääskeläinen

(Kallaveden lukio), Laura Kosonen (Savonlinnan taidelukio), Ioana Pop (RO), Tim Backhaus (Chairperson, FI), Onur Can Uçarer (Chairperson, TR)


A. Fully aware that €700 billion, which accounts for 36% of the European Union (EU) budget, is being used for the Structural Funds11 and the Cohesion Fund12,

B. Bearing in mind that 81.5% of the Structural Funds is being used to build basic infrastructure in countries, whose GDP per capita is less than 75% of the EU average,

C. Alarmed by the high level of migration caused by the lack of opportunities in peripheral areas,

D. Deeply concerned by the inefficient allocation of the Structural Funds and the Cohesion Fund, which leads to economic dependency in developing Member States,

E. Noting with concern that centralised allocation of the funds has become detached from regional decision-‐‑making,

F. Taking into account that economically developed countries, e.g. Germany, claim that funds are allocated unfairly, using as their main argument the effects macroeconomic imbalances such as employment rate and public death ratio across the Eurozone,

G. Highlighting the lack of public transportation connecting metropolitan areas with peripheral areas in Member States;

11 The Structural Funds are divided into two different funds. The Regional Development Fund (ERDF) provides support for the creation of infrastructure and productive job-‐‑creating investment, mainly for businesses. The European Social Fund (ESF) contributes to the integration of the unemployed and disadvantaged into the job market mainly by funding training measures 12 The Cohesion Fund contributes in the field of environment and Trans-‐‑European Networks (TEN-‐‑T).



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1. Encourages economic development in peripheral areas by supporting small and medium enterprises;

2. Calls for curtailing the distribution of funds for countries which have shown improper use of them the past;

3. Calls upon the European Commission to explore the possibility of changing the mandate of the European Court of Auditors13 to directly manage the distribution of the Structural Funds and the Cohesion Fund;

4. Requests a proportional increase of the allocation of the Structural Funds and the Cohesion Fund, to focus on the development of public transportation in Member States;

5. Recommends the prevention of bureaucratic obstacles by monitoring the peripheral areas facing potential problems in respective Member States.

13 The European Court of Auditors was established to audit European Union’s finances.



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THE COMMITTEE ON HUMAN RIGHTS

With the number of asylum seekers and illegal immigrants steadily increasing in the EU, how should the EU better control its external borders whilst respecting human

rights?

Submitted by: Valerie Berger (AT), Hanna Katajamäki (Mikkelin lukio), Verna

Laamanen (Kuopion Musiikkilukio), Annastiina Miettinen (Kuopion Lyseon lukio), Linnea Määttänen (Tampereen yhteiskoulun lukio), Minna Pulsa (Siilinjärven lukio), Nikke Varis (Kuopion klassillinen lukio), Nina Väänänen (Kuopion Musiikkilukio), Laure Steinville (Chairperson, FR), Anna Turunen (Chairperson, FI)


A. Fully aware of the increasing number of asylum seekers and illegal immigrants inside the European Union (EU) borders,

B. Alarmed by the amount of deaths of asylum seekers and illegal immigrants in their efforts to enter the EU, e.g. the “Lampedusa tragedy14”,

C. Bearing in mind that the EU has to respect human rights in accordance with the European Human Rights Convention (ECHR), which all Member States (MS) have signed,

D. Deeply regretting the lack of coordination between MS concerning migration policies and legislation,

E. Observing differences in percentages of asylum seekers and illegal migrants in MS, varying from high to low depending on their geographic location,

F. Concerned by the lack of resources provided by the EU to tackle these problems,

G. Recognising that the EU is unable to fully control all of its external borders,

H. Endorsing EURODAC15 and EUROSUR16 legislation from the European Commission;

14 The « Lampedusa tragedy »: 130 migrants died when their raft sank near the island of Lampedusa at the beginning of October 2013, which started a debate on the situation of migrants. 15 EURODAC is the European fingerprint database for identifying asylum seekers and irregular border-‐‑crossers. 16 EUROSUR is a communication system designed to protect the EU’s external borders by detecting, preventing and combating illegal immigration and cross-‐‑border crime.



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1. Encourages quota and relocation to be implemented in order to balance out the number of illegal immigrants and asylum seekers in different MS;

2. Further invites the EU to guarantee respect for basic human rights for illegal immigrants and asylum seekers by:

a) Providing a test year during which illegal immigrants need to prove to the MS their willingness to integrate into society by learning the language, the culture and demonstrating a capacity to work,

b) Supporting non-‐‑governmental organisations that aim to ensure respect for basic human rights and in other ways aid the immigrants concerned;

3. Requests the EU allocate more funds to helping MS dealing with large numbers of illegal immigrants and asylum seekers such as Italy and Greece;

4. Strongly urges the creation of an EU-‐‑wide asylum application system;

5. Calls for better sharing of information between the EU and the governments of the countries of origin, concerning the current status of asylum seekers;

6. Proposes better cooperation between the embassies of non-‐‑EU countries and MS in order to facilitate the asylum application process.



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THE COMMITTEE ON SECURITY AND DEFENCE

In the aftermath of the NSA spying scandal it has become clear that large-‐‑scale electronic surveillance is a global phenomenon. How should the EU and its Member States respond to the threat foreign surveillance poses to information security of

European organisations and citizens?

Submitted by: Teresa Artjoki (Helsingin Suomalainen Yhteiskoulu), Charlotte

Boniteau (FR), Karoliina Kalliolahti (Rantasalmen lukio), Markus Rohtla (Kuopion Lyseon lukio), Linnéa Rostang (FR), Milla Rytkönen (Kuopion lyseon lukio), Ruxandra Ioanitescu (Chairperson, RO), Saga Eriksson (Vice-‐‑President, FI)


A. Alarmed by the illegal exchange of personal information between non-‐‑EU companies even if the subject specifically consented to providing such information for the exclusive use of one company,

B. Acknowledges that according to the European Human Rights Convention (ECHR), Article 817, all EU citizens have the right to privacy,

C. Expressing its concern about the existence of permanent records containing personal information, which can be exploited by foreign surveillance systems,

D. Deeply disturbed by Member States acting in violation of the right to privacy under the pretext of national security,

E. Noting with regret the ineffectiveness of the Data Protection Directive in current circumstances,18

F. Welcoming the proposition for a new regulation called the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) by the European Commission Directorate General for Justice;

1. Urges the European Parliament (EP) and the European Council, in accordance with the ordinary

legislative procedure, to vote in favour of GDPR;

17 In Article 8 of the ECHR there is a three-‐‑part test for assessing the legality under the Convention of a governmental measure affecting individual privacy: first the Court asks whether a right protected by Article 8 has been interfered upon; next, it asks whether the interference was in accordance with law. Finally, the Court asks whether the interference was necessary in a democratic society. 18 DIRECTIVE 95/46/EC, 24 October 1995: on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data.



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2. Affirms measures taken in the GDPR, such as:

a) Establishing a single set of rules for all Member States in terms of data protection,

b) Granting jurisdiction to hold non-‐‑EU companies accountable for a violation of the right to privacy,

c) Requiring data collectors to prove subject consent;

3. Emphasises the importance of individuals being able to withdraw consent to the use of private information as stated under “The right to be forgotten” in the GDPR;

4. Calls upon the Committee on Civil Liberties and Home Affairs of the EP to further specify the conditions under which the pretext of national security can be used to disclose personal information;

5. Further requests for all information irrelevant to national security, acquired under the aforementioned circumstances, to be erased.



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THE COMMITTEE ON INDUSTRY, RESEARCH AND ENERGY

The post-‐‑Fukushima Europe: with the challenge of balancing environmental sustainability, security and the need for cheap energy, what role should nuclear energy

play in the EU Member States’ energy strategies?

Submitted by: Zamzam Elmi (Kuopion Lyseon lukio), Anniina Könönen (Kuopion

Lyseon lukio), Inga-‐‑Maria Launonen (Kuopion Lyseon lukio), Saana Pulkkinen (Savonlinnan taidelukio), Mari Sulonen (Tampereen yhteiskoulun lukio), Tuulia Karvinen (Chairperson, FI), Anamaria Olaru (Chairperson, RO)


A. Expecting liquid fossil fuel supplies to run out by the end of the twenty-‐‑first century,

B. Fully aware of the safety and security risks of nuclear power plants, such as:

i) Being prone to natural catastrophes,

ii) Likelihood of radioactive leaks,

iii) Outdated safety measures and technology in certain older power plants,

iv) Being possible targets of terrorist attacks,

C. Recognising the difficulty of storing nuclear waste in a secure and long-‐‑lasting manner,

D. Realising that renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power are not viable at an industrial level,

E. Taking into account that certain EU Member States are currently dependent on imported energy sources from non-‐‑EU countries, which grants the energy-‐‑exporting country considerable political influence,

F. Taking into consideration the contrasting views of energy usage amongst EU Member States;



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1. Emphasises the need for stronger safety policies which include:

a) Continuing the regular ENSREG19 stress-‐‑tests of power plants conditions and its employees,

b) Safe location of power plants, away from areas with a high risk of natural catastrophes,

c) Solid construction which is able to resist external factors,

d) Routine checks of nuclear plants and prohibition of the use of unsafe ones;

2. Urges the use of reliable underground deep geological repository systems20;

3. Encourages the use of breeder reactors, which reuse nuclear waste and thus reduce the amount of nuclear waste that has to be stored;

4. Calls for EU countries currently importing fossil fuels from non-‐‑EU countries to opt for nuclear energy, in the goal of gaining political independence from the energy-‐‑supplying country;

5. Requests an increase of share in the EU’s budget for the development of more sustainable energy forms such as:

a) Renewable energy,

b) Fusion based nuclear energy;

6. Encourages the use of nuclear energy as an alternative for renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power;

7. Further resolves that the EU Member States which are phasing out nuclear power from their national energy strategy, may do so provided that they meet the sustainable energy goals of the Europe 2020 targets21.

19 European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group (ENSREG) is an expert body created in 2007 following a decision of the European Commission, responsible for carrying out EU-‐‑wide stress tests. 20 A deep geological repository is a nuclear waste repository deep within a stable geologic environment. It provides a high level of long-‐‑term isolation and containment without future maintenance. 21 These goals are: greenhouse gas emissions 20% lower than 1990, 20% of energy from renewables, 20% increase in energy efficiency.



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European Youth Parliament Finland has received funding from the Ministry of Education and Culture and

the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 2013.

European Youth Parliament Finland – EYP-Finland ry

Uudenmaankatu 15 A 5, 00120 Helsinki

http://www.eypfinland.org

[email protected]

Kuopio 2013 – Regional Session of EYP Finland is supported by

kuopio 2013 resolution booklet

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