Committee on Human Rights (DROI)

A European Response: How can the EU deal with the current

refugee crisis sustainably, and in a way that upholds human rights
and protects human dignity?
Submitted by:

Francesco Bernardi (IT), Laura Brajak (HR), Jan Brdziak (PL), Mak Dedi
(BA), Din Kajmakovi (BA), Barbara Marai (HR), Paula Peenkovi (HR),
Lianne Smits (NL), Lukas Mitja Eliah Terlau (DE), Emin Hodi (Chairperson, BA)

The European Youth Parliament,

A. Emphasising the importance of Article 14 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1,

B. Noting with regret the ongoing inefficiency and lengthiness of asylum application
processes,
C. Aware of a rise in xenophobia, growing islamophobic movements and fear directed
towards refugees and migrants in the EU,
D. Taking into account extensive cultural differences between local citizens and refugees
caused by varied levels of education, diverse values and religion,
E. Observing the lack of effective measures taken by Member States to achieve
comprehensive integration of refugees into local communities and economies,
F.

Having examined the 2016 EU Turkey Agreement2, acknowledges the existence of:
i)

Positive impact, including working towards the common goal of sustainability, such as
increasing the level of security in the EU, as well as ensuring proper movement and
integration of legal immigrants,

ii)

Flaws, including the potential misuse of funds for refugee aid caused by corruption
and lacking safety of deported immigrants,

G. Noting with deep concern the rising number of refugee casualties3 happening on their
way to Europe,
H. Bearing in mind the lack of a unified approach, leading to unequal settlements of
refugees throughout the EU,
1

Article 14 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that everyone has the right to seek and receive
asylum.
2 The EU Turkey Agreement signed less than a month ago (20 March 2016) states that migrants arriving in Greece will
be sent back to Turkey if they do not apply for asylum or their claim is rejected. In return, any Syrian who is returned to
Turkey will be replaced by a Syrian resettled from Turkey to the EU.
3 The number of casualties in January 2016 exceeded 220 people, the monthly trend is steadily rising.

I.

Deeply concerned about inhumane living conditions in overcrowded refugee camps

within the EU;

1. Supports improving the efficiency of the asylum application process by establishing

asylum registration points set up by a European delegation that:
a)

are located at cross points around the refugees countries of origin,

b)

relieve the pressure of the refugee influx into the EU;

2. Endorses Member States Ministries of Security to clarify the nationality of terrorists involved
in recent attacks;
3. Further invites Member States to endorse Non-Governmental Organisations in creating
unique workshops, in which refugees promote their culture and bond with local residents4;
4. Encourages integration of incoming refugees by:
a)

endorsing the formation of an EU-wide organisation connecting integrated migrants

with incoming refugees from the same region,

b)

establishing evening classes for refugees to learn about local culture and languages,

c)

organising events such as The Country Day, where representatives of different

cultures can meet and interact with each other through sharing national cuisine and
interactive ethnic education;

5. Further recommends an immediate amendment to the EU Turkey Agreement, in order to

ensure:
a)

the safety of deported immigrants,

b)

transparent and secure distribution of funds for refugees,

c)

international cooperation;

6. Calls for the renewal of Operation Mare Nostrum5 through cooperation between the
Italian government and the EU;
7. Recommends the European Council establish a framework in accordance with the Dublin
III Regulation, aimed at equal distribution of refugees based on different socio-economic
factors6s;
8. Further requests the improvement and expansion of existing refugee camps to ensure
acceptable living conditions.

Such events are already held in certain host countries, and an event may usually include the cooking and sharing
of traditional meals with host residents in order to create a bond between refugees and host residents.
5 Operation Mare Nostrum was a year-long naval and air operation, commenced by the Italian government on
October 18, 2013 to tackle the increased immigration to Europe and migratory ship wreckages. During the operation,
at least 150,000 migrants, mainly from Africa and the Middle East, arrived safely in Europe.
6 Indicators such as GDP per capita, rate of economic growth and unemployment rate may facilitate the choice of
country in which to seek asylum for the refugees.
4

Committee on Womens Right and

Gender Equality (FEMM)
Equal Rights: What should the EU's position be on the issue of LGBTI+
marriage and adoption rights in Member States, and how can it pursue this
agenda?
Submitted by:

Karlo Vedak (HR), Renata Tauan (HR), Conall Molloy (IRL), Aleksandra
Szczsny (PL), Anja Aumiller (HR), Sara Mejdor (RS), Yulia Galantseva (CZ),
Male Euzen (Chairperson, FR)

The European Youth Parliament,

A. Fully aware of Member States sole competency in matters of family law,

B. Deeply conscious of cultural differences between Member States and their influence on
public opinion,
C. Recognising that social and legal change is a gradual and long-term process,
D. Bearing in mind the various stances of Member States on LGBTI+ marriage and adoption
rights,
E. Deeply concerned by the lack of legal recognition in certain Member States for LGBTI+
unions performed in other countries and the implications it has on freedom of movement,
F.

Alarmed by the levels of intolerance towards the LGBTI+ community within Member States,

G. Deeply discouraged by the constitutional prohibition of LGBTI+ marriage in Bulgaria,

Croatia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Slovakia,
H. Further noting the lack of legal recognition for LGBTI+ couples in Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania,
Italy, Poland, Romania and Slovakia;

1. Calls upon the Council of Ministers to begin an Open Method of Coordination 1 with the
goal of achieving equal marriage and adoption rights for LGBTI+ citizens through the
development of an incremental strategy in which the Member States gradually introduce
the necessary changes;
The Open Method of coordination is an intergovernmental governance tool in the European Union based on
voluntary cooperation of Member States. The mechanisms involved are not binding, such as guidelines and indicators,
benchmarking and sharing of good practises, and are based on peer pressure; that is to say, Member States are
evaluated by each other.
1

2. Urges Member States to offer equal legal recognition to LGBTI+ couples;

3. Calls upon Member States to recognise LGBTI+ marriages and civil unions performed in
other countries;
4. Further urges the Council of Ministers to adopt the European Commissions 2011 proposal
of Matrimonial Property Regime and Property Consequences of Registered Partnerships2.
5. Strongly urges Member States to implement legislation in line with the European Legal
Framework for Hate Speech, Blasphemy and Freedom of Expression 3;
6. Calls for an increase in funding for Non Governmental Organisations and civil societies
working on behalf of LGBTI+ citizens through existing funds such as the Rights, Equality and
Citizenship program4;
7. Emphasises the European Court of Human Rights5 jurisdiction over human rights violations
by Member States;
8. Expresses its appreciation of the Fundamental Rights agency6 and further supports its:
a)

protection of LGBTI+ citizens,

b)

cooperation with governments and civil societies;

9. Supports the continued efforts of the European Commission to raise awareness of LGBTI+
issues as outlined in the List of Actions by the Commission to advance LGBTI equality7.

The Commissions 2011 proposal of Matrimonial Property Regime and Property Consequences of Registered
Partnerships consists of two regulations targeting married couples and registered partners that ensure the status
harmonization concerning separation, parental responsibilities, maintenance and succession.
3
The European Legal Framework for Hate Speech, Blasphemy and Freedom of Expression is a framework evaluating
effectiveness of existing legislation in Member States and exploring opportunities to strengthen the current legal
framework by providing guidelines.
4
The Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme is a programme lead by the European Commission contributing to
the development of an area where equality and the rights of persons are promoted and protected.
5
The European Court of Human right is a supra-national court established by the European Convention of Human
Rights adopted by 47 states.
6
The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights is an agency of the European Union tasked with collecting
and analysing data on fundamental rights.
7
The List of Actions by the Commission to advance LGBTI equality is a list of actions to be implemented during the
period 2016-2019.

Committee on Organised Crime,

Corruption and Money Laundering
(CRIM)
The Worth of a Life: What action should the EU take to combat
human trafficking into and within the EU's borders?
Submitted by:

Bente Rijnbende (NL), Alexandra Kapoov (SK), Sara Pavlovi (HR), Antoni
Tomkowiak (PL), Nermin Salki (BA), Ljubica Miti (RS), Satine Avetisyan
(AM), Kate ORegan (IRL), Matteo Silicato (IT), Ioana Pop (Chairperson, RO)

The European Youth Parliament,

A. Fully aware of the steady increase in Organised Crime Groups (OCG) and their victims
since the year 2013,
B. Alarmed by the ineffectiveness of Members States border controls for identifying suspects
of Trafficking in Human Beings (THB),
C. Deeply disturbed by the estimated global annual profit of 31.6 billion dollars created by
THB, of which 49% is generated in industrialised economies,
D. Noting with deep regret the absence of common legislation on combating THB,
increasing the chances of OCGs to operate successfully,
E. Alarmed by the lack of cooperation between Member States regarding punishment for
THB,
F.

Noting with deep concern the absence of a shared European database on THB,

G. Aware of a lack of knowledge and public awareness about THB,

H. Taking into consideration that OCGs make use of social network platforms in order to
identify and manipulate potential victims,
I.

Disappointed by the inactivity of National Rapporteurs on Trafficking in Human Beings and

Sexual Violence against Children1;

Reports on nature and extent of human trafficking and sexual violence in the Netherlands

1. Urges Member States to involve experts in social civil fields such as police officers or
lawyers to provide optional, specialised trainings;
2. Requests Member States increase cooperation between national border controls in order
to establish transnational multidisciplinary law-enforcement units;
3. Supports Member States to proactively conduct financial investigations of trafficking
cases in order to form models for investigation and provide factual evidence for the
conviction of criminals;
4. Encourages the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime
(UNCTOC) to amend the Palermo Protocol2 regarding the developments in the past
decade;
5. Authorises the European Business Coalition against THB 3 to develop models and guidelines
on reducing the demand for services provided by THB victims;
6. Calls upon the Council of Ministers to agree upon extended definitions of human
trafficking victims;
7. Recommends individual Member States revise laws in order to align national punishment
systems;
8. Encourages the European Commission to stimulate cooperation between countries and
institutions, focusing on locating THB outside of the EU with help from National
Rapporteurs;
9. Calls upon the European Commission to create a central European Database similar to
Europol to exchange data on THB amongst Member States;
10. Deeply concerned that 18% of underage victims are re-trafficked in adulthood;
11. Supports Member States to specifically instruct victim protection organisations to treat
victims of trafficking according to Directive 2011/36/EU4, specifically:
a)

Article 8, prohibiting the persecution of victims of human trafficking based on

involuntary involvement in criminal activities,

b)

Article 11, stating that victims should be assisted and socially included;

12. Requests the International Federation of Social Workers to:

2
3
4

a)

design an EU-wide educational programme for secondary level schools, to educate

students about online recruitment by OCGs via social media, that can be included in
the national syllabi,

b)

launch a social media campaign in order to create awareness amongst social

media users.

United Nations Protocol 2003 to Supress and Punish Trafficking in Persons

2014 Coalition to improve cooperation with businesses and various stakeholders
Directive 2011/36/EU on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims.

Committee on Employment and

Social Affairs (EMPL)
Tomorrows Crisis: Amidst rising retirement ages, vanishing pension
funds and the issue of youth unemployment, how can the EU act
to ensure that pension policies are fair for workers and sustainable
for the future?
Submitted by:

Mihaela Baki (HR), Anja Bjelica (HR) , Robin von Boetticher (DE),
Magorzata Braszka (PL), Joachim Cornielje (NL), Lea Sevek (HR), Nika
Vahi (HR), Samul David Nelemans (Chairperson, NL)

The European Youth Parliament,

A. Recognising that the population of Europe is rapidly ageing due to:

i)

the baby boom1 generation reaching retirement age,

ii)

increasing life expectancy of European citizens,

iii) low birth rates,

B. Fully alarmed that the employed support ratio2 in Europe is expected to rise significantly
within the next 30 years,
C. Bearing in mind that due to the ageing of Europe, traditional pension systems across
Member States will increase labour costs for employers,
D. Realising that the difficulties connected to combining career and family life can
discourage people from having children,
E. Taking into account that in most Member States the retirement age does not differ
between professions,
F.

Emphasising the differences between professions regarding necessary physical abilities

and health hazards for employees,

G. Keeping in mind that private expenditures of a person tend to decrease after retirement,

The baby boom generation is defined as the people born between 1945 and 1960, when birth rates surged in
many European countries.
2
The support ratio is defined as the number of people above the age of 65 divided by the number of people aged
16 to 64 in a country or region. The employed support ratio is the number of people above the age of 65 divided
by the working population in a country or region.

H. Noting with concern the negative psychological impact retiring can have on workers;
I.

Appreciating the value of elderly citizens in the labour market due to their extensive work
experience,

J.

Having considered that average labour productivity decreases after the age of 40 in
most professions3,

K. Deeply concerned by high unemployment rates amongst the European youth,

L.

Believing youth unemployment to be primarily caused by a skill mismatch in the labour

market,

M. Noting with regret that the effective employed support ratio is further increasing due to
labour fraud4,
N. Observing that job security is very low for both young and elderly employees,
1. Calls upon Member States to provide:
a)

free day care for children;

b)

measures that support parents with full-time jobs;

2. Requests that Member States allow the adoption of different retirement ages for different
professions;
3. Recommends that Member States develop and implement a gradual retirement system
enabling employees to:
a)

work part-time during the retirement process whilst slowly decreasing their working
hours;

b)

focus on training new staff and passing on experience to younger workers;

c)

receive a salary for the hours they work while receiving a supplementary percentage
of their pension for the hours they do not work;

d)

choose freely between the systems of gradual retirement and traditional immediate
retirement;

e)

start their retirement process a flexible number of years before the traditional
retirement age, given that they will finish their retirement process that same number
of years after the traditional retirement age;

f)

choose freely at which age they start their retirement process within the bounds set
by the Member State for that specific profession;

4. Calls for Member States to enable citizens to conform to the demands of the labour
market by:

3
4

a)

ensuring that schools hire career counsellors who guide students in their study choice
based on labour market information;

b)

stimulating cooperation between universities and potential employers;

MPIDR Working Paper WP 2003-028 Age and Individual Productivity: A Literature Survey
Labour fraud here refers to the practise of illegally hiring employees without paying labour taxes.

c)

providing support for courses and training programmes for employers aimed at
developing job specific skills and improving employability;

d)

encouraging the exchange of knowledge within sectors throughout the European

Union;

5. Encourages Member States to combat labour fraud by:

a)

enforcing labour regulations more strictly;

b)

increasing funding for the prosecution of labour fraud;

6. Urges Member States to improve the protection of employee rights.

Committee on Environment, Public

Health and Food Safety (ENVI)
The Standard of Living: Considering the health effects of over
consumption of sugar, alcohol and tobacco, what steps should
the EU take to ensure the health of its population?
Submitted by:

Wout Sartorius (NL), Jan Teak (HR), Hrvoje Koi (HR), Tarik Bai (BA),
Marko Ljubas (HR), Christian Kodarin (IT), Lucie ern (CZ), Theodora
Steiner (AT), Sara Ibrovi (Chairperson, BA)

The European Youth Parliament,

A. Deeply disturbed by the fact that:

i) 55 million people in EU drink harmful levels of alcohol on a daily basis,
ii) Over 50% of EU population is either overweight or obese 1
iii) one third of European Union citizens (28%) currently smoke either cigarettes, cigars or a
pipe2,
B. Alarmed by the fact that 25% of all traffic accidents are alcohol related,
C. Considering that laws prohibiting the sale of alcoholic beverages to minors are often not
enforced,
D. Realising the advertisement of alcoholic products is legal in some Member States,
E. Deeply disturbed by the fact that more than half of all violent incidents are perpetrated
by an intoxicated party3,
F.

Fully aware of the adverse health effects excessive consumption of alcohol has (cancer,
cardiovascular diseases, liver failure, neurological disorders),

G. Believing that alcohol abuse treatment methods are not effectively implemented in the
health care systems of the Member States,
H. Anxious that more than 70,000 adults in the EU die due to passive exposure to tobacco
smoke4,

Eurostat Overweight and Obesiy 2008

Action on Smoking and Health Survey
3
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism #38 October 1997
4
European Commission Public Health Portal Smoke-free Environments
2

I.

Aware of the fact that measures of each Member State for public smoking restrictions
across the EU considerably differ in extent,

J.

Taking into consideration that subsidies given to growing tobacco companies represent a
set back to the pursue of the objective of a smoke-free EU environment5,

K. Considering that products and therapies for treating nicotine addiction can cost 50 100% more than buying cigarettes or tobacco6,
L.

Fully alarmed by the fact that 29% of young Europeans (15-24) smoke and 94% of smokers
start consuming tobacco before the age of 25 7,

M. Realising that advertising of tobacco containing products and tobacco usage is not fully
regulated neither standardised across the Member States,
N. Noting with deep concern that the access to healthy food is limited due to price
imbalance between nutritious food and food with added sugar,
O. Recognizing the lack of universal taxes on products with added sugar within the Member
states,
P. Alarmed by the overwhelming presence of unhealthy food in schools,
Q. Seriously concerned by the lack of obligatory physical activities in schools,
R. Further noting that sugar alternatives are not being used to their full potential;

1. Encourages the Member states to impose stricter penalties for drunk driving, including:
a)

driver licence confiscations,

b)

higher financial fines,

2. Calls upon Member States to fully enforce the laws prohibiting the sale of alcohol to
minors through:
a)

increased inspections

b)

stricter fines;

3. Urges the Member States to ban all existing forms of advertisement of alcoholic drinks;
4. Expresses its hope that the Member States will commit to allocating more funds to alcohol
addiction research and treatment;
5. Requests Member States to update their school curricula to include information on
alcohol use disorders;

17 Member States have introduced comprehensive smokefree policies and public opinion strongly supports
such legislation. As a result, smokefree legislation in the European Union is protecting millions of European
citizens from the harmful effects caused by passive smoking which is estimated to cause 79,000 deaths every
year in the EU.
6
WHO Tobacco Control Intervention 2003
7
Eurobarometer 385 Attitudes of Europeans Towards Tobacco 2012

6. Calls upon Member states to ensure that smoking in public and work places is mandatorily
forbidden as stated in the World Health Organizations (WHO) Framework Convention on
Tobacco Control;
7. Expresses its hope that subsidies to tobacco growing and selling farmers will be limited in
the future;
8. Further hopes for the abolition of all tobacco advertisement;
9. Invites the establishment of smoke education campaigns in school curricula, both in
primary and high schools;
10. Encourages the investment of money raised with tobacco taxation to lower the price of
addiction therapies, and also education programs for preventing and reducing tobacco
usage;
11. Emphasizes the necessity of stricter controls on tobacco selling to underage people;
12. Supports the awareness campaign8 launched by the Health and Food Safety
Commissioner;
13. Suggests increasing taxes on food with high sugar content within Member States;
14. Encourages Member States to ensure healthy meals and organized physical activities
within primary and high schools;
15. Advises EU funded media courses to raise awareness of the importance of preventing
and managing obesity;
16. Recommends Member States to increase higher usage of stevia as an alternative for
sugar.

Ex-smokers are Unstoppable, a campaign aimed at reducing tobacco related illnesses