Resolutions Zeist 2021

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY COMMITTEE ON INDUSTRY, RESEARCH AND ENERGY (ITRE)

An expensive shade of green: The key aim of the EU Green Deal is becoming the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. Bearing in mind the recent surge in energy prices, how can the EU assure that this rapid shift towards renewable energy does not come at the detriment of consumers and companies who might face higher energy bills as a result?

Submitted by: Anna Jansen op de Haar, Imme Bosman, Jackie Wiederspahn, Marieke de Weerd, Daniélla Izabell,  Aysha Koçtürk (Chairperson, TR)

The European Youth Parliament,

1. Appreciating the goals of the European Green Deal such as:
   1. reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55%,
   2. achieving a 40% share of renewable energy in the EU’s energy mix by 2030,
2. Deeply concerned by the sharp rise in natural gas prices of more than 450% since the beginning of the year, resulting in an increase in electricity prices by over 230%,
3. Aware that natural gas and coal still make up 35% of the EU’s total energy production in 2019,
4. Observing the great differences in the share of non-renewable energy sources between Member States’ energy mixes,
5. Alarmed by the financial burden which mounting electricity prices might inflict on financially weak households, in particular on those 8% of EU citizens that already live in energy poverty,
6. Pointing out the EU’s unpreparedness for the planned energy transition, as:
   1. 75% of EU citizens still heavily depend on heating systems fuelled by fossil fuels,
   2. many building infrastructures are unfit for a switch to renewable energy sources;

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1. Calls upon the Directorate General for Budget (DG BUDG) to provide Member States with further funding dedicated to the pursuit of the goals of the Green Deal;
2. Encourages national primary energy producers to initiate a switch to renewable energy production while still producing non-renewables, similar to the approach of Royal Dutch Shell, with the help from the European Innovation Fund;
3. Requests the European Commission to financially support companies producing and providing renewable energy, for instance hydroelectric energy;
4. Encourages Member States to invest specifically in those renewable energy sources that are most suitable for the respective country’s environmental and social conditions;
5. Calls upon Member States to:
   1. financially support low-income households’ struggling to meet electricity bills,
   2. subsidise said households when acquiring their own renewable energy source;
6. Invites municipalities to renovate public buildings, thereby improving their energy efficiency, with the financial assistance of the European Structural and Investment Funds;
7. Calls upon the European Commission to draft environmental requirements for newly constructed buildings;
8. Calls upon the European Commission to subsidise the switch from heating systems powered by fossil fuels to ones based on renewable energy sources through the LIFE Programme.

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON BEATING CANCER (BECA)

The age of cancer: February 2021 saw the release of the ‘Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan’ by the European Commission. With cancer poised to become the EU’s leading cause of death by 2035 and with treatment and survival rates varying dramatically between Member States and societal groups, how should the EU ensure equal access to cancer treatment?

Submitted by: Mees Dijkman, Minna El-Shaikh, Floor Faber, Ciana Kokos, Willem Kribbe, Melody Rampersad, Emilia Vocke, Steven Voerknecht, Nina Tsoutsanis (Chairperson, NL)

The European Youth Parliament,

1. Alarmed by reports predicting a rise of cancer incidence by over 24% by 2035,
2. Concerned by the discrepancies regarding cancer diagnosis and survival rates that exist between:
   1. Member States,
   2. socioeconomic groups,
   3. racial groups, 
3. Deeply concerned by the inacessibility of certain cancer treatments in some Member States due to:
   1. delays in national approvals of said treatments despite approval by the European Medicines Agency (EMA),
   2. the lack of insurance coverage of said treatments,
4. Pointing out the different levels of governmental investment in healthcare within the EU,
5. Recognising that occupational exposure to cancer-causing carcinogens, for example in the agricultural sector, is a key driver of cancer incidences,
6. Noting with regret the prevalence of discrimination against cancer patients by employers,
7. Conscious of the potential threat to patient privacy posed by large data-gathering operations, such as the European Commission’s Knowledge Centre on Cancer;

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1. Asks Member States to implement more efficient cancer testing by regularly inviting high-risk groups, such as women with increased risk for breast cancer, to check-ups;
2. Requests research institutes and pharmaceutical developers through the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) to have more balanced research samples, particularly regarding marginalised communities; 
3. Calls upon the European Commission to further implement the new Pharmaceutical Strategy for Europe, by implementing the EU regulation¹This regulation on Health Technology Assessment (HTA) helps governments determine the value and fair market price of a medication. on Health Technology Assessment (HTA) to reduce discrepancies in pricing between Member States;
4. Seeks the European Commission to reallocate funds from EU4Health towards improving Member States’ health systems of lower quality in regard to cancer treatment;
5. Recommends Member States facilitate cross-border cancer treatment;
6. Encourages all Member States to fully cover cancer treatment for its inhabitants;
7. Suggests the Knowledge Centre on Cancer cooperate with Member States and other research facilities to centralise cancer research and information within the EU;
8. Invites the European Commission to:
   1. allocate funds towards European research institutes,
   2. facilitate research towards the impacts of occupational exposure on cancer incidences;
9. Requests the Knowledge Centre on Cancer create occupational exposure guidelines based on the previous research, focusing on guidelines surrounding materials and safe working conditions, like sufficient ventilation;
10. Reminds the Member States to ensure cancer patients’ full protection against workplace discrimination;
11. Urges the Knowledge Centre on Cancer to, together with the European Commission, strictly implement the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in their databases and the Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan.

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY COMMITTEE ON CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS (AFCO)

Pacta sunt servanda: According to Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union, aimed at ensuring compliance with basic European values in all Member States, a breach of European law can only be determined by a unanimous vote of the EU’s heads of state and government. Given the lengthiness of the Article 7 procedure and the possibility of alliances among Member States, how can the EU enforce its basic values?

Submitted by: Yonis Ahmedali, Catalina Anneese, Bobby Blaauw, Anne Groenewegen, Yasumi Meijer, Sophie Roelfsema, Laurence Verbree, Laura van Zonneveld, Sebastian Ohlig (Chairperson, DE)

The European Youth Parliament,

1. Bearing in mind that the rule of law, as laid out in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU), is a fundamental EU value,
2. Concerned by the lack of a shared legal framework on defining ‘rule of law’ in the European Union,
3. Reiterating Member States’ right to adopt national legislation and the conflicts arising out of the subsidiarity principle,¹The subsidiarity principle, as laid out in Article 5 TEU, states that legislation adopted at the lowest-possible level.
4. Alarmed by developments in Member States such as Poland, where, in a ruling, the Constitutional Tribunal recently questioned the very legal foundations of the EU,
5. Acknowledging that the EU’s mechanism for defending its fundamental values, as it is laid out in Article 7 TEU, has proven inadequate,
6. Conscious that, in the past, alliances between Member States have blocked EU attempts in line with Article 7 TEU to hold said Member States accountable for violations of EU fundamental values,
7. Observing the rejection of the idea of withholding EU funds in response to breaches of EU fundamental values by several EU Member States,
8. Noting the ongoing debate on introducing a ‘Copenhagen Mechanism’;²The concept of a Copenhagen Mechanism refers to the possibility of an EU-wide supervisory and monetary mechanism, tracking the rule of law in Member States and with the power to freeze national practices.

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1. Calls upon the European Commission to establish a multi-stakeholder working group tasked with developing an EU-wide consensual definition of the term ‘rule of law’;
2. Reminds Member States of the legal precedents establishing the primacy of European over national law;
3. Urges the European Council to increase the public perception of the transparency of the Article 7 process;
4. Requests the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) to:
   1. conduct a study examining the advantages of a reform of the Rule of Law Mechanism in the TEU,
   2. devise possible areas of reform in the TEU;
5. Further request the European Council to, dependent on the results of the aforementioned study, amend Article 7 TEU following the legal guidelines set forth in Article 48 TEU for such processes;
6. Encourages the European Commission to partially restrict the dispensation of EU funding in response to Member States’ violations of European values, in particular the rule of law, whilst:
   1. targeting the respective Member States’ governments, not populations,
   2. setting the scale of the sanction according to the severity of the breach;
7. Calls upon the European Commission to guarantee accountability and transparency in supplying funding;
8. Calls upon Directorate General for Budget (DG BUDG) to ensure no EU funds are being utilised to finance operations in conflict with European values;
9. Calls upon the Directorate General for Justice and Consumer (DG JUST) to further expand its existing mechanisms for a review of the state of Rule of Law in Member States;
10. Calls upon the European Commission to create an independent expert group tasked with:
    1. looking into the feasibility of implementing a neutral intra-EU evaluation of the status of European values in Member States,
    2. investigating the advantages of and steps required for a ‘Copenhagen Mechanism’ system.

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY COMMITTEE  ON WOMENS’ RIGHTS AND GENDER EQUALITY (FEMM)

Women in STEM: While some economic sectors are almost gender-equal, there is a large gender gap among scientists and engineers. This disparity manifests itself in some Member States and regions more than in others, for example, in Luxembourg women make up only 28% of all scientists and engineers. How can the EU tackle this inequality?

Submitted by:  Irem Afacan, Felix Crawford, Rebecca Reuvekamp, Tommie Steenwinkel, Órla Stockmann, Liv Straat, Wouter Verheijen, (Ruben Rosaria, Chair NL)

The European Youth Parliament,

1. Noting with deep regret that women make up only 30% of the information and communications technology (ICT) workforce and occupy less than 7% of tech positions in Europe,
2. Contemplating the discrimination of women in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) sector with regard to:
   1. salary,
   2. opportunities,
   3. access to research funding, 
3. Bearing in mind that closing the STEM gap would lead to a EUR 610-820 billion boost of the EU’s total GDP by 2050, ¹STEM gap refers to the discrepancy between males and females working in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. 
4. Aware of the prevalence of gender biases and stereotypes in the STEM sector, which discourages women from pursuing a career in these fields,
5. Concerned by the lack of encouragement, support, and practical experiences for girls in STEM subjects over the course of their education,
6. Realising the lack of female role models in the STEM sector who might be able to encourage girls to pursue a career in this field,
7. Observing the differences in STEM gender ratios across Member States;

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1. Asks UN Women to evaluate companies within the EU regarding their gender dynamics yearly;
2. Calls upon the Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (DG EMPL) to create a certificate for companies that have at least 45% female employees;
3. Encourages Member States to financially support companies with more than 45% female employees; 
4. Asks the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) to expand their services by:
   1. including an academic scholarship fund for women,
   2. expanding the accessibility of mentors for women in STEM;
5. Seeks Member States to set minimum wages for employment;
6. Calls upon Member States to mandate equal amounts of parental leave for men and women;
7. Calls upon the EIGE to organise various informational campaigns, such as:
   1. seminars,
   2. videos,
   3. sending representatives to organisations and schools;
8. Encourages media corporations to address the STEM gap by:
   1. devoting equal screen time to male and women,
   2. combating stereotypes in media;
9. Calls upon the European Commission to create an annual conference for gender equality and women’s rights.

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS (AFET)

West Balkan woes: Though the EU has committed to starting accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania last year, it remains unrealistic that any Western Balkan country will join the EU within the next years. Taking this into account, how can the EU still facilitate regional economic growth and revive the European perspective for these countries?

Submitted by: Chiury de Nijs, Elena Stunda, Eline Dijkman, Róisín Clancy, Storm Visser, Jędrzej Cader (Chairperson, PL)

The European Youth Parliament,

1. Appreciating the need for a country-specific approach to the Western Balkan region,
2. Aware of the sluggish economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic in the Western Balkan region,
3. Paying tribute to the right of Member States to voice their concerns regarding the EU accession of Western Balkan nations such as North Macedonia and Albania, as it is laid out in Article 49 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU),
4. Concerned by the high unemployment in the Western Balkan regions, especially among younger generations,
5. Gravely concerned by the prevalence of criminal organisations in the region, engaging in crimes such as:
   1. drug trafficking,
   2. trafficking in human beings,
6. Noting with regret the lack of media freedom in many Western Balkan countries,
7. Regretting the high levels of corruption in the Western Balkan region, slowing down economic growth,
8. Alarmed by the lack of progress in the Belgrade – Pristina dialogue regarding Serbia not recognising Kosovo as a nation;

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1. Invites Member States to promote and organise regular summits together with Western Balkan countries following the example of the Brno Summit of 2021, specifically focusing on:
   1. improving bilateral relations between individual Western Balkan states, with their neighbours, and with the EU,
   2. addressing particular topics hindering the accession progress, such as corruption or limited media freedom;
2. Urges the European Commission to focus current as well as future investment plans, such as its European Investment Plan (EIP), on the improvement and expansion of general infrastructure in Western Balkan countries;
3. Seeks for the European Council to express regret concerning citizens’ general distrust in their local governments, for example towards the Albanian government regarding the COVID-19 pandemic;
4. Calls upon the European Commission to extend its pro-vaccination campaigns to the Western Balkans;
5. Encourages the Western Balkan countries to introduce monetary incentives for multinational corporations (MNCs) to move to the Western Balkans, for instance by lowering the corporate tax rate;
6. Urges the Western Balkan states to promote tourism in the area by:
   1. collaborating with European TV broadcasting companies as well as streaming services to create promotional videos portraying various tourist attractions in the Western Balkan region,
   2. encouraging local governments to allocate funds from grants and investment plans to the tourist industry;
7. Calls upon the European Commission to amend Article 49 TEU to also require countries wishing to accede to the EU to uphold and commit to EU values;
8. Calls upon Europol and Frontex to collaborate on a project that is aimed at combatting drug and human trafficking in Member States and border regions, which would:
   1. support Europol in its existing efforts to battle drug trafficking within Member States in accordance with EU drug policy,
   2. help to enforce the EU Anti Trafficking Directive of 2011,
   3. collaborate with Western Balkan countries and existing non-governmental organisations that are addressing this issue;
9. Strongly urges Western Balkan countries to revise, expand, and enforce their media and press freedom laws with the aim of meeting the Copenhagen Accession Criteria;
10. Encourage Western Balkan countries to combat corruption by:
    1. extending the political and economic education in the region’s educational systems,
    2. further facilitating the collaboration of EU and Western Balkan higher education institutions, for instance, with regards to student exchanges;
11. Urges the European Council to proclaim that Serbia will not be able to advance in any accession negotiations until it recognises Kosovo as a completely sovereign and independent state.

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT, PUBLIC HEALTH AND FOOD SAFETY (ENVI)

No more time to lose: Despite strict nature protection laws, the EU is struggling to maintain its biodiversity, with unsustainable farming, fragmentation, habitat loss, and climate change being the biggest threats to biodiversity. What can the EU do in order to protect all species and habitats in Europe?

Submitted by: Doris de Wit, Evelien Korving, Gabrielle Groeneveld, Jade Geurts, Julie Terng, Meilan Luijendijk, PSubmitted by: Doris de Wit, Evelien Korving, Gabrielle Groeneveld, Jade Geurts, Julie Terng, Meilan Luijendijk, Parmis Mohajeri, Sarah Overweg, Aiden Blokzijl, Klára Vísnerová (Chairperson, CZ)

The European Youth Parliament,

1. Recognising the  need for a coordinated approach to protecting biodiversity, as expressed by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD),
2. Aware of:
   1. the correlation between declining biodiversity and climate change,
   2. the need for a joint approach,
3. Noting with regret how rising consumption demand leads to overexploitation of global natural resources,
4. Deeply alarmed that up to 25% of European animal species are now in danger of extinction,
5. Observing that terrestrial and marine ecosystems are currently absorbing roughly 50% of manmade carbon emissions,
6. Deeply concerned by the danger posed by invasive alien species to biodiversity;

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1. Suggests Member States to connect natural ecosystems with urban areas by implementing initiatives like ‘green roofs’ or ‘The Bees in the City’, following the model established by the University of Westminster 2019; ¹A green roof is a roof that is partially or fully covered with vegetation.
2. Calls upon Member States to update their agri-food chain legislation to include taxes on meat products;
3. Calls upon Member States to:
   1. encourage research into their local natural habitats and their preservation,
   2. allocate more funding to natural preservation;
4. Encourages Member States to direct their agricultural sectors to respect the time required for the recovery of overexploited land areas in accordance with the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030;
5. Suggest Member States establish a fee on food overproduction following the Korean model;
6. Asks Member States to financially support and expand endangered species’ breeding and relocation initiatives;
7. Calls upon Member States to improve tracking of and adopt measures against the spread of alien invasive species in their ecosystems;
8. Urges Member States to implement stricter regulations against illegal wildlife hunting and trafficking, as well as improve enforcement of pre-existing laws.

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY COMMITTEE ON EMPLOYMENT AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS (EMPL)

No one left behind: The COVID-19 crisis has disproportionately hit research and development in some Member States. Students and early-career scientists are leaving their regions in order to obtain better funding in others, resulting in a vicious cycle of brain drain. How can the EU stop this trend whilst treating all regions fairly?

Submitted by: Anouk Oldenhuis Arwert, Grace Mbonu, Nienke Hut, Petter Hartman, Sofia Dobrovitskaya, Wies Blaauw, Joran Meijerink, Nikoleta Chapanova (Chairperson, BG)

The European Youth Parliament,

1. Appreciating the Horizon Europe programme that will invest up to EUR 95,5 billion in supporting researchers and entrepreneurs by 2027,
2. Noting that the programme’s predecessor, Horizon 2020, failed to equally distribute funding among the EU’s regions,
3. Regretting the lack of a united approach to combat youth unemployment in the EU,
4. Stressing the fact that the Covid-19 pandemic pandemic has worsened the disparities between the EU’s regions,
5. Keeping in mind that the freedom of movement, as laid out in Article 21 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), should not be restricted,
6. Appreciating the expanding possibility of remote working in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic,
7. Concerned by existing disparities between different regions of the EU with regard to:
   1. investment in innovation,
   2. employment rates and average salary,
   3. economic performance;

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1. Congratulates the Directorate General for Research and Innovation (DG RTD) on implementing investment programmes in research and innovation such as Horizon Europe;
2. Requests that DG RTD takes into account The European Innovation Scoreboard (EIS) when distributing the aforementioned funds among Member States;
3. Invites the European Commission to support the European youth in navigating the job market by:
   1. providing consultations for young job-seekers,
   2. creating a network of country-specific employment initiatives targeted at first-time employees; 
4. Calls on the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) to: 
   1. identify systematic problems in the infrastructure of Member States,
   2. propose solutions to these problems,
   3. communicate its findings with DG RTD;
5. Suggests Member States invest in information and communications technology (ICT) while ensuring equal distribution among schools and businesses;
6. Request the European Commission create an EU-wide informational programme on online work and school.