Amsterdam 2024
Discovering new talents and furthering talent
#AmRC’24
Welcome to Amsterdam 2024, the second Regional Conference of EYP the Netherlands in 2024!
2-4 FEBRUARY
Friday: Officials Training (Officials only)
Saturday: Teambuilding & Committee Work
Sunday: General Assembly
85 participants
Delegations from Dutch high schools
Amsterdam
Cygnus Gymnasium Amsterdam & Muller-Lulofshuis Amsterdam
Venues
Overnight accommodation
Officials Training
Teambuilding, Committee Work and General Assembly
Travel information
for international officials and participants
The Netherlands is one of the central rail and bus hubs of Western Europe. In addition, chronic delays at Schiphol Airport have resulted in additional travel time, both to and from the Netherlands. What may have been a four hour travel time (airport-flight-airport) might now be six or seven hours. At this travel time, bus and rail travel are more competitive time wise.
General information
The NS is the main provider of rail services within the Netherlands. Train travel within the Netherlands is the quickest and easiest way to get around, with frequent train services connecting all areas of the country. Information about train travel can be located from the Official NS App, or through the third-party 9292 app. Public transport within Amsterdam is possible on the extensive tram and metro network – though it is just as easy to walk or cycle through the entire city.
Tickets can be bought on the NS App, or at stations, where a €1 surcharge applies for printed tickets. It is also possible to purchase a travel card – called the OV Chipkaart – for €5 at these kiosks. Using the OV Chipkaart allows you to avail of discounts and avoid paying for surcharges.
When travelling in the Netherlands on NS services during non-peak times, it is possible to avail of a 40% discount when travelling with a subscription holder. This can be activated in the NS App (for registered cards) or at a kiosk through the ‘Joint Journey Discount’ or ‘Samenreiskorting’ option.
Rail
Amsterdam is one of the most well connected European capitals, with a wide variety of international connections through both Amsterdam Centraal and nearby Utrecht Centraal. The Eurostar has five daily trips between London and the Netherlands (3h 30), hourly Thalys services between Amsterdam, Antwerp, Brussels, and Paris (2h 30), as well as high frequency Intercity Direct services between Belgium (Antwerp and Brussels) and Amsterdam (1h 30). There are also a number of ICE high speed connections between Amsterdam and German cities, including Cologne, Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, Nuremberg, and eight direct services a day to Berlin.
There are also Nightjet services – overnight rail connections between Amsterdam and other cities across Europe, including Vienna, Prague, Basel, and Zurich. These can be more costly, but may well be cheaper (and less stressful!) than flying.
All trains in the country gravitate around Amsterdam Centraal. From north to south, Amsterdam Centraal is one of the easiest stations in the country to get to. Use the NS or 9292 app to check your simplest journey.
Bus
If you’re coming from elsewhere in Western Europe, a bus connection may also be an easy and cheap travel option, especially for cities without direct rail service to Amsterdam. Flixbus, the main international bus company, offers bus travel between Amsterdam and cities in Northern France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany. Do be aware of longer travel times compared to rail travel.
Many of these begin or terminate from other rail stations in Amsterdam, such as Amsterdam Sloterdijk or Amsterdam Bijlmer ArenA, so be sure to double check the details. Other transport hubs are easily accessible from Amsterdam Centraal (less than 5 minutes by train, or 15 by Metro), but you don’t want to find out too close to departure time!
Air
Schiphol Airport is the main airport of the Netherlands, as one of the busiest airports in Europe with daily flights to dozens of European countries. There is a direct rail connection between Schiphol Airport and Amsterdam Centraal, with direct connections every 10 minutes, and journeys lasting less than 15 minutes.
WARNING – Schiphol Airport has been experiencing severe security delays, upon both arrival and departure. It is recommended to get to Schiphol at least 3 hours before your flight to ensure sufficient time, and even longer if you have a tendency to get lost, if you’re checking in bags, or if you want additional buffer time.
Eindhoven Airport is the secondary airport of the Netherlands, mostly containing budget airline carriers, such as Ryanair and Wizz Airways. Destinations include Dublin, Vienna, Barcelona, Rome, Budapest, Bilbao, Riga, Sofia, and others. Eindhoven Airport is located approximately 1 hour 20 minutes by train away from Amsterdam, with bus connections from the airport to Eindhoven Centraal station. The rail journey costs EUR22 for a peak time undiscounted ticket.
There are also flights from The Hague Rotterdam Airport and London, Barcelona, Edinburgh, Lisbon and other seasonal destinations. These are fewer in number than flights to Schiphol or Eindhoven, but it is also worth researching. From The Hague Rotterdam Airport, you can travel on Line E of the Rotterdam Metro to Den Haag Centraal, and from here transfer to mainline rail to Amsterdam Centraal.
Packing list
Essentials
- ID and/or passport
- Health insurance card
- Food for Eurovillage (delegates)
- Money to spend on the (non-obligatory) non-alcoholic drinks and/or snacks during other Evening Programme events
- Reusable waterbottle and/or coffee cup
- Sleeping bag and sleeping mat
Clothing
- Casual clothing for Teambuilding (Friday for officials, Saturday for delegates)
- Smart casual clothing for Committee Work (Saturday & Sunday)
- Business formal clothing for General Assembly (Sunday)
- Pyjamas
- Enough underwear/socks etc. for four days
- Shoes
Academics
- Research material & Topic Overviews for Committee Work (digitally available, preferably not printed)
- Pen, notebook, paper (the Oxford notebook from your Regional Conference maybe…)
- Laptop & charger if you have them
Personal
- Any (emergency) medication you may need
Please note: we are not allowed to provide you with any form of medication. This even includes coughing tablets or painkillers. If you think you may need these, please bring them yourself! - Toiletries
- Towel
- Phone & charger
- Lots of excitement and a good mood!
Topic Overviews
With support of the President and Vice-Presidents, the Chairpersons of Amsterdam 2024 have written extensive Academic Topic Overviews for their Committees. It is mandatory for all delegates to thoroughly study the paper, follow the links and answer the guiding questions in research of their own topic. If you want to further understand other committees’ resolutions, it is also recommended to explore the corresponding Topic Overview. Good luck with your academic preparation!
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EMPL
A Place To Call Home: With young people struggling to break into the housing market, an increasing number turn to private rentals where they face soaring prices and an insecure market filled with inadequacy problems, such as noise pollution and poor energy efficiency. Considering that those at risk of living in poverty are disproportionately affected, how…
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ENVI
Fast and Fashion-Furious: Numerous fashion companies opt to use inexpensive and environmentally hazardous materials as the demand for affordable clothing has been rapidly increasing. What measures can the EU implement to protect the environment from the dangers associated with the fast fashion industry?
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FEMM
The Cost of Being a Woman: Latest research has shown that in addition to the tax on menstrual products, goods targeting female customers are approximately 5% more expensive compared to products advertised to men. Taking into account the already existing economic differences between men and women, what stance should the EU take on product pricing…
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IMCO
Money, Money, Money: As cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are becoming more popular in the investment market, the demand for additional security measures and supervised transactions has appeared.Given that investment scams and theft are still thriving in this under-legislated sector, how can the EU protect consumers and investors, particularly those with an NFT portfolio? by…
-
ITRE
Deus Ex Machina: As global CO2 emissions persistently rise, geoengineering as a potential solution for anthropogenic climate change is becoming more popular amongst scientists and experts. Given the method’s controversial nature and the raised concerns regarding its potential environmental, social, and geopolitical consequences, what stance should the EU adopt on geoengineering, considering the ethical implications…
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TRAN
Replace My Car: With the EU planning to reach carbon neutrality by 2050, creating low-emission zones started to gain popularity, implying that thousands of personal cars will have to be replaced for some citizens to gain access to low-emission zones in some European cities. Considering the social implications of exchanging cars for the more socially…
Resolutions
With support of the President and Vice-Presidents, the Chairpersons of Amsterdam 2024 have written extensive Academic Resolutions. If you want to further understand these resolutions, it is also recommended to explore the corresponding Topic Overviews. Good luck during the General Assembly!
-
EMPL
A Place To Call Home: With young people struggling to break into the housing market, an increasing number turn to private rentals where they face soaring prices and an insecure market filled with inadequacy problems, such as noise pollution and poor energy efficiency. Considering that those at risk of living in poverty are disproportionately affected, how…
-
ENVI
Fast and Fashion-Furious: Numerous fashion companies opt to use inexpensive and environmentally hazardous materials as the demand for affordable clothing has been rapidly increasing. What measures can the EU implement to protect the environment from the dangers associated with the fast fashion industry?
-
FEMM
The Cost of Being a Woman: Latest research has shown that in addition to the tax on menstrual products, goods targeting female customers are approximately 5% more expensive compared to products advertised to men. Taking into account the already existing economic differences between men and women, what stance should the EU take on product pricing…
-
IMCO
Money, Money, Money: As cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are becoming more popular in the investment market, the demand for additional security measures and supervised transactions has appeared.Given that investment scams and theft are still thriving in this under-legislated sector, how can the EU protect consumers and investors, particularly those with an NFT portfolio?
-
ITRE
Deus Ex Machina: As global CO2 emissions persistently rise, geoengineering as a potential solution for anthropogenic climate change is becoming more popular amongst scientists and experts. Given the method’s controversial nature and the raised concerns regarding its potential environmental, social, and geopolitical consequences, what stance should the EU adopt on geoengineering, considering the ethical implications…
-
TRAN
Replace My Car: With the EU planning to reach carbon neutrality by 2050, creating low-emission zones started to gain popularity, implying that thousands of personal cars will have to be replaced for some citizens to gain access to low-emission zones in some European cities. Considering the social implications of exchanging cars for the more socially…
Safety & Welfare
In the European Youth Parliament we work hard to ensure the physical and mental wellbeing of all participants and volunteers. At all our conferences, there will be at least individuals committed to safety and welfare: trained Event Safe Persons (Vertrouwenspersonen) & licenced Emergency Response Officers (Bedrijfshulpverleners – BHV’ers).
Additionally, there is a National Safe Person for back-up and extensive Safety & Welfare policies on an international level.
Team
Amsterdam 2024 is run by a group of dedicated volunteers. All are previous participants of the European Youth Parliament, from the Netherlands and abroad. Each team is responsible for a different aspect of the conference and led by an experienced member.
Head-Organisers
Imme Bosman
Tommie Steenwinkel
The initiators and project managers of Amsterdam 2024
Dear delegates and officials,
Welcome to the Regional Conference in Amsterdam! We are looking forward to seeing all of you during the session, and we hope that you’re excited too.
We have worked towards this session for months and we’re all bound to have a great time. We hope you’ll learn new things, meet new people, and take a step out of your comfort zone. With our sessions theme: “Discovering new talents and furthering talents” we hope to inspire all of you to develop yourselves in ways you haven’t done before and discover parts of yourself that you haven’t found before.
Have a great session!
Tommie and Imme