Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM II)

Girl, online: With one in ten women estimated to have already experienced a form of cyber violence in their lifetime, and the recent leaking of thousands of indecent images of non-consenting women and girls in Ireland, how can the EU ensure that its citizens are safe from cyber sexual harassment given the trend of digitalisation in recent months?

Chairperson: Hannah Rakers (NL)

Introduction

In November 2020 in Ireland, thousands of intimate photos of women were leaked and shared on the internet. All of the 140000 photos were shared without consent, some also taken without the women’s knowledge, and there were even a number of photos depicting underage girls. Following the giant leak, a bill was passed outlawing the so-called ‘revenge porn’, making Ireland the fifth European country, after Germany, the UK, Malta and France, to adopt legislation specifically targeting the non-consensual distribution of private images. Most other countries depend on more general privacy legislation, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

With a more than 50 percent internet use increase due to the Covid pandemic, women have also increasingly been faced with cyber violence. This has multiple consequences, such as women restricting their online access to avoid forms of cyber harassment. This leads to women excluding themselves from the wide array of essential services and online opportunities offered by the pandemic. It may also lead to censorship, as women feel the need to voice their opinions increasingly online, but are often attacked or discriminated against. As online access is progressively important for social and economical wellbeing, and even more so due to the pandemic, these progressions are worrying to say the least. There are many forms ofcyber violence, all of which tend to disproportionately target women and girls. Most prominent is non-consensual pornography, where intimate images and videos are distributed and often taken without the victim’s consent or even knowledge, The most common form of non-consensual pronography is revenge porn, where an ex-partner distributes intimate images or videos, aiming to humiliate the victim as a revenge for ending the relationship. A newer form of cyber violence is Zoombombing: unwanted, disruptive intrusion by trolls of a video-call, sometimes taking the form of unsolicited sexual footage. All of these fall under the umbrella term of cyber harassment, which can be summarised as sexually explicit or threatening messages, unwanted advances through social media or chat rooms, or other forms of communication that make a victim feel violated. When this harrassment is extra severe, it can be classified as cyber stalking, where repeated incidents undermine the victim’s sense of safety, by means of email, text messages or other online platforms.

Key conflicts

Due to big gaps in research, it is unclear how many people are victims of cyber violence. There is a severe lack of representative surveys, both domestically and internationally. In 2014, the European Agency for Human Rights (FRA) did conduct research on violence against women, which included questions on cyber violence. Unfortunately, as it was the first to collect data on cyber VAWG and internet use has changed drastically since, that data is no longer representative.

Experts have warned against the tendency to classify cyber VAWG as a phenomenon that exists separately from offline, ‘real world’ violence. Instead, it should be seen as a continuum of offline violence, as it largely follows the same patterns. In most of the cyberstalking cases, the perpetrator first encountered the victim in a physical situation and revenge porn is a distinctive form of cyber violence almost exclusively committed by ex-partners.

There is a persistence of victim blaming attitudes, failing to accurately address victim’s experiences and concerns. Victims of cyber violence are often treated with ignorance and indifference, leading to many of them not being aware that their experience of cyberstalking and -harassment are punishable crimes. There is a lack ofmeasures targeting cyber VAWG, both nationally and internationally, with big differences between countries in legislation and enforcement. This stems from both a lack of specific legislation and inadequate police response to the issue. With the absence of a uniform approach by the EU, Member States are not incentivised to adopt more effective measures and international enforcement is near impossible.

Key actors

Women with multiple identities (i.e. LBTQI community, ethnic minority, indigenous) are targeted more often than any other social group, facing discrimination and hate speech. The increased role of the online environment could pose an opportunity to connect globally, but also threatens these women’s political voice, as they feel intimidated by online threats.

Young women and girls are even more vulnerable and more likely to be targeted by certain types of cyber violence, such as cyberstalking and harassment.

European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE): a body initiated by the European Union, specifically focussed on gender equality. With their work, they deliver expertise to EU decision making bodies, supporting better-informed policies.

End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW): a UK-based policy and campaigns organisation, aiming to influence decision-making and public attitudes towards violence against women and girls.

Measures in place

In 2016, theGeneral Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was introduced by the EU, providing a more extensive safeguard for the privacy and security of data. It offers protection for the data of all natural persons but has no specific clauses on for instance intimate footage.

As mentioned, there are various countries that have adopted more effective national legislation in regards to cyber VAWG, such as the UK, France, Germany, Malta, and very recently, Ireland. These are for instance the criminalisation of revenge porn, and stricter measures safeguarding intimate data.

Some countries have implemented national projects focussing on cyber VAWG. The Netherlands established the SafetyNed, which helps victims of cyber violence as a continuance of domestic violence, by providing them with tools to have a safer online experience. Similar projects have been launched in other European countries, including the United Kingdom and Germany.

CYBERSAFE is a project funded by the EU which provides online tools addressing cyber VAWG. This is mostly focussed on the younger generation (13 to 16 years old) and aimed at the classroom setting. Their goal is to promote ‘healthy relationships and gender equality online’ by raising awareness and stimulating responsible online behaviour.

Further consideration questions

• In what ways has the Covid pandemic possibly influenced cyber violence?
• How can the EU take a more uniform approach towards cyber violence?
• How can Member States ensure online activities are safe and secure, especially in this time of doing most things remotely?

Links for further research

• Cyber violence and hate speech online against women, a publication by the European Parliament done on behalf of the FEMM committee. It’s a large report, but just skimming through it and focussing on e.g. good practices will help in proposing solutions.
• Cyber violence against women and girls, a report by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), aiming to identify and analyse existing research and the availablity of data on cyber VAWG.

Introductory Clauses

The European Youth Parliament,

1. Noting with regret that many victims of cyber VAWG do not consider themselves victims or can be too intimidated to report their abuser,
2. Remembering that online anonymity can make it difficult to prosecute abusers,
3. Concerned that victims of cyber violence are unaware of the legal action they can take against their perpetrators,
4. Alarmed that the distribution of private images without consent is criminalised only in five European countries,
5. Bearing in mind that victims of cyber violence must rely on general privacy legislation such as GDPR which does not make any reference to the non-consensual distribution of private images,
6. Noting the lack of cohesive and uniform legislative approach at European level regarding measures on cyber VAWG,
7. Observing that the research on cyber violence incidents, victims affected and distribution across the EU is slow, incomplete and unrepresentative for the current year,
8. Fully alarmed by the public’s stigma against the victims of “revenge porn” and focus on blame-shifting,
9. Deeply concerned that cyber VAWG affects girls’ and women’s social and economic wellbeing as they decide not to take full advantage of online opportunities or express their opinion,
10. Noting that internet usage increased with 50% in pandemic times, also increasing the risk of cyber VAWG,
11. Taking into account the different legal systems and socio-cultural traditions of EU Members States;

Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM I)

From abolitionism to legalisation: The legal landscape of prostitution varies greatly across the EU, with forced prostitution, underage prostitution and unsafe working conditions still occurring across the Union. What stance should Member States adopt in order to safeguard sex workers’ welfare?

Chairperson: Foteini Chatzikyriakou (GR)

Introduction and Relevance

Prostitution, the practice of engaging in sexual activity in exchange for immediate payment, sometimes referred to as “the world’s oldest profession”, arouses strong sentiment. Around the world, attitudes towards it, how and if it should be regulated, vary considerably, and have varied over time.

Sex workers are of all genders, but most of the time female, and are frequently managed by a male procurer, pimp, or the owner of a brothel. Underage and forced prostitution are a huge part of prostitution, and are usually a consequence of human trafficking. During the period 2017-2018, 14 145 victims of trafficking were registered in the 27 Member States, and over half (60 %) of the registered victims were trafficked for sexual exploitation. Children accounted for nearly a quarter (22%) of all registered victims, and 64% of the child victims were trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation, with 78% of them being girls. However, according to the European Commission, the actual number of victims is most likely to be significantly higher than the number registered and reported in these data collections.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), sex workers face an increased burden of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and blood-borne infections. Globally, female sex workers are estimated to be 30 times more likely to be living with HIV than other women of reproductive age.

Not only the physical, but also the mental health of sex workers is affected by working on the sex industry. Sex workers seeking mental health support  feel that quality, specialised, non-judgemental and free mental health support is not, but should be, widely available. Mental health care professionals’ lack of knowledge about sex work and their prejudice against sex workers, combined with their insufficient knowledge and preconceptions about other issues that concern many sex workers, such as gender identity, sexual orientation, race and cultural differences, and substance abuse are the main obstacle faced by sex workers in accessing quality mental health care. This is why many sex workers believe that mental health support staff should have sex work experience or be trained by sex workers in order to be able to help other sex workers.

Key conflicts

The stereotypes around prostitution are created by cultural and media representations of sex workers and red-light districts, socially conservative ideologies, religious organisations, and certain branches of radical feminism. With the stigma around prostitution being continuously reinforced, prostitutes are being discriminated and socially excluded, and as a result, they are not being heard or taken seriously, so the industry and its problems remain mostly unspoken. Moreover, in countries in which prostitution is illegal, prostitutes do not have access to rights that come with legal employment, such as healthcare and retirement.

International and EU regulations do not take a specific position on prostitution, which leaves the decision up to each country, so the legal and social treatment of prostitution differs widely by country in the European Union. However, it is possible to group the different policies into 5 models, depending on the approach of each Member State: abolitionism (outdoor and indoor prostitution are not prohibited. The State decides to tolerate prostitution and not to intervene in it: prostitution by adults is not subject to punishment, but profiting from another person’s prostitution is criminalised), neo-abolitionism (outdoor and indoor prostitution are not prohibited, but the existence of brothels is), decriminalisation (there are no criminal penalties for prostitution), legalisation (prostitution is both legal and regulated) and prohibitionism (outdoor and indoor prostitution are prohibited and parties involved in prostitution can be liable to penalties, including in some cases, the clients).

However, none of these legislative models seem to be completely effective. The prostitutes themselves believe that the best solution is for sex work to be legalised, get acknowledged as a real profession and be treated like one, since they consider, that only then will they ensure a healthy and safe work environment and safeguard their rights.

Sex tourism, refers to the practice of traveling to foreign countries, with the intention of engaging in sexual activity or relationships in exchange for money. Many EU Member States have become popular destinations for sex tourism, including the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Bulgaria. Sadly, some of the clients travel to these countries to engage in sexual activities specifically with minors. It is a multibillion-dollar industry, organised both within and outside the structured laws and networks, as the World Tourism Organisation of the United Nations(UN) has acknowledged.

Key actors

The World Health Organisation (WHO), is the UN agency that supports countries in their efforts to ensure human rights for sex workers, and to implement a comprehensive package of HIV and other STI services through community-led approaches

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Refugee Agency, is a global organisation dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless people, and fights against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment of refugees.

United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund(UNICEF), works on a global and national level and focuses on supporting children and parents. It works directly with children to build their knowledge on how and where to seek help and protection, and with parents, teachers and adults to help them identify signs of abuse and make sure children receive ongoing care.

The Member States, whose legislative approaches on prostitution directly affect not just the sex industry but also the lives of the sex workers.

Brothels are a place where people engage in sexual activity with prostitutes. In countries where owning a brothel is illegal, establishments often describe themselves as massage parlors, bars, strip clubs, body rub parlours, studios, or by some other description. Sex work in a brothel is considered safer than street prostitution, since they “protect” the prostitutes who work for them by making sure that the customers pay or don’t abuse them. However, they often exert control over the workers through intimidation, fear, physical and sexual abuse, rape, torture, and other abusive methods.

The International Committee on the Rights of Sex Workers in Europe(ICRSE), is a network of sex worker organisations and their allies that work together to support the development of national and international law, policy and practice, which respects and upholds the human and labour rights of sex workers throughout Europe and Central Asia.

The sex workers, the great majority of whom want a world where sex work is recognised as work, where all sex workers are respected and their rights are upheld and where gender, racial, social and economic equality and freedom of movement are a reality enabling individuals to start, continue or leave sex work safely, and free from violence and coercion. However, sex workers do not act alone, but through unions and organisations such as ICRSE and TAMPEP (European Network for the Promotion of Rights and Health among Migrant Sex Workers).

Measures in place

The Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography is a protocol of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, formally adopted by the United Nations (UN) in 2000. Essentially, this protocol formally requires states to prohibit the sale of children, child prostitution, and child pornography. As of December 2019, 176 states are party to the protocol.

The directive 2011/36/EU of the European Parliament and the European Council on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims, has been in force since April 5th 2011.

WHO, with the global health sector strategy on sexually transmitted infections, 2016–2021 sets out a vision, goals, targets, guiding principles and priority actions for ending the sexually transmitted infections epidemic as a public health problem.

Questions to think about

• What can be done by the European Union to improve sex workers’ mental and physical health?
• Which legislative model is the most effective one?
• How can it be ensured that no one is forced into sex work?
• How can minors be protected from sex tourism and sexual exploitation?

Links for further research

The laws that sex workers really want/ TED talk by a sex worker

Someone you love could be a sex worker/TED talk by a sex worker

Introductory Clauses

The European Youth Parliament,

1. Concerned by the increased likelihood prostitutes have to experience an unwanted pregnancy, contract an STI or various other illnesses[mfn]The effects of prostitution on a sex workers’ health, WHO: sex workers’ health.[/mfn] due to their unhealthy work environment,
2. Recognising that the lack of professional health care can lead sex workers to developing mental health issues [mfn]Sex Work and Mental Health: Access to Mental Health Services for People Who Sell Sex (SWMH)[/mfn],
3. Noting with deep concern the lack of harmonisation in the legislative models addressing prostitution among Member States[mfn]The different legislative approaches of the Member States are: abolitionism, neo-abolitionism, decriminalisation, legalisation and prohibitionism.[/mfn],                                                                                                                   
4. Aware of the number of human beings trafficked in the Member States for sexual exploitation[mfn]During the period 2017-2018, 14 145 victims of trafficking were registered in the 27 Member States, and over half (60 %) of the registered victims were trafficked for sexual exploitation(Data collection on trafficking in human beings in the EU).[/mfn],
5. Alarmed by the fact that pimps, brothel owners and clients continuously take advantage of sex workers, abusing them psychologically and physically,
6. Deeply concerned by the number of children being forced to get involved in the prostitution industry[mfn]Out of the 14 145 victims of trafficking registered during 2017-2018 in the 27 Member States, 22% of them were children, and 64% of the child victims were trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation.[/mfn],
7. Emphasising the fact that sex tourism is a multibillion dollar industy, in which minors are involved[mfn]Estimates from ECPAT International show that each year, approximately 250,000 people travel internationally to engage in sex tourism with children and youth and that the industry generates over $20 billion in revenue.[/mfn],
8. Bearing in mind that the stigmatisation of prostitution and the stereotypes about it have led to:
   1. The discrimination of sex workers,
   2. The sex industry not being sufficiently controlled, monitored or regulated;

---

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE)

A Prideful European Union: how should LGBTQIA+ rights be protected in Europe, whilst acknowledging and addressing public hostility and reservations of individual Member States?

Chairperson: Lars van der Ent (NL)

Introduction and Relevance

In February 2019, certain municipalities in Poland started declaring ‘LGBT-free zones’ which, by February 2020, comprised “an area greater than the size of Hungary.” The premise of anti-LGBT zones is that they aim to combat propaganda from a so-called ‘LGBT-ideology’ and promote traditional conservative Christian, pro-family values. Polish authorities say that LGBT-ideology corrupts the youth by  accepting, amongst others, pornography, abortion and sexual criminality. Furthermore, the so-called ‘LGBT ideology’  is seen as an ideology imposed on Poland by the West to destroy the ‘natural’ family. In December 2020, the Hungarian parliament amended its constitution, which now neglects the existence of transgender and non-binary people in order to uphold ‘Christian values’. In addition, Hungary has banned the distribution of content relating to homosexuality and sex reassignment to people under the age of 18. The steps taken by Poland and Hungary have met backlash from the European Parliament and Commission. In reaction to the Polish ‘LGBT-free zones’, the European Parliament declared the EU an ‘LGBT-freedom zone’. In addition, the European Commission launched legal action against the two Member States, suing them before the European Court of Justice. While the policies in these countries expose LGBTQIA+ people to discrimination and put their lives in danger, the discrimination and assault on these minorities extends to the whole of the EU. For example, in the summer of 2021, Spain faced a surge in anti-LGBTQIA+ hate crimes. The European Commission has noted that LGBTQIA+ people are increasingly attacked by politicians, “fuelling hate and prejudice.” The European queer rights organisation ILGA calls attention to a “‘pan-European phenomenon’ of anti-gay violence.” The rise in intolerance is often ascribed to ultraconservative nationalism promoting ‘traditional values’. In the face of public hostility and domestic abuse, what should the EU do to protect LGBTQIA+ rights?

Key Conflicts

Politicians in the EU increasingly use  LGBTQIA+ community as scapegoats to divert attention away from economic problems. One of the causes for this increase is misinformation and hate speech spread on social media. Specific conservative media campaigns by anti-LGBTQIA+ movements promote traditional family values and maintain that the LGBTQIA+ community is corrupting children. The consequence is a surge in homophobia and transphobia. Independent investigations have further found that these media campaigns are financed by foreign influences. What is more, EU Member States differ widely in their views on rights of LGBTQIA+ people. Accordingly, their policies and laws on the protection and promotion of LGBTQIA+ rights vary greatly.

Furthermore, while the promotion of equality is primarily the national responsibility of Member States, the EU provides policy guidance. The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) published a report in May 2020 which concluded that little to no progress had been made “in the way LGBT people in the EU experience their human and fundamental rights in daily life.” Discrimination against LGBTQIA+ people, in general, increased from 37% to 43% between 2012 and 2019. The proportions increased more dramatically regarding transgender people: from 43% in 2012 to 60% in 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the situation, especially for queer minors who were forced to stay at home with their families during lockdowns.

Moreover, 58% of LGBTQIA+ people have experienced hate-motivated harassment. The danger of harassment prevents people from expressing their identities, which is a fundamental right – freedom of expression – in the EU Charter for Fundamental Rights. What is more worrying, is the fact that only 10% of LGBTQIA+ people who have experienced harassment have reported this to relevant authorities.

Key Actors

Steps taken so far

Article 19 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU prohibits any form of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. The treaty is legally binding on Member States. Should Member States infringe on the rule, the European Commission has the discretion to initiate legal proceedings against that Member State.  In addition, article 21 of the European Charter of Fundamental Rights prohibit any forms of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Since the Treaty of Lisbon entered into force in 2009, the European Convention of Fundamental Rights has become equally binding on Member States as the treaties. It is enforced by the European Court of Human Rights.

Member States have different laws and policies in place for the protection and recognition of LGBTQIA+ people. While all Member States have adopted legislation prohibiting discrimination, these vary in content and form. Furthermore, some Member States explicitly prohibit the legal recognition of same-sex couples and same-sex civil unions. So far, only one Member State – Malta – has legally banned conversion therapy. Some Member States still have not adopted laws making hate crimes or speech motivated by homophobia or transphobia illegal. What is more, access for individuals to treatment for transitioning their gender differ greatly per Member States. In fact, most gender or sex reassignment practices infringe on human rights such as human dignity, sometimes even requiring sterilisation prior to surgery. In terms of legal recognition, almost all Member States demand mental health diagnosis of gender dysphoria prior to legal recognition for transgender people[mfn]Gender dysphoria is a state of anxiety or sense of unease in a person due to a discrepancy between their assigned gender at birth and their actual gender identity. In many cases, a diagnosis of gender dysphoria is a requirement for legally changing one’s gender. Increasingly, experts agree that medical requirements are outdated for changing one’s gender and declare that legal gender changes should be based on self-identification and self-determination.[/mfn]. Most Member States also do not legally recognise non-binary genders.

In 2019, the European Commission presented its first-ever LGBTIQ Strategy (2020-2025) with proposals to protect the rights of queer people in the European Union. It is based on four pillars: fighting discrimination, ensuring safety for LGBTQIA+ people, building queer-inclusive societies and promoting LGBTQIA+ rights across the world. Primarily, the European Commission relies on Member States to develop their own action plans to improve protection for queer people.

In 2000, the Employment Equality Framework Directive entered into force, which forbids discrimination on the grounds of age, disability, sexual orientation and religion or belief in the workplace. It is legally binding in the sense that Member States are obliged to adopt laws, measures and regulations necessary to comply with the provisions in the Directive. This means that the exact content of laws differ per Member State. No directive on EU-level exists prohibiting discrimination in other areas of life such as education and social services. Some Member States, however, do have such policies in place.

In 2019, the European Commission presented its first-ever LGBTIQ Strategy (2020-2025) with proposals to protect the rights of queer people in the European Union. It is based on four pillars: fighting discrimination, ensuring safety for LGBTQIA+ people, building queer-inclusive societies and promoting LGBTQIA+ rights across the world. Primarily, the European Commission relies on Member States to develop their own action plans to improve protection for queer people.

Questions to think about

• How can the EU address anti-LGBTQIA+ violence, keeping in mind that Member States have different attitudes and disparate views towards sexual and gender minorities?
• How can the EU protect LGBTQIA+ by handling the issue of misinformation?
• With only 10% of LGBTQIA+ people who experience harassment reporting to the police, how can the EU effectively improve reporting on harassment and violence motivated by homophobia and transphobia?

Links for further research

• FRA report.
• Article summarising the findings by the FRA.
• Fact sheet of first-ever LGBTQIA+ strategy by the European Commission.
• Article on how politicians in Europe use LGBTQIA+ people as scapegoats for political gain.
• An overview of the laws in place in Member States with respect to sexual orientation.
• Map providing an overview of the different transgender rights in Europe
• More information on different terms used for LGBTQIA+ people.

Introductory Clauses

The European Youth Parliament,

1. Alarmed about the rise in anti-LGBTQIA+ violence across the European Union,
2. Deploring the fact that political groups increasingly fuel anti-LGBTQIA+ violence by using sexual and gender minorities as a scapegoat for domestic problems,
3. Aware of homophobic and transphobic social media campaigns in Member States which spread misinformation and promote traditional values on behalf of foreign organisations,
4. Noting with deep concern that little to no progress has been made regarding the lived experiences of LGBTQIA+ people,
5. Concerned with the increase in discrimination in the European Union against LGBTQIA+ people in general, and transgender people in particular,
6. Alarmed that only 10% of LGBTQIA+ people who experience hate-motivated harassment report the incidents to the authorities,
7. Noting that Member States have disparate views on LGBTQIA+ rights and that laws and policies protecting sexual and gender minorities vary greatly per Member State
8. Conscious that no framework exists at EU-level which includes sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression as a bias motivation for hate crimes,
9. Welcoming the first-ever LGBTIQ Strategy (2020-2025) presented by the European Commission,

Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI I)

Fast fashion – slow depression: With the fashion industry being responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions, what steps should the EU take in order to support the shift towards more sustainable practice as well as make it more affordable and accessible? 

Chairperson: Lučka Koprivnjak (SI)

Introduction and relevance of the topic

Due to the rise of fast fashion, the amount of clothing bought per person in the EU  has increased by 40%. The production of clothes in the fast fashion industry utilises the replication of trends and low-quality materials in order to offer inexpensive styles to the public. The increase in demand for these cheaply made, “trendy” pieces has resulted in an industry-wide shift towards an overwhelming amount of consumption. 

This has resulted in consumers considering clothing as perishable and to some extent disposable goods, leading to an increase in their disposal. Data shows that in the EU, an estimate of 2.2 million tons of textile waste was generated in 2018. 87% of clothes that are disposed of are incinerated or landfilled. This results in mass emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) such as carbon dioxide and methane, as well as causing water and soil pollution. 

Cotton accounts for 43% of all fibres which are used to make clothes in the EU market, as reported by the European Clothing Action Plan (ECAP), and is especially harmful since it requires large amounts of land, water, fertilisers and pesticides. In addition, polyester, a non-biodegradable material composed of fossil fuels, accounts for 16% of fibres used in clothing in the fast fashion industry according to the ECAP. A study has shown that one load of laundry of polyester clothing results in the discharge of 700 000 microplastic fibers. Nearly half a million tonnes of microplastics  are released into the ocean each year. Most of these textile raw materials as well as clothing products are imported into the EU. In 2018, the leading importer of clothes in the EU was China, meaning the products had very long delivery routes and vast amounts of packaging waste.

• 

• 

• 

Key conflicts

Consumer preferences shape what and how fast brands produce. In this case, there are several factors which drive them away from sustainable alternatives, for example, convenience and affordability. Low prices allow for almost all consumers to afford fast fashion clothing which fuels the high demand for these products. Sustainable alternatives are often offered at a higher price-point which may not be accessible to lower socioeconomic groups. 

Furthermore, there is a lack of awareness and information about sustainable alternatives whereas mainstream fast fashion brands are by no means hard to find. If consumer interest and demand for sustainable fashion would increase, these alternatives would become more popular and affordable overall. 

Even though there has been a rise in the popularity of second-hand clothing, fast fashion is generating less durable garments which limits the viability of the second-hand clothing market. As more clothing that is donated and sent to be recycled comes from fast fashion brands, consumers steer away from purchasing these low-quality, used goods. 

Greenwashing is when companies appear and advertise to be more sustainable than they actually are. There is no clear, quantifiable definition to terms such as “ethical” and “eco-friendly”, therefore companies have the ability to find loopholes to make false claims about green production or are purposefully vague with facts when advertising their products. Brands such as H&M have introduced ‘Conscious Collections’  through which they utilise materials made from fruit peels and leaves such as Pinatex. Even though they are advertised as ‘eco-friendly’, these materials contain plastic and petroleum-based agents which reverse any possible positive impact on the environment.  

The media, in particular social media, is one of the most influential platforms for fast fashion manufacturers and retailers. Fashion and lifestyle-related content has flooded digital platforms, speeding up the rate at which fashion trends come in and out of style. Instead of designers and individual retailers setting new trends on their own through new releases, consumers are now doing this themselves and the retailers must speed up their sales to meet the demand. This new dynamic has a significant effect on how the industry operates and often results in wasted products due to the rapid turnover of collections.

Key actors

Measures in place

• In 2017, the European Clothing Action Plan (ECAP) was launched to improve the textile sustainability across their life-cycle from design to the end of use. 
• The European Commission funded the programme and has worked with several other agencies such as fashion non-profit MADE-BY, to strengthen this initiative around Europe. 
• The EU also sets European standards for textile and clothing and implements measures such as the EU ecolabel. However, as of now this certification programme is voluntary. 
• The EU’s Waste Framework Directive requires Member States to set up separate collections of textiles and hazardous waste by 2025 to tackle the issue of harmful disposal. 
• The EU Strategy For Sustainable Textiles will aid the EU’s shift to a climate-neutral, circular economy where products are designed to be more durable, reusable, repairable, recyclable and energy-efficient. A long term goal of these strategies is to make sustainable textiles more accessible and encourage their use in clothing production.
• The European Parliament has supported, but not fully implemented measures regarding the movement of Slow Fashion. It is typically found in small local stores instead of large enterprises like shopping malls. They release new collections two or three times a year, which means that there are limited styles to choose from. Most importantly, the garments are locally produced by high-quality sustainable materials that last a long time.

Links to further research

Introductory Clauses

The European Youth Parliament, 

1. Alarmed by the overconsumption of fast fashion items around the world due to the high demand for cheap clothing,
2. Noting with concern that fast fashion retailers mislead consumers on the environmental impact of their clothing through “Greenwashing”, 
3. Recognising the lack of accessibility to information on sustainable alternatives to fast fashion,
4. Regretting that the fast fashion industry mainly uses non-biodegradable materials such as polyester which release microplastics into the environment and are major pollutants of oceans,
5. Acknowledging the role social media plays in promoting the use of sustainable fashion, 
6. Deeply concerned that the EU mainly imports clothing rather than focusing on domestic manufacturing,
7. Fully supporting initiatives such as the European Clothing Action Plan,