Author: Joris Dietz

  • DROI

    MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY COMMITTEE ON HUMAN RIGHTS

    Born at risk: Transgender people are over four times more likely than cisgender people to be the victims of violent crime and 2021 registered a record number of 50 violent fatal incidents. What actions can the EU take to protect the fundamental rights and physical integrity of its targeted Citizens?

    Submitted by: Isthea Amoilafoe, Tayma El Yalte, Jente Goossens, Leah Israël, Evy Minnaar, Leo Pettersson, Alice Rapp, Tuur van Berge Henegouwen, Benjamin Stephenson (Chairperson, CH/NL)

    The European Youth Parliament aims to protect transgender people in the EU against transphobic violence at its source by curbing microaggressions, fetishisation, and non-inclusive legislation while promoting positive representation of trans people in the media and providing education on the topic. Ultimately, we strive to change societal perspectives and extend the legal protection of trans people.

    The European Youth Parliament,

    1. Alarmed by the increase in the rate of violence against transgender people,
    2. Recognising the importance of intersectionality when addressing trans violence,
    3. Fully aware of the psychological damage that transgender and gender non-conforming people experience due to not feeling safe to express themselves fully,
    4. Concerned by the prevalence of transphobic microaggressions towards trans people potentially leading to the normalisation of transphobia,
    5. Worried by the fact that transgender and gender non-conforming people are often coerced into situations directly endangering their safety,
    6. Regretting the hesitancy of transgender people to trust law enforcement authorities in instances of experienced violence due to a historically bad relationship between the police and trans people,
    7. Noting with concern that trans people are more prone to sexual violence due to the widespread fetishisation of trans people,
    8. Observing that the lack of statutory law protections for non-transitioned transgender and gender non-conforming people prevents the prosecution of hate crimes carried out against them;
    1. Calls upon ILGA-Europe’s trans-oriented subsidiaries to facilitate intersectional trans-focused awareness in their respective locations;
    2. Invites the Directorate-General for Budget (DG BUDG) to encourage fund distribution to intersectional trans-inclusive cultural media projects;
    3. Suggests Member States establish the role of a trans-specialised counsellor at police stations nationwide responsible for facilitating communication with transgender victims;
    4. Directs DG BUDG to allocate further funding to Trans United Europe to establish genderqueer-exclusive shelters and genderqueer-friendly shelters;
    5. Asks Member States to establish a national helpline for trans people;
    6. Directs the Court of Justice of the European Union to make amendments to existing hate crime legislation in order to include non-binary trans people and trans people who have not transitioned medically;
    7. Encourages Member States to communicate best practices and existing statutory law regarding hate crimes against transgender people to aid further development of statutory law throughout the EU.

    Fact sheet

    Transgender: An umbrella term for people whose gender identity does not conform to the sex they were assigned at birth. 

    Intersectionality: How discrimination can combine, overlap and intersect in the experiences of marginalised individuals.

    Microaggression: An action that subtly (and typically unconsciously) expresses a prejudice towards a member of a marginalised group.Fetishisation: An unreasonable amount of importance given to an object or person.

  • JURI II

    MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY COMMITTEE  ON LEGAL AFFAIRS II

    New and improved?: The last decade was marked by the rise of giant tech companies with innovative business models and large customer bases, which have often taken advantage of legal loopholes and lobbying to implement non-ethical practices. How can the EU hold these corporations to a higher level of social responsibility, thus tackling issues like market competitiveness and workers’ rights?

    Submitted by: Cameron Berg, Marleen de Gorter, Kik Maassen, Petra Miladinović, Dan Nguyen, Esther Nijboer, Jahan Omari, Célestine van Swieten, Tudor Vlahu, Muco de Vries, Raphael Gross-Chartuni (Chairperson, NL)

    The European Youth Parliament aims to alleviate the democratic deficit caused by corporate lobbying in the EU, improve workers’ rights and conditions in the gig economy, and reduce tax evasion across the European Union. Through this, we also aim to strengthen the existing legislation in place against such misconduct and renew trust in the integrity of European legislative bodies.

    The European Youth Parliament,

    1. Fully alarmed by the number of ex-politicians receiving corporate-lobbyist positions after leaving their post in the EU,
    2. Disturbed by the recent uptick in corporate lobbying against the proposed European Commission Directive on platform work,
    3. Concerned by the imbalance in representation undermining small establishments and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) due to the incomparable financial power of large-scale corporations,
    4. Recognising the democratic deficit caused by the excessive influence of corporate lobbyists on the European Commission,
    5. Regretting the exclusion of European tax havens on the EU list of non-cooperative tax jurisdictions,
    6. Pointing out the annual loss of EUR 170 billion through base erosion, profit shifting and other forms (BEPS) of tax evasion in the EU,
    7. Acknowledging the continuous exploitation of statutory law loopholes to evade corporate tax in the EU,
    8. Observing the excessive amount of tax evasion in the EU caused by Member States’ flawed corporate taxation procedures, 
    9. Aware of the potential misclassification of self-employment among 5.5 million platform workers in the EU as a consequence of the implementation of the proposed Directive on Platform Work,
    10. Alarmed by the lack of transparency in labour conditions and rights made available by platform work providers,
    11. Cognisant of the treatment of platform workers and their lack of legal protections against unfair employment and contractual terms,
    12. Deeply disturbed by the efforts of  platform providers to discredit platform workers’ representation by labour unions;
    1. Urges the Directorate-General for Human Resources (DG HR) to extend the scrutiny period of former Commissioners representing corporate interests from 2 to 5 years;
    2. Invites the European Commission to establish periodical opportunities for NGOs and civil groups to better propose and represent their interests;
    3. Directs the Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union (DG TAXUD) to expand the EU list of non-cooperative tax jurisdictions to include EU countries non-compliant with anti-BEPS regulations;
    4. Further directs DG TAXUD to keep their anti-BEPS operations up to date by establishing an expert group to regularly evaluate the current measures;
    5. Invites the DG TAXUD to draft an EU-wide recommendation for the standardisation of the corporate tax rate;  
    6. Calls upon the Directorate-General for Employment, and Social Affairs (DG EMPL) to update the Directive on Transparent and Predictable Working Conditions to include zero-hour and third-party labour contracts for platform work transparancy;
    7. Urges Member States to enforce minimum-wage laws concerning gig-platform employers and corporations;
    8. Strongly appeals to the European Commission to expand the criteria for attaining worker status in the legislative draft of the Directive on Platform Work
    9. Invites the European Commission to develop legislation precisely defining the boundaries of artificial intelligence use in the labour market.

    Fact sheet

    Democratic deficit: The inability of democratic institutions and organisations to uphold democratic values.

    Base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS): Tax evasion through the manipulation of corporate tax brackets and asset transfers to countries with favourable taxation systems.

    Gig-economy: Labour markets which almost exclusively rely on temporary and part-time jobs provided by freelancers and independent contractors.

    Lobbyism: the commercial practice of influencing legislation, regulation or other government decisions on behalf of private clients.

  • IMCO

    Motion for a resolution by the Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection

    All Along the Algorithm: With social media platforms’ business models based on algorithmic content curation, the phenomenon of disinformation echo chambers has become a mainstay in political discourse. Considering its implications for the security of European citizens and for the democratic processes within the Member States, what steps can the EU take to mitigate this threat?

    Submitted by: Wessel Adelaar, Lieke van Driel, Elise Fanoy, Anouschka de Graaf, Ananya Sharma, Selim Urfalı, Youri van der Worp, Wobbe van der Woude, Mihaela Chiujdea (Chairperson, FI)

    The European Youth Parliament aims to combat the spread of disinformation echo chambers and their negative impact on the security of European citizens and democratic processes. It further seeks to protect the fundamental right to freedom of speech of all European citizens. It also aims to combat the far-right propaganda facilitated by disinformation.

    The European Youth Parliament,

    1. Acknowledging the EU citizens’ fundamental right to freedom of speech,
    2. Fully alarmed by the rapid rise of far-right and extremist movements,
    3. Noting with regret the lack of  sufficient resources Member States possess to combat the spread of disinformation, 
    4. Deeply concerned by the unawareness of the general public and government officials regarding the spread of disinformation,
    5. Concerned by the contribution of circular disinformation and numerous available interpretations of facts to the misinformation of the public,
    6. Noting the influence of echo chambers enabled by algorithmic content curation in the rise of extremist ideologies and polarisation in society,
    7. Further noting the impact of the favouring of sensationalist media in the spread of disinformation on social media,
    8. Deeply alarmed by the utilisation of sentiments of doubt and uncertainty towards democracy in generating disinformation spread with the goal of enlarging the political presence of extremist ideologies,
    1. Suggests the European External Action Service collaborates with Algorithm Watch to detect disinformation through artificial intelligence;
    2. Invites the Directorate-General of Democracy and Human Dignity (DGII) to:
      1. publish a proposal of anti-disinformation guidelines for online newspapers aligned with the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union;
      2. encourage social media platforms to ban or punish accounts that violate agreed-upon values of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union;
    3. Requests the High-Level Expert Group on Fake News and Online Disinformation to cooperate with the European Digital Media Observatory to discuss the implementation of EU certification labels that prove the validity or invalidity of information on a website;
    4. Asks Member States to implement educational awareness campaigns about sensationalist media and the possible disinformation it might include;
    5. Further asks Member States to urge public companies to:
      1. sign the Code of Practice (2022);
      2. promote the execution of a yearly audit done by the Ministries of Internal Affairs to ensure adherence to the Code of Practice (2022) application;
    6. Calls upon the Radicalisation Awareness Network to decrease the influence of political disinformation through deradicalisation programs in the most affected Member States;
    7. Advises the Reboot Foundation to broaden the education on media literacy and disinformation to the general public, specifically educational institutions, elderly citizens and government officials by:
      1. offering teaching resources directed at children and their parents,
      2. setting up community outreach programs about the impact of disinformation,
      3. providing courses on disinformation throughout their careers;
    8. Requests social media companies to link established and reputable sources to existing sensationalist media posts from informal sources.

    Fact sheet

    Algorithmic content curation: Social media selection and ranking algorithms that help consumers experience better content.

    Disinformation: False information intentionally and frequently spread covertly in order to influence public opinion or obscure the truth.

    Echo chamber: A setting in which a person only encounters information or opinions that mirror and reinforce their own.

    Freedom of speech: According to Article 11 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights “Everyone has the right to freedom of expression. This right shall include freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers. The freedom and pluralism of the media shall be respected.”Code of Practice: A first-of-its-kind technology that allowed industry players to agree on self-regulatory rules to combat disinformation for the first time in 2018.

  • CULT

    MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY COMMITTEE ON CULTURE AND EDUCATION

    Spreek je Nederlands?: In recent years, there has been a large increase of refugees on European soil, thus highlighting the challenges that a new language imposes on them. Considering that, what measures should be taken in order to make education available and accessible, thus abolishing some of the barriers refugees face when integrating into a new society?

    Submitted by: Israe El Boudaidi Chikhi, Famke van den Dugen, Tova Fritzon, Pieke Jongejan, Selen Nur Kaçmaz, Feline Mac Donald, Evie Nicholls, Olivia Stjernstörm, Soija Tutulić, Sebastiaan Vanseuningen, Nyah Willems, Bianca Zancan (Chairperson, IT)

    The European Youth Parliament aims to help refugees integrate into Member State societies by tackling the language barrier separating them from native speakers. We strive to develop comprehensive tools to ease language acquisition, that shall be available and accessible to all refugees fleeing to, and arriving on European soil. Through promoting the teaching of national languages of host countries, the European Youth Parliament hopes to achieve mutual acceptance between native citizens and refugees and successful integration of the latter with the first.

    The European Youth Parliament,

    1. Bearing in mind the recent increase in the number of refugees which spotlighted the insufficient preparedness of Member States when addressing refugees’ needs, 
    2. Firmly convinced that national language acquisition is crucial for refugees to integrate into their host country,
    3. Alarmed by the potential negative impact of language barriers on the mental health of refugees which can lead to isolation, anxiety, and even depression,
    4. Understanding that language barriers in the medical field often lead to a misdiagnosis, and to an overall decrease in the quality of provided healthcare, testified by 37% of doctors believing non-native speaking patients hold information from them due to an inability to communicate,
    5. Further concerned by the impact language barriers can play in preventing refugees from achieving economic security and stability,
    6. Recognising with regret the shortage of teachers in multiple EU Member States,
    7. Noting with dismay that the educational and linguistic acquisition of refugee children may be negatively affected by the growth of anti-immigration sentiments,
    8. Reiterating its conviction that all children have a fundamental right to basic education that would enable them to speak the native language of the country they live in,
    9. Deeply concerned by the fact 32% of refugee children worldwide do not have access to primary education;
    1. Calls upon the European Council on Refugees and Exiles to conduct a census of refugees living in each Member State and register their biometrics to facilitate better acknowledgement and understanding of their different needs;
    2. Seeks NGOs such as Open Arms and SOS Mediterranee to develop and enhance education-centred infrastructure in refugee camps;
    3. Asks private organisations and (inter)governmental organisations, such as Taalunie, to research the financial and social benefits that come from refugees learning their host country’s language;
    4. Invites Member States to provide healthcare facilities with trained interpreters to improve the doctor-patient relationship and prevent misdiagnosis;
    5. Implores the Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture (DG EAC) to facilitate the development of online language education platforms aimed at providing all foreigners tools to learn the host country’s language;
    6. Further implores DG EAC to provide language courses focused on specialised professions’ terminologies on these education platforms;
    7. Calls upon Member States to introduce modules within teacher training courses that help teachers to make language education more suitable for refugees;
    8. Invites Member States to support the establishment of talking groups for refugees to help them learn the national language in an informal setting;
    9. Requests the Council of Europe to expand the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages to establish guidelines for the acquisition of qualifications in language teaching of refugees;
    10. Urges Member States to increase the accessibility and quality of educational tools and resources by encouraging citizens to partake in educational projects voluntarily;
    11. Encourages Member States to develop courses on language learning for refugees in line with the Linguistic Integration of Adult Migrants (LIAM);
    12. Trusts that Member States will promote inclusion within schools by ensuring that teachers are instructed on each child’s personal needs;
    13. Calls upon Member States to provide support for parents tackling the language barrier in daily life to ease the living conditions of their private lives and promote better societal integration.

    Fact sheet

    Refugee:  a person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, conflict, persecution, or natural disaster.

    Language barrier: the difficulty or impossibility to communicate between individuals who do not speak a common language.

    Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: an instrument used by the Council of Europe to promote quality education of multiple languages and stimulate reflection and exchange between language experts to improve language education. 

    Linguistic Integration of Adult Migrants (LIAM): project developed by the Council of Europe in 2006, with a focus on language policy and its development, language learning programmes for adult migrants, and the assessment of learning outcomes. 

    Taalunie: an organisation which develops and promotes a policy on Dutch teaching and learning in the Netherlands, Flanders, and Suriname.

  • AFCO

    MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE  ON CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

    Are you listening?: According to the United Nations, less than 2% of parliamentarians worldwide are under 30 years old, while half of the world’s population falls into this age category. Considering the current popularity of alternative forms of political participation, how can the EU combat the underrepresentation of its young people in decision-making processes?

    Submitted by: Basmala Abdelwahab, Sarrah Aulman, Anna Bachem, Saffan Dollart, Senno Evers, Yara Charlotte den Haan, Fayrouz El Hamus, Nikkie Hollander, Aleksei Kupa, Laurence Verbree,  Natia Ninoshvili (Chairperson, GE)

    The European Youth Parliament aims to create a diverse political field where people of all ages are equally represented and their opinions are acknowledged. Reducing ageism and stereotypes in politics to a minimum is crucial. We strive to create a functional education system where everyone receives the knowledge needed to be an active citizen. We also aim to make participation in politics more accessible to youth by inflicting changes in the legal system, as young people deserve agency to determine their future.

    The European Youth Parliament,

    1. Concerned that young people do not feel drawn to traditional political participation due to:
      1. the lack of presence of people under 30 years of age, aggravated by the average age of European parliamentarians being 50,
      2. the unattractiveness of the political climate,
      3. the stigma surrounding politician’s personal safety,
    2. Keeping in mind the lack of representation of young people’s opinions leading to demotivation regarding participation,
    3. Noting with deep concern the bias the older generation has regarding the youth causing a lack of trust in the ability to participate in political decision-making,
    4. Aware of the fact that the entry requirements for traineeships at the European Parliament, such as minority language and education, are inordinate for people with less financial, geographical or cultural opportunities,
    5. Bearing in mind that the voting age and age to running for candidacy for the European Parliament differ amongst Member States, leading to an unequal representation of the youth from different states,
    6. Reconfirming that governments do not take into account the opinions expressed by the youth in decision-making concerning young citizens,
    7. Alarmed by the lack of knowledge regarding politics and the late education on the subject within schools leading to potentially reduced involvement in traditional politics,
    8. Noting with regret that platforms for political youth participation are not sufficiently promoted or used to their fullest extent;
    1. Calling upon the Directorate-General for Communications to publicly promote more representation of the youth in politics to eliminate mistrust of older politicians; 
    2. Encouraging the legislative bodies of Member States to increase sentences or introduce community service as an additional sentence against threatening politicians in any way shape or form;
    3. Suggesting Member States to adjust the voting age and the age to run for candidacy for the European Parliament to be equal throughout Europe;
    4. Strongly urging politicians to take into account the opinions of the young people by listening to Youth Councils, such as the European Youth Forum, with a minimum of one hearing every three months being dedicated to this purpose;
    5. Further urging the EU to reserve 7% of the European Commission seats for people under 30 with an eventual goal of achieving 15% representation;
    6. Asking the European Commission to provide further financial support for educational programmes associated with political youth participation;
    7. Recommending the EU to make social studies a mandatory subject at schools for at least a year and make it available for those who want to continue studying it;
    8. Advising Member States to provide workshops at schools to teach students about politics in the form of field trips to political institutions, mock elections, and political school activities;
    9. Requesting the Directorate-General for Education and Culture to support the implementation of political education from an earlier age of 12 to familiarise youth with such topics;
    10. Asking the International Institute for Educational Planning to make an optional course for teenage students that can help them prepare for their political careers;
    11. Directs the EU to provide traineeships for high school graduates with a willingness to join the European Parliament;
    12. Instructing that the number of required languages is lowered for the already-existing traineeship for bachelor’s degree graduates.

    Fact sheet

    Traditional politics: Direct political participation in parliaments, political parties, and (inter)national governments. 

    Current entry requirements for the Schuman Traineeship with the European Parliament: The applicants must:

    • Be aged 18 or over, 
    • Be citizens of either an EU member state or an accession/candidate nation, 
    • Hold a university diploma, 
    • Have a strong knowledge of one of the EU’s official languages and excellent knowledge of a second, 
    • Provide an eligible criminal record, 
    • Not have worked for any other type of traineeship in an EU institution for more than two consecutive months, or 
    • Not have completed a study visit to the European Parliament Secretariat six months previous to the start of the traineeship. 

    Voting age: A legal minimum age that a person must reach in order to be able to vote in a public election.

    Age for running for candidacy: The national law determines the qualifying age to run for office in the European elections. The minimum age required to run for office in the European elections varies significantly, ranging from 18 to 25 years old. 

    The European Youth Forum (EYF): A platform for youth-led organisations in Europe which is funded by Erasmus + and the Council of Europe. The goal of the EYF is to represent young people, where they will be treated equally as citizens, and empowered to realise their full potential as global citizens.Social studies: Deals with human behaviour, resources, relationships and institutions. Specific topics include history, geography, sociology, politics, economics and anthropology.

  • ITRE

    MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON INDUSTRY, RESEARCH AND ENERGY

    Itsy Bitsy Robots: Despite the positive impact nanomedicine has had on the innovation of healthcare and health research, its potential remains hindered as EU still struggles with nanotechnology regulation. How can the EU foster the development of nanomedicine while ensuring the safety of patients?

    Submitted by: Alice Bould, Nout Faber, Yara van Hoek, Fenne Huizer, Evy Jiang, Lisa Lubberman, Beth Marriott, Natasha Martinez Challapa, Julia van der Schaar, Moon Wennink, Arthur Westerman, Teodor-Cristian Borcan (Chairperson, RO)

    The European Youth Parliament aims to increase the quantity, and efficiency of research conducted in the field of nanomedicine. Furthermore, it seeks to reform the current regulatory system surrounding nanomedicine, while striving to improve stakeholders’ access to knowledge about nanomedicine. It also aims to maximise the potential of nanomedicine in a safe, efficient and cohesive way, leading to accessible, and high-quality treatments.

    The European Youth Parliament,

    1. Acknowledging with gratitude the revolutionary achievements and profits gained with the help of nanomedicine,
    2. Recognising the lack of public awareness and trust in nanomedicine and its treatments,
    3. Noting with concern the lack of consistency in the classification of nanomedicine as a medical device or a medicinal drug,
    4. Deeply regretting the inefficiency of the current nanomedicine authorisation procedures that lead to:
      1. obstructed research and development of nanomedicine,
      2. a decrease of field interest, 
    5. Noting with concern the lack of communication, and cooperation between agencies, Member States and other stakeholders in the field of nanomedicine, both in- and outside of the EU,
    6. Alarmed by the differences in the safety standards required to authorise nanomedicine use in Member States,
    7. Deeply concerned about the decentralised authorisation procedures of the divergence of nanomedicine legislation in Member States,
    8. Noting with regret the possible exploitation of the decentralised authorisation procedure’s lack of uniformity in Member States by pharmaceutical companies,
    9. Deeply alarmed by the premature abandonment of application procedures due to the fear of undesired outcomes;
    1. Calls upon the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in cooperation with Member States to conduct workshops, seminars, and Massive Online Open Courses on nanotechnology;
    2. Advises Member States to broaden the scope of the science education curriculum in faculties of medical sciences by incorporating information on the applications of nanotechnology;
    3. Instructs EMA to put forward a separate classification system for nanomaterials and nanosimilar products;
    4. Encourages the EMA to foster transparency and efficient knowledge and progress sharing within the international community by reaching out to other drug-approving agencies such as the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency in the United Kingdom;
    5. Asks the REFINE Nanomed Project to organise events focused on knowledge sharing and cooperation between international stakeholders in the field of nanomedicine;
    6. Further calls upon the European Commission to help allocate Horizon Europe grants to companies that choose to apply through the centralised procedure of authorisation;
    7. Requests the EMA to develop a guidebook detailing the application for authorisation of nanomedicine procedure to prevent the premature abandonment thereof;
    8. Strongly encourages the European Commission to introduce a Directive for a minimum safety requirement for nanomedicine authorisation to create a universal standard for the quality of nanomedicine.
  • JURI I

    JURI I

    Committee on Legal Affairs

    Chaired by Marek Jankovský (CZ)

    Topic Pitch

    Far-right political parties are on the rise in many EU Member States, including Poland, Hungary, and countries such as France, Italy, and Sweden. Core ideas expressed by the far-right are chauvinistic and ethnic nobleness of the nationanti-immigrant xenophobia, and anti-establishment populism. The ideas promoted by the far-right are often in contradiction with the underlying values of the EU, contained in Article 2 of the Treaty on the European Union (TEU)1. This includes the rule of law principle, which ensures legal certainty2, prevention of abuse / misuse of powers3, equality before the law and non-discrimination4, and access to justice5.

    The EU has mechanisms to tackle breaches of the rule of law, such as the infringement proceedings, the conditionality mechanism, or proceedings under Article 7 of the TEU. However, the existing mechanisms require qualified majority or unanimity6, and tend to last long, reducing the actionability of the EU.

    Key Learnings

    • The EU is based on fundamental values, namely respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities, along with pluralism, non-discrimination, tolerance, justice, solidarity, and equality between women and men;
    • The fundamental EU values are threatened by far-right movements and far-right extremism;
    • Far-right parties promote protectionism and welfare chauvinism7, anti-immigrant discourse based on fear and hatred, traditional family and religious values, and direct participation.
    • Many far-right parties criticize the EU , wish to leave it, or at least strongly reform it.
    • The EU has mechanisms in place when EU values are breached. However, they are not always effective and actionable.
    • Proceedings under Article 7 of the TEU, the strongest mechanism to tackle the violation of EU values by Member States, can easily be blocked, making it unusable in most cases.

    The Present

    Abstract

    The European Union is built on fundamental values, enshrined in Article 2 of the Treaty on the European Union (TEU). These values include respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities, along with pluralism, non-discrimination, tolerance, justice, solidarity, and equality between women and men

    While not well known to the general public, the rule of law in particular represents an underlying principle for the functioning of the EU. Simply put, it means that governments are subject to existing laws as much as its citizens are. More precisely, the Venice Commission has introduced the Rule of Law checklist – a document which defines the 5 fundamental elements of the rule of law. These elements are legal certainty, prevention of abuse / misuse of powers, equality before the law and non-discrimination, and access to justice.

    There are, however, movements and political parties within Member States that do not share the core EU values, including the rule of law principle, and either violate them, or directly call for their abolition. 

    Today, this is especially true for far-right movements and political parties. While far-right parties can be divided into different groups, political scientists agree that the far-right is based around three core ideas, those being chauvinistic and ethnic nobleness of the nationanti-immigrant xenophobia, and anti-establishment populism.

    How Much Sway Does the Far-Right Have?

    The policies proposed by the far-right often concern protectionism and welfare chauvinism in the economic area, an anti-immigrant discourse based on fear and hatred in the social areas, and an emphasis on traditional family and religious values at the cultural level. In politics, far-right parties often promote direct participation and are unwilling to compromise. Many far-right parties also criticize the EU , wish to leave it, or at least strongly reform it.

    Far-right political parties are on the rise in many EU Member States. In the French presidential elections of April 2022, far-right and anti-EU candidate Marie Le Pen gained over 41% of votes. Far-right party Brothers of Italy won the Italian parliamentary elections with almost 26% of the vote, and in the September general election, the far-right party Swedish Democrats with neo-Nazi roots has gained 2nd place with over 20% of the vote.

    Stakeholders/Key Actors

    European Commission (EC) is the executive body of the EU responsible for drawing up proposals of EU legislation, allocating EU funding, and enforcing EU legislation. The EC is in charge of the The Rule of Law Framework, initiates Infringement Proceedings and may initiate proceedings under Article 7 of the TEU. It also proposes measures under the Conditionality mechanism

    Council of the European Union (Council) is the body of the EU composed of government ministers from each Member State. The Council coordinates Member States’ policies, negotiates and adopts EU legislation, and adopts the annual EU budget, together with the EP. The Council takes decisions proceedings under Article 7 of the TEU and may also initiate them. It also approves measures proposed by the EC under the Conditionality mechanism.

    European Parliament (EP) is a directly-elected EU body composed of members from each EU Member State. It negotiates and adopts EU legislation, along with the Council, supervises other EU institutions, and approves the EU’s budget. It may initiate proceedings under Article 7 of the TEU.

    The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) is the judicial body of the EU, which interprets, enforces, and annuls EU’s legal acts. It decides on infringement proceedings against Member States brought before it by the European Commission or another Member State.

    European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) is an EU body promoting fundamental rights in the EU through collecting & analysing information on fundamental rights’ development, advising EU institutions and governments on fundamental rights, and raising awareness of rights. It takes part in the The Rule of Law Framework.

    Legal Framework

    The Rule of Law Framework of the EC is a three-stage process in which the EC assesses the risk to the Rule of law in Member States, provides recommendations to prevent or eliminate such risks, and monitors how the Member State reacts to the EC’s recommendation. If the Member State fails to take the necessary steps, the EC may initiate proceedings under Article 7 of the TEU.

    Proceedings under Article 7(1) of the TEU, also referred to as the preventive mechanism, allow the Council to hear the Member State in question and determine that there is a clear risk of a serious breach of EU values as defined in Article 2 of the TEU. During the proceedings, the Council may make recommendation to the Member State on how to prevent the risk of the breach.

    Proceedings under Article 7(2) of the TEU come into place if proceedings under Article 7(1) do not resolve the risk to EU values. In such case, the Council, after hearing the Member State in question, may unanimously determine the existence of a serious and persistent breach of EU values under Article 2 of the TEU.  A serious and persistent breach of EU values needs to be approved by all members of the Council, except for the representative of the Member state in question.

    Proceedings under Article 7(3) of the TEU allow the Council to suspend the rights of a Member States, including voting rights of their representatives, once a serious and persistent breach of EU values under Article 2 of the TEU has been determined. Any suspension needs to be approved by a qualified majority of the Council. 

    Infringement proceedings allow the EC to monitor the application of EU law and take legal action against a Member State that fails to properly apply EU law.  During the proceedings, the EC engages in a dialogue with the Member State. Then, if the EC sees fit, it may send a reasoned opinion to the Member State, which serves a formal request to comply with EU law. If the Member State fails to comply with EU law, the EC may refer the matter to the Court of Justice. If the court finds that a country has breached EU law and the Member State still fails to take steps to eliminate the breach, the EC may refer the Member State back to the court. This time, if the ECJ finds that there is an ongoing breach of EU Law, it can impose financial sanctions. The Member State will be obliged to pay the financial sanctions until it complies with EU Law.

    The Regulation on a General Regime of Conditionality for the Protection of the Union  Budget, also known as the Conditionality mechanism, allows the EU to, inter alia, suspend payments to Member States in cases where there is both a breach of rule of law principles and the said breach presents a risk to the EU’s financial interests. If only one of the criteria is fulfilled, the mechanism will not apply. The EC proposes the measures under the Conditionality mechanism to the Council, which has to approve the measures by a qualified majority.

    The European Rule of Law Mechanism, established in 2019, provides a process for an annual dialogue between EU institutions, Member States, and other national stakeholders on issues related to the rule of law. Based on its findings and the discussion with stakeholders, the EU issues annual Rule of Law reports on the development of the rule of law across Member States.

    The Rule of Law checklist is a document of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe, which defines the core elements of the rule of law.The Rule of Law checklist is used as a reference criterion for the European Rule of Law Mechanism.

    The Future

    Conflicts/Key Challenges

    The toothless Article 7

    While Article 7 hypothetically allows the suspension of the rights of a Member States, an agreement between Poland and Hungary makes it impossible to be utilized. Therefore, with the far-right in the EU on the rise, it is unlikely that Article 7 will ever be applied. 

    In order to amend Article 7, however, the consent of all Member States’ parliaments, including Poland and Hungary would be needed. Moreover, any change to the now-strict rules may pose a threat in the future, making the EU even more vulnerable to the rise of the far-right.

    Effectivity and actionability of existing legal instruments

    While the EU has instruments to enforce its legislature, the proceedings usually last long and thus, the EU is unable to swiftly react to new changes in Member States’ policies. As of the end of 2020, infringement proceedings regarding the Single Market, the most common area of infringement proceedings, lasted 37.3 months  on average.

    While the CJEU may at any time introduce an interim measure, such a suspension in executing the legal act in question, the measure is difficult to enforce as Member States are usually reluctant to pay both sanctions introduced through interim measures, and sanctions imposed by a final judgement. Thus, it may take years before a Member State feels the effects of EU’s law enforcement measures

    Tackling rule of law breaches v. principle of conferral

    While the violation of the rule of law principle is to be taken very seriously, Member States still remain the so-called “Masters of the Treaties”. Thus, another fundamental principle of the EU should be borne in mind – the principle of conferral8

    Since the EU can then only act within the limits of the competences conferred upon it by the Member States, the question remains whether any further measures can be taken within the scope of the EU’s competences. The Regulation on a General Regime of Conditionality for the Protection of the Union Budget, for example, was brought before the CJEU, since Hungary and Poland believed that the EU was acting beyond its competence. While the CJEU held that the regulation is in line with EU law, the principle of conferral needs to be borne in mind while adopting further measures.

    Measures Ahead

    The EU is preparing to apply the new Conditionality mechanism for the first time.

    On the 18th of September, the EC proposed to suspend €7.5 billion, which amounts to one-third of the cohesion funds allocated to Hungary unless it sufficiently addresses its rule of law shortcomings in the coming two months. On November 30th, the EC found that Hungary has not progressed enough in its reforms and the suspended funds will not be released until 27 “super milestones” including 17 remedial measures against corruption are met. Following the recommendation of the EC, , the Council has decided on December 12th 2022 to suspend some €6.3 billion from funds dedicated to Hungary. Hungary may regain access to these funds if it manages to implement all the proposed remedial measures within the following 2 years.

    Similarly, the EU threatens to freeze payments of regional aid to Poland under the Conditionality mechanism due to threats to judicial independence in Poland. Payments will be held back by the EC until the matter is resolved. Poland is entitled to a total of €76.5bn, if it fulfils the conditions set out by the commission.

    With new measures in place and the pressure towards reforms, we are yet to see if the EU can effectively resolve the breaches of the rule of law in Hungary and Poland. However, with the far-right in the EU on the rise, it is clear that further steps need to be taken in order to ensure that EU values and the rule of law are upheld in the future.

    Useful Links

    video by the European Parliament on the monitoring, prevention, and enforcement mechanisms of EU law.
    video by TLDR News on rule of law developments in Hungary.
    video by EURACTIV on the proceedings under Article 7 of the TEU
    video by Euronews on the application of the conditionality mechanism on Hungary
    video by BBC on development of rule of law in Poland

    Rule of Law Report 2022 Toolbox – a short visual overview of the EU’s Rule of Law Framework

    Definitions & Questions

  • ITRE

    ITRE

    Committee on Industry, Research and Energy

    Chaired by Teodor-Cristian Borcan (RO)

    Topic Pitch

    Even though nanomedicine seems to be the next step in the advancement of medicine, being able to aid in the early-stage diagnosis, targeted treatment and even targeted release of medication, it is slowed down by a set of different challenges. Because of the field’s novelty, the data surrounding nanoparticles is still relatively scarce, preventing researchers from accurately predicting the properties of compounds under particular circumstances. Moreover, the legislation surrounding nanomedicine is still vague and somewhat lacking. This is because of nanoparticles’ complexity and the wide array of forms they can take. All in all, the great potential of nanomedicine seems to remain partly untapped because of over-cautious approaches and lacking data, despite efforts being made to alleviate this situation and further deepen research and our current understanding of the field.

    Key learnings

    • Progress in nanomedicine is slowed down by vague legislation.
    • Market authorisations differ between Member States, creating discrepancies in the criteria and standards that need to be met.
    • There is still not enough data for assumptions to be accurately made regarding the behaviour of some nanomedicines in vivo.
    • Nanomedicine shows great promise in improving patient care standards, paving the way towards personalised medicine.
    • Nanomedical approaches might provide cures or therapeutical alternatives for previously incurable diseases and syndromes.

    The Present

    Abstract

    This example shows how critical guidance is in the field of nanomedicine because its lack leaves manufacturers, the general public, and policymakers with little to no clarity and legal certainty. Despite showing great promise in terms of progress and improving standards for patient care and early-stage diagnosis, nanomedicine still seems to be hindered by vague and not-fit-for-purpose legislation. Furthermore, because it is such a novel field of study, the data regarding nanomaterials and nanomedicines is also scarce. This slows down the translation from labs and clinical trials to actual market commercialisation. 

    Stakeholders/Key Actors

    European Commission

    The EC is the executive branch of the EU. The Commission helps to shape the EU’s overall strategy, proposes new EU laws and policies, monitors their implementation and manages the EU budget. More precisely, the European Commission is responsible for the main pieces of legislation regarding research and some aspects of public health, areas which this topic falls under, while still maintaining a close collaboration with Member States, since the competences in these areas are shared.

    Member States

    As previously mentioned, research and some aspects of public health fall under the category of shared competences. This means that Member States also play a major role in legislation. Furthermore, because the approval of certain products can be given through a decentralised procedure, Member States are responsible for the assessment of the submitted applications. It is thus implied that the assessment of the product’s performance and all other parameters specified in the existing binding legislation must be done independently by Member States.

    European Medicines Agency

    EMA is an agency that evaluates and monitors medicines in the EU. It conducts research and uses the results to provide reliable information accessible to everyone. In the case of nanomedicine, EMA is responsible for the evaluation of marketing authorisation applications. The results of its experiments provide the base for the centralised authorisation of nanomedicine in the EU market. Moreover, EMA publishes scientific guidelines to help companies prepare their applications for the authorisation procedure.

    Joint Research Centre

    The JRC is the European Commission’s service for science. It works by employing experts to conduct research and experiments whose results are used to back EU policies. Its actions in public health that fit within the scope of this topic include human biomonitoring and research of health technologies. The JRC is one of the data hubs for nanomedicine as the results of its experiments can be used to alleviate the current lack of data.

    Nanotechnology Industries Association

    The NIA supports the development of the nanotechnology sector by uniting companies, as well as research centres, universities, and other support organisations. One of the ways it does this is through the creation of partnership opportunities between its members, allowing for shared progress and efficient collaboration. Furthermore, it provides industry insights to policymakers and regulators to help create a better, more reliable regulatory environment.

    Legal Framework

    Measures regarding all types of medication and medical products

    These pieces of legislation fall behind in that they include nothing specific about nanomedicine. This is because, at the time of their publishing, this field had only begun to emerge. Despite not being precise in the case of nanopharmaceuticals, these measures play a role in their development, since their placement on the market is subject to these terms. 

    Directive 2001/83/EC establishes the standards a medicine must meet for market approval. Article 24 mentions the duration of authorisation, namely 5 years, with the possibility of renewing it for another 5 years. The conditions for which a product is refused authorisation are: if it is proven to be harmful under the recommended conditions, if its efficiency is insufficient or if its composition does not correspond with the declared one.

    Regulation 2004/726/EC adds to the requirements mentioned in the Directive, including that the clinical trials carried out to obtain results for the application should be done respecting the standards of good clinical practice and that they meet ethical demands and that any changes in the manufacturing process and composition of the product have to be included into an application and be approved before they can be implemented. Furthermore, this regulation established the EMA and all of its attributions and committees, ensuring more efficient supervision and coordination of the EU medicine market.

    Measures regarding nanomedicines

    These measures are more specific to nanomedicines because they take into account the notable differences between them and all other types of medicines. These pieces of legislation regulate nanomedicines on risk/benefit-analysis principles.

    The Commission’s recommendation on the definition of nanomaterial 2011 gave a definition for nanomaterials and aimed to help harmonise the legislation and progress that would follow. However, because of the rather vague and broad scope given by this definition, it has proved not to be as effective. Moreover, because it is a recommendation, it is not legally binding, rather coming as a suggestion and aid.

    The Commission’s Regulation (EU) 2018/1881 came as an amendment to the already existing REACH regulation that concerned the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals. This amendment includes so-called nanoforms of chemicals in its scope. In the context of this regulation, nanoforms can be thought of as just nanomaterials. Furthermore, it also details many of the needed parameters of the nanoforms, as well as the quality standards by which they must abide.

    The Future

    Key Challenges

    Lack of a centralised approval procedure

    Currently, there are two ways that can lead to the approval of a new nanomedical product: centralised and decentralised. In the centralised pathway, EMA conducts its own studies, after which the European Commission approves market authorisation. The de-centralised process, however, occurs individually in the Member States. This de-centralised approach leads to an inconsistent evaluation and authorisation of nanomedicines. Furthermore, because nanomedicines are borderline products, meaning they do not easily fit into regulatory pathways1, their classification can be interpreted differently by different Member States, thus increasing the discrepancies in evaluation and approval2

    Lack of a unified definition or classification of nanomedicines/ nanomaterials

    The European Commission currently defines nanomaterials as materials that contain more than 50% particles with sizes ranging from 1 to 100 nm. This definition, however, is part of a recommendation and is thus not legally binding. The lack of a unified definition for nanomedicines/nanomaterials is also one of the factors that hinder their further development3 and proper implementation. Because of their versatile nature, definitions and guidance must be made for different classes of nanomedicines. A lack of consistency across states can hinder market approval and conditions that need to be met by the specific product. Therefore, the specific safety and efficacy standards it must pass to be on the market will differ and some countries will be able to use a nanomedicine that may not have passed regulatory standards in another country.

    Lack of data

    The lack of data regarding nanomaterials has been identified as a key issue in risk assessment by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Due to their novelty4, the negative side effects of nanomedicines might not be fully understood. Nanoparticles can enter the human body and interact with it through an array of processes like inhalation, absorption and metabolisation. In time, they can accumulate and lead to negative side effects. This is a real issue because not much is known about how long nanoparticles stay in a specific location (cell, tissue or organ) before being excreted. Despite the increasing number of in vitro and in vivo experiments being carried out, the data is still lacking to fully assess the risk of using certain nanomedicines. Furthermore, the reliability of the experimental data heavily depends on the conditions under which the nanomedicine was tested. This can distort results in either favourable or unfavourable directions. However, despite this uncertainty and lack of knowledge, nanomedicine has shown great promise for revolutionising the way patient care and treatment are tackled. Nanomedicine approaches have helped researchers gain valuable insights5 into the mechanisms behind Alzheimer’s disease, various types of cancer or infectious diseases such as Ebola and malaria.

    Measures Ahead

    The European Commission has set up an initiative to review the EU pharmaceutical strategy, taking into account the lessons learnt from the recent Covid-19 pandemic. This revision aims to encourage and support further innovation in the field, and nanomedicine is one of the critical areas of interest, while also adapting to new developments in science. The public consultation period of this initiative ended in December 2021 and the Commission adoption is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2022. This may be beneficial for the progress of nanomedicine, considering its major contribution to the development of Covid-19 vaccines as this can put it in the spotlight for global innovation and improvement. Another initiative meant to encourage and support research in the EU is Horizon 2020 which funded projects carrying out cutting-edge research, such as:

    • The REFINE Nanomed project aims to create a consortium to help in the advancement of biomaterials and nanomedicines by gathering representatives from all stakeholder categories. Furthermore, one of its objectives is to improve the standardisation of regulations at a European level.
    • The European Nanomedicine Characterization Laboratory (EU-NCL) is also a project whose aim is to carry out experiments to characterise nanoparticles for medical applications. This is meant to aid companies to improve their nanomedicine products before submitting their application for market authorisation.

    Tech Corner

    But what is nanomedicine and why do we care so much about it?

    Nanomedicine is the medical application of nanotechnology. It paves the way towards personalised medicine, specific for each of us and may even reduce the frequency of certain medical procedures or traditional medication. The prefix nano- refers to a billionth of a meter or a millionth of a millimetre, therefore, nanoparticles have at least one dimension in the range of 1-100 nm. This size gives them unique properties and abilities to interact with our bodies in unprecedented ways. The following image shows a comparative scale of the nanoparticle size.

    Nanoparticles size chart

    In vivo versus in vitro

    Throughout this Topic Overview and during your own research regarding this topic, you might come across the terms in vitro and in vivo. But what do they mean and what do they tell us about the way the experiment was conducted? Firstly, both terms come from Latin and mean “in glass” and “in the living”, respectively. As the names suggest, in vivo experiments aim to replicate the real conditions that the nanomedicine would act in: either within a cell, a tissue, or an organ. However, before the nanomedicine can be tested in the complex environment that is a living organism, its properties and mechanism of action must be thoroughly studied. This is typically done through in vitro testing. In vitro experiments are carried out on isolated cells or tissues. These do not reflect the complexity of the real environment, but rather highlight one or more of its conditions.

    Useful Links

    this podcast highlights the different uses of nanotechnology and presents the cutting-edge research going on in this interdisciplinary field.
    this video shows that despite being a seemingly difficult field to grasp, nanotechnology can be boiled down to the simplest of terms and explained to people with vastly different levels of knowledge.
    this interview from 2013 successfully predicted the booming upcoming progress that nanomedicine would have and the great potential this field had for improving the standard of patient care and treatment.

    Further Questions

  • EMPL

    EMPL

    Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

    Chaired by Paul Gerring (DE)

    Topic Pitch

    The population structure of a geographical area can be represented in detail by the demographic change model. This makes it possible to see how the population is currently composed and how it will develop in the coming decades. In most industrialised countries, especially in the European Union, the phenomenon of inverted age pyramids can be observed. This means that the population is becoming increasingly older, and it is shrinking overall. This puts increasing pressure on the economies and social systems of the Member States. On one hand, fewer younger people are able to provide pensions for more older people. In this context, the European Commission is already seeking a rethink in the areas of health care, welfare, public budgets and public life. In addition, issues such as access to services, community care and even loneliness need to be addressed.

    Key Learnings

    1. The European population will grow at a slower rate and, by 2060, one in three Europeans will be aged over 65.
    2. The old-age dependency ratio depicts the number of people at an age when they are economically inactive compared to the number of people of working age. For example, in Italy, 67% of the people will be economically inactive while only 33% will be working in 2075.
    3. Currently, in many Member States there is bad compatibility between family and career and young parents often have to choose between one of them. This leads to an overall decline in the birth rate.
    4. The silver economy, which describes the development of the economy for the share of people aged over 65, is also an opportunity for Europe to create new industries with great economic potential.
    5. Healthy ageing1 can contribute to keeping older people in the economy for longer, and also enable them to participate more fully in society.

    The Present

    Abstract

    The topic is based on the question: “What measures can Member States take to accommodate the economy and societal structures of the old-age population?” In the current situation, there are many challenges that play into the difficulty of the ageing population. Not only in the Netherlands, but among most European countries. On one hand, there is a poor compatibility of work and family life, and a certain unattractiveness of having children at all. Furthermore, the pension and social security systems are facing great challenges due to the increase in claims and the decrease in funding. In addition, people, young as well as old, can become victims of age discrimination in the workplace. As of 2021, the share of people aged 65 and over was 20.8% in the European Union, and the EU and its Member States are trying to find solutions such as raising the retirement age, just like the example of the Netherlands, encouraging immigration or adapting social systems.

    Stakeholders

    Europe

    Demographic change can also impact Europe’s position in the world. Especially because, due to the increase in the older age group, the population share and the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will become comparatively smaller. Therefore, the European Commission has a special interest in Europe being united on every level, from the individuals to its Member States. It focuses on sustaining the economy by getting more people into jobs and increasing the productivity of the workforce. Furthermore, health and care systems have to adapt further, and the European Commission considers how to fund higher age-related public spending.

    Member States

    generally aim for economic growth and stability. The main objectives of national demographic policies are to maintain and develop prosperity, to maintain and, at the same time, to promote social unity, and to guarantee the financial capability of the respective state and social systems to act in the long term. To achieve this, measures such as adjusting the retirement age will not be sufficient in the long term. Instead, far-reaching structural and social reforms will be necessary for some Member States.

    The World health Organisation (WHO)

    supports the development of social and physical environments and promotes healthy ageing. The Demographic Change and Healthy Ageing Unit (DHA) provides leadership on these issues, develops norms and standards, builds national capacity to address these issues and promotes global advocacy.

    The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

    is an international organisation that aims to shape policies that foster prosperity, equality, opportunity and well-being for all. In context, it supports governments and organisations in implementing employment and skills development programmes. Furthermore, the OECD aims to outline development scenarios in the context of demographic change to facilitate the adoption of appropriate guidelines.

    Measures already in place

    Retirement Age2

    The common retirement age3 in the EU is 65, but there are differences between Member States. For example, people in France retire at 62, whereas in Italy at 67. A state can use the retirement age as a tool to have a slight impact on the number of working people in the labour market. In most Member States, an increase in the retirement age is projected due to the ageing population, and in some places, retirement ages of 70+ are already being debated. The problem with raising the retirement age is above all that there are professions in which people often cannot work until old age due to both physical and mental exhaustion.

    The Skilled Immigration Act

    In 2020, the German government passed “The skilled Immigration Act”. This is intended to make it easier for skilled workers from non-EU countries to migrate to Germany and contribute to the national workforce. Skilled workers are those who have completed vocational training in Germany or abroad that is roughly equivalent to German training. This will make it easier for immigrants to enter the German labour market and social systems.

    The Future

    Key Challenges

    Inversed age pyramid

    After the Second World War, the European population rose steadily until the 1970s. But due to the empowerment of women, a flourishing economy, an increase in the quality of education, and easier access to reliable contraceptives, the fertility rate has been falling since the seventies. Thus, there will soon be an inverted age pyramid, with fewer young people and more older people. In the long term, this will create a deficit of workers and specialists in European countries.

    Population Projections in the EU

    Good education in Europe does indeed increase the proportion of people with university degrees and qualified specialists in the labour market. However, it also increases people’s desire to take advantage of the career opportunities it offers. European citizens are therefore increasingly opting for the big career path rather than starting a family and raising children. This means that there is a lack of compatibility between work and family life.

    Family or Career. Why not both?4

    In the 21st century, young people often have to face the decision between family or career. Because having a child and motherhood inevitably mean a period of absence, short or long-term, from the labour market. If this period of absence is too protracted, the return to work is even more difficult. The fact that people have to face this decision leads to an overall decline in the birth rate in industrialised countries.

    Parental leave and paternity leave allow many families to take time off to care for and raise their children. Thereafter, they are guaranteed a return to their old position or a similar one. On the other hand, this time away from work is unpaid. This means that many people cannot afford not to work for three to four months to spend time with their families.Another challenge in child raising is the lack of kindergarten places in European countries. According to the Bertelsmann Foundation, there is a shortage of 384,000 kindergarten places in Germany alone for the year 2023. Since the demand for care cannot be met here, the burden falls back on parents alone.

    Deficits of current social systems among European countries[EFN_NOTE]What measures do you think are most crucial for adjusting the social and pension systems?[/EFN_NOTE]

    Most pension systems in the EU are pay-as-you-go. This means that the working part of the population pays into the pension insurance and retired people can draw their pensions accordingly. However, as there are increasingly fewer payers and increasingly more recipients of benefits in the future, this system is at risk of collapse, with older people under threat of drifting into poverty. While, for instance, in 2013 in Germany, about three people of working age financed one pensioner, in 2030 there will already only be 2.5 payers per recipient5.

    In this context, the ratio that depicts the number of people at an age when they are generally inactive in the labour market compared to the number of people of working age is called the old-age dependency ratio. The OECD predicts for Italy that in 2075 67% of people will be economically inactive while only 33% will be working.Moreover, older people are more likely to suffer from physical and chronic diseases, which increases the demand for healthcare. These chronic diseases include hearing loss, cataracts and refractive errors, back and neck pain and osteoarthritis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, depression and dementia. Under the influence of the ageing population, the current public health systems must be able to address the experiences and needs of older people, according to the WHO.

    Moreover, older people are more likely to suffer from physical and chronic diseases, which increases the demand for healthcare. These chronic diseases include hearing loss, cataracts and refractive errors, back and neck pain and osteoarthritis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, depression and dementia. Under the influence of the ageing population, the current public health systems must be able to address the experiences and needs of older people, according to the WHO.

    Age discrimination6

    In the G20 countries, employers’ negative attitudes towards older workers often become an obstacle to a long working life. This form of discrimination limits the pool of experience and talent. Discrimination has a retarding effect and negatively impacts economic growth and the well-being of younger and older workers alike. This can lead to older people already limiting their job search and not considering all options or even giving up completely. On the other hand, younger people may be accused of inexperience or unreliability as an obstacle to recruitment or promotion, regardless of their actual talent.

    Measures Ahead

    Pension funds

    One conceivable measure in the future would be pension funds, meaning investing in shares. This can be done at the level of private households, but also at the state level. The European Central Bank is already collecting statistical data on the balance sheets of pension funds to be able to better analyse the impact on the wealth of private households. 

    Encouragement to retain and hire older people

    To tackle age discrimination and possible stereotypes against older employees on the part of employers, it is important to encourage them to recruit and retain older workers. This requires taking measures against age discrimination and finding ways to facilitate recruitment by reducing labour costs. In addition, employment protection for workers can be revised, and age management practices promoted to improve the productivity of older employees.

    individual learning accounts

    The European Council recommends that Member States establish individual learning accounts. These are intended to help people participate in labour market-relevant training to enable them to access or remain in employment. These learning accounts should provide people with a budget to improve their skills and employability throughout their lives. Regardless of whether they are employed or not. The EU’s target is that 60% of all adults participate in training annually by 2030.

    Future Stop: Silver Economy7

    The Silver Economy refers to the economic share of people aged 65 and older. According to the European Commission, by 2060, one in three Europeans will be over 65. By 2025, the Silver Economy is expected to contribute €5.7 trillion to the European economy.

    The Silver Economy will redefine the rules for existing market operators in Europe. At the intersection of demographic and technological change, new industries will emerge that are expected to create huge export potential. According to the Commission, cross-policy measures are needed to facilitate the growth of the Silver Economy and to accelerate the benefits for older people. Active and healthy ageing can ensure that people not only remain more active and better integrated into society. They can also continue to work and learn new things for several more years.A study commissioned by the European Commission proposes five recommendations, each of which has the potential to boost the European silver economy, both consumption and economic output. These recommendations include the technological and digital development of the healthcare sector, supporting healthy ageing, solutions for better mobility of older people, increasing the active participation of older people in the labour market and increasing the innovation of products and services targeted towards independent living.

    Useful Links

    Footnotes

  • DROI

    DROI

    Committe on Human Rights

    Chaired by Benjamin Stephenson (NL)

    Topic Pitch

    As Ursula von der Leyen once stated “Being yourself is not your ideology. It’s your identity”. Transgender1 and gender2 non-conforming people are facing an increase of violence directed at them, all over Europe. As prejudiced transphobic hate speech3 sadly becomes more and more common, violence has also seen a correlated increase.  Moreover, the EU has a long history of defending human rights at the transnational level, and this is most certainly not a time to stop.  There is no justification to defile someone based on any part of their identity, or their existence as a whole. Transgender people in the EU have a right to live, like any other person does, without fear of violence, or their fundamental rights and freedoms being taken away due to someone’s caprice; and if the Member States will not guarantee it, then who will?

    Key learnings

    • Trans people face unproportionally high violence;
    • Transphobia is becoming more common;
    • Trans people are statistically more likely to be put in a vulnerable situation prone to violence;
    • Transphobic violence is caused by transphobia and by extension cisnormativity;
    • Trans people underreport violence against their community.

    The Present

    Abstract

    The case of Malte C. displays how the violence does not appear out of nowhere – the assailant was spousing anti-queer rhetoric before he got violent. If his initial anti-queer rhetoric was curbed then Malte C. would still be around today. For transgender people to be liberated from facing this kind of violence, we must figure out how to holistically tackle transphobia. In order to properly tackle transphobia, the roots in anti-queerness and cisnormativity6 must be addressed. 

    Transgender people are over four times more likely to be the victims of violent crime. This phenomenon cannot be viewed in a vacuum; The high rate of violence that transgender people face is not pure luck, it is the byproduct of transphobia and cisnormativity. Transphobia materialises itself as anything from microaggressions7 to violent hate crimes. The increased rates of violence cannot be approached unless the underlying transphobia and cisnormativity is addressed. Simultaneously, transgender people have a higher chance of being coerced into more vulnerable situations like poverty, homelessness, unemployment or sex work, which makes them more apt to be the victim of violence. The issue of violence against transgender people is intertwined with all of the discrimination that trans people face, making the addressing of the issue all the more difficult.

    Stakeholders/Key Actors

    Transgender Europe (TGEU)

    Transgender Europe is a non-governmental organisation with a focus on protecting the rights of trans people. It was founded in 2005 during the first European Transgender Council. TGEU runs a “Trans Murder Monitoring” project to record how many people a year are killed in anti-trans violence. TGEU aims to make a Europe where gender diversity is celebrated, and where trans people are valued.

    European Transgender Council

    The European Transgender Council exists alongside TGEU. It is the biggest event for trans activists in Europe with over 200 participants. It functions as a forum to discuss the agenda for trans politics but simultaneously to celebrate the trans community.

    ILGA-Europe

    International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association of Europe is an independent, international, non-governmental umbrella organisation with around 600 subsidiaries. They receive most of their funding from the EU and they redirect most of their funding to their subsidiaries. ILGA-Europe has a focus on LGBTI people, not necessarily only trans people.

    Trans United Europe

    Trans United Europe (also known as Trans European BPOC8 network) is a Trans non-governmental organisation with a focus on BPOC individuals, and mainly sexwork. They believe that the social and economic status of Trans BPOC people makes them especially vulnerable9.

    Police and Criminal Justice Agencies

    The Police and Criminal Justice Agencies are crucial in stopping violent crime against trans people. Transgender communities tend to lack trust in the police and underreport transphobic hate crimes. To stop transphobic crime, police and criminal justice agencies need to work on building a better relationship with the trans community. 

    Legal Framework/Measures already in place

    Transgender people should be just as protected by the law as cis people. Moreover, as people living in the EU, they should be protected by the European Convention on Human Rights. Article 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights has been affirmed by the European Court of Human Rights to protect trans people from unjustified discrimination. The Council of Europe called for Member States to explicitly prohibit discrimination based on gender identity, which, unfortunately, is not something all Member States have done

    Across the EU, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has also been a major player, but not flawlessly. Cases such as P v S and Cornwall County Council have been massive jumps for trans rights and created a baseline for the  treatment of trans people. Unfortunately, the CJEU has not been very all encompassing. The CJEU has failed to include non-binary individuals  entirely and only view trans people through a medicalised lens, where equal protection is only required post gender reassignment surgery.  This excludes all trans people who cannot, or do not want gender affirmation surgery/therapy. For trans people to be better protected by the law, it is required that they have the recognition they deserve.

    Finally, when viewing individual Member States, every Member State should, in theory, protect trans people under their own non-discrimination frameworks. However, many Member States have reported no judgements or opinions relating to the unequal treatment of transgender people, indirectly making  themselves complicit in the discrimination of transgender people. There’s, domestically, an absence of case law regarding transgender people also causing the prosecution of transphobic violence to be exacerbating. There are, however, some Member States who are much more progressive, and who have institutions such as self-determination, allowing adults to decide their own gender without medical or civil requirements. The most prominent NGO measure in place is TGEU’s Trans Murder Monitior. The resource not only displays the number of trans people murdered in each member state but it also provides up-to-date relevant information on the state of trans rights respectively.

    The Future

    Conflicts/Key Challenges

    At their core, the source of all the problems stem from transphobia. Our societies were built on cisnormativity which is the source of transphobia. Deductively so, if one wishes to tackle transphobic violence then both transphobia and cisnormativity, as a whole, must be considered, and reevaluated. Although it is not possible to rebuild society from the bottom-up without transphobia, there is definitely progress which can be made in curbing the prevalence of existing transphobia and cisnormativity. Unfortunately, since transphobia and cisnormativity are cultural, tackling them becomes much more complicated and could take generations before any significant progress is made.

    Another key challenge, which is linked to the former challenge, is the vulnerable position that a lot of transgender people are put in that makes them prone to experiencing violence such as poverty, homelessness or sexwork. To liberate transgender people from the violence would require that the resources they need are provided for them. As long as they are continually coerced into vulnerable situations, they will be significantly more at risk of violence than the general population.

    One more conflict that intertwines with the prior two challenges is the difficulties reporting to the police. The police, specifically police officers, are not viewed as being the most progressive when it comes to transgender rights. Unless there is trust built between the trans community and the police, transphobic crime will continue being underreported. There is a significant unresponsiveness or hostility from the behalf of the legal authorities when contacted by queer people so, consequentially, many trans people are averse to the police and would prefer to not report. The police must become more cognisant that transgender people are vulnerable, so that they do not overlook transphobic crime and so trans people do not underreport transphobic crime.

    Measures Ahead

    Moving forward there is a lot of work that needs to be done surrounding tackling violence against transgender people. As a general point, Member States should work to create hate crime legislation, based on gender identity on par with ethnic hate crimes. Transphobia needs to be more explicitly deplored by the Member States. 

    This requires that transgendered people have the basic human rights granting them visibility, and the self determination they need in order to be considered as their preferred identity, and thereby transgender. If transgender people are not recognised as such then transphobic crime will not be properly dealt with

    Combined with that, there needs to be a focus on assisting the most vulnerable people in the transgender community, including not only trans youth and BPOC but also trans sexworkers and homeless people. There needs to be resources available to these individuals, to protect them, and to remove them from situations which could lead to violence. The plight of trans people has gone on far too long and on its current trajectory, it does not appear to be headed in a good direction. However, the trans struggle is not already lost. There is a foreseeable future where trans people become accepted by society, if the EU can manage to liberate them from their oppression.

    Useful Links

    Footnotes