savonlinna 2014 resolution booklet

Savonlinna 2014 – Regional Session of European Youth Parliament Finland

General Assembly, 2 November 2014

Resolution Booklet Savonlinna 2014 – Regional Session of European Youth Parliament Finland

31st October–2nd November, 2014



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European Youth Parliament (EYP) – The EYP, founded in 1987, is one of the largest European platforms for intercultural encounters, political educational work and the exchange of ideas among young people. Its mission is to support the development of young people into politically aware and responsible citizens by involving them in European political thinking and promoting intercultural understanding. Each year, the EYP involves thousands of young people in voluntary roles in 41 European countries. The EYP is a programme of the Schwarzkopf Foundation.

European Youth Parliament Finland (EYP Finland) – EYP Finland, founded in 2001, is the National Committee of the EYP in Finland. The Regional Sessions are part of EYP Finland’s annual Your European Citizenship campaign.



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Programme of the General Assembly 08:15 Opening of the General Assembly 08:45 Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Security and Defence 09:25 Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy 10:05 Coffee break 10:25 Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs 11:05 Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs 11:45 Lunch break 13:15 Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on International Trade 13:55 Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs 14:35 Break 14:45 Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Foreign Affairs 15:25 Closing Ceremony



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Procedure of the General Assembly

General rules

The wish to speak is indicated by raising the Committee placard. Each committee may use only one Committee placard.

The authority of the Board is absolute.

Procedure and time settings

1. Presenting of the Motion for a Resolution

2. Presenting of the Friendly Amendments

3. Reading of the operative clauses

4. Three minutes to defend the Motion for a Resolution

5. Three minutes to attack the Motion for a Resolution

6. One minute to respond to the Attack Speech

7. General debate

8. Three minutes to sum up the debate

9. Voting procedure

10. Announcing the votes

Friendly Amendment

A last-‐‑minute modification to the Motion for a Resolution by the Proposing Committee. Amendments are to be handed in to the Board at least two Resolutions before the Resolution in question, or as soon as possible for the first Resolutions of the General Assembly.

Point of Personal Privilege

Request for a Delegate to repeat a point that was inaudible. Failure to understand the language being spoken does not make for a Point of Personal Privilege.

Direct Response

Once per debate, each Committee may use the Direct Response sign. Should a Delegate raise the sign during the open debate, he/she will immediately be recognised by the Board and given the floor as soon as the point being made is concluded. A Direct Response can only be used to refer to and discuss the point made directly beforehand. If two or more Direct Responses are requested at once, the Board will decide which Committee to recognise. In this case, the second Direct Response shall only be held if it can be referred to the first Direct Response, so on and so forth.



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Point of Order

These can be raised by the Chairperson if a Delegate feels the Board have not properly followed parliamentary procedure. Ultimately, the authority of the Board is absolute.

Defence Speech

One member of the Proposing Committee delivers the Defence Speech from the podium. It is used to explain the rationale of the overall lines of the Resolution and convince the Plenary that the Resolution is worthy of being adopted. This speech can last a maximum of three minutes.

Attack Speech

An individual Delegate from a Committee other than that proposing the Resolution at hand delivers an Attack Speech from the podium. It reflects an individual opinion and is used to point out the flaws of the approach taken by the Proposing Committee and should propose alternative solutions. This speech can last a maximum of three minutes.

Summation Speech

One or two members of the Proposing Committee deliver the Summation Speech from the podium; the microphone can only be passed once. It is used to summarise the debate, respond to main, selected criticism and to once more explain why the chosen approach is the most sensible. This speech can last a maximum of three minutes.



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MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY

THE COMMITTEE ON SECURITY AND DEFENCE

East versus West: with increased Russian activity on its borders and NATO’s fear for the safety of its members, tensions between Russia and Western countries are at their highest since the Cold War. How should European states respond to Russia’s growing threat on post-‐‑Soviet states and what role should the EU play in striving to uphold a

diplomatic resolve to the situation?

Submitted by: Siru Ainola (Joensuun Lyseon lukio), Selma Gabbouj (Tampereen

Klassillinen lukio), Juulia Kuusimäki (Joensuun Lyseon lukio), Linus Långbacka (Gymnasiet Lärkan), Eveliina Oinonen (Kuopion Lyseon lukio), Joona Silvennoinen (Lahden yhteiskoulu), Eveliina Topinoja (Tampereen Klassillinen lukio), Monica Varttinen (Salpauksen lukio), Juuso Kurokallio (Chairperson, FI), Cassie Tingen (Chairperson, NL)

The European Youth Parliament,

A. Keeping in mind that Russia’s recent preparation of its military forces can be perceived as readying for potential use,

B. Noting with satisfaction that the EU’s diplomatic and economic sanctions on Russia have affected Russia negatively,

C. Aware of the fact that the EU’s economic sanctions may have negative effects on the EU’s economy,

D. Noting with deep concern the potential threat of a repetition of the diplomatic crisis in Georgia in 20081 in the Post-‐‑Soviet Member States of the EU,

E. Taking into account that current negotiations between the EU and Russia carried out by diplomats and the European Action Service may not be effective in the long term,

F. Fully alarmed by the lack of trust between Russia and the EU due, but not limited, to:

i) The annexation of Crimea, following a referendum deemed illegal under both the Ukrainian and Crimean constitution according to the Venice Commission2,

ii) The history between Russia and the EU Member States, with a focus on the Cold War,

1 The diplomatic crisis between Georgia and Russia, which began in 2008 and led to the outbreak of the Russo-‐‑Georgian War in 2008. After the war, a number of incidents occurred in both conflict zones, and tensions between the belligerents remained high. 2 The Venice Commission is an advisory body of the Council of Europe



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iii) The crash of Malaysian airlines flight MH173,

iv) Russian airplanes crossing Finnish airspace4,

G. Believing that post-‐‑Soviet Member States have both a Russian and European cultural background which causes a cultural division in the population of those Member States;

1. Declares accordingly that the EU make use of smart power5 as a foreign policy through continued diplomatic and economic sanctions rather than hard power military action with regards to Russia;

2. Further invites post-‐‑Soviet Member States to organise press conferences for diplomats from post-‐‑Soviet Member States to inform the populations about the diplomatic relations between Russia and their countries;

3. Expresses its hope that Member States’ ambassadors stationed in Russia will hold more frequent meetings with the Russian government;

4. Recommends the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to take on a mediating role in the crisis between Ukraine and Russia;

5. Calls upon the European Commission to allocate funds for research on natural resources and import products in other parts of the world in order to reduce dependency on Russia’s resources.

3 On July 17 2014, Malaysian Airlines flight MH17, en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was presumably shot down as it flew over separatist-‐‑controlled territory in Eastern Ukraine, resulting in the death of 298 people. 4 Finland'ʹs Defense Ministry said it suspects a Russian An-‐‑72 transport aircraft on the 28th of August 2014 violated Finnish airspace — the third such incident in six days. 5 Smart power is the combination of soft and hard power.




THE COMMITTEE ON INDUSTRY, RESEARCH AND ENERGY

Creating a greener future: Following the failure of many EU Member States to meet the targets for renewable energy set out in 2001 and 2003, and building upon the

European Commission’s proposed 2030 climate and energy framework, how should the EU proceed to re-‐‑duce its reliance upon fossil fuels?

Submitted by: Elnur Efendi (Mikkelin lukio), Karri Heikkinen (Lahden yhteiskoulun

lukio), Jenna Joentausta (Salpauksen lukio), Anniina Könönen (Kuopion Lysen lukio), Arttu Lähdesmäki (Leppävirran lukio), Sini Pekki (Tempereen Klassillinen lukio) Jali Rissanen (Joensuun lyseon lukio), Rene Valta (Kuopion Lyseon lukio), Maria Vartiainen (Joensuun normaalikoulun lukio), Lauri Lahtinen (Chairperson, FI), Yaprak Damla Yıldırım (Chairperson, TR)


A. Alarmed by the lack of environmentally friendly products in the EU market,

B. Noting with regret that energy-‐‑saving inventions experience a lack of promotion,

C. Deeply disturbed by the high amounts of fossil fuels consumed in the EU,

D. Further noting that since renewable energy is a relatively expensive energy source it is not rewarding for Member States to strictly follow existing regulations,

E. Taking into account that the transition from fossil fuels to renewable resources as the main source of energy in the EU could potentially cause a drop in the total energy production in the EU,

F. Deeply concerned about the unstable political atmosphere caused by the EU'ʹs dependence on considerable energy imports from countries such as Russia;

1. Calls upon the European Commission (EC) to propose directives to incentivise Member States to

financially support companies that produce energy-‐‑saving products and generate renewable energy;

2. Urges the EC to call upon Member States to follow the renewable energy sources policies proposed by the EUREC1;

1 The Association of European Renewable Energy Research Centres (EUREC) is a leading association representing research centres and university departments active in the area of renewable energy.



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3. Recommends that the EC gradually decreases the taxes on renewable energy sources whilst increasing the taxes on fossil fuels;

4. Encourages the EC to:

a) Impose more severe sanctions on the Member States that do not follow the laws, and,

b) Reward Member States that keep to energy consumptıon limits by using the finances collected through sanctions;

5. Further invites the Member States, in accordance with the EUREC reports, to:

a) Research renewable energy sources within their territories and utilising them to the fullest,

b) Use energy surplus within the EU to aid Member States that lack the needed amount of energy;

6. Emphasises that the EU should abide by the EUREC policies in order to maintain a more stable relationship with Russia in terms of energy related trade activities.




THE COMMITTEE ON CIVIL LIBERTIES, JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS

Human trafficking causes several hundred thousand victims in the EU annually and is amongst the most profitable criminal activities. How can the EU effectively combat

human trafficking in Europe and preserve the Schengen agreement?

Submitted by: Uliana Belonogova (Kuopion Lyseon lukio), Alexandra Grinevich

(Joensuun Lyseon lukio), Rain Höim (Juankosken lukio), Jemina Järvilehto (Etelä-‐‑Tapiolan lukio), Essi Kanerva (Salpauksen lukio), Elin Lassila (Gymnasiet Lärkan), Magdaleena Lehtinen (Savonlinnan taidelukio), Merike Mauring (Lahden yhteiskoulu), Ida Mönkkönen (Kuopion Lyseon lukio), Kaisa Virolainen (Tampereen yhteiskoulun lukio), Jeroen de Marteau (Chairperson, BE), Silja Tuovinen (Chairperson, FI)


A. Guided by the three main branches that exist within human trafficking, which are:

i) Sexual exploitation,

ii) Forced labour,

iii) Organ trade,

B. Deeply disturbed by traffickers'ʹ frequent violations of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR),

C. Having acknowledged that the Schengen Agreement allows traffickers to move freely within Schengen states,

D. Fully alarmed by the fact that some Member States have yet to implement Directive 2011/36/EU1 and therefore lack a common prosecution system,

E. Realising that people living under poor economic conditions are more likely to be victimised by human traffickers,

1 Directive 2011/36/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 April 2011 on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims, and replacing Council Framework Decision 2002/629/JHA.



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F. Emphasising the difficulty of identifying the people involved in human trafficking due to e.g. a psychological bond between the victims and their traffickers adding to the fear of reporting to the authorities,

G. Deeply concerned by EU citizens'ʹ unwillingness to consider human trafficking as a major problem within the borders of the EU due to a lack of awareness,

H. Fully aware that the provided aid lacks a long-‐‑lasting effect, thus making it difficult for victims to recover;

1. Convinced that in order to effectively combat human trafficking the ECHR should be respected,

the integrity of individuals increased and freedom of movement protected;

2. Calls upon Member States that share a border with non-‐‑Schengen countries to increase security checks at their borders;

3. Encourages Member States where human trafficking occurs most to provide sufficient education for their citizens so to increase their chances on the job market;

4. Recommends Member States to use witness protection programmes as a tool to enable victims to safely testify against human traffickers in national and European courts;

5. Accepts the adaptation of the function of the European Anti-‐‑Trafficking Coordinator2 so that it includes:

a) The coordination of campaigns led by NGOs and governments to initiate a discussion amongst the citizens of the EU,

b) Educating specialists from Member States to allow them to monitor and report on the current prosecution system;

6. Approves long-‐‑lasting financial aid to governments and NGOs who are striving to integrate victims of human trafficking back into society whilst considering their social, physical and mental needs;

7. Urges NGOs to provide more help for the victims of human trafficking, including, but not limited to, setting up safe-‐‑houses and maintaining hotlines in all 24 official languages of the EU;

8. Further calls upon Member States to licence prostitution so to ease the monitoring of prostitution whilst severely punishing unlicensed activities;

9. Calls upon the European Parliament to establish a new Working Group to oversee the efficiency of the existing national and European measures against forced labour and organ trade.

2 The Anti-Trafficking Coordinator will improve coordination and coherence between EU institutions, EU agencies, Member States, third countries and international actors concerning human trafficking.




THE COMMITTEE ON EMPLOYMENT AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS

In the context of the economic crisis, many graduates from Southern and Eastern Europe are moving to the more stable labour market of Northern countries, leading to

an unequal distribution of educational qualifications, large holes in different employment sectors as well as the results of brain-‐‑drain. What measures can the EU adopt in order to tackle this issue without restricting labour market mobility?

Submitted by: Juulia Jääskeläinen (Kuopion Lyseon lukio), Emmi Lainpelto (Lahden

yhteiskoulu), Lotta Leinonen (Mikkelin lukio), Topi Löppönen (Savonlinnan taidelukio), Reetta Meriläinen (Kuopion Lyseon lukio), Helmi Nurkkala (Etelä-‐‑Tapiolan lukio), Sofia Pietarinen (Savonlinnan Taidelukio), Neea Santama (Joensuun Lyseon lukio), Anni Tirkkonen (Juankosken lukio), Linda Typpö (Joensuun normaalikoulun lukio), Doris Virtanen (Gymnasiet Lärkan), Triin Kaup (Chairperson, EE), Pieta Salonen (Chairperson, FI)


A. Alarmed by the fact that there is a growing tendency for educated citizens, especially the younger generation, moving away from their countries,

B. Noting with regret that highly educated citizens are likely to seek work abroad due to:

i) Underpaid jobs in their own countries,

ii) Low living standards,

iii) High unemployment rate,

C. Observing that the lack of local development in unpopulated peripheral areas decreases employment rates,

D. Realising there is a difficulty to compensate brain-‐‑drain with brain-‐‑gain in the Southern and Eastern EU Member States,

E. Aware of the lack of trust in governments among EU citizens due to high unemployment rates;

1. Calls upon the Member States to cooperate with the EU institutions to decrease unemployment, combat brain-‐‑drain and support market mobility;



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2. Approves The Youth Employment Initiative (YEI)1 with the emphasis on Member States which have unemployment rate over 40%;

3. Recommends the YEI to focus on supporting companies which offer job opportunities and initiating new enterprises;

4. Urges the Committee of the Regions2, national governments and local communities to attract companies to peripheral areas through business opportunities;

5. Encourages the Erasmus+ programme to increase the student exchanges and international internships in peripheral areas with a high unemployment rate;

6. Supports the national governments to tackle skill mismatch by setting restrictions on higher education admissions according to the need of the labour market;

7. Calls for more student counselling in schools to promote less popular carrier paths;

8. Further recommends Member States to cooperate with the EU institutions to provide informative campaigns and TV-‐‑programmes concerning brain-‐‑drain and unemployment.

1 The Youth Employment Initiative is European Commission’s proposal where the Member States should put in place measures to ensure that young people up to age 25 receive a good quality offer of employment, continued education, an apprenticeship or a traineeship within four months of leaving school or becoming unemployed. 2 The Committee of the Regions is the EU'ʹs Assembly of Regional and Local Representatives.




THE COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE

Exporting for growth: with small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) building the

backbone of the EU economy, how can the EU further promote the internationalisation of SMEs in order to help them access international trading markets?

Submitted by: Frans Cederlöf (Gymnasiet Lärkan), Monika Eklund (Leppävirran

lukio), Aaro Forssell (Lahden yhteiskoulu), Ella Kontkanen (Juankosken lukio), Lotta Parviainen (Joensuun Lyseon lukio), Satu Semberg (Siilinjärven lukio), Marinia Sorjonen-‐‑Ward (Kuopion Lyseon lukio), Nea Tuovinen (Kuopion Lyseon lukio), Jenni Ylisirniö (Joensuun Lyseon lukio), Teemu Weckström (FI), Anna Clara Örtendahl (SE)


A. Fully aware of the lack of knowledge among SMEs regarding both business and local culture in foreign countries,

B. Noting with regret that due to the high risk involved in SMEs investors favour larger enterprises,

C. Further noting that enterprises with higher market share than SMEs enjoy greater opportunities to expand internationally,

D. Realising that bureaucracy both in the domestic and foreign countries as well as on the EU level can hinder the internationalisation of SMEs,

E. Recognising that some foreign governments outside the EU implement protectionist trade policies that make it difficult for SMEs to access the foreign market;

1. Trusts that the first steps for the internationalisation of the SMEs is gaining access to the EU market;

2. Urges the Enterprise Europe Network1 to arrange short-‐‑term trainings where people who have first-‐‑hand experience from international business expansion are invited to teach and guide entrepreneurs striving to gain access to the EU market;

1 Enterprise Europe Network provides free-‐‑of-‐‑charge internationalisation services to SMEs.



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3. Requests Enterprise Europe Network to create new platforms enabling cooperation for various industries;

4. Further requests Enterprise Europe Network to organise events where SMEs and investors meet and interact;

5. Calls upon the European Investment Fund to increase the financial support given to SMEs;

6. Encourages private investors to see the benefits and invest in SMEs;

7. Recommends Member States to lower the corporate tax for micro-‐‑ and small sized enterprises;

8. Encourages EU Member States to simplify the bureaucratic procedure for SMEs striving to access the EU market.



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THE COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC AND MONETARY AFFAIRS

The rapid growth of Bitcoin has captured the attention not just of the media, but also of financial regulators and governments. As their use becomes more widespread, what

stance should the EU adopt with regard to cryptocurrency?

Submitted by: Axel Aarnio (Kuopion Lyseon lukio), Ilari Hatakka (Juankosken

lukio), Paavo Keski-‐‑Orvola (Tampereen yhteiskoulun lukio), Antti Mielonen (Joensuun normaalikoulun lukio), Visa Mäkelä (Kuopion Lyseon lukio), Niko Peltola (Lahden yhteiskoulu), Antti Putila (Joensuun Lyseon lukio), Rebekka Räisänen (Savonlinnan taidelukio), Sebastian Strohecker (Leppävirran lukio), Erik Lewenhaupt (Chairperson, SE), Olcay Soyalan (Vice President, TR)


A. Bearing in mind that there are no regulations concerning cryptocurrencies1 at an EU level,

B. Recognising that cryptocurrencies are completely decentralised which disallows government or third party influence,

C. Viewing with appreciation that Bitcoin has several benefits including, but not limited to:

i) Low transaction fees,

ii) Retention of user and transaction data,

iii) High speed of operations,

iv) Universal accessibility,

D. Concerned by the negative effects the volatile nature of Bitcoin may cause on users,

E. Observing that an increasing number of users reduce the volatility of Bitcoin,

F. Believing that Bitcoin is a promising investment vehicle,

G. Alarmed by the fact that Bitcoin is used to finance criminal activities such as drug trading, black market, and terrorist financing,

H. Concerned that e-‐‑wallets2 are prone to cyber-‐‑attacks jeopardising the security of the users;

1 A medium of exchange which uses a cryptography to secure the transactions and control the production of new units. 2 An encrypted storage medium holding credit card and other financial information that can be used to complete electronic transactions.



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1. Emphasises that Bitcoin requires a flexible approach from governments to allow for legal development within the free market while making its benefits available to EU citizens;

2. Supports the use of Bitcoin as a viable payment option for online stores;

3. Encourages national governments to subsidise the installation of Bitcoin as a payment option for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs);

4. Invites actions to inform citizens about Bitcoin and spread its use through:

a) An official campaign that encourages people to actively take part in a competition which simulates Bitcoin trading,

b) Recommending schools to raise awareness of cryptocurrencies as part of relevant economics and IT studies;

5. Urges e-‐‑wallet companies to increase the public trust through increasing safety of existing storing options by improving back-‐‑up systems and cold storage3 methods.

3 Keeping a reserve of Bitcoins offline, using a method that retrieves coins from any web server or computer and stores them as a physical representation such as a paper wallet and physical Bitcoin.




THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Stopping ISIS: Swift territorial gains accompanied by images of shocking brutality have already prompted some Member States to act against the Islamic State by

supplying arms to Kurdish Peshmerga forces. Is there a role to play for concerted EU efforts in this conflict and, if so, what measures are to be implemented?

Submitted by: Jenna Harjuveteläinen (Leppävirran lukio), Petra Keränen (Salpauksen

lukio), Elias Khabbal (Kuopion Lyseon lukio), Iida-‐‑Elisa Launonen (Kuopion Lyseon lukio), Lari Liukko (Joensuun Lyseon lukio), Lassi Punavaara (Mikkelin lukio), Susanne Sivonen (Joensuun Lyseon lukio), Miro Teräväinen (Joensuun Lyseon lukio), Pinja Tuominen (Siilinjärven lukio), Riikka Tynkkynen (Savonlinnan taidelukio), Anthony Fedrov (Chairperson, FI), Ana Viitanen (Vice President, FI)


A. Fully aware of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) being the wealthiest Jihadist group to-‐‑date,

B. Aware of the substantial amount of income ISIS'ʹ receives comes from oil exportation,

C. Fully alarmed by the number of people joining the ISIS forces from across the EU,

D. Keeping in mind the ISIS believes in a one true cause1,

E. Deeply concerned by the ISIS agenda of creating a pan-‐‑national state in the Middle East,

F. Bearing in mind that if ISIS is eliminated violently then new extremist groups can potentially be founded from their remnants,

G. Deeply disturbed by the fact that the ISIS has not abided by the ban on chemical warfare instated in the Geneva Protocol of 19252,

H. Noting with regret that the ISIS is disregarding human rights and expanding its territory through violent militaristic actions,

I. Realising ISIS uses propaganda in social media and education system to promote recruitment,

J. Alarmed by the discrimination of Sunni Muslims enabling easier expansion of the ISIS within Sunni areas;

1 The only people allowed to live and ‘share the world’ are the Muslims that practice and share the common belief that the ISIS members see as ‘Allah true words’. 2 The 1925 Geneva Protocol prohibits the use of chemical and biological weapons in war.



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1. Proclaims that peace and equality should be achieved through means that do not involve violence;

2. Calls upon a neutrally arranged meeting between the Sunni and Shia Muslim leaders to create a mutual agreement between the two;

3. Encourages Member States to decrease the use of aerial strikes on the ISIS controlled areas;

4. Recommends MS to impose travel restrictions into Iraq and Syria;

5. Further recommends neighbouring countries with Iraq and Syria to enforce stricter border controls;

6. Requests non-‐‑governmental organisations (NGOs) to establish camps for families in danger of being forced into the ISIS forces;

7. Urges cutting off oil trade between countries occupied by the ISIS and the world;

8. Endorses the conversion of militants from ISIS by NGOs offering: a. Food, b. Jobs, c. Shelter.



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Savonlinna 2014 – Regional Session of EYP Finland is supported by

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www.eypfinland.org [email protected]

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