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Dear reader,

Firstly, I hope that you exist. If you do, then I hope you will enjoy this

issue, since it is inspired by many special people. I am writing this

editorial while staying in a room filled with intelligent youngsters, who

think for themselves and who speak their mind. It is a pleasure and a

privilege to work in such a challenging environment. Because of them

and many others this session is taking place right now and this issue exists.

As I raised my head, I have noticed with big surprise how the “hospital pile”, once full, was at that time

empty. Now all the problems are in the “bank” and therefore are going to be solved. Europe’s fate is in

their hands and this does not worry me a bit.

Keeping this in mind, I am confident that this se ssion will turn out to be a smashing success and I want to

emphasize that we, the media team, have tried to capture every second of it using different techniques.

We were the ones bugging the delegates with the camera flash and energizers, and we are still going to do

that until the end of this National Selection Session, because they are awesome and they mostly deserve it!

Yours,

Mara Bălaşa

This newspaper was brought to you by:

Răzvan Certezeanu Adela Alexandra Iacobov Andrei Avadanei

(Technical Editor)

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TThhee EEuurrooppeeaann UUnniioonn??

It is now common knowledge that the European Union is a very complex economic and

political partnership between 28 European countries that functions through an intricate

network of institutions. But how exactly does the decision-making process take place and

what are the mechanisms through which the EU operates?

The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. Each state is

represented by one Commissioner, and each vote weighs the same. Jose Manuel Barosso is

the current president.

The European Commission is the only institution that can propose legislation,

being responsible for implementing decisions, upholding the Union’s treaties and day –to-

day running of the EU. Regulations are passed either jointly by the EU Council and

European Parliament, or by the Commission alone. Apart from legally binding regulations,

the Commission can also propose directives, which are goals for all EU countries to

achieve in the manner they decide on, decisions, which are legally binding regulations

applied only to particular countries or companies, and opinions and recommendations,

which have no legal consequences.

The European Parliament is the only directly elected parliamentary institution in

the European Union. Symbolic for European Democracy, it is elected directly every five

years, although the turnout has been continually dropping ever since 1999. It currently has

Martin Schulz as president. The European Parliament possesses legislative power,

collaborating with member states and their national parliaments in the legislative process.

However, it does not hold legislative initiative, which only belongs to the European

Commission.

The Council of the European Union (also called the Council of Ministers) is

part of the bicameral EU legislature, along with the European Parliament. Depending on

the issue discussed, it is formed by the twenty-eight National Ministers whose portfolio

includes the concerned matter. Occasionally, the related European Commissioner will

contribute to the debates, without voting power.

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TThhee EEuurrooppeeaann UUnniioonn

After the European Commission proposes regulation, it is discussed in both the European

Parliament and the Council of the European Union, and it can only pass if both institutions

agree on it. Otherwise, it is sent back to the Commission for revising.

The European Council is the European institution formed by the heads of state or

government, usually the person representing the executive power in the state. Its meetings,

often called summits, include the President of the European Commission and the President

of the European Council and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs, currently

Catherine Ashton.

Presided by Herman Van Rompuy, the European Council holds no formal legislative

power, being charged under the Treaty of Lisbon with defining "the general political

directions and priorities" of the Union. The European Council is therefore the body that

dictates the strategy, the direction for the EU, acting as the collective presidency of the

EU, deciding its long-term policies.

The European Central Bank (ECB) is the body that administrates the monetary

policy for the 17 Member States inside the Eurozone. Its main goal is to maintain price

stability and it is presided by Mario Draghi, former governor of the Bank of Italy. Its

attributes will expand with the implementation of the Single Supervisory System and the

Macroeconomic Imbalance Procedure. The European Banking Authority is a regulatory

agency whose goal is to identify the financial system’s weaknesses, under the supervision

of the ECB. How the roles of these two bodies will change through the euro crisis or in the

case of a Banking Union is still to be discussed.

The lengthy decision-making process of the European Union is therefore a product of

these very interdependent institutions. However complicated it might seem, their

functioning ensures the survival of such a complicated and unique union.

By Adela Alexandra Iacobov

4

I was born in Romania… But the question is: do I choose to work in Romania? And I know it will be a decision

which will change my future. I wish to be a doctor in… London! And another question crosses my mind. Will

London accept me? Franklin Roosevelt said that democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their

choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard ofdemocracy, therefore, is education. Considering that

the main objective of education is learning, I prepare myself in order to understand life, to act according to moral

values, choosing what I think fits me.

Analysing the situation I understand that such decision comes along with a set of responsibilities (legal,

financial, cultural and social), provided by the national written and unwritten laws. The authorities will also have

the right to control from time to time my position and to define access to benefits and public services.

I consider it a matter of national protection,

necessary to keep safe the welfare systems. I

understand that free movement rights are not

unlimited and this is a good thing. Moreover,

widening the spectrum, the level of economic

development between the EU Member States

is different and no country will allow

deterioration of financial power as benefits for

immigrants.

Fair enough! Some countries are proposing

entry taxes in order to prove a certain financial

stability, as a guarantee for the quality of the

employees. One important fact is that the removal of restrictions to free movement for Bulgarian and Romanian

citizens will reduce the black market economy. The direct advantage is that they will pay taxes and contributions

to the social security system, which is going to be a double benefit: both for the countries involved and for the

employees. It is also a matter of choice - to see the glass as half full and to turn weaknesses into opportunities.

The last, but not least feature is the social and cultural system. The level of adaptability and flexibility to the

work environment is very important on the labour market, because you have to embrace language, customs, and

style in order to succeed.

All in all, I believe that beyond legal and financial protection measures, EU Member States have to build

systems of selection for the immigrants, to choose wisely and to focus on people. More specific, it is the duty of

every company to protect itself, to safeguard its welfare. Because only together we will be able to create a better

world!

LLIIBBEE

By Andrei Avadanei

5

The facts? 23.2% of the Europeans aged between 15-29 are unemployed. That is almost a quarter of

Europe’s Youth, and rising. With countries such as Greece and Spain, where youth unemployment

exceeds 50%, and only 3 countries in the entire European Union with youth unemployment beneath

10% ( Germany, Austria and the Netherlands with), Europe clearly fails to provide its young population

with opportunities to sustain themselves.

The problems? For one, there is insufficient counseling in high schools and universities to guide

students regarding the domain they choose and the job opportunities that come with it. While some of

the Member States have incorporated this aspect in their educational systems, other countries do not

have any guidance facilities. Furthermore, the heterogeneous educational systems and lack of pan-

European recognition of specific certificates and courses, as well as the diverse employment and social

security laws hinder labour mobility within the EU, being an obstacle for youngsters who would be

willing to relocate in order to get a job.

The insufficient and difficult to access funding for trainings, youth exchanges, scholarships and

bursaries, along with the poor opportunities for vocational training add to the gap between the needs of

the labour market and the skills of the young population. Moreover, the small number of projects

between universities and the private sector and possible employers (compared to the US) make it even

more difficult for the youth to enter or even understand the labour market. The internship opportunities

are not only too few, but also impose unfair conditions and there is not enough legislation in place to

protect the rights of the intern. Therefore, the youth often feel obligated to take an unpaid internship,

being exploited because they have no other means to acquire the experience without which they stand

no chance of being hired.

Even for the existing jobs, the unfairness in conditions and the poor remuneration, which is only

enough to subsist for most, the prospects are dim. Most of the young Europeans between 15 and 29 are

offered temporary contracts, with no social guarantee, that facilitate dismissal. There are scarcely any

efforts to reintroduce NEETs on the labour market, and to encourage career switches. The patent costs

and high start-up discourage, as well as the flawed bankruptcy procedure discourage entrepreneurs, the

Total “Early-stage” Entrepreneurial Activity in Europe being 5.3% in Germany, compared to Brazil’s

1 5.3%.

The conclusion? Short-term projects did not help in alleviating such an important matter as education

and employment. If we want to mend this link, we need structural reforms, we need projects that will

guarantee the flexibility of both the youth and the labour market. We have lost 1 53 billion in 2012 due

to our inability to provide young people with jobs- how much more will it take for us to realize that the

future of the European Union consists in its ability to ensure that its population can sustain itself?

EMPL

By Adela Alexandra Iacobov

6

MMIINNOORRIITTIIEESS

Everysingle

country part o

f the EU has minoriti

es. The

main issuearisen

is that many of themare not

recognized

by the Member States. This

leadsto

communication proble

ms, sometimes loss of culture

heritage and even

the extinction of langua

ges, which

alonemay hav

e a great impact o

n the world.

Thesepeople

, whocan be found

evenin our own

country, are

struggling to take a

stand,to be not

iced and

listened. Many feel th

e need to speakonly their n

ative

language. Th

at seems normal, doesn’t

it? So why do

countries oblige

minorities to throw

awaytheir m

other

tongueif they

pay themlittle to no attenti

on? After al

l,

this is one of the causesof miscom

munication.

Following the motto United

in Diversity, the EU is

preparing to increa

se itsnumber of

official lang

uagesto

twenty-three

. However,

the individual c

ountries are the

ones to decide

whichones a

re acknowle

dged and this is

why thereare langua

ge minorities that h

ave not been

recognised, e

ven though t

hey constitut

e a high perc

entile

of thepopula

tion.

Moreover, the

aforemention

ed peopleoften

have strong

culture herit

age. This may includ

e tangible cu

lture (such

as buildings, m

onuments, landsca

pes, books,

worksof

art, and artifacts), intang

ible culture (like

folklore,

traditions,

language, and

knowledge),

andnatura

l

heritage (incl

udingcultur

ally significant la

ndscapes, an

d

biodiversity)

. Allof them

are vitalto their

unique

identity. All

thesecontri

bute to the cultural div

ersityof

the EU, whichis one of the main princi

ples of the

Union.

CULT

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MMIINNOORRIITTIIEESS

Several minorities stand alone as unique societies or, in

other words, are endangered. Once an element of their

heritage dissapears it can never be recovered. This also

may result in extinct languages. With many regional

and minority languages in Europe found on UNESCO's

list of endangered languages it is clear that, unless

action is taken to preserve these languages, they may as

well go extinct.The Council of Europe issued the European Charter for

Regional or Minority Languages, in order to combat

this process. Nevertheless, this document has not yet

been ratified, or even signed by all Member States,

because they still have doubts. Some countries want to

preserve their own cultural heritage or they fear that this

might only lead to further isolation of the minorities

instead of integration.However, members of some minorities have shown

resilience and pride in their linguistic heritage whereas

others are prone to self criticism and often choose to use

another language in their everyday life. They also share

their knowledge with their children, since teaching the

language to the next generation is the basis of a

language's survival.To sum up, I strongly believe that all Member States

should try and conserve their own minorities’ cultural

heritage in order to sustain the diversity of which they

are so proud of. To achieve this they ought to pay more

attention to the entire population, not just to the

majority, and come up with suitable reforms.

CULT

By Răzvan Certezeanu

8

EYP means SHARING – Itis said that friendship marks a

life even more deeply than

love. That can be perfectly

applied to EYP. Undoubtedly,

each of you has seen so far

that sharing is an important

part, even crucial part during

the sessions. Haven’t you?

The first time I noticed this

was during Teambuilding. I

started by telling random

facts about me to a bunch of

strangers, who did not seem

so excited to receive them.

Also, sharing my opinions

and using my brain for the

sake of solving Europe’s most

important problems really

made me think of how I was

participating in the session. I

tell you, this is more than the

usual meaning of sharing. It

is helping people; it is doing

well for humanity, for our

common future in the EU, by

using your personal

knowledge and imagination. I

couldn’t have been more

wrong at first, because, as the

session went on, those

strangers became my friends.

So, for those of you who have

a tendency of being self

centered, you will soon

discover that there is no way

of doing that in EYP. You will

definitely feel the need to

share.

EYP means FUTURE - I

don’t know about you, but

after my first session I started

considering an actual career

in politics. The need to speak

up, to make myself heard, to

be e part of Europe’s future

overcame me. The violence

that Mahatma Gandhi was

talking about when he said

that it is better to be violent, if

there is violence in our

hearts, than to put on the

cloak of nonviolence to cover

impotence made room in my

heart. We should reflect

whether we are too shy or too

shortsighted to get involved. I

began to believe that our

future is strongly connected

with our legislators.

Therefore an urge to take

control got over me. The end

of the session left me with a

feeling that I can do more

than them, that I can be

better, that I can actually

shape my future.

EYP means FUN - Working

whilst having a good time might

seem like a paradox. However, if

you spend a while just thinking

of the connection between these

two, you might come to the

conclusion that it is the only way

to succeed in life. EYP taught

me that and I really understand

that these things should both be

present. EYP includes fun and

work in every aspect of the

session. No matter if you’re

sending a Sonic Boom during

Teambuilding or raising a point

during the GA; the focus should

not be only on the academic

aspect of the session, but also on

the little things that keep you

wanting more and more EYP.

To conclude, EYP represented

the trigger, the turning point in

my life. It made me feel

confident and acknowledge that

I need to focus on my future and

that I need to wake up from the

daily routine and to follow my

dream: becoming a bright,

innovative politician. Now, tell

me: How did EYP change your

life?

By Andrei Avadanei

WWiinndd ooff cchhaannggee

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ITRE

Nowadays, the European Union is facing many challenges, but this is no surprise,since 28 countries collaborating perfectly and agreeing upon important matters is animpossible thing to achieve. Therefore, fields such as renewable energy,communication and infrastructure are still lacking perfect solutions that could solve atleast some of the Union’s issues.

The energy is a highly debated topic, since society wouldn’t be able to progress oreven survive without it. However, natural resources are not infinite and ourdependence on fossil fuels needs to be replaced using green energy. Unfortunately,this is not so popular among people, since it implies extra costs and it goes againsttheir conservatory spirit.

The communications are tackled by the Digital Agenda of Europe and its purpose isproviding high­speed internet access to the members of the EU. Furthermore, creatinga Single Telecoms Market is a great goal, which can only be achieved slowly andwith a lot of work.

Transport represents another challenging problem, since there are lots of issues, suchas congestions and pollution that need to be tackled. Using hybrid cars is one of theproposed solutions, but this would not solve all them.

Last but not least, information is one of the most powerful things in this world. Forinstance, a well­informed society is harder to manipulate. A well­informed personknows where to find the needed things, who to ask and where to go. Informationcannot usually be bought and this is one of the reasons why it is so valuable.

Therefore, one of the main priority measures should be setting aims and trying toachieve the goals. For example, one does not simply start walking, without knowingthe final destination, or at least the direction that he is headed in. This is the samesituation as with the goals, because if they exist, people will feel more motivated andwilling to think of ways that will make their dreams come true.

All in all, a focused approach is more than necessary. After finding theaforementioned goal, everyone has to collaborate, so that the problems can betackled. The local and national authorities play a big role in everything, because theyare able to determine people make a change. These are issues that affect us, so we arethe ones that need to react and find solutions.

By Mara Bălaşa

1 0

AAGGRRII

Food is the moral right of all who are born into this world (Norman Borlaug) .

But do we have equal access? The European Union created an agricultural

policy in order to provide farmers with a reasonable standard of living, quality

and fair prices for consumers and preservation of rural heritage. Still, the

criticism of the Common Agricultural Policy is related to anti-development,

oversupply and its redistribution, high prices, equity and economic sustainability.

The reform is seen as a real necessity, due to the followings:

Europe 2020 strategy for growth -

Nowadays, the economic, environmental

and territorial challenges faced by

agricultural and rural areas ask for new

Efficiency and effectiveness of the policy -

it is important to maintain sound financial

management and good control.

Equity between EU Member States,

farmers and potential beneficiaries.

I am asking myself if the food primary

resources are efficiently processed and

offered. The agricultural environment has a

great potential in developing countries and

needs to be explored. The products have

good quality and are able to compete with

the ones from the EU countries.

However, a lot of things can be done. First

of all, criteria for the new entrants should be

created, in accordance with the

particularities of the markets from these

countries.

The framework is very important

because it offers rules, measures and

hierarchy. It is good to have limits and

specifications. The goal of the reform is

to cut barriers, to assure growth and to

allow different agricultural markets to

act together. Also, redistribution of the

products will avoid food crises, will

lower the prices and will include

different types of farmers (divided by

products and financial power).

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The benefits will expand over a large number of people, countries, regions, with

positive effects on the economic sustainability. Furthermore, two common issues

of the EU community and developing countries can be improved throughout the

reform of the agricultural policy: public health and environmental problems.

The first one can be influenced by the primary food production and processing

stages (nutritional quality as well as structural determinants - availability,

accessibility and price). For the second one, the reform should include

recommendations regarding natural ways of increasing production, without

negative consequences for the environment. There are some examples of

agricultural programmes which are designed to protect birds (in England), rare

species (orchids and butterflies, in Germany) or plants (trees and bushes, in

Cyprus).

It is my belief that the Common Agricultural Policy reform has to create

opportunities for farmers in different countries, to assure specific rights, to have

common goals and to protect the cycle of life. That is because, in the end, the

ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and

perfection of human beings. (Masanobu Fukuoka)

By Andrei Avadanei

1 2

The euro was a project meant to strengthen Europe, an ambitious goal that would bring the

Member States together, united in diversity. Therefore, the risks of implementing a single

currency in countries with very different economic environments were taken, for the

common aspiration of an even more powerful European Union. This glorious dream was,

however, weakened by the recession that has forced us to face the inevitable economic

consequences of our political decisions, which have now developed into the deep Eurozone

crisis, making us question whether the euro was a wise decision in the first place.

While an European currency was a bold idea, we can now see the side-effects of ignoring the

red-flags raised by the economists that Europe did not fulfill the criteria to be an Optimal

Currency Area and it was not ready for such a step. Europe was the first and only monetary

union implemented without full fiscal integration, and the fact that the decision was based on

political factors rather than economic analysis is, in hindsight, a mistake. Even though

European countries trade intensively with each other, the different languages, cultures and

employment laws and social security systems are obstacles that reduce labor mobility, the

political and social context hinders fiscal transfers, and the heterogeneous economic, social

and political environments render the EU vulnerable to asymmetric shocks. The original

hopes that these problems will solve themselves with time and the economies will naturally

harmonize have been proved wrong. But since there is no turning back to the pre-euro era,

what is there to be done to secure the future of the EMU and the EU itself?

ECON

1 3

The two radical solutions debated – full fiscal integration or break-up of the Eurozone – are,

in the current political and economic climate, very difficult and very risky. The EU lacks the

public and political support for the first one, with voters increasingly turning towards anti-

European parties, and the costs of the latter seem to exceed the benefits. If only one country

were to exit the Eurozone, the fact that it would regain control over its monetary policy

might be insufficient for it to bounce back from the instability the exit would cause. The

bank-runs, the shortage of liquidity, the effects on imports and exports, the toll it would take

on trade, the scarcity of investors will all lead to even slower economic growth and

monetary tools are not enough to alleviate the problems. For the countries remaining in the

European Union, the loss of confidence in the power of this alliance will cause instability

and will affect the competitiveness and the efficiency of it to such an extent that it might

destroy it. Therefore, although the bailouts were considered a short-term measure that can

only postpone the inevitable, it is known that none of the Member States can afford the

break-up.

What other paths are there for the euro? Structural reforms to facilitate labor and capital

mobility, fiscal transfers and to gradually harmonize the economies of the Member States?

Will the newly implemented Macroeconomic Imbalance Procedure and Single Supervisory

Mechanism (and future banking union), along with the Sixpack and Stability and Growth

Pact pave the way out of the Eurozone crisis? Or is the euro inevitably going to fail, as it

was doomed from the start and all we can do is minimize the losses? The future of the entire

European Union is at stake, as the German Chancellor Angela Merkel stated: If the Euro

fails, Europe fails.

By Adela Alexandra Iacobov

1 4

BBUU

DDGG

The aims of the Europe 2020 strategy are multiple, because nothing can be achieved without specific

targets. There are a number of problems to be tackled, so this strategy is divided by five vast fields.

Each of them is equally important and neglecting them would only cause serious consequences. But,

before talking about solutions, we should get accustomed with the situation and know why these

problems arise.

The unemployment is a highly debated issue among the European citizens, since it can bring the

national economy down. Despite the signs of stabilization that were shown in June, this year, the

European Union unemployment rate is down to 11%. One of the problems may be represented by the

huge differences between the countries that cause an economic imbalance.

Moreover, the Research and Development field

often lacks funds among the Member States.

The goal of each country is to invest at least 3%

in this, but unfortunately some of them failed to

achieve it. The basis of the society is the

research and, without it, we cannot evolve. It is

a shame that some do not see it this way.

Another problem consists in the natural

resources of this planet. Unfortunately, they are

not infinite, and therefore the dependency on

fossil fuels occurs. However, this energy

consumption causes greenhouse gases, which

are harmful to the Earth. The renewable

resources are the ones that can save this crisis,

but they are not used to their full potential. . .yet.

Taking into account that an educated population

is a powerful population, reducing the rates of

early school leaving beyond 10% is another

purpose of the strategy. There are numerous

factors that determine the pupils to drop out of

school and abandon their studies and a change is

desperately needed.

Poverty and social exclusion have an equally

damaging impact on the society. The Europe

2020’s aim is to have at least 20 million fewer

people in or at risk of the aforementioned

things. There are certain existing measures, but

unfortunately this strategy is considered to be

too ambitions.

To sum up, prioritizing is the key concept when

it comes to having great accomplishments.

There is a strategy, there are plans already made,

but the question is which problems are the most

urgent and which ones can wait. Luckily, the

Europe 2020 is in the right place, at the right

time and everyone is striving towards a better

future.

1 5

By Mara Bălaşa

Which EYP-er are YOU

?

1. Once you arrived at the session, you...

A.Look forward towards the Opening Ceremony

B.Go to explore the surroundings

C.Complain about the bad organization of

everything

2. You are playing a game which requires

you to state your opinion, so you...

A.Make sure to also take others’ opinions in

consideration

B.Know you are not going to enjoy yourself

C.Not going to participate in the game

3. You are playing a problem solving game.

In order to help you team, you...

A.Take into consideration everyone’s points of

view

B.Try to lighten the mood

C.Speed up the work process

4. To solve the Human Knot, you...

A.Give your teammates helpful instructions

B.Encourage your teammates not to take it too

seriously

C.Act as you are instructed

5. When taking a committee picture, you...

A.Join the others when doing funny faces

B.Are the only one not making a silly face

C.Hold your pose

6. During delegation presentation you...

A.Are not the one with the microphone

B.Start clapping encouraging the delegates

performing the traditional dance

C.Coordinate the traditional dance

7. While establishing the Golden Rules of

the committee, you...

A.Insist that five rules are enough

B.Embrace other suggestions

C.Think that you should be allowed to use your

phone during committee work

8. You have been given five minutes to agree

on a way of voting, you...

A.Stay silent, thinking your ideas are not good

enough

B.Go through all ideas to find the best one

C.Come up with many funny ideas

9. During committee work, you...

A.Find it hard to reach a consensus with the other

delegates

B.Ask your Journo to have more energizers

C.Try to express your approval regarding the

suggested points

10. At Committee Dinner you...

A.Entertain the committee with your jokes

B.Pay attention to what is going on

C.Collect the money needed for the bill

11. On the fieldtrip, you...

A.Do not approve the schedule

B.Want to get back as soon as possible

C.Enjoy the program

12. After the closing ceremony, you...

A.Offer to make a committee Facebook group

B.Quickly say goodbye to everyone before leaving

C.Leave without saying goodbye

By Răzvan Certezeanu

Did you know that there are different types of delegates at EYP? If you are now wondering

what kind of delegate you are then you have opened the right page. Choose the answer you

think it suits you the best, but remember, there is only one rule: be honest. The results will be

revealed in the following issue. Enjoy!

1 6