Resolution Booklet - Lisboa 2015 - 32nd National Selection Conference of EYP Portugal

Lisboa 2015 - 32nd National Selection Conference of the European Youth Parliament Portugal

Comprehension: The Key to Improvement

RESOLUTIONBOOKLET

PROGRAMME OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

09:20–09:30 Settling in

09:30–09:50 Opening of the General Assembly

09:50–10:40 Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Culture and Education (CULT)

10:45–11:35 Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Security and Defence (SEDE)

11:35–11:50 Coffee-break

11:50–12:40 Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON)

12:45–13:30 Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs I (EMPL I)

13:30–14:20 Lunch-break

14:30–14:40 Settling back in

14:40–15:30 Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE)

15:30–16:20 Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs II (EMPL II)

16:20–16:30 Break

16:30–17:20 Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE)

17:20–18:10 Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Human Rights (DROI)

18:10–18:30 Coffee-break

18:30–19:30 Closing Ceremony

20:00 Departure of Delegations

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON CULTURE AND EDUCATION (CULT)

Active citizenship: In light of the European Commission’s report ‘European Youth: Participation in Democratic Life’ which found that 44% of its youth had

not taken part in the activities of any organisation within the past year, how can the European Union further encourage youth involvement in civil society

and democratic processes?

Submitted by: Catarina de Oliveira Simão (PT), Ceren Kocaoğullar (TR), Joana Martinho (PT), João Borrelfo (PT), José Gomes (PT), Madeleen Hartemink (NL), Mandala de la Riviere (PT), Maria João Cruz (PT), Maria Inês Amaro (PT), Miguel Gonçalves (PT), Delia Berner (Chairperson, CH)

The European Youth Parliament,

A. Observing that the participation of 15- to 30-year old Europeans in a political election over the previous three years

amounted to only 56% in 2013,

B. Keeping in mind that basic needs, such as housing, health and education, are a precondition for young people to

participate in politics,

C. Convinced that many young people do not participate in political processes because they think that their opinion will not

be considered, but not because they are uninterested,

D. Confident that the participation of young people in the activities of an organisation, also increases the likelihood of

political participation,

E. Believing that civil society organisations and democratic processes are insufficiently promoted amongst the youth on

social media,

F. Noting with regret that Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) do not receive sufficient financial support from

governments and the private sector,

G. Further noting a lack of education regarding politics and active citizenship in schools,

H. Bearing in mind the existence of various challenges for young people to join the activities of an organisation, such as lack

of self-confidence, insecurity about the new environment and resistance to making commitments,

I. Aware that distrust in politics leads to low motivation for the youth to participate in democratic processes,

J. Regretting the overall small number of opportunities for dialogue between young people and politicians on the local,

national and European level, despite the European Union's (EU’s) praiseworthy Structured Dialogue1;

1 The EU's Structured Dialogue with young people consists of regular consultations of young people and youth organisations at all levels in the Member States, as well as EU Youth Conferences organised by the Member States holding the Council presidency.

1. Calls for the European Commission to fund a campaign on social and mass media emphasising the importance of active

citizenship of young people amongst EU citizens;

2. Encourages Member States to increase financial support for NGOs in civil society;

3. Recommends Member States to introduce a new school subject, starting in primary school, educating students on politics

and on how to become an active citizen;

4. Supports the involvement of public figures with significant influence on young people, such as musicians, actors and

sportspeople, in promoting active citizenship and critical thinking as citizens;

5. Further encourages these public figures to endorse organisations that promote youth participation in civil society and

democratic processes;

6. Reaffirms the great importance of programmes such as Erasmus+2 and Europe for Citizens3 in promoting youth

involvement;

7. Calls for more debates and meetings of various types between young people and politicians of a local, national and

European level, following the example of EU's Structured Dialogue.

2 Erasmus+ awards grants to organisations fostering transnational partnership and/or organising innovative practice sharing; 3 Europe for Citizens supports civic participation at the EU level, encouraging young people to take part in European debates and politics.

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON SECURITY AND DEFENCE (SEDE)

Sovereignty: With post-Cold War borders in Europe being challenged by events in Ukraine, how should the Member States respond to guarantee Europe's

territorial integrity and address growing security concerns in the European Union?

Submitted by: Ana Santos (PT), Francisco Carvalho (PT), Leonor Dargent (PT), Mafalda Calamote (PT), Margarida Damas (PT), Margarida Pires (PT), Rúben Leite (PT), Sara Bonifácio (PT), Selin Bengi (TR), Thanos Theofanakis (NL), Lourenço Cruz (Chairperson, PT)

The European Youth Parliament,

A. Noting with regret that many Member States are still reluctant about delegating their sovereignty to the European

Union (EU),

B. Recognising Russia's role in security and territorial integrity issues in Europe due to its military, political and economic

importance,

C. Convinced of the strategic importance of the Crimean Peninsula as a privileged point of access to the Black Sea for

Russia,

D. Fully aware of the deterioration of EU-Russia relations,

E. Bearing in mind that not all Member States are in favour of current economic sanctions against Russia,

F. Believing that the acceptance of the annexation of Crimea by several countries might lead to further border security

problems,

G. Concerned that unpunished violation of borders could lead to:

i) encouraging other countries to engage in invasive acts,

ii) exposing the invaded country, and the EU as a whole, as vulnerable to external acts of aggression,

H. Deeply concerned about possible eruption of military conflicts within EU borders, which would pose a threat to its

territorial integrity,

I. Taking into account that the United Kingdom (UK) and France have the highest, though decreasing, military budgets

in the EU,

J. Regretting the lack of an EU army, which renders the EU largely dependent on the military capabilities of the North

Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), as well as a few Member States, namely the UK and France,

K. Further recognising that several Member States fear military aggression from Russia, especially Latvia and Estonia,

due to the existence of significant Russian-speaking minorities in those countries, which could be used as a pretext;

1. Approves of the current economic and diplomatic sanctions against Russia;

2. Recommends imposing economic sanctions on both aggressors and their allies as means of both punishment, as well as

deterrent of future acts of aggression;

3. Further recommends engaging in negotiations with Russia to diminish its military presence in Kaliningrad;

4. Encourages the EU to continue negotiations with Russia and Ukraine, aimed at returning the Crimean Peninsula to

Ukraine and restoring its territorial integrity;

5. Has resolved to lift the current economic sanctions by the EU and ensure Russia equal treatment of Russian-speaking

minorities in Ukraine and the EU, in exchange for the aforementioned agreement;

6. Calls for periodic meetings to be held between the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security

Policy and Russian representatives to negotiate trade agreements, ensure mutual understanding, better cooperation

and increase transparency concerning ongoing events;

7. Emphasises the importance of the Nordic Battlegroup1 in the Baltic Sea region in case negotiations described in

Operative Clause 1 prove unsuccessful;

8. Calls upon the European Commission (EC) to collaborate with the European Defence Agency (EDA), the Organisation

for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the International Security Information Service Europe (ISIS

Europe) to establish storage and transportation facilities in strategic locations around the EU;

9. Invites Member States to store military goods and services in the aforementioned storage and transportation facilities,

so that those can be rapidly deployed in case of need.

1 Composed of military forces from Sweden, Finland, Norway, Ireland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

FACTSHEET

Tax havens – Traditionally, this notion refers to a country which imposes low taxes, or no taxes at all, and is used

by corporations to avoid paying taxes. According to the OECD, tax havens have the following key characteristics:

no or only nominal taxes, lack of effective exchange of information; lack of transparency in the operation of the

legislative, legal or administrative provisions;

Bank secrecy – Legal principle preventing banks to reveal any information related to their customers and to their

accounts, unless very specific conditions apply. In some countries, this system is complemented by procedures

making the account holder anonymous;

Tax avoidance – Generally used to describe the arrangement of a taxpayer's affairs that is intended to reduce

one’s tax liability and, although the arrangement could be strictly legal, it is usually in contradiction with the intent

of the law;

Tax evasion – Generally refers to illegal arrangements by which liability for taxes is hidden or ignored, i.e., the

taxpayer pays less taxes than legally obligated by hiding income or information from the tax authorities;

Direct taxation – Refers to taxes that are paid directly by an individual or organisation to the state. The individual

or organisation upon which the tax is levied is responsible for the fulfilment of the tax payment;

Automatic exchange of information – Systematic and periodic transmission of the taxpayer’s information by

the source country to the residence country concerning various categories of income.

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC AND MONETARY AFFAIRS

(ECON)

Tax evasion: In the light of the existence of tax havens within its borders, how should the EU address the criminal avoidance of taxes, while respecting the

citizens’ right to privacy and national sovereignty?

Submitted by: Aletta Koopmans (NL), António Lampeira (PT), Eren Ertem (TR), João Carlos dos Santos Jesus (PT), João Ribeiro (PT), Manuel Dias (PT), Rute Loureiro (PT), Simo Lehtovirta (FI), Tomás Matos (PT), Matthieu Loup (Chairperson, CH)

The European Youth Parliament,

A. Observing that globalisation allows economic actors to easily move their assets to the country which offers the most

advantageous fiscal rules,

B. Considering that tax avoidance is a threat to a fair distribution of costs and benefits within a community,

C. Fully alarmed by the negative effects of an intense fiscal competition amongst Member States on government revenues,

D. Recognising the existence of tax havens as an obstacle for comprehensive action against tax evasion, as they create the

opportune environment for people to hide their fortune from fiscal authorities,

E. Aware of the fact that Member States enjoy extensive sovereignty in tax matters and that the competence of the European

Union (EU) in the field of direct taxation is strictly limited to issues concerning the internal market,

F. Further recognising the lack of cooperation and transparency on the international level as a favourable factor for the

emergence of tax havens, mainly because it allows states to guarantee bank secrecy within their borders,

G. Deeply concerned by the lack of public awareness on the consequences of tax evasion and by the general tolerance

towards these practices,

H. Noting with regret that the automatic exchange of information on taxes within the EU presents some major flaws, such

as poor quality of transmitted data and extensive delay in the process,

I. Deeply regretting the insufficiencies of existent codes of conduct in the field of taxation, notably due to their lack of

binding force and their obsolescence,

J. Reaffirming that the citizens’ right to privacy has to be respected by all procedures involving personal data, most

importantly in the context of the automatic exchange of information;

1. Demands the addition of a new Article to the Title VII, Chapter 2 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union

conferring a competence to the EU in the field of direct taxation;

2. Recommends this competence to be shared with Member States and to allow the EU to harmonise minimal and maximal

tax rates, as well as establish sanctions for individuals or companies convicted of tax evasion;

3. Encourages the European Commission (EC) to support cooperation on tax matters amongst Member States and hence,

to reduce fiscal competition, notably by:

a) establishing a pan-European forum on tax policies, aimed at exchanging good practices,

b) assisting the Member States willing to collaborate with expert knowledge;

4. Calls for the EC to raise public awareness on tax evasion and its effects by creating and broadcasting short films on public

television and on the Internet, as well as publishing information booklets;

5. Calls for the improvement of the efficiency and reliability of the automatic exchange of information amongst Member

States, mainly through:

a) standardising formats and procedures of reporting, such as consolidating the use of taxpayer numbers as a way of

identification instead of names,

b) securing the confidentiality of any data introduced in the system,

c) imposing a time limit for the data to be reported,

d) establishing clear legal basis on what data may be collected and the way it can be further used,

e) requiring fiscal authorities to use up-to-date IT;

6. Encourages the code of conduct on business practices to be thoroughly reassessed in accordance to current standards

and adapted to new business practices, mainly by improving its implementation procedures.

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON EMPLOYMENT AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS I

(EMPL I)

Poverty: Not merely a problem in the developing countries. With 25.6% of children being at risk of poverty in Portugal in 2013 what measures should the

European Union take to tackle this problem in its Member States?

Submitted by: Ana Reis (PT), António D’Elvas (PT), Carolina Marques (PT), Catarina Gomez (PT), Inês Vieira (PT), João Lopes (PT), José Pinheiro (PT), Linda Turpeinen (FI), Rani de la Rivière (PT), Robin Rönneke Belfrage (Chairperson, SE)

The European Youth Parliament,

A. Alarmed by the lack of progress towards the Europe 2020 target on poverty and social exclusion, which aims to lift 20

million Europeans out of poverty1,

B. Recognising that the particular economic situation and social services of each Member State influence their ability to

meet the aforementioned target,

C. Deeply alarmed by the negative effects of poverty, such as social exclusion, poor mental and physical health, as well as

reduced access to education, which is necessary to break the ‘vicious circle’ of poverty,

D. Having examined existing strategies to reduce unemployment, such as flexicurity2,

E. Notes that longer distances between the locations of employment and residence limit the implementation of flexicurity

in larger Member States,

F. Deeply disturbed by the decrease in funds allocated for welfare and social spending due to the recent economic crisis,

which lead to cuts in, e.g., scholarships,

G. Noting with regret that since 1979 several Member States have seen an increase in income inequality, which

undermines equal opportunities for access in education and decreases social mobility,

H. Disturbed by the existence of working poverty, even in countries with well-performing economies3,

I. Fully aware that in certain Member States significant cuts have been made in pension funds, such as in Portugal,

where pensions have decreased by 26% since 2008 in comparison to the EU average,

J. Bearing in mind that several Member States have increased taxes while wages have remained constant or decreased in

the aftermath of the economic crisis, thus leading to lower disposable incomes,

K. Taking into account that the recipients of social security often encounter bureaucratic barriers which make claiming

benefits difficult;

1 In 2014, 122 million Europeans were still at risk of poverty or social exclusion; 2 Flexicurity is an integrated strategy for enhancing, at the same time, flexibility and security in the labour market. It attempts to reconcile employers’ needs for a flexible workforce with workers’ need for security – confidence that they will not face long periods of unemployment; 3 The working poverty in Germany is 8.2%.

1. Calls for the European Commission (EC) to re-examine the 2020 goal on poverty and social exclusion, in order to

determine the causes of the lack of progress and emphasise the importance of reducing child poverty;

2. Calls upon the EC to initiate a scheme of investments in the education systems of Member States with higher poverty

rates;

3. Requests that Member States establish clinics treating physical and mental problems of anyone in relative poverty, free

of charge and with an absolute minimum of bureaucracy;

4. Recommends that Member States follow the suggestion made by the Council on the adoption of the Euro Plus Pact4 and

explore the possibilities for combatting unemployment and decreasing poverty by the model of flexicurity;

5. Urges the EC to draft an implementing regulation that would allocate extra funds to the European Social Fund5 , reserved

for small and medium size enterprises in isolated and peripheral regions of the Member States;

6. Advises the Member States to adopt systems of progressive taxation and re-establish dismantled programmes in their

welfare systems, in order to reallocate income between different social strata;

7. Further requests that all Member States adopt a minimum wage to combat working poverty;

8. Encourages Member States to provide personalised guidance explaining bureaucratic procedures to the poor, in order to

guarantee that welfare spending reaches those in need.

4 Launched in 2011, the Euro Plus Pact is a plan by which several Member States strive to improve their competitiveness and financial stability; 5 The European Social Fund aims to promote employment opportunities and living standards for workers in the EU and provides vocational training and retraining to fight social exclusion and increase occupational mobility.

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON CIVIL LIBERTIES, JUSTICE AND HOME

AFFAIRS (LIBE)

Nationalism: A core value to be cherished or an obstacle to inclusiveness and peaceful coexistence? Taking into account the rise of xenophobia and far-right

movements across Europe, how best should the European Union proceed?

Submitted by: Ana Carolina Reis (PT), Alexandre Oliveira Rodrigues (PT), António Silva (PT), Emirhan Yildiz (TR), Jéssica Kamiki (PT), Kaisla Richardson (FI), Max de Heer (NL), Sara Machado (PT), Sebastião Barbosa (PT), Tiago Glaziou (PT), Anna-Lena Szumowski (Chairperson, AT)

The European Youth Parliament,

A. Deeply convinced of the importance of Articles 2 and 7 of the Treaty on European Union which, refer to the core values

of the European Union (EU) and possible suspension of membership rights for Member States in violation of those,

B. Conscious that the EU’s interference to prevent the expansion of nationalist attitudes can be regarded as a threat to the

sovereignty of Member States,

C. Acknowledging the rapid rise of far-right parties in the EU, such as Jobbik in Hungary and Front National in France,

D. Alarmed by the spread of xenophobic ideas and hatred towards ethnic, religious and other minorities, based on

stereotypes and individual, particular actions,

E. Further observing that far-right movements are distancing themselves from the EU’s political actions and promoting

Euroscepticism through the use of populist means,

F. Disturbed by the right-wing parties’ use of populism to incite the supporters against their pro-European governments,

G. Concerned by the lack of public awareness on the tactics used by right-wing parties, such as softening their image, as

well as distracting from possible harm and long-term effects of their rhetoric,

H. Realising that the lack of education on cultural differences and under-representation of multiculturalism in daily life

could lead to affiliation with nationalist ideologies;

1. Encourages the Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union to be fully implemented when there is a breach of the EU’s

fundamental rights;

2. Strongly supports the founding values of the European Union – human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule

of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities, pluralism, non-

discrimination, tolerance, justice, solidarity and equality – as outlined by the Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union;

3. Stresses the need for the creation of new legislation allowing measures such as economic sanctions and monetary fines,

which would tackle breaches of various severity that are not currently covered by Article 7;

4. Urges the European Commission (EC) to more effectively supervise the transposition of European legislature on

fundamental rights and non-discrimination in Member States;

5. Recognising the importance of reducing language barriers and increasing cultural awareness to enhance social inclusion

and ease towards a multicultural society;

6. Recommends the implementation of local educational programmes for immigrants providing language lessons and

cultural exchanges;

7. Calls upon the EC to raise awareness about nationalist ideologies by introducing educational programmes in high

schools.

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON EMPLOYMENT AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS II

(EMPL II)

Internships: Opportunity or exploitation? As initiatives such as the ‘Council Recommendation on a Quality Framework for Traineeships’ have come under

strong criticism, how else can the European Union act to ensure fair, good-quality internships for its youth?

Submitted by: Bárbara Birra (PT), Diana Rosa (PT), Elif Azap (TR), Inês Isidro (PT), Jahnvi Dipesh Majithia (PT), João Nunes (PT), Marta Neves (PT), Pedro Rafael Afonso Rolo (PT), Valeriya Yakovleva (PT), Anamaria Olaru (Chairperson, RO)

The European Youth Parliament,

A. Noting with satisfaction the positive influence that internships and traineeships have on both the professional and

personal development of youngsters,

B. Alarmed by the results of the poll presented in the Flash Eurobarometer report on the ‘Experience of Traineeships in

the EU’, which states that only 18.4% of the European Union’s (EU’s)’s interns were paid enough to cover their basic

needs and that only six out of ten trainees received monetary compensation for their work, thus leading to unequal

opportunities for students with differing economic situations,

C. Taking into account that every third traineeship fails to satisfy adequate working conditions and to have sufficient

educational value due to the irrelevance of the tasks undertaken, such as making coffee or organising logistics,

D. Observing that 23% of trainees in the EU are not offered a job at the end of their training period, instead being offered

to renew their traineeship agreement,

E. Deeply concerned that employers can abuse the lack of a legally binding contract and turn the interns into ‘modern

slaves’ due to the absence of a written internship document in 40% of the cases,

F. Taking note of the ‘Council Recommendation on a Quality Framework for Traineeships’ (QFT) pointing out the

differences in regulations regarding traineeships in Member States as an obstacle to the improvement of cross-border

trainee mobility,

G. Emphasising that interns have the right to quality work experiences with safe and fair working conditions,

H. Noting with regret that interns’ health and safety at work is often not respected during their internships,

I. Fully aware that interns are discouraged from voicing their concerns about working conditions, as it may cause them

to lose the placement they rely on for future references in job applications;

1. Encourages employers who undertake interns to set specific contract clauses which include detailed schedules and are

closely supervised by the Human Resources department of that specific company;

2. Recommends employers to improve the terms regarding financial compensation, tasks and responsibilities stated in

the contract when trainees are offered the renewal of their traineeship agreement;

3. Calls for the Member States to designate specialists that would monitor the implementation of written traineeship

agreements and make sure that those include clauses regarding the educational value of the placement and adequate

working conditions;

4. Further recommends the European Commission (EC) to draft pan-European legislation regarding traineeship

conditions;

5. Requests the Council of the European Union (the Council) to amend the QFT by adding clearer practical solutions to

further provide interns with access to social protection, as well as improve working conditions;

6. Noting with approval that the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council promotes regular

inspections and conducts surveys in workplaces to monitor the issues trainees and interns face;

7. Urges companies to cover the living costs of the trainees for the period of the internship;

8. Further requests the Council to propose a ‘Quality Framework for Internships’ by the end of 2016, as suggested in the

Article 181 of the QFT, which would:

a) ensure social security to all interns,

b) guarantee sufficient compensation of living costs for interns,

c) improve the quality of working conditions of internships,

d) reinforce the educational value of internships.

1 Article 18 of the QFT states that “The Council, in its Resolution on the Structured Dialogue on Youth Employment of May 2011, stated that a quality framework for internships is desirable in order to guarantee the educational value of such experience.”

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

(ITRE)

Fracking: Taking into account the European Union’s high dependence on foreign energy, worsening relations with Russia, and its environmental goals,

to what extent and how should shale gas become part of its energy mix?

Submitted by: Ana Figueiredo (PT), Aníbal Gordete (PT), Anna Anttila (FI), Carolina Gonçalves (PT), Catarina Sampaio (PT), Diogo Leonardo (PT), Joël van Dijk (NL), Manuel Madeira (PT), Rúben Nogueira (PT), Joana Cavaco (Chairperson, PT)

The European Youth Parliament,

A. Deeply disturbed by the negative impact fracking1 has on the environment, such as water contamination, earthquakes, air and soil pollution,

B. Observing that the Member States’ dependency rate on foreign energy reached 53.4% in 2012, with 17.5% of gas imports to the European Union (EU) coming from Russia,

C. Recognising that due to differences in national interests, economic situation, quantity of natural resources, population density and energy infrastructures amongst the Member States, the EU has not been able to adopt a common stance regarding fracking,

D. Noting with regret the absence of EU funded research and development projects regarding the risks and benefits of fracking,

E. Recalling that energy is a shared competence between the EU and the Member States, thus hindering the adoption of EU-wide legislation on fracking,

F. Deeply concerned by the clear ineffectiveness of the ‘Commission Recommendation on minimum principles for the

exploration and production of hydrocarbons (such as shale gas) using high-volume hydraulic fracturing’ and the dismissive response by the Member States regarding it,

G. Taking into account that the environmental legislation of the EU regarding fracking is insufficient due to the very recent exploration of this technique,

H. Further noting shale gas has not been considered as an alternative source of energy in the EU 2020 Climate and

Energy package;

1. Recommends Member States to ensure that fracking operators provide a financial guarantee covering potential

liabilities for damage caused to the environment or people, prior to the start of operations involving fracking;

2. Calls upon the EU to support Member States that show interest in conducting and developing fracking techniques

by providing them with financial support and expertise on establishing necessary infrastructure and legislation;

3. Further recommends the aforementioned support to be based upon the shale gas production and natural resource

potential for fracking of each Member State;

1 Hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as ‘fracking’, is a controversial method of extracting shale gas using a stimulation technique in which rock is fractured by a hydraulically pressurised liquid made of water, sand and chemicals.

4. Endorses that the EU financially supports national governments to conduct an extensive risk assessment regarding

opportunities and risks of fracking in each Member State;

5. Further requests considering the experiences and expertise of other Member States, industries concerned and non-

governmental organisations promoting environmental protection when conducting the preceding assessments;

6. Invites the European Commission (EC) to propose a Directive on shale gas extraction techniques, emphasising the

disclosure of chemicals used in fracking procedures;

7. Encourages the EC to propose a Regulation on zoning limitations with respect to water sources, fertile soil and

populated areas;

8. Calls for the addition of the goal of reaching the level of 5% of shale gas in the EU’s energy mix to the EU 2020

Climate and Energy package.

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON HUMAN RIGHTS (DROI)

Homophobia: With the whole spectrum of rainbow persisting in Europe with regard to LGBT rights, what should the European Union strive to achieve in

this field by 2025?

Submitted by: André Dinis (PT), Berna Çetinkaya (TR), Débora Mira (PT), Francisca Mestre (PT), Goya Berg (NL), Hermela Nadew (FI), Inês França (PT), Inês Sampaio (PT), Mariana Oiveira (PT), Sophie Orme (PT), José Eduardo Feio (Chairperson, PT)

The European Youth Parliament,

A. Taking into consideration the Article 21 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union1 which calls for the

prohibition of discrimination on various grounds, including sexual orientation,

B. Noting with regret that the LGBT community faces discrimination and violence from hate groups, political parties and

even their own families due to prejudice and misconceptions,

C. Noting with concern the possible negative consequences of homophobia on the members of the LGBT community, such

as anxiety and depression, self-harm and suicidal thoughts,

D. Bearing in mind the negative effect that fear of discrimination and social exclusion have on the LGBT community

members ability to freely express their sexual orientation,

E. Concerned by the results of the European Agency on Fundamental Rights’ (FRA)2 survey confirming sexual orientation

and gender identity as a continuous base for discrimination in schools, job search and workplaces,

F. Deeply concerned that more than half of the FRA survey participants who suffered from violence related to their sexuality

did not report the event to the authorities, as they believed no action would be taken,

G. Noting that the Member States have exclusive competence to legislate on family law and that significant differences

persist in the EU regarding the matter,

H. Further noting that not all Member States define homophobia and transphobia as a legal aggravating factor in hate

crimes,

I. Alarmed by the problems caused to transgender people due to differences in Member States’ legislation regarding

whether gender dysphoria is treated as a gender issue, a sexual orientation issue, or is not defined,

J. Deeply concerned by the high percentage of homeless youngsters within the LGBT community,

K. Concerned about the lack of information and awareness regarding the LGBT community, and especially about

transgender persons;

1 The European Charter of Fundamental Rights is a document that aims at bringing together all the fundamental rights protected in the EU; 2 The FRA is one of the EU’s decentralised agencies and works to ensure that the fundamental rights of people living in the EU are protected.

1. Calls upon the European Commission (EC) to propose a Directive that would incorporate sexual orientation and gender

identity discrimination within the working competence of all the equality bodies3 of the Member States;

2. Further calls upon equality bodies to provide training to relevant authorities, such as police forces, on dealing with hate

crimes towards LGBT people;

3. Urges equality bodies to establish local support groups with competent mental health professionals and social workers;

4. Instructs the newly established support systems to provide guidance and access to psychological help for the victims of

discrimination and bullying within the LGBT community, as well as the relatives of LGBT people;

5. Encourages the Member States to incorporate the term ‘gender identity’ in their legislation regarding discrimination due

to gender or sexual orientation, in order to be inclusive of transgender people;

6. Recommends all Member States to consider homophobia and transphobia as an aggravating legal factor for hate crimes;

7. Supports the European Parliament resolution of 28 September 2011 on human rights, sexual orientation and gender

identity at the United Nations that called for the World Health Organisation (WHO)4 to withdraw gender identity

disorders from the list of mental and behaviour disorders;

8. Suggests to increase financial support for scientific research on LGBT adoption and social behaviour by the European

Research Council (ERC)5;

9. Calls upon the FRA to increase data collection regarding LGBT people, with a special focus on transgender individuals.

3 Equality bodies are independent organisations that aim at assisting victims of discrimination on different grounds, monitoring and reporting on discrimination issues and promoting equality; 4 The WHO is a specialised agency of the United Nations that is concerned with international public health; 5 The ERC is an EC’s body responsible for funding scientific and technological research within the EU.

Under the patronage of the Municipality of Lisbon and of the Portuguese Institute for Sports and Youth.

With the support of Monceau Fleurs – El Corte Inglés Lisboa, IST – the Higher Technical Institute of the University of Lisbon, the Municipal Assembly of Lisbon, the Social Rights Cabinet of the Municipality of Lisbon, the Embassy of the Republic of Latvia in the Portuguese Republic and the Latvian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Lisboa 2015 - 32nd National Selection Conference of the European Youth Parliament Portugal

facebook.com/Lisboa2015

European Youth Parliament Portugal

pejportugal.com | facebook.com/[email protected]

Partners