Resolutionbookletleopolis2013

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Programme of the General Assembly

Sunday, 11th August 2013

09:45 - 10:30 Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Industry, Research

and Energy (ITRE)

10:30 - 11:15 Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Transport and

Tourism (TRAN)

11:15 - 12:00 Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Employment and

Social Affairs (EMPL)

12:00 - 12:45 Lunch

12:45 - 13:30 Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Economic and

Monetary Affairs II (ECON II)

13:30 - 14:15 Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI)

14:15 - 15:00 Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Economic and

Monetary Affairs I (ECON I)

15:00 - 15:30 Coffee Break

15:30 - 16:15 Motion for a Resolution by the Special Committee on Organised

Crime, Corruption and Money Laundering (CRIM)

16:15 - 17:00 Motion for a Resolution by the Committee on Agriculture and Rural

Development (AGRI)

17:00 - 18:30 Closing Ceremony

19:00 - Departures

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Procedure of the General Assembly General rules The wish to speak is indicated by raising the committee placard. The authority of the board is absolute. Procedure and time settings – Presenting of the motion for the resolution – Reading of the operative clauses – Points of information – 3 minutes to defend the motion for the resolution – 3 minutes to attack the motion for the resolution – 1 minute to respond to the attack speech – General debate – 3 minutes to sum-up the debate – Voting procedure – Announcing the votes Point of information During points of Information, the committee placard may be raised and delegates can ask the proposing committee to clarify specific words and abbreviations. Note that points of information must ask for a factual answer. All other points must wait until the general debate. Point of personal privilege Request for a delegate to repeat a point that was inaudible. Point of order A delegate feels that the board has not properly followed parliamentary procedure. The placard is used by chairpersons after a request from a delegate. Direct response Once per debate, each committee may use the Direct Response sign. Should a committee member raise the Committee Placard and the “Direct Response” sign, the board recognises them immediately. The direct response sign is used to contribute to the point made directly beforehand.

Friendly amendments Put forward by the Proposing Committee, these are last-minute modifications aiming at improving the Resolution. Amendments are to be handed to the Board on a specific form (distributed to the Chairpersons) two Resolutions in advance – or as early as possible for the first Debates of the day.

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

A new era of energy management: how can Europe best respond to an ever increasing energy demand both by securing sustainable supply

and smart energy usage?

Submitted by: Slavoljub Atanasovki (RS), Victoria Barbaniuk (UA), Anastasiya Bura (UA), Mykhailo Komarov (UA), Julia Kurganovich (BY), Artem Omelchuk (UA), Ioannis Valindras (GR), Marco Rossi (Chairperson, IT)

The European Youth Parliament,

A. Deeply concerned by the reduction of financial support for research, because of the economic crisis,

B. Noting with regret that weak cooperation in the energy sector among the Member States might endanger the economy and environment,

C. Fully alarmed by the potential energy shortage in the EU due to the lack of diversity in energy production and lack of integrated management system,

D. Emphasising the EU’s energy insecurity caused by the high level of dependency on external energy resources,

E. Fully conscious that alternative energy sources produce varying amounts of energy over time, thus multiple energy sources are required,

F. Recognising that the surplus of allowances jeopardise the working of the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS),

G. Observing public unawareness of smart energy usage which causes people to be indifferent and reluctant to support renewables;

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1. Encourages the European Research Council (ERC) to conduct research on:

a) Radioactive waste reduction and recycling,

b) Environmentally friendly shale gas extraction,

c) Ecologically responsible production of equipment needed to build facilities for renewable sources of energy,

d) Coal and gas proportion in the energy mix and its implications on the EU economy;

2. Supports holding seminars in schools and universities on smart energy usage;

3. Recommends that each EU Member State further explores its energy production potential according to its geographical position;

4. Approves setting up trade relations with the highest possible number of partners to diversify the energy supply chain;

5. Invites the European Commission to establish a common energy infrastructure connecting pre-existing energy distribution facilities;

6. Requests the refurbishment of out-of-date equipment to increase energy efficiency;

7. Calls for further studies both on Tesla’s methods of sending electricity by Wardernclyffe Towers in case of urgent energy need as well as on testing solar power satellites;

8. Reaffirms the essential role of tax reductions in order to encourage the constantly increasing private investments in:

a) Houses facilitated with energy saving systems,

b) Factories with their own energy producing systems;

9. Welcomes the founding of an annual EU “ITRE award” for companies with the greatest investments in the development of the energy sector;

10. Expresses its hope to start shale gas extraction once it can be conducted in an ecologically friendly manner and economically viable techonology is found;

11. Endorses test flights to the Moon to collect He3 in order to diversify the EU energy mix as well as regaining a leadership role in the nuclear field;

12. Recommends the revision of the EU ETS in terms of increasing the amount of allowances being auctioned.

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Fact Sheet 700€ billions: The estimated amount of money that the EU is going to pay each year in 20 years time because of higher energy prices. Solar power satellite: An equipment used to collect solar energy from Earth’s orbite or Moon which results in receiving much more intense sunlight. Shale gas: A natural gas that is found trapped within shale formations. Shales are fine grained sedimentary rocks that can be rich sources of petroleum and natural gas. He3: He3 is a non radioactive isotope of helium which is required to achieve the fusion process of nuclear energy. There is enough He3 on the moon to provide energy for 5000 years at the current consumption rate. Tesla’s methods: The Wardencylffe Tower built by Nikola Tesla in 1901 is a wireless power transmitter, being able to deliver electricity through the air to another facility of the the same kind. European Union Emissions Trading System: An international system for trading greenhouse gas allowances, aimed at reducing the total amount of greenhouse gas in compliance with the target set by the 20-20-20 programme (aiming at the reduction of the total amount of emissions by 20% by 2020).

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MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORT AND TOURISM

Evolution in the transport sector : Rising demand of high speed railways, low-cost air carriers and long-distance highway transportation.

How should the transport balance in Europe be shaped and to what extent should the EU ensure efficient development of a competitive

internal infrastructure?

Submitted by: Viktor Artemenko (UA), Kingsley Ajakpa (UA), Myriam Badri (FR), Angeliki Irini Dimou (GR), Roman Kohut (UA), Kostyantyn Lyabuk (UA), Pavel Lysenko (UA), Natalia Sniegur (UA), Aleksandr Guzenko (Chairperson, UA), Oksana Korchak (Vice-President, UA)


A. Deeply concerned by the fact that the cost of transport congestion is 2% of the EU’s annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP),

B. Alarmed by the fact that the transport sector is the fastest growing consumer of energy and producer of greenhouse gases within the EU,

C. Emphasising the significance of the transport sector for stimulating economic growth and enhancing business competitiveness,

D. Bearing in mind that the transport industry represents 4,6% of the EU’s annual GDP, E. Noting with regret that inadequate city planning causes high levels of congestion, F. Aware of the lack of state investment in infrastructures such as cycling lanes and

pedestrian zones, G. Taking into consideration that the high costs of imported energy resources and charges

for environmental pollution impede the economic growth of the EU, H. Fully aware of the need to increase transport efficiency which can only pass through

interoperability - or technical compatibility -, intermodality and energy efficiency, I. Recognising the lack of awareness among EU citizens about alternative means of

transport and accessibility, J. Welcoming the implementation of the Transport 2050 Roadmap to a Single Transport

Area by the European Commission;

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1. Encourages regions that lack natural resources to invest more in exploratory research aimed at finding new resource deposits for energy efficiency;

2. Supports the Cohesion Policy and the usage of financial aid from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the European Cohesion Fund (ECF) to reduce disparity in the transport sector;

3. Further encourages the use of alternative fuels and renewable energy sources in public transport in order to achieve long-term and low-price sustainability;

4. Requests transport companies to poll their clients on transportation issues to ensure competitive growth of the transport sector;

5. Recommends the creation of an online, easily accessible platform which will provide the information on railway and highway networks, alternative routes as well as traffic jams;

6. Calls for the establishment of quotas for the use of eco-friendly vehicles in Member States and providing subsidies for this purpose;

7. Further invites local governments to establish intermodality in the transport sector to foster synergies between rail and air networks;

8. Further calls for the creation of an eco-tax system based on individual carbon emission calculations;

9. Supports the Europe 2020 Strategy in terms of increasing the quantity of eco-friendly vehicles to the level of 10% by 2020.

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Fact Sheet The trans-European transport networks (TEN-T): A planned set of road, rail, air and water transport networks in Europe which will allow goods and people to circulate quickly and easily between Member States and ensure international connections. Intermodality: The capacity to combine different modes of transport in a flexible way. Transport 2050 Roadmap to a Single Transport Area: A roadmap of 40 concrete initiatives for the next decade to build a competitive transport system that will increase mobility, remove major barriers in key areas and fuel growth. European Cohesion Fund: A financial instrument of the EU regional policy aimed at strengthening economic and social cohesion with a view on promoting sustainable development. European Regional Development Fund: A fund that helps to reinforce economic and social cohesion by redressing regional imbalances.

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

Young population at risk : how should Member States improve the transition between education or vocational training and the labour market in the EU? What role should the private sector have in this

process ?

Submitted by: Panagiotis-Loizos Chatzistratis (GR), Paul Diamantopoulos (GR), Platon Dmitriyev (UA), Anahit Gharibyan (AM), Anastasia Leshchyshyn (CA), Olena Popova (UA), Ýura Poritskii (UA), Laura Thiemt (Chairperson, DE)


A. Deeply concerned by the high benefit payments needed to support the 6 million young unemployed Europeans estimated at 153 billion Euros (1.21% of the EU’s GDP),

B. Emphasising that countries whose educational systems, vocational training, and mentoring programmes balance theoretical and practical educational methods have lower youth unemployment rates, such as Germany (7.6%), than countries, such as Greece (65%) and Spain (56%),

C. Realising that educational systems throughout Europe may not correspond to the needs of the labour market, leading to structural unemployment,

D. Concerned that as a result of unemployment in the present, young Europeans do not gain work experience they need to acquire jobs in the future,

E. Aware of the psychological and social implications of unemployment on the European youth,

F. Deeply disturbed by the financial exploitation of young Europeans by their employers, especially during probation periods,

G. Noting with approval the efforts of the EU to tackle youth unemployment with schemes, such as the Youth Employment Initiative and the Youth Guarantee;

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1. Encourages all EU Member States to offer tax reductions to enterprises hiring young unemployed citizens in order to make the recruitment of young workers profitable for both the enterprises and the employees;

2. Recommends that Member States encourage educational establishments of various levels to provide students with a more practical education, such as obligatory internships;

3. Endorses collaboration between educational institutions and employers of the private and public sectors in order to reduce structural unemployment;

4. Further encourages educational institutions to restructure their enrollment procedures to allow students more flexibility in the choice of subjects as well as an option to reconsider and change their subject fields once enrolled, thus broadening their alternative employment options;

5. Invites private businesses to sponsor NGOs so that they are able to continue taking on young Europeans as volunteers, thus allowing them to gain work experience;

6. Calls upon the Member States to create community groups for unemployed youth in order to help them deal with the psychological effects of unemployment, while simultaneously creating job opportunities that are required to facilitate such projects;

7. Supports the current efforts of the European Commission to ensure transparency during traineeships, meaning that young people are protected from unreasonable payment and bad working conditions;

8. Further recommends that more Member States participate in the European Commission’s programme ‘Your first EURES Job’ that promotes labour mobility and provides more job opportunities for young Europeans.

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Fact Sheet Youth Employment Initiative: Running from 2014 to 2020, this initiative supports young people not currently enrolled in education, employment or training in regions with a youth unemployment rate above 25% (in 2012) by integrating them into the labour market. The money under the Youth Employment Initiative is used to reinforce and accelerate proposals outlined in the December 2012 Youth Employment Package; a set of measures to tackle unacceptable levels of youth unemployment and social exclusion by giving young people job offers, education and training. Youth Guarantee: With the Youth Guarantee Member States ensure that within four months of becoming unemployed or leaving formal education, all young people up to the age of 25 receive a quality job offer, an apprenticeship, a traineeship, or the opportunity to continue their education or training. European Employment Services – EURES: A co-operation network between the European Commission and the Public Employment Services of the EU Member States as well as other partner organisations. It provides information, advice and placement services for workers and employers whilst promoting the free movement of persons.

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

An unstable union: How should the system of European regulation, such as the Stability and Growth Pact, be reformed in order for the

European financial and economic system to adapt to the latest developments during the crisis and to assure a more safe and

sustainable union in the future?

Submitted by: Margot Belguise (FR), Daniil Lubkin (UA), Evgeniia Mazur (UA), Mahmud Musali (AZ), Ilona Pasteruk (UA), Azer Rustamli (AZ), Nadiia Telenchuk (UA), Ramin Tsukulidze (GE), Yannick Van Bogaert (Chairperson, BE)


A. Expressing its appreciation for the effect of the Stability and Growth Pact (SGP) on financial stability in response to the on-going economic crisis,

B. Noticing the existing flaws in imposing fines on indebted countries,

C. Noting with regret the impossibility of the standardised rules being applied to both eurozone and non-eurozone countries,

D. Emphasising that the SGP does not solve all economic problems when working towards a more sustainable union,

E. Expressing its dissatisfaction that the regulatory procedures of the SGP, such as recommendations and fines, do not promote actual economic growth,

F. Taking into account the increasing number of Member States which could lead to a decreased efficiency of the aforementioned regulations, while expressing appreciation for the country-specific recommendations of the SGP,

G. Recognising that various stability and convergence programmes can overlap with other EU regulations,

H. Noting with deep concern the significant improbability for all EU members to improve their economies equally as a consequence of their different economic situations,

I. Deeply disturbed by the fact that many EU regulations do not work because of the improper compliance with the legislative procedures implemented by the eurozone countries,

J. Taking into consideration the possible threat to the EU’s economy should a Member State ever decide to leave the EU,

K. Convinced that reduction on government spendings according to austerity measures can retain economic growth,

L. Deeply concerned that outsourcing of production to non-EU countries, because of the cheap labour force, leads to a lack of sustainability in the EU’s economy,

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M. Alarmed by the fact that creditor countries in the eurozone tend to have growing political influence over the debtor countries due to the current economic situation;

1. Endorses that the Eurogroup would raise interest rates for governmental loans under the

European Stability Mechanism (ESM) and trusts the EU to reinvest the funds raised in the indebted countries in order to boost their economic development;

2. Requests the Member States to develop long-term economic objectives with the corresponding medium-term budgetary objectives (MTO);

3. Urges the EU to pay more attention to the preventive arm of the SGP, focusing on the promotion of economic growth;

4. Encourages the Member States to restructure budget cuts in governmental planning in order to ensure that strategic investment, such as Research & Development, innovation and infrastructure, is made;

5. Strongly recommends the EU to implement the SGP within the Copenhagen criteria, however the punitive procedures should not be enforced;

6. Accepts the possibility for the Member States to choose which regulation to follow after they receive the approval of the Eurogroup, in case of overlapping regulations which concern the same issue;

7. Authorises the European Court of Justice to intervene when a violation of the rules from the SGP by a Member State takes place;

8. Strongly recommends a six-year timeframe in case a Member State shows the wish to leave the EU, so that necessary economic reorganisation can be carried out to ensure that a minimum amount of damage is caused to both the country and the EU;

9. Further urges the introduction of incentives for companies in form of tax recess and tax cuts in order to promote production in Member States;

10. Further recommends the Western European Member States to outsource production within the EU to the Central and Eastern European countries;

11. Further encourages that debtor countries turn to the European Court of Justice in case of a political dispute caused by measures adopted by creditor countries.

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Fact Sheet The Stability and Growth Pact: The Stability and Growth Pact (SGP) is a rule-based framework for the coordination of national fiscal policies in the European Union. It was established to safeguard sound public finances, based on the principle that economic policies are a matter of shared concern for all Member States. Stability and Convergence Programmes: The preventive arm of the Stability and Growth Pact requires MS to submit stability or convergence programmes (SCPs) to the European Commission every spring. Stability programmes are submitted by euro area MS, while convergence programmes, which also contain monetary strategies, are submitted by non-euro area MS. Production outsourcing: Allocating production capacities in a different country in order to save production costs. Eurogroup: The Eurogroup is the group of finance ministers from the European Union MS that have adopted the euro in place of their former national currencies. It exercises political control over the currency and related aspects of the EU's monetary union such as the SGP. European Stability Mechanism: The ESM is a permanent international financial institution that assists in preserving the financial stability of the European Union monetary union. It is an intergovernmental organization under public international law and it currently is the primary support mechanism to euro area Member States. The ESM issues bonds or other debt instruments on the financial markets to raise capital to provide assistance to Member States. Medium-term budgetary objectives: According to the reformed SGP, stability programmes and convergence programmes present a medium-term objective for the budgetary position. It is country-specific to take into account the diversity of economic and budgetary positions and developments as well as of fiscal risks to the sustainability of public finances, and is defined in structural terms. Copenhagen criteria: The Copenhagen criteria are the rules that define whether a country is eligible to join the European Union. The criteria require that a state has the institutions to preserve democratic governance and human rights, has a functioning market economy, and accepts the obligations and intent of the EU. Tax recess: The cancelation of taxes for a certain amount of time as an incentive to boost production.

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MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON LEGAL AFFAIRS

The heart of European Integration at a crossroads: With the “Cassis de Dijon case” being one of the first prime examples, the initial aims of the Single Market were undermined. Protectionism, higher regulation and different standards in EU Member States indirectly restrict one of the core freedoms of the European Union: the free movement of goods. With regard to the European economic integration processes, what

should the future Common European Market look like?

Submitted by: Kateryna Bolonnikova (UA), Iryna Dashycheva (UA), Liudmyla Grygorchuk (UA), Karl Jakob Kammler (NO), Lisa Latussek (DE), Athanasios Tragiannis (GR), Olha Shvets (Chairperson, UA), Jorge Simelio Jurado (Vice-President, ES)


A. Fully aware that the Euro is a crucial pillar of the Single Market, B. Recalling that the free movement of goods is established in articles 34-36 of the Treaty on

the Functioning of the EU (TFEU), C. Confident that the steps contained in the Single Market Act II (SMA II) will be of great

benefit to the Single Market, D. Deeply regretting the fact that the majority of deadlines set by the SMA II have already

been missed, E. Recalling the outcome of the “Cassis de Dijon case” in 1979 by the European Court of

Justice which led to the principle of mutual recognition and the implementation of mandatory requirements,

F. Affirming that the Single Market is beneficial for consumers and companies alike because it increases prosperity and growth, provides a greater selection of high-quality products for lower prices and increases competition, efficiency and innovation,

G. Noting with satisfaction that the Single Market makes the EU more attractive to foreign investment,

H. Concerned by the fact that the differences in economic development and legislation between Member States cause them to implement protectonist measures and regulations which severely hinder the proper functioning of the Single Market,

I. Noting with regret that worker mobility is reduced due to the differences in national professional qualification standards;

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1. Calls upon the European Commission to facilitate the implementation of the SMA II by:

a) Delaying the deadline for its implementation until 2015,

b) Reaffirming the SMA II and encouraging Member States to implement the relevant measures;

2. Endorses the mutual recognition of all academic and professional qualifications within Member States;

3. Calls upon the establishment of incentives for companies hiring employees from different EU Member States in the form of accreditation;

4. Requests an increase in Member States’ contributions to the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the European Cohesion Fund (ECF) in order to further remedy economic imbalances within the EU;

5. Encourages Member States to harmonise and simplify their respective product standards;

6. Emphazises the importance of setting fiscal integration as a long term goal after the proposed measures have been fullfilled.

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Fact Sheet Single Market: A type of trade bloc which is composed of a free trade area (for goods) with common policies on product regulation, and freedom of movement of the factors of production (capital and labour) and of enterprise and services. The goal is that the movement of capital, labour, goods, and services between the members is as easy as within them. The physical, technical and fiscal barriers among the member states are removed to the maximum extent possible. These barriers obstruct the freedom of movement of the four factors of production. The Single Market Act: Presented by the Commission in April 2011 set out twelve levers to boost growth and strengthen confidence. In October 2012 the Commission proposed a second set of actions (Single Market Act II) to further develop the Single Market and exploit its untapped potential as an engine for growth. Cassis de Dijon case: In 1979, Rewe-Zentral AG, one of Germany’s biggest food and drinks retailers, complained to the European Court of Justice that the German authorities were making it difficult for the company to import and sell Cassis de Dijon. The Court ruled in the firm’s favour and declared that under European law, if a company is allowed to make a product freely available for sale in one European Community country, then it must be allowed to do so in all member states.

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

After the eruption of the European sovereign debt crisis, which had a

different impact on the EU Member States, several countries started to question the need for further economic and monetary integration of the European Union. Following recent measures, such as the ratification of the Fiscal Compact, what should be the further steps of the European

economic and monetary integration?

Submitted by: Veronika Bugaychenko (UA), Maria Fedoruk (UA), Evelina Ibrayimova (UA), Irina Ivasishin (UA), Apostolis Papadelis (GR), Maksym Shcherbakov (UA), Alex Zhuk (UA), Jara Verkleij (Chairperson, NL)


A. Emphasising that the still evolving monetary union cannot work optimally without fiscal coordination,

B. Deeply concerned about the absence of a comprehensive monetary strategy within the eurozone,

C. Alarmed by the fact that due to economic recession the market is less competitive,

D. Deeply disturbed by the citizens´ lack of trust concerning banks located within the eurozone,

E. Taking into account the need for capital in several Member States,

F. Aware of the different levels of economic development among Member States,

G. Concerned that less developed Member States are at risk of defaulting on their loans,

H. Noting with regret the lack of political coordination in the financial sector,

I. Recognising the collapse in the financial sector after the Financial Crisis and the European sovereign debt crisis and its impact on the market;

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1. Proposes the implementation of a European banking union;

2. Encourages the European Commission to initiate a new economic growth strategy in accordance to every Member State’s potential and interests;

3. Requests that the European Central Bank (ECB) continue the unlimited purchase of sovereign bonds from struggling eurozone Member States and start issuing Eurobonds;

4. Strongly recommends the delegation of more competencies to European authorities by:

a) Emphasising the Macroeconomic Imbalance Procedure (MIP),

b) Create binding economic legislation on the supranational level;

5. Supports the further development of a fiscal union;

6. Calls for stricter regulations on budget control.

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Fact Sheet Macroeconomic Imbalance Procedure (MIP): A surveillance mechanism that aims to identify potential risks early on, prevent the emergence of harmful macroeconomic imbalances and correct the imbalances that are already in place. European Central Bank (ECB): One of the main seven institutions of the European Union. It independently implements monetary policy for the eurozone, with price stability as its prime objective. Eurobonds: A measure to tackle the sovereign debt crisis proposed by the European Commission in 2011. Eurobonds are debt contracts that contain an obligation for the borrower to pay interest at a given rate and the principle amount of the bond on specific date. The main idea is to create single European bonds with benefits and responsibility for the whole eurozone. As a safe opportunity for investors, it would have a low interest rate and would provide cheap financing for overly indebted countries. Fiscal union: The integration of the fiscal policy of nations or states. Under a fiscal union decisions about the collection and expenditure of taxes are taken by common institutions, shared by the participating governments. For example, in federal nations such as the United States, fiscal policy is determined to a large extent by the central government, which is empowered to raise taxes, borrow and spend. Banking union: This project was suggested by the European Commission in 2012. It includes closer integration of the financial sector within the Eurozone and the creation of centralised mechanisms for the supervision and the restructuring of the banking sector, which are both essential in order to ensure financial stability and growth in the eurozone.

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MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON ORGANISED CRIME,

CORRUPTION AND MONEY LAUNDERING Entrepreneurs and executives fight for fair market conditions, while they

themselves create unfair and unlawful rules in order to obtain greater profits. Which measures should be taken to prevent white-collar crimes,

including commercial fraud, cheating consumers, insider trading on the stock market, embezzlement and other forms of dishonest

business schemes?

Submitted by: Roman Antonevych (UA), Maria Ghincea (RO), Anastacia Grigorash (UA), Bogdan Kozub (UA), Alex Syrota (UA), Dmytro Zinchuk (UA), Mamuka Zoidze (GE), Jakob Etzel (Chairperson, AT)


A. Taking into account that the main actors of white-collar crime are high-ranking persons with political, financial or criminal power,

B. Emphasising the lack of awareness about white-collar crime and other unlawful business schemes,

C. Having considered that potential criminals may harbour unrealistically high expectations of power, material success and individual experience,

D. Conscious that these expectations can induce crime and vicious cycle behaviour even leading to violence,

E. Aware that laws are often not accurate enough to avoid loopholes, F. Deeply concerned by the wide range of opportunities that political immunity may give to

possible perpetrators, G. Further concerned by the use of offshore accounts in white-collar crime activities, H. Realising that vast sums of money generated by organised crime and mafia networks are

being smuggled into banks and financial markets in the EU, I. Deeply disturbed by the high and still rising number of organisations and enterprises that

have suffered from Ponzi schemes;

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1. Requests that the set up of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) should be accelerated in order to combat crimes affecting the financial interests of the EU;

2. Emphasises the need of approving the definition of mafia as a ‘criminal group which is business oriented and wields power of intimidation’;

3. Asks for better differentiation between the concepts of legal and illegal insider trading as well as the development of stricter insider trading laws following the example of the United States;

4. Strongly recommends deeper monitoring of enterprises that have significant debts or experienced high financial losses;

5. Supports stricter punishment for participation in organised crime; 6. Endorses the exclusion of sentenced government officials from any public tenders in

every Member State; 7. Recommends more research on tax evasion and money laundering schemes to allow for

further implementation of prevention programmes; 8. Urges a stronger emphasis on white-collar crime within the European Neighbourhood

Policy (ENP); 9. Proposes enhanced cooperation between the relevant bodies with regard to forgery and

fraud in order to better identify wrong source documents;

10. Welcomes initiatives for more cooperation and greater transparency within the banking system, the financial sector and accounting professionals in all Member States and also with non-EU countries;

11. Encourages the creation of educational programmes dealing with white-collar crimes and their financial, economic and political consequences and publicising their impact through social media.

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Fact Sheet White-collar crime: A criminal offense committed by persons of the highest reputation and social status including politicians, executives, government officials and entrepreneurs. White-collar crimes encompass commercial fraud, cheating consumers, insider trading and embezzlement, cybercrime, copyright infringement, money laundering and Ponzi schemes, tax evasion, forgery etc. European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO): This shall be an independent EU-body with the authority to investigate fraud and other crimes affecting the Union’s financial interests. Its foundations are already laid through the Treaty of Lisbon. Offshore account: An often absolutely anonymous bank account with lower taxation in a foreign country. Ponzi scheme: A fraudulent pyramidal investment operation that promises higher returns to its investors from their own money or money paid by subsequent investors rather than from profits earned by the organisation running the operation.

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MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT

The Common Agricultural Policy after 2013: in light of recent debates on the CAP reforms in the new Multiannual Financial Framework of the EU

from 2014 to 2020, how can a new CAP best address the current challenges by strengthening the competitiveness and the sustainability

of agriculture? Submitted by: Antonios Kaisaris (GR), Dannys Khukalenko (UA), Iason Makris (GR), Ilias

Pagkozidis (GR), Maryan Plakhtiy (UA), Maria Sira (UA), Halyna Virt (UA), Elisa Martinelli (Chairperson, IT)


A. Bearing in mind the variety of technological methods used within the EU resulting in differing levels of agricultural development amongst Member States,

B. Conscious that Genetically Modified Crops (GMCs) can become a method for increasing the EU’s agricultural production in order to face the worldwide food shortages expected in the next few years due to climate change,

C. Convinced that the production of agricultural goods is not yet fully energy efficient,

D. Noting with approval the development of farms’ benefits from subsidies granted to the farmers who respect the environment and invest in new technologies,

E. Alarmed by the uncontrolled usage of pesticides and artificial fertilisers in some Member States that can cause unpredictable ecological changes and health hazards,

F. Aware of the difficulties in quickly spreading information about new agricultural technologies and products amongst farmers,

G. Concerned that farmers do not have proper up-to-date knowledge on which goods are most in demand in foreign markets,

H. Taking into consideration that a decreasing number of people and institutions are willing to work with and invest in the agricultural sector;

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1. Calls for public lectures, debates and workshops with experts at universities and laboratories in order to educate people about:

a) new agricultural techniques and discoveries,

b) the risks and benefits of GMCs;

2. Encourages Member States to provide funding for scientific research in order to investigate possible negative effects of GMCs on public health and the enviroment;

3. Supports the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund’s (EAGF) and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development’s (EAFRD) efforts to provide farmers who use Renewable Energy Resources (RER) with low interest rate loans;

4. Requests the Commission to grant subsidies only to farms:

a) Capable of producing goods innovatively, especially the ones in highest demand on the internal and external markets,

b) Whose loan requests have been rejected by banks for at least two years in a row due to a lack of funds;

5. Proposes a five-year experimental programme, based on granting tax exemptions to pesticide manufacturers if they agree on converting 5% of their production into natural biocides;

6. Recommends the creation of an effective advisory system by establishing a new social network which consumers and distributors can use to directly contact farmers;

7. Suggests the establishment of a database informing farmers what goods are in highest demand by consumers, allowing farmers to adapt to market influences more efficiently;

8. Further encourages people to work in the agricultural field:

a) With the help of educational programmes aimed at emphasising the potential of the rural economic growth and preserving the vitality of this sector in the EU’s economy,

b) By providing startups with one year free insurance if they apply for it by presenting an effective business plan and an appropriate CV.

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Fact Sheet Common Agricultural Policy (CAP): A policy established in order to ensure a fair standard of living for farmers and to provide a stable and safe food supply at affordable prices for consumers. Multiannual Financial Framework 2014 - 2020 (MFF 2014 – 2020): The seven-year framework, regulating the annual budget of the EU, setting the maximum amount of spendings for each policy area. European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD): It contributes to improve the competitiveness of agriculture and forestry, the environment and the countryside, the quality of life and the management of economic activity in rural areas. European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF): It finances direct payments to farmers and measures to respond to market disturbances, such as private or public storage and export refunds. Genetically Modified Crops (GMCs): Plants whose DNA has been modified using genetic engineering in order to improve some of their original characteristics or add new ones. Energy efficiency: The reduction of the amount of energy required for the production process while still providing the consumers with the same products and/or services. Biocide: A chemical substance or microorganism that has a controlling effect on harmful organisms through chemical or biological means. Subsidy: Monetary assistance granted by a government to a person or group in support of an enterprise regarded as being in the public interest.

Resolutionbookletleopolis2013

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