Please note that this session experienced technical difficulties during the GA. As a result some data might be incomplete.
Urbanisation in conjunction with desertification and salinisation leads to the destruction of arable land. Taking into consideration the growing rates of consumption worldwide, how can European states collectively ensure and promote sustainable land use?
Access to clean water, declared a human right by the UN in 2010, remains restricted by economic and political barriers. Bearing in mind that more than 750 million people worldwide still do not have access to clean drinking water, what steps can the EU take to ensure this right is adequately respected?
With tax fraud and evasion costing the EU approximately a trillion euro per year, the EU has been pressuring tax havens such as Switzerland, Monaco and Liechtenstein to disclose information on the financial assets of EU citizens. In a world of international capital flows and ownership of assets, how can tax fraud and evasion be tackled more efficiently throughout Europe?
With the Quality Framework for Traineeships increasing transparency on traineeship conditions and facilitating a smoother transitions from school to work life, unpaid internships still offer leeway for exploitation. In light of the non-binding nature of internship-related initiatives, how can the interests and rights of young interns be safeguarded?
Recycling and waste-to-energy programmes are instrumental in the fight to divert waste from landfills and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. How should the EU incentivise the wider adoption of such programmes geared towards more sustainable waste management, and their use for energy production?
In Europe one in every three children under the age of 11 is either overweight or obese. With the 2014 Action Plan on Child Obesity restricting marketing and advertising of unhealthy food products to children, how can the protection of vulnerable consumers be ensured?
Efforts to harmonise the system of intellectual property rights, such as the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), have received much criticism, particularly from developing countries, NGOs and academia. How can the global dissemination of innovation be ensured whilst also respecting IPRs?
As the EU has set comprehensive sustainable development as a main goal of its trade policy, European countries’ FTAs with China and other countries have fuelled a debate on human and labour rights. How can the EU ensure that the social dimension of development is not undermined by economy-driven trade policy?
With the increasing demand for energy and threats to its security, the need for energy diversification has grown. Weighing the environmental, economic and social aspects, which alternatives should European states introduce and promote to reach a more sustainable energy supply?
The increasing number of refugees coming from the Mediterranean has brought to the forefront issues of solidarity between and social integration within Member States. Given the lack of a comprehensive Schengen migration policy, how can the EU collectively tackle the immigration crisis?
In the light of far right parties gaining a majority vote in several European states, how should the EU address the rise of xenophobia and far-right parties without compromising its democratic principles?