Collaboration in numbers: In light of the recent coup that dramatically reduced Turkey’s chances to be part of the Member States, what stance should the EU take with regard to Turkey’s political intentions and the continuous interest to join the Union shown by countries such as Serbia or Albania?
No smile down the aisle: Every day, 39 000 girls around the world are forced to marry, as countries from Africa, Asia and even Europe provide no active legislation regarding the minimum age for marriage, allowing different exceptions to the current laws. Bearing in mind the effects of this phenomenon on their educational, social and economic future, what measures should the European Union take to diminish these unethical practices and contribute to achieving the 5.3 goal of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030?
With the Rome Declaration signed on 25 March 2017, EU leaders committed to “working towards completing the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); a Union where economies converge.” While the single currency is one of the European Union’s most significant economic achievements, many countries are still dealing with the legacies of Europe’s financial crisis-high unemployment and high levels of public and private debts. What should Member States and EU institutions do to preserve the integrity of the Euro and further develop the mechanisms of the EMU?
With 30 000 cubic metres of coppice felled in the first 4 months of 2017 after deforestation in Poland, Unesco threatens to put the put Białowieża forest on its list of world heritage sites in danger. Considering the recent calls for a logging ban, what other measures should the European Union take to prevent a collapse of its biodiversity and ensure protection of its environment?
Space and security: Although both civilian and military cutting-edge technology are dependent on space-based systems, leading space actors do not always share common strategic and policy principles. The EU has set up a Space Surveillance and Tracking (SST) support framework, but still depends on the US for detailed information. What major governance changes are necessarily required to pursue effective action on space security and prevent the geopoliticisation of satellite systems?