Taking into consideration the increasing demand for high-level skills in job applicants and the risk of unemployment for young people, higher education is more crucial than ever. With the Commission committing to presenting an up-dated agenda for the modernisation of education in the second quarter of 2017, how can Member States invest in a qualitative educational system which responds to social, economic and technologic change and lowers school-leaving rates?
Daily lives made easier: Bearing in mind that around 80 million EU citizens live with a disability or are subject to ageing, the European Accessibility Act (EEA) draft proposes requirements to make key products and services more accessible, such as phones, public transport, PCs and operating systems, ticketing machines and banking services. How can Member States successfully implement the EAA directive without creating a disproportionate burden on the economic operators?
Trapped in modern slavery: Modern slavery in the 21st century takes multiple forms, from forced labour to forced marriage, making approximately 40.3 million victims only in 2016. Considering that only 63 000 victims of slavery were reported last year, what stance should the European Union take to eradicate this phenomenon and meet the 8th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) on decent work and economic growth?
“The risk of poverty is especially high among single parents, and 90% of the time that is single mothers.”- Carsten Schneider, Germany’s centre-left Social Democrats’ (SPD) representative Taking into consideration the efforts made by the European Union to raise the age limit for different types of child benefit payments, how can the current policy-making and employment opportunities be improved to reduce the risk of poverty and material deprivation in single-mother household?
A taste of our own medicine: Recent years have shown an increase in unnecessary use of antibiotics, resulting in the development what is commonly referred to as antimicrobial resistance. With the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) showing increasing concern over the issue, what stance should the European Union take on antibiotic use and administration of prescription drugs, as to ensure European citizens’ right to effective health care?
Girls and young women are experiencing a “gathering crisis” in their mental health linked to conflict with friends, low self-esteem, fears about their body image and pressures created by social media. Bearing in mind that increased self-harm amongst girls under 17 in the past decade is overlapping the period in which use of social media has escalated, what measures should the European Union take to improve young girls’ mental well-being, diminish the fear of being socially excluded and eliminate social media tensions?
Online safety first: Bearing in mind that the current EU legislation fails to keep up with the on-going technological advances, how can the European Union guarantee the fundamental rights to privacy and data protection of its citizens?
Left in oblivion: Due to an unsystematic administration of applications and a noticeable discrepancy between accepted and arriving refugees, more than half of the 2015 asylum seekers are still waiting for their integration, accommodation and assimilation, two years after their inquiries. What values should guide EU Member States in designing asylum policies to alleviate the current situation?