In light of the struggle of many Member States to deal with the influx of migrants and refugees entering the European Union and the consequent breaking of conditions of both the Schengen Agreement and Dublin Regulations, how should the EU deal with these Member States and frameworks to cope with current numbers arriving on European soil?
Following the European Commission’s recent rulings concerning tax arrangements between both the Netherlands and Luxembourg with Starbucks and Fiat respectively, amounting to illegal state aid, how should the EU proceed in tackling aggressive tax planning practices by multinational companies beyond a case-by-case approach?
The development of technological advancements in the labour market, including global integration and digitalisation, has led to structural skill shortages and discrepancies in the EU’s workforce. What steps should the Union take to best cope with new skill demands and address the current discrepancies?
With survey results from the European Centre of Disease Prevention and Control showing an increase of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) across many hospitals rendering the number of cures to certain infections smaller, and the Action Plan against the rising threats from AMR coming to an end in 2016, what further steps should the EU take to minimise the threats associated with the current and growing prevalence of AMR and halt its future expansion?
Despite the long-term goals of the EU Energy Security Strategy and the 2030 goals, for the foreseeable future Europe will continue to rely heavily on imported energy resources. How should the Union move towards a more self-sufficient future, while still considering developments such as the proposal to build a second Nord Stream pipeline?
Following the Paris attacks and subsequent security crackdowns, calls for greater intelligence sharing in the fight against terrorism have been mounting. How should the EU respond to these calls and what measures can be taken to effectively prevent similar attacks from occurring?
The European Maritime and Fisheries Fund was established in 2014 in order to support the work and livelihoods of fishermen, yet with an ever-rising demand aquaculture accounts for over 20% of all fish consumed in Europe. How should the EU develop aquafarming as a supplementary fishing source and boost economic gains in the sector whilst at the same time ensuring a sustainable fishing future in line with the Europe 2020 strategy goals?
With the European Environmental Agency 2015 report claiming about 430,000 European premature deaths occur annually from poor Air Quality in Europe, and results from the Commission Public Consultation on the Key Features of an EU Urban Agenda calling for a more streamlined and ambitious urban strategy, how can the EU best harness local knowledge and provide a framework which can be adopted to the needs of individual Member States and urban areas?