An extremists' right to return: European citizens who joined terrorist forces in Syria and their families are now being detained in Syria, sparking discussions about their right to return and prosecution in Europe. What should the stance and the role of the EU be in the creation of a long-term solution on active re-patriation of European extremist fighters and their families, whilst taking the detainee’s rights as well as the Member State’s stances into account?”
Access to higher education: with varying costs and even more varying support systems, tertiary educations is out of reach for many European students from disadvantaged backgrounds. What can the EU and its Member States do to ensure a fair access to tertiary education, whilst guaranteeing a fair repartition of the costs across society?
No child left behind: With almost a quarter of all European children being at risk of poverty, severely materially deprived, or living in (quasi-)jobless households, how can the EU ensure that all its children have access to their fundamental right of well-being?
Take my breath away: with air pollution reaching critical levels in many cities across Europe, living in urban centers has direct consequences on the health of European citizens. How can the EU and its Member States further guarantee that all European citizens enjoy safe and healthy living conditions in urban centers?
Healthy people for a healthy Europe: differences in social security systems across the Member States, are resulting in inequalities in access, costs, and quality of healthcare. Should the EU aim to create a more coherent and affordable health insurance system across all Member States? If so, how can this be achieved?
Fast Fashion, falling standards: Working conditions in the garment industry of developing countries, such as Bangladesh, are dire in so-called sweatshops. Despite the unsafe and sometimes downright inhumane working conditions, European citizens still consume a lot from this part of the garment sector. How can the EU safeguard these people’s labour rights whilst taking into account the economic and developmental interests of developing countries, as well as the European garment sector?
Eroded rights: with many Member States not recognising hate speech and hate crime when based on sexual orientation, the rights of LGBT citizens are being eroded in some Member States. Should the EU take the responsibility of ensuring that all citizens enjoy the same rights, and if so, how?
What it’s worth to be human: Whereas many people think slavery is a thing of the past, it still prevails throughout the EU in the form of human trafficking. Especially considering the profound infringement of the victims human rights, what steps can and should the EU take to eradicate human trafficking once and for all?
Concentration v. pluralism: the concentration of media ownership, and the collusion between media and politicians, corporates and oligarchs have recently been identified as great concerns for editorial independence and media pluralism in Europe. Should the EU better safeguard media pluralism and freedom of information, and if so how?