Digital gap: After the sudden mass use of technology exposed weaknesses, a Digital Education Plan was put forward to support Member States in their efforts to adapt to digital education. However, a lack of funding and concrete measures has deepened discrepancies between countries, risking the education of an entire generation. How can the EU best coordinate its efforts with Member States in ensuring free access to valuable academic preparation for all students?
Job Security: With the COVID-19 pandemic restricting business activities, approximately one in five Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Europe are concerned about meeting payment obligations and retaining employees. Bearing in mind that SMEs are a vital part in the economy, how can the EU best support their business activities, ensure job security and protect workers?
Wellbeing crisis: More and more young people across the globe are showing signs of depression and anxiety since the COVID-19 pandemic began, having been subjected to rapid shifts to digital environments, labour market challenges and losing their work-life balance. What policy measures should an EU strategy for mental health include in order to bring more stability and security back into young people’s lives?
Digital health: The COVID-19 pandemic brought forth an urgency to implement telemedicine, surpassing the hard-regulations on data privacy which had been hindering the accessibility to eHealth services. With growing concerns that telemedicine will remain a pandemic-only measure, what measures can the EU take in order to foster a long-lasting digital healthcare system, provide universal access to health data and ensure a safe data framework?
5G rollout: The advent of 5G technology has raised concerns about the possibility of it enabling cyber attacks and data insecurity. Misinformation, a lack of international consensus and uncertainty regarding possible 5G providers have caused an EU-wide reluctancy, with several Member States being far from achieving their 2020 target in 5G deployment. How can the EU support Member States in safely implementing 5G technology?
Coordinated efforts: The new Pact on Migration and Asylum proved to be a constructive starting point in responsibility sharing, migrant integration and crisis preparedness, aiming to foster more inclusive European societies. However, a lack of hard regulations risks the existing abuses and disparities to not be seriously addressed. What sustainable solutions can the EU take to further support a balance between responsibility and solidarity when dealing with asylum?
Silence is violence: The death of George Floyd has brought police brutality and institutionalised discrimination in the eyes of the world, with millions of people taking part in synchronised protests. The chairman of the European Network Against Racism draws attention to the EU's own “denial of structural racism within its institutions and societies”, arguing that the US is not a one-country-only case. What steps can the EU take to ensure safety for all citizens?
EU movers: With freedom of movement being a fundamental right, EU citizens often relocate in search for better living conditions, leading to an analysis on the overall migration flow to show an increasing population loss in several regions of Member States. Keeping in mind that the "brain drain" phenomenon facilitates a region's permanent loss of skilled workers or students, what steps can the EU take in order to prevent economic migration and its impact on local societies?