ECOSY Congress 09 PP Draft 01

ECOSY – Young European Socialists
Position Paper “Change for Europe” – Draft 01

Agreed by the Presidium Drafting Group and Sent out 2nd February 2009
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15 CHANGE FOR EUROPE

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18 Draft 01
19 Position Paper 2009 - 2011
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24 A democratic Europe
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26 A social Europe for everyone
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28 A Europe speaking with one voice
Change for Europe - Odnowa dla Europy - Bewegung für Europa - Omslalag voor Europa – Changeons
l’Europe - Změna pro Evropu - Αλλάζουµε την Ευρώπη – Változást Európának - O zmene pre Európu -
Förändring för Europa – Cambio para Europa - Mudança para a Europa - Permainos Europai –
Spremenimo Evropo - Cambiamo l`Europa - O schimbare pentru Europa - Muudame Euroopat –
Forandringer for Europa – PĀRMAIŅAS EIROPA - Muutosta Eurooppaan - Промяна за Европа - Bidla
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32 II. POLICY PAPER

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34 THE FUTURE OF EUROPE

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36 A DEMOCRATIC EUROPE
37 1. For a more democratic and Federal Europe
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39 A SOCIAL EUROPE FOR EVERYONE

40 2. European Youth: a political actor
41 3. Education for all
42 4. All equal, all different
43 5. More and better jobs
44 6. Investing in the future of people
45 7. Protect the environment
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47 A EUROPE SPEAKING WITH ONE VOICE

48 8. Strong and coherent foreign policy
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50 OUR FUTURE FOR EUROPE

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53 THE FUTURE OF EUROPE

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55 How to continue improving the living standard for EU citizens while promoting
56 production and consumption means that preserve our planet's resources for the
57 future generations? How to integrate economic, employment and social policy in a
58 way, which delivers sustainable development and social cohesion? How to ensure
59 that all share the benefits of growth? Answers to these and other questions mark the
60 great challenge that Europe faces now and in the future.
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62 More than 50 years ago, Robert Schuman read out his famous declaration addressing
63 the challenge of that time; “World peace cannot be safeguarded without the making
64 of creative efforts proportionate to the dangers which threaten it”. Embarking on a
65 path towards more cooperation and integration, this Europe based on peace,
66 freedom and democracy is now facing new challenges that go far beyond the
67 questions originally raised.
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69 A democratic Europe
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71 The reform of Europe is still at an impasse. With its enlargement to 27 member
72 states and the deadlock of the institutional reform process, it becomes of utmost
73 importance to engage in a new step forward. Maintaining current institutions and
74 budgetary concerns will paralyze Europe, serving only to fuel euro-scepticism. Less
75 Europe cannot answer the social and economic needs of the European people. More
76 Europe, on the contrary, will provide a concrete strategy for the future. ECOSY –
77 Young European Socialists demand that the Union receives the necessary capacity to
78 act for the benefit of its people.
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80 A Social Europe
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82 Today, the challenges of Europe have shifted from building Schuman’s vision on
83 Europe towards a more intrinsic challenge. After the Second World War,
84 governments led by the socialist, social democratic and labour family in Europe have
85 been working on its welfare states, guaranteeing social protection and prosperity for
86 everyone. New challenges like globalisation and an aging society open a new chapter
87 for Europe, a chapter of building and strengthening the European welfare state. Not
88 at the expense of people, but with the goal to enable everyone to have decent life,
89 decent work and decent livelihood. ECOSY – Young European Socialist demands the
90 political will and corresponding action to make the European project a true political
91 and social project.
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93 A Europe speaking with one voice
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95 Today, sustainable peace and stability on the European continent is realised and
96 future enlargements (The Balkans and Turkey), on the basis of the democratic
97 criteria will mark the capacity of Europe to bring this sustainable and lasting peace
98 for its Citizens. Next to that, building sustainable relationships with the states of the
99 Black Sea Area, Mediterranean Sea Area and the Middle East, will open a new
100 chapter for Europe. For that reason, it’s time that Europe claims it global
101 responsibility towards its direct neighbours as well as the rest of the world. ECOSY –
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102 Young European Socialists call for a Europe that has a strong and common foreign
103 policy.
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105 In this Policy Paper ECOSY – Young European Socialists elaborates its vision on the
106 Future of Europe. Young Socialists and Social Democrats from all over Europe
107 propose not only the further development of Europe, but analyse the world we all
108 live in. This world can become a different and better world. This world can provide a
109 safe and secure environment. For that ECOSY – Young European Socialists in the last
110 17 years has been advocating and will continue to do so in the times to come.
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112 A DEMOCRATIC EUROPE
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114 1. FOR A MORE DEMOCRATIC AND FEDERAL EUROPE
115 According to the principle of subsidiarity, political decisions should be taken at the
116 most appropriate level thus guaranteeing effectiveness for the benefit of the people.
117 Therefore ECOSY demands that that challenges that require a European-wide
118 approach are dealt with on the European level. With 27 member states it becomes of
119 utmost importance to reform the existing institutional framework, ECOSY – Young
120 European Socialists, who stands for a federal and democratic Europe that allows the
121 Union to be a strong political actor, calls for the New Consensus For Europe and its
122 immediate implementation.
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124 1.1 Democratise the EU institutions
125 ECOSY - Young European Socialists believes that the European Union should not be
126 the Europe of the member states only. For the member states and the European
127 citizens the European Union is the level of strong and active cooperation to which
128 competences have to be delegated in order to tackle and solve problems the
129 European society and people are facing today. Longing for a democratic and federal
130 Europe is for ECOSY both an ideal and ambitious agenda to reform the current
131 institutional framework. For that the legitimacy and the capacity of European
132 institutions have to be improved.
133 - The reform of the European Parliament (EP) is, for ECOSY, a necessary start.
134 It needs to have the power to co-decide on all Union legislation, full
135 budgetary powers and the right of initiative. The European Parliament is the
136 only institution directly elected by the citizens of the Union. In order to
137 increase its legitimate representation the seats should be gradually -
138 proportionally to population - distributed. In that, adequate representation of
139 all the Member States has to be ensured.
140 - The European Council should limit itself to exclusively long term coordination.
141 The EP and the Council of the European Union together hold the legislative
142 powers of the Union as a bicameral system.
143 - The Commission should be reformed and then developed into the government
144 of the EU, as the main executive power. This Commission must promote the
145 interests of all European citizens. The number of Commissioners has to be
146 limited and correspond to the fields of action, not to the number of member
147 states. There should be one EU foreign affairs Commissioner, who will serve
148 as the EU minister for foreign affairs.
149 - The EU administration has to be thoroughly reformed in order to improve its
150 effectiveness and transparency.
151 - Every Commissioner candidate has to be presented by a political group within
152 the EP, elected on the bases of a concrete political portfolio and only being
153 accountable to the European Parliament. The EP should elect the President of
154 the European Commission by qualified majority voting. European political
155 parties have to name their candidates for the Commission Presidency in the
156 electoral campaign. The Commission and its members have to be individually
157 accountable to the EP.
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159 1.2 Justice for all
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160 The European Union has to become an area of “justice for all”, supported by an
161 effective judicial system. For that further European integration in the field of police
162 and judicial cooperation in criminal matters is necessary. Approximation of criminal
163 laws, the Tampere Conclusions that created the concept of mutual recognition in this
164 area and the building of institutions must however be consolidated and made more
165 coherent.
166 - The EU should join the European Convention on Human Rights and
167 Fundamental Freedoms as soon as possible. The jurisdiction of the European
168 Court of Human Rights would then cover the EU institutions. This would be
169 an important step in promoting fundamental and human rights within the EU.
170 - The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union has been adopted
171 by many of the EU Member States. This must be extended to become legally
172 binding for all current qnd future members. The European Court of Justice
173 has to have the power the review its interpretation and application.
174 - Co-operation between judicial authorities has to be encouraged and
175 measures put in place to speed up the provision of information, facilitate
176 decision making and raise awareness of each others’ judicial and legal
177 systems. A high level of personal data protection has to be ensured.
178 - Following the Tampere Conclusions, the principle of mutual recognition has to
179 become the “cornerstone” of judicial co-operation in civil and criminal
180 matters in the European Union. A Member State will have to recognise and
181 execute its territory orders issued by judicial authorities of another EU
182 Member State.
183 - Information already contained in police or judicial records, such as records of
184 criminal conviction, have to be available for all judicial authorities in the EU.
185 The European Arrest Warrant and the European Evidence Warrant should be
186 welcomed and supported.
187 - ECOSY – Young European Socialists call for the gradual adoption of minimum
188 rules relating to the constituent elements of criminal acts and penalties in all
189 fields.
190 - Without prejudice to the established role of the European Ombudsperson, the
191 role of the Court of First Instance should be the appellate court for every
192 citizen and legal person against the EU institutions.
193 - Common standards to ensure uniform protection of individual rights
194 throughout the Union have to be established, including: access to legal
195 advice, both before and during a trial, access to interpretation and
196 translation for non-native defendants, protection of persons who cannot
197 understand or follow the proceedings, Letter of Rights and more.
198 - The office of the European Public Prosecutor has to become an independent
199 judicial authority. The European Public Prosecutor would instigate
200 proceedings for cases relating to offences directly affecting the interests of
201 the European Union.
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203 1.3 Citizens need to be actively involved
204 The involvement of the civil society in European decision-making is crucial for the
205 participation of citizens and the legitimacy of its institutions. During the recent years,
206 the critics on the European Union have been growing. People feel a distance between
207 the Union and its purpose.
208 - Citizens of Europe need to be empowered to follow, scrutinise and engage in
209 the work of the EU. The principle of transparency must be realised. Freedom
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210 of information and public access to official records are our right. All
211 proceedings of the Council should be open to the public.
212 - Civil society has to be engaged in the decision-making process. The
213 establishment of citizens fora should be used as a tool by which a European
214 public sphere is reinforced. The guidelines of the involvement of the Economic
215 and Social Committee needs to be thoroughly reviewed.
216 - Lobbying at the European level should be organised according to transparent
217 and democratic mechanisms, and information about all funding and donations
218 - public as well as private - to the parties must be made easily accessible to
219 the public, and has to include all stakeholders. We must strengthen the
220 protection of citizen’s activism throughout Europe, especially in areas where
221 participatory democracy and citizens’ freedoms of association are threatened.
222 - We want to give the European elections a true European dimension. As
223 recommended in the EP Report on the future of the European Political Parties
224 Statutes, we believe that a political party statute should be adopted on the EU
225 level. What is more, ECOSY fully supports the idea of common electoral
226 manifestos and campaigns, which is why we welcome the new regulations
227 allowing the European Political Parties to campaign on the national level. We
228 want Members of European Parliamentary Groups to be accountable to the
229 European parties and their programmes and to state which political group
230 they intend to join in the assembly. The European Foundations, created by
231 the European Political Parties in 2007, have to be further developed and
232 conclude the mission of research and citizens’ education.
233 - The common European Identity of all Europe’s citizens has to be
234 strengthened. To increase the citizen’s participation, ECOSY promotes the
235 idea of European debates throughout the Member States, and fully supports
236 the right of a “citizens initiative” and the establishment of a real European
237 media.
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239 1.4 Deepen integration to continue enlargement
240 On the 1st of January 2007 the European Union enlarged to 27 member states,
241 uniting different states, different cultures, political realities, and perception of civic
242 processes, procedural habits, development levels, social welfare states and
243 economies. ECOSY - Young European Socialists is proud of the unique diversity of the
244 Union, but at the same time conscious of the emerging difficulties. The ambition to
245 deepen integration in order to continue with the enlargement process is one of the
246 main challenges of the Union.
247 - Deeper integration is necessary in order to ensure that further enlargement
248 remains possible. Institutional reform, increased cooperation on several
249 policies and extending competences of the European Union are necessary.
250 - ECOSY – Young European Socialists believe that it is of a great importance to
251 continue the process of integration and that scepticism of a few member
252 states should not prevent it. Therefore it is necessary to allow and encourage
253 enhanced co-operation between those who are willing and able. However this
254 should not result in a permanent structure of multi-tiered EU, but should
255 always be considered as a temporary phase, clearing a path for integration to
256 resume in a united manner.
257 - It is a collective responsibility of all member states when one is unable to
258 follow the political and economic integration. In the budget extra financial
259 means have to be available and expertise has to be offered to these
260 countries, with the aim to bring them into step with the pace of integration.
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261 - European enlargement has to continue. The Acquis Communautaire entails all
262 objective criteria (respect for human rights, rule of law, economic policy,
263 financial accountability, etc.) accessing member states have the
264 responsibility to comply with. The Union has to offer sufficient financial
265 means and expertise enabling these new states to comply with the European
266 Union’s criteria and has to work on reforming itself so as to be fully able to
267 welcome the candidate countries properly whilst ensuring its political project
268 to be maintained.
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273 1.5 A constitution for Europe
274 Since its foundation, ECOSY has worked towards a Union of citizens that has a strong
275 political role to play. For this reason ECOSY strives towards a federal and democratic
276 EU, which principles and core policies are to be codified in a Constitution. ECOSY –
277 Young European Socialists demand political leadership to bring the necessary
278 institutional reforms forward, in combination with strengthening the social dimension
279 of the Union.
280 - The direction for institutional reforms, as outlined in the Lisbon Treaty, has to
281 be advanced. The content of the future constitution has to include the
282 development of majority voting, changing the modification procedure and
283 making enhanced cooperation mechanism more flexible.
284 - It is necessary to design a roadmap for re-launching the European
285 constitutional process. ECOSY – Young European Socialists call for the
286 inclusion of a new civil dialogue on this matter. Young people should be
287 especially empowered to participate in drafting this roadmap and engage in
288 the new civil dialogue.
289 - A new European constitution should put more emphasis on: a social and
290 employment agenda, protection of public services, tackling climate change, a
291 sustainable energy policy, disarmament, an enlargement policy and reform of
292 the financial system.
293 - Once drafted, the Europeqn Constitution should be submitted to the
294 European citizens for acceptance through the process of a European wide
295 referendum.
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297 A SOCIAL EUROPE FOR EVERYONE

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299 2. EUROPEAN YOUTH: A POLITICAL ACTOR
300 The future of Europe depends on the ability to foster a European society that is child
301 and youth friendly. This society must enable young people to acquire knowledge and
302 skills to uptake future possibilities and challenges. For ECOSY – Young European
303 Socialists, young people stand at the core of the future European project ensuring a
304 Social Europe. Therefore, youth policies have to be mainstreamed in all policy areas
305 of the European Union - with the general aim to improve and develop the living,
306 learning and working conditions and participation of young people, encompassing the
307 whole range of social, cultural, economic, democratic and environmental issues.
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309 2.1 For a European Youth Pact on a new basis
310 ECOSY welcomed the European Youth Pact 2005 that mainstreamed youth objectives
311 in the Lisbon strategy, with focus on employment, reconciliation of professional and
312 family life, the education and training work programme and Social Inclusion strategy.
313 The 2007 Communication of the European Commission Promoting young people’s full
314 participation in education, employment and society highlighted the need for
315 supervision of youth policies across the EU. Unfortunately the Member States actions
316 fail to show sufficient commitment to attain these objectives, and the predominant
317 focus is on young people only as a factor in the development of the future economy
318 and their role as second class workers. This has to change - an expanded youth pact
319 with impact is necessary.
320 - In order to mainstream youth objectives in all policies of the community, one
321 European Commissioner for child and youth policies has to be elected with a
322 widened political mandate, enabling this commissioner to advocate for youth
323 policies on all matters. This mandate must include the obligation to organise
324 consultations and a real dialogue between young people and decision makers.
325 - Young people are the future of Europe and deserve the same rights,
326 regardless of their cultural, ethnic, geographical or economic background.
327 Young people should have full citizens’ rights and should be able to participate
328 in the political and governmental decision making processes, including the
329 right to vote from the age of 16.
330 - More efforts have to be made for the employment and social inclusion of
331 young people. A European youth employment strategy has to be put in place
332 and active labour market policies for young people have to be developed. A
333 special emphasis needs to be put on disadvantaged young people.
334 - Clearer targets for education and training have to be implemented, including:
335 reducing the number of drop-outs, improved access to vocational education
336 and one unified framework for the recognition of qualifications.
337 - Increased emphasis needs to be put on non-formal education and its
338 recognition as a supplement to formal education practices.
339 - In all areas of European policies, and especially in the field of sustainable
340 development strategy, social policy and foreign affairs – young people have to
341 be incorporated in the decision-making process.
342 - We believe in consistent and comprehensive youth policies. To implement this
343 concept we ask from the Commission to design an Integral Youth Plan,
344 mainstreamed through all the different fields of work of the Commission. The
345 Plan must emerge as the result of a wide participatory process, in which the
346 European Youth Forum should play a protagonist role.
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347 - We strongly believe in the role of Youth Councils as the voice of young people.
348 We demand adequate economical support for them and the European Youth
349 Forum with respect to their independence.
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351 2.2 Youth mobility card for all
352 In building one European Union identity it is important to increase the mobility of
353 young people throughout Europe and by that, enabling young people to learn from
354 different cultures, different visions and ideas and different lifestyles. Existing
355 exchange programmes tend to include more young people from advantaged
356 backgrounds than disadvantaged. For that ECOSY proposes alternatives to the
357 European Commission, by its involvement in the European Youth Forum.
358 - All young people have to receive a “mobility card” by which they are entitled
359 to free technical and financial support by the European Commission,
360 ensuring opportunities for everyone to work and study abroad. This
361 programme must also guarantee that hosting institutions receive proper
362 European funding for every hosted student.
363 - The Youth in Action programme does not provide sufficient funding for the
364 period of 2007 – 2013. ECOSY welcomes the increased focus on the
365 voluntary service, but not at the expense of funding other programmes.
366 More emphasis has to be put on action 1 (youth exchanges) to increase the
367 possibilities of enhancing mutual understanding and building a strong
368 European identity. The age range of its participants has to be widened from
369 13 to 30 years for all programmes.
370 - Information services to promote studying and working abroad have to be
371 improved on national and European level. Especially EURES (European job
372 mobility portal) and PLOTEUS (portal for learning opportunities in Europe)
373 has to be further developed.
374 - ECOSY demands the EU to declare “exchange for everybody!” and decide
375 upon concrete steps to achieve this goal. To make “exchange for everybody”
376 a reality, ECOSY demands the EU to pay special attention to exchange
377 programmes for school students. At the age of 14-16 years almost all
378 Europeans still attend school, this is an opportunity to reach disadvantaged
379 young people who are not addressed by self-organized exchange
380 programmes or those run by youth organizations. The Erasmus/Socrates
381 programmes, including “Junior Erasmus” remain often limited to highly
382 educated young people. Special provisions have to be made to increase the
383 participation of young people who are, for example, in, vocational training,
384 and ensure a European system for the recognition of their qualifications.
385 - The Europe for Citizens programme has to develop a specific youth
386 perspective, with the aim of bringing young citizens of all ages and social
387 and economic backgrounds into the sphere of the European Union. The
388 annual priorities should include at least one focussed on youth.
389
390 2.3 Put Children’s rights at the heart
391 The European Union should maintain and develop legislation on children. We
392 welcome the inclusion of childrens rights in the Lisbon Treaty and look forward to
393 their development in future EU legislation. The EU should ratify the UN Convention
394 on The Rights of the Child. The further development of a control mechanism, on the
395 Rights of the Child in the EU is necessary, including legal possibilities in the European
396 Court of Justice. It is necessary to offer children opportunities in order for them to
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397 exercise their rights. Therefore ECOSY requests a European Children’s

398 Ombudsperson.
399 - The role of the EU Children’s Ombudsperson will be to coordinate work of
400 mutual benefit between offices of Childrens Ombudspersons in different
401 states in Europe, and also to work with Children’s Rights NGO’s on
402 developing shadow reports to the United Nations on the progress made by
403 states who have signed up to the Geneva Convention on the Rights of the
404 Child.
405 - European immigration legislation must include provisions for unaccompanied
406 minors and forbid their confinement in detention centres.
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409 3. EDUCATION FOR ALL
410 For ECOSY – Young European Socialists education is the key to sustainable progress
411 of Europe. Education can promote equality, active citizenship, high quality
412 employment and better cultural understanding. Education empowers young and old
413 to take on the challenges of the future. Education must be connected with the values
414 and the integrity of young people who should renounce memorisation; blindly
415 following orders and being force-fed opinions. Instead, education should allow
416 individuals to think independently and critically; to evaluate opinions and develop
417 their self-belief. The European dimension of education needs to be deepened. The
418 accessibility all across Europe must be improved, regardless of the students’ country
419 of origin and age. ECOSY – Young European Socialists strives for quality education
420 for all, free of charge. We envisage education as a life-long process where learning
421 never ceases.
422
423 3.1 Free and equal access to education
424 The current knowledge-based society requires highly qualified people, a demand that
425 can only be met through education. Therefore, public, secular, high quality
426 education, starting from the earliest age, should be guaranteed for free for every
427 child, adolescent and adult in Europe. The trends to privatise education, constituting
428 into lower grants and increased and differentiated tuition fees, mean excluding the
429 less affluent from higher education. In the perspective of ECOSY – Young European
430 Socialists education is a public good and can not be treated as a commodity.
431 - ECOSY – Young European Socialists underline the necessity to improve the
432 accessibility of (further and higher) education. All forms of education have to
433 be free for everyone. Hidden costs in education, like prices of books and
434 readers, should be reduced and preferably eliminated. Other, non-financial,
435 access barriers to education like entry exams, knock-out exams, or
436 numerous clauses system have to be eradicated.
437 - ECOSY – Young European Socialists fights for comprehensive schools in the
438 whole of Europe. Comprehensive schools are essential for equal chances in
439 the educational system.
440 - Special attention is needed for people from economically and socially
441 disadvantaged backgrounds, to break through the generational poverty cycle.
442 It is unacceptable that people with disadvantaged backgrounds are still less
443 present in (further and higher) education, despite the huge increase of
444 participation in education systems during the last few decades. Special
445 attention is also required in achieving integration, which can be reached
446 through the adoption of the principles and methodology of intercultural
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447 education which is linked with the abolition of discrimination, the equality of
448 law and mutual understanding.
449 - Personal counselling and pupil oriented programmes such as “dual” education
450 should be strengthened to prevent “drop-outs”. Active support for those who
451 have or are about to leave education prematurely is necessary. Moreover
452 people that have left education prematurely should be able to go back at any
453 time during their life.
454 - A developed evaluation system for the whole of the European Education Area
455 is a key objective in the post-2010 Bologna process.
456 - Ensuring accessibility includes sufficient financial support for students, also
457 those doing research or PhD and is required for social development,
458 especially if an academic career should become a real option for students.
459 - Self-organisation, democratisation and co-decision-making of student
460 representative bodies in all levels of education is essential to the concept of
461 active citizenship. On every educational level these independent forums have
462 to be established.
463 - Gender sensitive subjects together with gender sensitive teacher/learners
464 tools and anti-discrimination programmes have to become standard in all
465 schools. The gendered segregation among studies should be fought by active
466 policies stimulating women to enter into traditionally more “male dominated”
467 fields of study and men to consider “feminine” studies. Programmes
468 promoting choosing non-traditional fields of study are an example of this
469 policy. Public investments need to ensure elementary and higher education
470 for everyone. In the perspective of ECOSY sufficient educational funding has
471 to be ensured through a progressive tax system which taxes high income and
472 capital income and discharges low and middle incomes. Charging students or
473 putting an additional tax on graduates can never be an option.
474 - Yearly investment of at least 4,5% of national GDP in education as well as
475 1% of the European Commission Budget have to become effective guidelines.
476 Budget lines for education and research have to be separated to ensure that
477 extra investments are not at the expenses of one another. Sufficient extra
478 funding to train and employ enough teachers and academic staff is
479 necessary.
480 - Pressures to privatise (further and higher) education have to be counter
481 balanced and a prohibition for private companies to “buy themselves in” in
482 educational institutions developed.
483
484 3.2 For a real European Education Area
485 ECOSY – Young European Socialists welcomed the Bologna process. It is necessary
486 to ensure student mobility, promote better inter-cultural understanding and
487 multilingualism, and improve the personal development of European students.
488 ECOSY strives for a real European education area, based on the principle of free and
489 equal access for all.
490 - Safeguarding the principles of the Bologna process should be about real
491 diploma recognition, including vocational training, ECTS credits and parts of
492 study. Issues with the transferability of credits due to rigid curricula and
493 perceived differences in academic quality of the participating institutions pose
494 challenges for the post-2010 Bologna process. A more integrated approach,
495 involving both students and universities, has to be established.
496 - The post-2010 Bologna process should focus on the increased mobility of all
497 students and academic staff, not just those from more advantaged
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498 backgrounds. Current student exchange programmes must be improved and

499 expanded to better suit high school pupils and students in vocational
500 training.
501 - Diplomas and credits from both formal and non-formal education need to be
502 recognised by all European educational, state and professional institutions.
503 - The European Education Area has to become open for students from third
504 countries. Students that do not have EU citizenship but choose to follow their
505 entire third-level studies in an institution in an EU Member State should be
506 allowed to participate in the exchange programmes and receive the same
507 student funding.
508
509 3.3 Life Long Learning for everyone
510 Education and life-long learning constitute the most important pillars of the Lisbon
511 Strategy. The citizens must be continuously encouraged and facilitated in every way
512 to participate in life-long learning, so that they can adapt to rapid economic and
513 social developments. Life-long learning avoids long-lasting unemployment and
514 explores new orientations in life. The success of life-long-learning initiatives depends
515 not on confining them to middle and higher management, but applying them to all
516 workers. They must embrace different elements, including vocational training, in
517 order to prepare people for the labour market and cooperate closely with the private
518 sector whilst remaining independent of it. The private sector has an important role
519 to fulfil in the life-long learning agenda in that it must take on its responsibilities to
520 continue training its employees without interfering with formal education itself.
521 Moreover, life-long learning is very important because it is related to the
522 reinforcement of our economy’s competitiveness and the resolution of societal
523 difficulties
524 - The budget for the Life-Long Learning Programme 2007-2013 has to be
525 increased. A Life-Long Learning strategy has to be developed in coherence
526 with the new European employment and social policy agreements.
527 - It is important that everyone has the right to receive additional schooling
528 free of charge, especially the disadvantaged.
529 - A minimum of 3% of national GDP has to be invested in research and life
530 long learning in every member state.
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532 3.4 Full recognition of non-formal education
533 Non-formal education and voluntary work are important means of personal
534 development and training for many young people. ECOSY – Young European
535 Socialists see non-formal education as extremely valuable for both the individual and
536 for society as a whole and therefore call for its full European-wide recognition in the
537 academic, state and professional spheres. ECOSY – Young European Socialists
538 stresses that this value must be additional: it can never replace formal education or
539 perform tasks that should be the state’s or company’s responsibility.
540 - Non-formal education and prior learning have to be fully recognised in the EU
541 as a tool to empower people and give them the opportunities to reach self-
542 fulfilment. The received credentials from it should be a base for to enrol in
543 Higher Education
544 - ECOSY welcomes the increased funding of the European Voluntary Service.
545 Other European and national programmes for voluntary work and non-formal
546 education have to follow. The accessibility to the voluntary programmes for
547 disadvantaged groups in society has to be increased.
548 - All volunteers should enjoy full social rights.
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549 - A yearly audit has to be undertaken by the European Commission,

550 accountable to the European Parliament, to ensure that voluntary workers
551 have not been burdened with state responsibilities. Misuse of voluntary work
552 as cheap or even free labour has to be prevented.
553
554 4. ALL EQUAL, ALL DIFFERENT
555 Our welfare states are based on an understanding of society as a community of
556 solidarity with a common responsibility to let everyone equally share in prosperity.
557 For ECOSY – Young European Socialists rights come before obligations. Everyone has
558 the social right to receive the appropriate benefits for sake of inclusion and social
559 cohesion. It is essential to ensure everybody can make a decent living and fully
560 participate in civil society.
561
562 4.1 Civil, political and social rights for everyone
563 The challenge is not to speak of immigrants’ issue, but to create political, economic
564 and social conditions for an open society in which everybody can fully participate,
565 regardless of income, ethnic or social origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender or
566 other identities, religious or political orientation and citizenship. We want to create a
567 society where everybody’s human and fundamental rights are guaranteed, has the
568 right to decent work, receive social benefits and follow education. It is necessary to
569 overcome exclusion and discrimination of groups and individuals, caused by
570 xenophobia, homophobia and persisting issues arising from gender inequality.
571 - ECOSY – Young European Socialists advocates an inclusive approach of
572 society, where differences are recognised and valued, but where common
573 values like respect for human rights are shared.
574 - We welcomed the text of the Anti-Discrimination Directive based on Article
575 13 of the Treaty of Nice, but express disappointment that not all forms of
576 discrimination are covered. This should provide the foundation for future
577 legislation in these fields.
578 - Awareness raising campaigns surrounding all forms of discrimination should
579 be realised.
580 - Comprehensive integration programmes and free language courses for
581 immigrants, with a special focus on women and children, aiming to empower
582 and include them in their new community.
583 - Social cohesion and integration must be a priority; therefore we demand
584 actions combating poverty. What is more, we call for a roadmap to eliminate
585 functional illiteracy by 2020.
586
587 4.2 Real Gender Equality
588 Just like young people and immigrants, women are the first victims of neo-liberal
589 policies in our societies. ECOSY calls for an inclusive society that recognises women
590 as equal citizens, both in theory and in practice. Women still lag behind in terms of
591 economic self-sufficiency, taking on the vast majority of reproductive labour. Gender
592 equality in Europe is far from achieved. Violence against women, both at home and
593 away, mobbing, trafficking and forced prostitution are a reality. ECOSY – Young
594 European Socialists commits itself to the eradication of all forms of gender inequality
595 and consolidation of women’s civil, political and social rights.
596 - ECOSY calls for a strong Beijing + 15 in 2020. It must emphasise the general
597 political commitment to its implementation and the principles of the
598 Millennium Development Goals. The UN Convention on Elimination of All
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599 Forms of Discrimination Against Women has to be strengthened in order to

600 proceed faster and more effectively. We must fight globally for a global right
601 to gender equality.
602 - ECOSY wants an increased budget for the Commission Roadmap to Equality
603 between Men and Women and the reintroduction of the gender pillar into the
604 new European employment and social policy agreement following the Lisbon
605 Agenda.
606 - The gender pay gap is a fact in Europe. Women take on the majority of the
607 part-time and unpaid jobs. Part-time jobs are not a solution for the low
608 participation of women on the labour market since they offer unequal career
609 perspectives. More and better legislation is necessary to safeguard equal
610 treatment and anti-discrimination, in combination with a reform of social
611 security systems to incorporate the specific needs of women.
612 - Women remain statistically longer unemployed then men. Gender sensitive
613 policies of the active labour market must be developed.
614 - Social benefits can not depend only on working hours in waged employment.
615 Public services must be expanded to cover tasks done traditionally by women
616 in the household and day care must be made an accessible option for all
617 families.
618 - ECOSY – Young European Socialists advocate strongly in favour of good
619 quality gender sensitive health care. By that we demand: the right to decide
620 and plan family life, which is possible only when information, free artificial
621 insemination, adequate support for adoption, free contraceptives and legal
622 and safe abortions are available. The immediate creation of a women’s
623 information service network to deal with awareness-raising activities and
624 public information is also necessary. We regard it as a fundamental woman’s
625 right to decide over her own body; a right that has to be integrated into the
626 acquis communautaiure. Respect of this fact has to be one of the key criteria
627 for accession.
628 - The increase in incidences of breast cancer causes us to demand free
629 mammographies for all women in Europe. Awareness of cervical cancer
630 should also be raised, and the HPV vaccine should be made universally
631 available.
632 - Reconciliation of professional and family life is an important issue in the
633 emancipation of women both in the house and in the labour market.
634 Sufficient maternity and paternity leave must be made available with no
635 distinction in payments. Both women and men must be encouraged to follow
636 non-traditional paths – the system must be open to the working woman as
637 well as the caring man. This must be supported by state funded and high
638 quality child care system which allows women to return to work or studies at
639 the end of the parental leave.
640 - The “glass ceiling” is still a reality, as the number of women in any position,
641 in labour and in politics, especially in elected positions on international,
642 national, local or even organisational levels, is far too low. Gender quotas are
643 a good short-term measure to elevate womens representation in politics. The
644 “zipper system”, both in electoral lists and in speakers lists, has to be
645 implemented. Additionally, training to help women to enhance their skills and
646 increase their confidence in order to run for higher positions must take place
647 within all organisations.
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648 - It is necessary to specifically focus on employment measures to support

649 groups of women who face discrimination. Private enterprises should have a
650 duty to have at least 40% representation of women on the executive board.
651 - Comprehensive, coordinated action is needed by all EU member states in
652 cooperation with third countries to fight against trafficking of women.
653 - Following the recent report on how marketing and advertising affect equality
654 between men and women in the EP, we demand a special directive abolishing
655 promotion of gender stereotypes and gender based violence in media
656 European wide to be introduced.
657
658
659 4.3 The right to be queer
660 The struggle for equal rights for Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, Transgenders and
661 Transsexuals (LGBTT) is in many ways a symbolic struggle for the right to be
662 different and equal. LGBTT people face discrimination in society, labour market,
663 education and politics. In fact, homophobia and cases of civil rights denials are
664 rising. A considerable amount of Member States still have not legalised same sex
665 partnership or marriage, and even less granted same sex couples the right to adopt
666 children. Furthermore, LGBTT people are seriously disadvantaged in our social
667 security systems when it comes to receiving benefits or proper treatment. In many
668 countries they are denied the right to be blood and organ donors.
669 - ECOSY demands complete freedom of gender identity and sexual orientation
670 guaranteed by the state and more and better anti-discrimination legislation
671 to be implemented.
672 - The Commission should start an awareness raising campaign against
673 homophobia in the EU and its Member States and for a better approach in
674 school curricula based on the text of the new Anti-Discrimination Directive.
675 - Same sex marriage and same sex partnerships must have the same legal
676 status, recognised nationally and internationally, as marriage and
677 partnerships between women and men. This should include equal social
678 security benefits and the same inheritance and property rights.
679 - LGBTT should have the same rights in terms of family planning. The right to
680 adopt children for same sex couples, equal access to artificial insemination
681 for LGBTT people and the right to unite families for same sex couples have to
682 be ensured.
683 - ECOSY calls upon all the European countries, to give asylum to LGBTT people
684 who come from countries that consider their sexual orientation as a crime.
685
686 4.4 For an open Europe
687 ECOSY – Young European Socialists sees migration as a natural, positive
688 phenomenon in a globalised world where capital is already highly mobile. Closing
689 borders, as also known as the “Fortress Europe” project, does not prevent migration;
690 it only worsens immigrants’ conditions. Most of the migration springs from poverty
691 and consists of long and dangerous travels from poor countries to richer regions,
692 particularly to southern-European countries.
693 - ECOSY – Young European Socialists stands for a rational approach to
694 immigration, based on the principle of solidarity, which offers safety to those
695 who seek asylum and deals with economic migrants in a respectful and
696 responsible manner.
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697 - To respond to mass migration, we need to tackle its causes: poverty,

698 repression and armed conflicts. The EU and its Member States have to take
699 the lead in this process, whilst at the same time taking a common
700 responsibility to accommodate immigrants in our societies. The Schengen
701 system should be reformed to be more transparent and open.
702 - Any quotas for foreigners on the basis of nationality, religion, profession or
703 level of education have to be abolished.
704 - ECOSY strongly denounces the hostile and emotional tone of the immigration
705 debate in most EU countries and the abuse of public insecurities by extreme
706 right and populist parties.
707 - ECOSY believes that no person is illegal. The Hague programme to develop a
708 common EU policy on immigration and asylum has to be implemented.
709 Including equal sharing of the costs of accepting and integrating immigrants
710 in Member States, full civil, political and social rights for immigrants with or
711 without legal status, the right to unite families, and of plural nationality. A
712 “General pardon” for all “illegal” migrants in Europe has to be applied and
713 giving each migrant citizenship, including all rights and responsibilities. Every
714 resident should have the right to vote in local, regional, national and
715 European elections.
716 - The right of unrestrictive stay after divorce from a national, or anyone on
717 whose residence permit the divorcee is dependent, has to be anchored in
718 national laws.
719 - Within attempts to reform the social model, serious consideration upon the
720 social security benefits for migrants, especially those arriving in the new
721 country older and with no insurance, have to be included. Access to public
722 services, especially: healthcare, education and language courses for free has
723 to be the basis aiming at empowerment and integration. Together with the
724 immigrants, better integration policies have to be developed.
725
726 5. MORE AND BETTER JOBS
727 18 million people in the European Union are currently unemployed and more than 78
728 million people live below the poverty line. The full impact of the economic crisis has
729 yet to be realised, but what we can be sure of is that these numbers will worsen and
730 the most vulnerable in society will be hit hardest.
731
732 Economic growth is essential to achieve the goal of full employment, but it is not
733 enough to create more and better jobs and to reduce poverty. We need a Europe
734 that invests in its people, invests in skills and opportunities of especially young
735 people. For ECOSY – Young European Socialists full employment remains a central
736 part of our vision to ensure a high quality European social welfare state. We believe
737 in full employment. Giving up the goal of full employment means to accept
738 segregation in society and that some people are excluded from the participation in
739 the labour market and in society, for a long time or the rest of their life. It
740 Everybody has the right to have a decent job. Therefore, ECOSY advocates for more
741 and better jobs for everyone.
742
743 In its 50-year history, the European Union has predominantly focussed on creating a
744 single market, including increasing possibilities for labour mobility, although the new
745 member states are still excluded from this right. Now it is high time that the Union enters
746 into a new path towards a Social Europe. For that ECOSY –Young European Socialists
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747 demands that a New Social Treaty is developed, based on the lines set out in the Delors
748 White Paper on Social Progress. The three pillars in this Social Treaty that have to work
749 together are: active labour market policies (Luxembourg process); microeconomic and
750 structural reforms (Cardiff process); and macroeconomic and budgetary measures
751 (Cologne process). Only then the aim of more and better jobs for everyone can become a
752 reality.
753
754 ECOSY rejects any calls for ‘wage moderation’ as outlined in the Delors White Paper
755 however, as this is anathema to the pursuit of better jobs.
756
757 5.1 Social justice for all
758 A Social Europe begins with equal social rights for everyone. Active labour market
759 policies, which not only ensure inclusiveness, but also eliminates the existing
760 injustice – like the working poor phenomenon or exploitation through unpaid
761 internships hidden under the slogan of “transition between education and labour
762 market”. ECOSY – Young European Socialists demand that, within the new approach
763 towards working in the life-cycle concept, social justice and equality are maintained
764 and improved.
765 - ECOSY – Young European Socialists demand that the European Social
766 Charter adopted at the Council meeting in Nice becomes legally binding and
767 enforceable by the European Court of Justice. The objectives of full
768 employment and more and better jobs have to be anchored in this Charter.
769 - 2010 is the European Year of combating social exclusion and poverty, by
770 then all over Europe social exclusion and poverty have to be eradicated.
771 - “Work has to pay.” This simple principle is, for ECOSY – Young European
772 Socialists, more than eradicating the occurrence of the “working poor”. It
773 includes the guarantee for everyone to have decent work, decent life and a
774 decent livelihood. Because of that it is necessary that a European minimum
775 wage or collective agreements with equal purchasing power is applied based
776 on long-term vision of social convergence with the exception for those
777 countries, where a minimum wage is secured by collective agreements.
778 - Recognition of qualifications, labour standards in combination with minimum
779 wage shall also be a way to ensure equal labour financial conditions and
780 ensure the same possibilities across the continent. It is also a step in finding
781 a strategy to eliminate brain drain endangering economies and social
782 progress of less developed countries.
783 - The gender pay gap is persistent and stands at 15%. For ECOSY the principle
784 of “equal pay for equal work” is guiding. The execution of the Roadmap for
785 Equality between men and women 2006-2010 and the European Pact for
786 Gender Equality is necessary. Very few member states have developed
787 concrete policies to tackle it; the powers of the European Commission have
788 to be increased to enforce the implementation of both.
789 - Decent social security and healthcare standards should be the norm for all
790 workers and this right should be extended to their families. It is imperative
791 to improve the safety and health at work of all workers, especially pregnant
792 workers and workers who have recently given birth.
793 - All Member States have to implement rules establishing paid
794 maternity/paternity leave following the birth of a child and to promote the
795 use of right to parental leave shared equitably between the parents.
796 - High quality free and universally accessible childcare is a social right. The
797 2002 Barcelona Council objectives are to provide, by 2010, childcare for at
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798 least 90% of children between the age of 3 and the mandatory school age
799 and at least 33% of children under 3 years of age have to be realised.
800 Furthermore, the VAT on children’s products has to be eliminated.
801 - Unemployment amongst young people with disabilities remains unacceptably
802 high. There is a need to provide a broad spectrum of employment
803 opportunities, including protected and assisted employment, obtain and
804 constantly renew qualifications and representation of disabled people. The EP
805 report on the situation of people with disabilities in the enlarged EU, including
806 the European Action Plan 2006-2007, and the UN Convention on the Rights
807 of people with disabilities have to be implemented all through the Union.
808
809 5.2 Full youth employment in Europe
810 The Lisbon European Council of March 2000 set for Europe a new strategic goal: “to
811 become the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-driven economy in the world,
812 capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social
813 cohesion”. The strategy set out to reach this goal has become known as the Lisbon
814 Strategy and since its expiry in 2010 a new employment and social policy agreement
815 will be coined. More and better jobs can only be realised if social aspects are put at
816 the heart of this agreement.
817 - ECOSY – Young European socialists advocate for full employment, combined
818 with more and better jobs. The economic crisis must not be used as an
819 excuse for not achieving this objective. Now, more than ever, we should
820 strive to accomplish this ambitious goal.
821 - Youth unemployment and young people working in poverty have to be
822 effectively tackled throughout the Union. The provisions in regards to fighting
823 youth unemployment, sustained integration of young people into the labour
824 market, national social inclusion policies to improve the situation of the most
825 vulnerable young people, prevention of educational failure, stimulating
826 vocational integration of young people and, easing the transition from
827 education to work, must be fulfilled, as outlined in the European Youth Pact.
828 These principles should be fully enshrined in the new employmen,t and social
829 policy agreement.
830 - The position of young people and women in the trade unions must be
831 strengthened.
832 - The links between universities, research and technological centres and
833 enterprises have to be fortified, in particular through networking activities
834 and joint actions: from this innovation and new jobs can be realised.
835 - The “knowledge-based society” is to the way in which more and better jobs
836 can become a reality. Investment in smart, green growth will provide
837 opportunities for increased employment whilst attempting to solve some of
838 the the most challenging issues facing the world. Research and development
839 in the fields of renewable energy and cold nuclear fusion is needed.
840 - The Lisbon Strategy’s objective of increasing the participation rate of women
841 in the labour market to 60% by 2010 has not yet been achieved. Efforts
842 must continue in this direction with progressively higher targets being set
843 and reached towards full employment.
844 - Labour market modernisation strategies have to be put in place for the
845 anticipation of gradual changes throughout the Union in diminishing sectors,
846 alongside active measures to reinforce the economic well-being of regions.
847 Specific employment, training and support services for workers in the context
848 of company and sector restructuring have to be developed, such as rapid
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849 response schemes and access to supplementary education in the case of

850 collective lay-offs. We should also aim at preventing such lay-offs by
851 measures such as the conditioning of public subsidies to guarantee terms of
852 employment.
853 - Active labour market policies should enable young people to enter the labour
854 market more easily at the same time protecting them from exploitation
855 within the framework of unpaid internships or short time contracts without
856 proper social security. This can only be counterbalanced by strong
857 contractual legislation, trade unions and member states providing the right to
858 employment. This has to include effective action against the long-hours
859 culture and ensuring equal rights for temporary workers. ECOSY is
860 disappointed with the inexplicable delay of the Commission to respond to the
861 Communication from the EP calling for a European Charter of Internships.
862 This will create a framework for interns and prevent their exploitation. An
863 active labour market must also facilitate the transition between jobs to
864 ensure the development of the labour market and individuals’ self-fulfilment.
865 - Special attention has to be given to the Small and Medium Enterprises and to
866 women’s and youth entrepreneurship and innovative businesses. The
867 Community Programme for Competitiveness and Innovation should invest in
868 these special groups.
869 - Even as the service sector has risen, the industrial sector is still an important
870 part of the European economy. So we need a European industrial policy
871 strategy, which is not based on a competition, but has a European wide
872 political approach and takes into consideration the effects on the
873 neighbouring countries.
874
875 5.3 Our European Social model
876 The European social model is far from being reached and its boundaries and
877 responsibilities have yet to be agreed. This debate will continue for future
878 generations. ECOSY – Young European Socialists takes the first step in this debate.
879 Not only by defining the common objectives of the different social models in Europe,
880 but also by designing further reaching policy objectives. In the light of increasing
881 social consciousness of European citizens, this will be the most comprehensive
882 strategy for Europe’s future.
883 - Europe should not give up its ambitious social policies, but should make use
884 of their potential contribution to economic performance and quality of life.
885 For that all through Europe the efficiency of social policies has to be
886 enhanced, poverty eliminated, investments in education and life long
887 learning increased and ensured that financing social policies contribute to the
888 objective of full employment.
889 - The European Social model for the future has to be a synthesis of what is
890 best in each national system. Therefore, it is more than the common
891 denominator of all national social models.
892 - ECOSY opposes easy and low cost hiring and firing. Labour market reforms
893 have to be embedded in a framework that enhances flexibility while
894 upholding high levels of social security. There have to be clear limits to
895 flexibility by law. Flexibility furthermore has to offer an option and has to be
896 attractive for the employee and not only for the employer, e.g. offering
897 possibilities for a better work-family life balance.
898 - Flexicurity has to aim at providing adequate social security during periods of
899 labour market transitions. It can only be realised when four preconditions are
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900 available: 1) contractual arrangements providing adequate flexibility for both

901 workers and employers to shape their relation according to their needs; 2)
902 active labour market policies effectively supporting transitions between jobs
903 as well as from unemployment and inactivity to jobs; 3) credible life-long
904 learning systems should enable workers to remain employable throughout
905 their career and 4) modern social security systems to ensure that all workers
906 are adequately supported during absences from the labour market and to
907 facilitate labour market mobility and transition. On the basis of these four
908 pillars a European flexicurity directive has to be developed that is part of the
909 new Social Treaty.
910 - Common European definitions of concepts such as workers, minimum salary,
911 and subcontracting have to be developed. EUROFOUNG (European
912 Foundation for Improvement of Living and Working Conditions) in dialogue
913 with youth organisations and the European Parliament have initiated a
914 debate on this with the aim to develop further guidelines, based on “best
915 practices” in all member states including guaranteed implementation and
916 effective supervision.
917 - Part-time employment should not be equate to working in poverty. The share
918 of people in part-time employment is around 18%. And recently, rises in
919 involuntary part-time employment have been observed for both men and
920 women. Decent living conditions and opportunities have to be guaranteed in
921 part-time employment just as full-time employment.
922 - ECOSY – Young European Socialists welcomes the Working Time Directive
923 and especially the eradication of the opt-out clause allowing workers to work
924 75 hours a week. The current Directive only permits a working week of 48
925 hours. Furthermore ECOSY welcomes the Directive on Temporary Agency
926 Work that establishes the principle of equal treatment between agency
927 workers and workers in the user enterprise, which will not only apply to
928 national situations but also to cross-border agency work.
929 - We demand the further reduction of working time to 32 hours per week
930 which will serve to reduce unemployment and achieve a higher quality of life,
931 without losing purchasing power parity. Working time reduction should be
932 implemented on a national level, but stated within the working time
933 directive.
934 - The reconciliation of working life and family life has to be promoted, including
935 sharing the responsibility between partners, expanding the childcare network
936 and developing innovative forms of work organisation.
937 - Regional employment disparities have to be targeted via specific policies
938 focusing on the quality of education and training, investment in skills,
939 education and lifelong learning and partnerships at local and regional level to
940 promote job creation and addressing the “skills gap”.
941 - ECOSY welcomed the creation of a European Globalisation Adjustment Fund
942 in 2006. In its European Economic Recovery Plan, published on 26 November
943 2008, the European Commission announced its intention to make the EGF a
944 more effective intervention instrument as part of Europe's crisis response.
945 The Commission reaffirmed its intention to revise the rules of the EGF so that
946 it can intervene more effectively at this time. ECOSY agrees that EGF has to
947 be revised to be able to react more effectively in the face of the current
948 economic crisis.
949 - Undeclared work has to be transformed into regular employment by
950 increasing awareness on the negative effects of undeclared work, simplifying
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951 procedures and legislation, lowering the tax burden on specific employment
952 sectors and developing effective surveillance and sanctions.
953 - Healthcare is a fundamental part of the social model. We demand it to be of
954 high quality and free of charge. Taking into account the rising mobility of
955 workers, a number of common healthcare problems on the EU labour market
956 due to the same health endangering technologies, as well as general demand
957 for improvements coming from the ageing society, we urge the European
958 Union to design policies aiming at aimed at coordinating better the European
959 healthcare system.
960
961 5.4 A social labour mobility directive
962 Earnings’ disparities in old Member States are between two to four times larger than
963 in new Member States, and the standards of labour market and social models
964 differentiate overall due to their distinguished histories. Those are challenges in
965 creating one single European labour market – which has to become reality if Europe
966 is to be for the people, not for the profit.
967 - The free mobility of workers must be a real mobility of the People, not only of
968 labour forces. Therefore it has to go hand in hand with the free movement of
969 workers from new Member States that are still excluded from it in the
970 majority of Member States. The trans-national arrangements to limit the free
971 movement of workers have to be abolished.
972 - Convergence of labour market regulations throughout the European Union,
973 not towards the lowest dominator but towards high standards, has to be
974 realised. Workers have to work under national legislation limiting possibilities
975 for wage dumping and unfair working conditions. Existing directives relating
976 to this matter have to be replaced by a new - legally binding – social labour
977 mobility directive.
978 - The free mobility of workers has to go hand in hand with the free movement
979 of social benefits. The mobility of pension schemes, healthcare benefits,
980 unemployment benefits and other social benefits of collective agreements
981 have to be ensured, this demands a new European perspective to be
982 established in the new directive.
983 - The European Court of Justice (ECJ) rulings on the Laval, Ruffert and Viking
984 cases clearly indicate provide a licence for social dumping. ECOSY – Young
985 European Socialists demend this practice to end by 1) establishment of a
986 “Social Progress Clause” in the Lisbon Treaty, 2) The Posted Workers
987 Directive should strengthen its original aims of protecting workers and 3) a
988 speedy implementation of the Temporary Agency Workers Directive and its
989 principle of equal treatment preventing the EU from becoming a vehicle for
990 social dumping.
991
992 5.5 Solidarity between generations
993 Until 2030 the number of persons above 65 years of age will increase by 40 million,
994 whilst the number of young people will decrease by 21 million, with the consequence
995 that the ratio between inactive persons (young, old and other dependent persons)
996 and persons in working age will increase from 49% now to 66% in 2030. This
997 provides an enormous challenge for Europe. ECOSY – Young European Socialists calls
998 upon a new solidarity between generations.
999 - Older workers have to be encouraged and enabled to re-enter the labour
1000 market, not by increasing the maximum working age but by stimulating
1001 measures for older people to remain participating in society. Access to life-
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1002 long learning must be improved and flexible working opportunities expanded
1003 in order to allow people to stay in work both in the professional and
1004 voluntary sector. Career length and physical intensity of work in some
1005 sectors have to be acknowledged when defining a retirement age and the
1006 possibility to benefit from early retirement.
1007 - Equal access to pension and retirement schemes has to be realised. Existing
1008 anti age-discrimination laws have to be implemented and reinforced. The text
1009 for the Anti-Discrimination Directive should be expanded to include
1010 provisions against this form of discrimination.
1011 - The importance of “knowledge-capture” for retiring employees has to be
1012 highlighted, particularly in the public sector. This can include a European
1013 public service knowledge portal open to younger workers and measures to
1014 link students and pupils with retired elderly: providing career guidance,
1015 assistance in completing education, access to appropriate training and
1016 apprenticeship.
1017 - Special measures, including childcare, housing and social protection, are
1018 needed to support single parents to enter the labour market. The
1019 responsibility for children can not be put only on parents, society also has to
1020 take its responsibilities.
1021 - The intergenerational solidarity, which is a fundamental principle of European
1022 welfare States, must be strengthened and all attempts to reverse it have to
1023 be clearly rejected. It is not acceptable that the young generation bears the
1024 responsibility for caring for and financing the older generations and at the
1025 same time is burdened with more and more costs concerning the current
1026 period of their life. ECOSY – Young European Socialists welcomes the first
1027 European Day on Solidarity and Cooperation between Generations in 2009.
1028
1029 5.6 More power to the trade unions!
1030 Better involvement and firm commitment of the social partners is a necessary
1031 condition for the success of policies aimed at improving labour market transition for
1032 employees, in particular moving from temporary to permanent contracts, and for
1033 better income and career development. With capital and workers mobility it is also
1034 high time to reform and empower international trade unionism, to ensure proper
1035 representation of workers and social dialogue.
1036 - The role of the European Social and Economic Committee has to be
1037 thoroughly revised.
1038 - We believe that collective agreements are the best way to strengthen the
1039 rights of workers or to bargain wages. The political environment in all the EU
1040 countries needs to be supportive of collective agreements.
1041 - ECOSY – Young European Socialists welcomes the revision of the European
1042 Works Council Directive ensuring equal pay for equal work. ECOSY demands
1043 the right for a European strike, and also the right to engage in “neutrality
1044 agreements” meaning that the union has the right to go into the work place
1045 and speak to the workers. Cross-border collective agreements must become
1046 legally-binding on EU level.
1047 - The European Network of Employment Agencies EURES should be further
1048 developed and stronger supported.
1049 - ECOSY – Young European socialists fully supports and encourages the
1050 empowerment of women and young people within the trade union structures.
1051
1052
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1053 6. INVESTING IN THE FUTURE OF PEOPLE

1054 The global economic crisis has exposed several weaknesses within our current
1055 financial framework. It is clear that international solutions are required in the form of
1056 the implementation of regulations.
1057
1058 To secure the future of Europe, the financial strategy of the Union has to be
1059 progressive, open to new perspectives and it must invest in the future of people.
1060 Member States have to ensure that the Union has sufficient means corresponding to
1061 these economic and social aims.
1062
1063 6.1 Pact for growth and full employment
1064 The current stability and growth pact has proven to be inefficient. In times of
1065 economic downturn, when anticyclical investments in education and growth are
1066 necessary in order to create necessary employment and to ensure the social security
1067 of all, states are blocked. To promote economic and financial integration it is
1068 necessary to develop a new pact; a pact for growth and full employment. Uniting
1069 objectives as full employment, social security, economic growth and financial stability
1070 can be the only way to ensure a sustainable future for Europe.
1071
1072 - A pact for growth and full employment has to be developed replacing the
1073 current growth and stability pact.
1074 - The new pact has to change the current guidelines on financial stability; 1)
1075 the maximum deficit should vary across countries, according to their overall
1076 debt situation, and the severity of the recession or economical growth the
1077 country faces and 2) the reference value, used to judge the budgetary
1078 situation of countries, and should be the structural deficit. This will allow
1079 unity and solidarity amongst Member States.
1080 - Budgetary flexibility has to be allowed to the member states especially when
1081 it concerns anti-cyclical fiscal policy which is very effective on the national
1082 level in the monetary union. As a deficit spending without any limitations is
1083 not useful, rules like a ceiling of debts equal to new investments and long
1084 expenditure growth limit should be implemented. The investments have to be
1085 linked to the new employment and social policy agreement and the European
1086 Sustainable Development Strategy.
1087 - Sound macroeconomic coordination is the main challenge today in the use of
1088 the Euro as an economic tool for the benefit of the people. Next to regulatory
1089 provisions, a better mechanism for cooperating on macroeconomic policies
1090 has to be established, leading to a convergence of Member States’ individual
1091 policies, based on the principles of the new pact. This is the only way to
1092 overcome social dumping practices now undertaken by several member
1093 states and makes the EMU a social and political project.
1094 - The Maastricht Treaty has given the European Central Bank a vague mandate
1095 and complete independence; with the result that the central bank has not
1096 been responsive to recessions adequately. Fighting inflation should not be its
1097 only concern under the political control of the EP. The inflation target should
1098 be flexible and aligned with other macroeconomic goals such as sustainable
1099 growth, full employment and stability in foreign trade and payments.
1100 - The pre-existing framework of the European Investment Bank and the
1101 European Investment Fund should be further developed.
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1102
1103 6.2 Effective Financial Institutions
1104 The recent financial and economic crisis, which started with a crisis of the banking
1105 system in the US, has hit the aorld economy in a devastating manner. Millions of
1106 people worldwide have lost their jobs, their pensions, and their savings. Developing
1107 countries have to deal with less development aid and a reduction in Foreign Direct
1108 Investment. The reason for that is an intransparent, hardly regulated and badly
1109 supervised international system. A big institutional reform is urgently needed in the
1110 EU in the direction of more transparency and democratic control.
1111
1112 - All elements regarding financial, budgetary and macro-economic policy have
1113 to be adopted by and accountable to the European Parliament.
1114 - The European Central Bank has to be submitted to democratic and
1115 transparent control of the European Parliament. To enhance its
1116 accountability, European institutions, preferably the EP, should be in a
1117 position to change the statutes of the ECB by a qualified majority. Moreover,
1118 its decision making process should be made public.
1119 - The ECB has to become a supervisory body of the European banking system
1120 and should effectively control the private and public banking system in all EU
1121 Member States.
1122 - A global financial institution, incorporated within the UN structures, is
1123 necessary to regulate financial markets. A system of approving all tradeable
1124 financial market products has to play a key role in that institution. All tax
1125 havens and off-shore financial markets have to be closed or brought under
1126 global financial market regulation. A global tax on financial market
1127 transactions (Tobin tax) should be implemented, this tax should be used for
1128 development aid.
1129
1130 6.3 New fiscal coordination
1131 Tax competition must not exist in the EU. Taxing systems must be coordinated and
1132 must respect a clear regulatory framework with the aim of harmonisation. A fair and
1133 effective fiscal system that encourages investments and taxes capital will increase
1134 the trust of citizens and will help redistribution, by financing social welfare. A
1135 European tax on capital movement and a European “green tax” can increase the EU’s
1136 own financial resources. At the same time a minimum taxation of companies is
1137 needed. This minimum rate will also increase the own European financial resources
1138 and helps to suppress the flat taxation in the European Union.
1139
1140 6.4 A budget for the people
1141 The European budget has to be changed. The European Union has to increase its own
1142 resources (which have been stagnant for 20 years now) and reform and expand its
1143 budget, with a strong political will and clear political choices for investment in the
1144 welfare of all its citizens. A solid and further expanded budget is needed.
1145
1146 - A ceiling concept of 1% Member States’ GDP for the European budget can
1147 only be applied when Europe has a new clear fiscal strategy with its own tax
1148 sphere. Otherwise a 1,5% ceiling has to be applied.
1149 - Over 40% is spent on common agricultural policy, while the spending on
1150 research and innovation is limited and relatively no money for social
1151 objectives is set out. Research and Development, innovation, new
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1152 technologies and the information society must gain the attention and funds
1153 they deserve in order to reach economic growth and competitiveness.
1154 - Research and development must be a fundamental tool to improve the
1155 economic growth and thus social cohesion policies. Public administrations and
1156 enterprises, implementing the social responsibility that they have to hold,
1157 should make efforts together to reach the 3% of the GDP by 2010.
1158 - Social funds must be oriented towards cohesion among member states,
1159 regions and citizens, and provide the tools for growth in solidarity.
1160 - Good quality and free access to public goods has to become a guiding
1161 principle for the EU Budget and fully reflected in the structure of the budget.
1162 By that the role of the Union in promoting full employment, social security
1163 and economic growth can be truly achieved.
1164
1165 6.5 More dynamic regional development
1166 We must make solidarity and cohesion, the two words that sum up our vision for the
1167 new regional policy in the European Union. Solidarity, because our policy should aim
1168 to benefit citizens and regions that are economically and socially deprived compared
1169 to others. And cohesion, because there are positive benefits for all in narrowing the
1170 gaps of income and wealth between the poorer countries and regions those which
1171 are better off. More power to local administration can mean more power to the
1172 citizens, and sometimes more effective facing of social problems. More infrastructure
1173 and regional programs of development – with full respect to each area’s cultural,
1174 social and environmental conditions – abolishes disparities and creates the real
1175 conditions for true growth. Regional development concerns rural and urban areas
1176 equally. In that sense, the development of the new employment and social policy
1177 agreement in both regional and local level must become a reality if we want our
1178 measures to have a real impact on social cohesion. Enlargement must be an
1179 important parameter when designing relative policies, in order to bridge disparities
1180 among regions.
1181
1182 6.6 Services to strengthen and unite
1183 In its 50-year history Europe has predominantly been bringing public services and
1184 goods into the sphere of the single market. It is important to promote the
1185 competitiveness of the European economy, in the public and private sector, but this
1186 philosophy can no longer be based on privatisation and ongoing liberalisation. The
1187 comparative advantage of Europe is not low wages or the lack of welfare state, it is
1188 the quality and knowledge it has which has to be combined with a profound welfare
1189 system. In order to attract international investments the welfare state has to be
1190 nurtured.
1191 - ECOSY - Young European Socialists underline the importance of public
1192 services in general and in particular of public services that guarantees
1193 everyone everywhere equal quality and access to their essential needs.
1194 - With public services we have the possibility to democratically control and
1195 adopt sensible answers to our needs. Public ownership is the most efficient
1196 with services of general interest.
1197 - A new and clear definition of Services of General Interest and Services of
1198 General Economic Interest is needed. Services of General Economic Interest
1199 (SGEI) is a key component of the European welfare state, essential for
1200 ensuring social and territorial cohesion, and contributes to competitiveness.
1201 We demand guidance on this principle according to the principle of non-
1202 exclusion for everybody.
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1203 - Fundamental sectors that must be run in the sphere of the government are
1204 security, justice, health care, education, water, energy, public transport, post
1205 and telecommunication, public media and information, culture, sports,
1206 childcare and social security.
1207 - The EU and member states should reserve the right to impose public service
1208 requirement on private companies in certain sectors: for example, open
1209 access to a bank account bank service close to all citizens, regulation on
1210 private broadcasting.
1211 - We call for a European Charter of Public Services in order to ensure that the
1212 EU respects the principles of these services, which have an important role in
1213 the territorial set up. Furthermore, we have to resist further dismantlement
1214 of social services through the WTO dispute settlements and European public
1215 procurement regulations have to include a social clause allowing a high-
1216 quality of social services on the local level.
1217 - ECOSY calls on member states to invest more in the exploitation of
1218 Information and Communication Technologies in public sector services, such
1219 as health, education and government, in which ICT can make it easier to
1220 respond to future social services needs and to cooperate in order to develop
1221 pan-European services.
1222 - Public services delivery in the Information Society should clearly reflect the
1223 increasingly sophisticated needs of individual users and groups and therefore
1224 be based on an adequate response by the supplying industry to such needs
1225 with a view to effective and customised service design.
1226 - it is vital that every person living in the EU has free access to good quality,
1227 public and solidarity based health care system, and to low-cost medicaments,
1228 regardless of their age or employment status. Health and medicine research
1229 should be adequately financed, especially at European level.
1230 - A European housing directive has to be developed. This should exclude social
1231 housing from the scope of market economy, include improving accessibility
1232 to decent housing and housing conditions, especially for students, working
1233 youth and those less-favoured groups which are particularly affected by
1234 poverty, such as people at a disadvantage and older people who cannot look
1235 after themselves. More attention should be spent on the homeless, by
1236 providing care, imparting basic skills, and promoting social integration.
1237 - ECOSY promotes European-wide public services, owned by European public
1238 enterprises, like a European Railway System or The European Aerial
1239 Surveillance.
1240 - Health and medicine research should be adequately financed, especially in
1241 the European level.
1242
1243
1244 7. PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT
1245 Protecting the environment is essential for the quality of life of current and future
1246 generations. The challenge for both developed and developing countries is to
1247 combine this with continuing economic growth in a way which is sustainable over the
1248 long term. In other words economic, social and environment policies must be closely
1249 integrated. Sustainable development has economic, social and environmental
1250 components, whereas a proper balance needs to be realised between these
1251 components. Social, environmental, health and development objectives are not
1252 contradictory. Taking this into consideration the young generation of the EU has to
1253 be involved in designing policies which are compatible with the environment, society,
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1254 culture and build capacity for people to solve their own problems. The EU, as a global
1255 actor, has to tackle this transversal issue with seriousness and endorse the adopted
1256 political guidelines with an appropriate budget that enables its fulfilment.
1257
1258 7.1 Innovative Environmental Policies
1259 Our Europe has to be environmentally sustainable. It is our responsibility towards the
1260 next generations, and it is part of our concept of international solidarity to implement
1261 those commitments in Europe and the rest of the World. Ecological progress and
1262 protection is one of our main goals in approaching other European policies. Europe
1263 has the technology and infrastructure to implement renewable energy policies,
1264 sustainable water management, safe waste management, and a new -
1265 environmentally responsible - agricultural policy. The investment in environmental
1266 policies is an investment in the present and in the future, and provides a basis for
1267 innovative possibilities for business and economic development.
1268 - ECOSY is committed to building Europe on a sustainable basis. The Single
1269 Market and national economic interests can not obstruct the resolution of
1270 environmental problems. The European environmental agency (EEA) should
1271 become the actual environmental “control” body ensuring the respect and
1272 implementation of EU environmental legislation. The agency must be
1273 supplied with sufficient financial means and legal sanctions in order to bring
1274 countries and companies before justice if they infringe the legislation.
1275 - The implementation of the existing European environmental rules is a big
1276 step, bringing along huge investments and taking a lot of time. This strong
1277 regulatory framework however is not enough for an effective environmental
1278 policy. The creation of public support through environmental information and
1279 education, especially focussed on young people, should be one of the corner
1280 stones of the European environmental policy.
1281 - In parallel, the national institutions should double their efforts on
1282 campaigning among their citizens on the saving of energy to become the
1283 normality in the daily use of energy, starting in the schools and finishing in
1284 the homes of the Europeans. It must be ensured that infrastructure such as
1285 recycling networks, gas pipe networks etc. is sufficiently extended in all
1286 European countries, so that it’s easier for all citizens to act in a way friendly
1287 to environment in teir everyday life.
1288 - The principle “the polluter pays” has to be the guiding principle in
1289 establishing “green taxes”. These taxes have to be invested in financing the
1290 EEA, research and education and related environmental strategies, realising
1291 a European environmental fund.
1292 - It must be an absolute priority to intensify the research on new, alternative
1293 energy resources. The VII Framework Programme for Research, Innovation
1294 and Development already settles this as a priority, endorsed by a generous
1295 budget. The EU should make better use of the potential modularity of
1296 renewable energy, and democratize energy supply. Through spurring energy
1297 efficiency and local energy production the EU should set as goal that by 2020
1298 half of the energy used by households should be produced by households.
1299 - The European energy strategy has to be based on “clean” and decentralised
1300 forms of energy production and distribution, not as currently based on highly
1301 centralised fossil and nuclear forms of energy production and distribution.
1302 Nuclear fission is an alternative only in the short term until economically
1303 sustainable clean energy forms are available, such as cold nuclear fusion.
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1304 - Eastern and southern EU neighbours are our big energy suppliers. The reality
1305 has shown that political tensions beyond the control of the EU Institutions,
1306 can jeopardise our energy supply, for that EU’s priorities have to be directed
1307 towards achieving a balanced and clean energy network for the supply of
1308 energy to the EU along two lines: 1) diversification of the suppliers, and the
1309 strengthening of the tools of cooperation to reinforce stability on those areas,
1310 which are not characterized by stability and 2) The intensification of research
1311 on clean and renewable energy resources, and also on the biomass,
1312 hydrogen etc…
1313 - Sustainable water management must be one of the main concerns of the
1314 European Union. The pace of implementing the European Water Directive has
1315 to be increased and the Member States have to be addressed on their lacking
1316 commitment.
1317 - In our effort to make an environmental sustainable world we must protect
1318 biodiversity, by opposing the release of genetically engineered crops and
1319 animals into environment. European Citizens should be protected from the
1320 threats of genetically engineered food. We must promote measures like the
1321 labelling of GE foods and the segregation of GE crops and seeds from
1322 conventional and organic seeds, in order to give citizens the opportunity to
1323 make aware choices and responsible decisions about their future.
1324 - Special attention should be brought to animal rights. Common European laws
1325 or regulations should be implemented for the protection of lab animals.
1326 Common laws should be passed against the hunting or fishing of endangered
1327 species.
1328
1329 7.2 Fighting climate change globally
1330 Environmental pollution is not limited to national borders, it is a global challenge.
1331 Many developed and developing countries prefer economical progress above
1332 sustainable development leading to deforestation, soil degradation, water and air
1333 pollution. Amongst them China, India and the US. Europe has a global responsibility
1334 in addressing these states on their destructive behaviour leading to climate change.
1335 The European environmental policy can only be effective when imbedded in a global
1336 strategy.
1337 - ECOSY – Young European Socialists supports the EU’s leading role in tackling
1338 climate change. The Climlate Change Package recently agreed upon in the EP
1339 is a bold step towards a sustainable future and should provide the
1340 foundations for future international climate change treaties.
1341 - The Kyoto protocol has now entered into force and is a first important step to
1342 control climate change. When the Kyoto protocol is phased out in 2012 a new
1343 protocol within the UN framework is needed. Future negotiations within the
1344 UN framework convention on climate change must seek solutions to involve
1345 the US, other G8-countries and developing countries in the efforts to tackle
1346 climate change. A dialogue between Europe and the United States regarding
1347 these issues is of utmost importance.
1348 - After the failed climate Summit in Poznan, EU Member States have to
1349 develop a common position before 2012 to enter the post-Kyoto
1350 negotitations.
1351 - ECOSY calls for a real international environmental governance starting with a
1352 merger of the UN Commission for Sustainable Development with the United
1353 Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and with this body being given
1354 greater weight vis-à-vis the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and other
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1355 international bodies than is presently the case. This new Commission should
1356 be entitled to take financial sanctions.
1357 - The establishment of a Security Council for environmental issues within the
1358 UN system has to be part of Europe’s global strategy. The Council should
1359 function as an organ that secures common environmental demands and is
1360 entitled to take financial sanctions.
1361 - The EU must design environmental initiatives, introduced on a world wide
1362 basis, fundamentally dealing with the former principles which have
1363 characterised international trade. The EU must use its position in the World
1364 Trade Organisation to push for mainstreaming environmental aspects in the
1365 trade agreements.
1366 - European-based multinationals and Member States of the European Union
1367 involved in waste dumping in the developing world should be sanctioned.
1368 - Any proposed green taxes must be placed first on European corporations,
1369 who are the main cause of climate change and global warming. This tax must
1370 in no way be passed on to ordinary citizens, and any multinational that
1371 refuses to comply must face harsh sanctions and penalties. While individuals
1372 themselves can play a part in fighting climate change, the corporate world
1373 must take responsibility for the damage it has already done. While we
1374 believe in the 'polluter pays' principal, this must be applied first and foremost
1375 to European corporations and their global counterparts.
1376
1377 7.3 Sustainable transport networks
1378 Today individual mobility is still based on the use of fossil fuels. A radical change in
1379 mentality is crucial and the use of other more environment friendly alternatives
1380 should be encouraged. ECOSY does not want to limit mobility, but stands for an
1381 increase given its social and economic effects. Socially - to promote social inclusion
1382 of all people and economically - to enhance its development. The Member States, in
1383 cooperation with regions and local partners should foster other ways of moving.
1384 - The EU has to establish a legally binding certification system for both
1385 imported and domestic bio fuels. The certification system must be based on
1386 enhancing the potential of bio fuels to cut greenhouse gas emissions, while
1387 avoiding the wider environmental impacts of bio fuel production.
1388 - To reduce the environmental damage of road and air transport and to
1389 address its increasing congestion problems, the EU needs to promote
1390 alternative modes of transport.
1391 - The position of railways has to be reinforced. Public transport has to be free
1392 of charge and one European (fast train) rail network developed. Passenger’s
1393 rights have to be strengthened. Continental transport of all kind of goods has
1394 to be moved from the street onto the railroad and water which are more
1395 efficient and sustainable. In order to achieve this, we must invest more in
1396 railways and in waterways by improving rail stations, port services and
1397 maritime safety standards.
1398 - ECOSY demands that the number of deaths on the road by 2010 is cut back
1399 by at least 50%.
1400 - Road networks, especially trans-national ones, have to be improved.
1401 - Cars represent 10% of all EU CO2 emissions. Up till now, the Commission's
1402 strategy for reducing CO2 emissions has been mainly based on voluntary
1403 commitments from the car industry. A directive for “clean” cars has to
1404 developed and implemented.
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1405 - Carpooling should be actively promoted in areas where public transport is

1406 insufficiently developed. This system combined with a directive for "clean"
1407 cars reduces pollution, traffic density and driver stress.
1408 - Air traffic exploded in the last 15 years, leading to a 73% increase in
1409 greenhouse gas emissions from international aviation. Planes have to
1410 become cleaner and by reinforcing train transport the number of short
1411 distance flights have to be limited. The stalled process of the European
1412 aviation tax should be reinitiated and a European tax for flights within 500km
1413 should be imposed.
1414 - Local authorities have to be encouraged to provide investments in clean and
1415 efficient public transport in their region. The Commission has to develop a
1416 Green Paper on Urban Transport in 2007, combining the use of bikes, the
1417 establishment of the high environmental standards to be met by all vehicles,
1418 creating pedestrian zones and car-less days in order to raise awareness and
1419 compulsory measures if cutting the traffic in areas where the recording of
1420 concentrations of CO exceeds a standard level.
1421
1422 7.4 Reform the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)
1423 The CAP is a reality within the EU claiming 40% of its annual budget. The past role of
1424 providing food security has to be recognised. But today this rationale does not work
1425 anymore. In a globalising world and an enlarging EU the original goal of food security
1426 has to be redefined. It is necessary to promote other principles, such as
1427 sustainability, efficient water management, production of food on the basis of quality
1428 and not quantity, environmental and animal friendly ways of production, and the
1429 focus of rural populations with high standards on the quality of life and welfare. This
1430 model can empower small farmers and producers on one hand, and would be much
1431 more coherent with the European Policy regarding the development of the poorest
1432 countries.
1433 - ECOSY underlines that the expenditure on the common agricultural policy
1434 should to be reduced and must also be reformed into a social rural
1435 development fund and an innovative rural environmental and forestation
1436 initiative. The focus of both shifts from general agricultural production into
1437 protecting and strengthening the natural value of the landscape, stimulating
1438 environmental friendly production patterns of small farmers and stimulating
1439 the production of renewable energy.
1440 - Co-decision by the European Parliament on all matters of reforming the CAP
1441 has to be implemented.
1442
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1443 A EUROPE SPEAKING WITH ONE VOICE

1444 8. STRONG AND COHERENT FOREIGN POLICY
1445 A disproportionally large share of the world’s power lies today in Europe. The
1446 European Union must use this power to make our world fairer. To make human
1447 rights respected, to strengthen international law, to support peace and prevent
1448 conflicts, to promote international democracy, and to create a fair distribution of the
1449 world’s wealth. Security and development are closely inter-dependent. They are the
1450 two inseparable pillars of international policy making. For that Europe has to have a
1451 strong, common and coherent foreign policy and, by using it, has to become a global
1452 political actor to be able to contribute to the building of a more fair and just world.
1453
1454 This strong, common and coherent foreign policy should be the doctrine of the
1455 European Common Foreign and Security Policy (the CFSP) and the Association
1456 Agreements. Its tools are a well functioning multilateral system built on the basis of
1457 the United Nations, a strong labour movement, disarmament, fair trade, an enlarged
1458 international development cooperation based on engagement, and a serious
1459 neighbourhood policy.
1460
1461 Europe must become a highly relevant political actor on the international arena in
1462 order to achieve these goals. The foreign policy of the EU and the EU Member States
1463 must therefore be better coordinated, both amongst the Member States and between
1464 different policy areas. It must also be better, more clearly and transparently
1465 executed. Only by having one EU Commissioner for foreign affairs, accountable to
1466 the European Parliament, Europe can effectively speak with one voice.
1467
1468 The challenge of European foreign policy lays in making the European CFSP a tool of
1469 international solidarity by both increasing the actual importance of the CFSP and
1470 changing the current content of it.
1471
1472 8.1 UN – a protector of peace and human beings
1473 ECOSY believes in cooperation, international law and multilateralism as the best way
1474 to reach peace and international democracy. Therefore the UN is the most relevant
1475 global body the EU must invest time and energy in and the EU must improve its
1476 coordination within the UN to enable the EU CFSP to reach some effect. The UN also
1477 needs to be reformed, especially in order to protect human beings instead of borders
1478 and to implement more effectively its own decisions.
1479 - The UN must also be reformed in order to become more democratic and
1480 representative of the world’s population. The aim is to enable the UN General
1481 Assembly to function as the parliament of the world.
1482 - The UN Security Council needs reform aiming at abolishing the five
1483 permanent members’ vetoes. This is a long process and one initial step
1484 should be to only have one permanent member from Europe, a seat that
1485 should be taken by the EU. Seats made available in the process should be
1486 attributed to emerging countries.
1487 - The UN should strengthen its cooperation with civil society and especially
1488 globally organized youth organizations.
1489 - The UN’s possibilities and human and financial resources to execute
1490 humanitarian interventions must be improved.
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1491 - The UN Charter must be revised in order to enable UN to effectively stop

1492 genocide and other crimes against humanity and human rights, no matter if
1493 it is perpetrated due to domestic, regional or international conflicts.
1494 - In parallel the cooperation and coordination among the various international
1495 institutions, both political and financial, must be strengthened in order to
1496 make international politics more effective and transparent.
1497
1498 8.2 Improve international law

1499 Societies without laws are left to the solemn arbitrary decision-making of the
1500 strongest, leaving smaller and weaker with no rights and only few opportunities to
1501 affect the development. This also applies to our international society. Therefore,
1502 international law is crucial to build international democracy and a fair world order.
1503 However, even if we defend the idea of international law, we see the urgent need to
1504 develop and strengthen it, especially in a direction where human rights and
1505 democracy are at the core of it.
1506 - The International Court of Justice has to become the independent judiciary
1507 part of the new global governance system. The International Criminal Court
1508 (ICC), the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY)
1509 and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda have to become an
1510 integral part of this judicial system. There should be no option for states to
1511 exempt themselves or their citizens from the ICC jurisdiction. All countries
1512 should sign and ratify the Statutes of ICC which mandate should be
1513 strengthened by succeeding the present ruling principle of complimentarily
1514 binding the hands of the Court by the principle of universal jurisdiction.
1515 Regional tribunals could be merged in the ICC.
1516 - International law must be improved in order to not only regulate the
1517 behaviour of states on an international level, but everyone including
1518 individuals, associations and corporations. To fight terrorism a fair
1519 distribution of the world wealth is also needed.
1520 - Means respecting democracy and the rule of law, to fight terrorism with have
1521 to be strengthened. Terrorism can never be fought with the weapons of
1522 terrorism. Instead, respect of human rights, international law and the
1523 principles of democracy are required in order to meet and fight terrorism.
1524 - It is of great concern when states violate international law since it upsets the
1525 balance of the world and thus makes it a more insecure place. With respect
1526 to this we strongly condemn any so called pre-emptive strikes or wars.
1527 - Moreover, an independent and unique international prosecutor's authority
1528 should be established being also responsible for the coordination and the
1529 management of the impartial investigation necessary for the court procedure.
1530
1531 8.3 Promoting Human Rights

1532 The Universal Declaration on Human Rights and its 30 articles must be respected by
1533 everyone – states and associations as well as corporations and individuals. They
1534 must be integrated in all international, national and regional legal systems and
1535 treaties. Nothing can stand above human rights. They confirm the value and rights of
1536 each and everyone. Human Rights include both civil and political rights as well as
1537 economic and social rights. To implement these rights, such as the rights to water,
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1538 food, education and health care, ECOSY welcomes all progressive initiatives aiming
1539 at building democracy and welfare.
1540 - However, some groups of the population are in need of support and
1541 protection since they are more targets of injustices (women, children,
1542 disabled, LGBTT-persons and different minorities). In order to make
1543 everyone’s human rights respected, special attention must be raised for
1544 these groups.
1545 - ECOSY actively advocates against torture and the death penalty. Neither can
1546 be accepted in a society built on respect of human rights, democracy and the
1547 rule of law.
1548 - Many diseases pose a great threat to humans and society, including
1549 HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. The consequences are to be seen in
1550 economically weak countries that lack the opportunity to fight them alone
1551 and have therefore their eradication has been included within the Millennium
1552 Development Goals. Research in causes, prevention and medication must be
1553 developed and enabled for all countries to take part of in order for all
1554 individuals that need it to get it. The political fight against prejudices about
1555 the diseases and in favour of preventing measures must be fought in parallel.
1556 - As consumers, we also have good opportunities to promote fair trade and to
1557 support human rights and democracy by choosing products produced with
1558 the respect of these values. For that it is important to develop and coordinate
1559 brands showing how a product has been produced and with values. Products
1560 not responding to these standards must be banned from the European
1561 market.
1562
1563 8.4 Fair distribution of wealth

1564 The wealth of the world is unfairly distributed. If everyone would live according to
1565 the average European standard this globe would not be enough. The European
1566 standards of living conditions are often based at the expense of people in other parts
1567 of the world. This is unacceptable. An international distribution system must be
1568 created and implemented within the framework of the UN, to distribute the world’s
1569 wealth more fairly. This system as well as other economic transactions must be
1570 controlled with the help of international judiciary systems, in order to prevent
1571 corruption, tax evasion and other economic crimes.
1572 - A common international taxation scheme on international financial
1573 transactions should be created to finance UN development aid. The aim is to
1574 support stability and security within the global economic system and to
1575 prevent an exaggerated speculation economy.
1576 - The world’s natural resources must be used in a sustainable way to ensure
1577 the fair distribution of wealth. Most of the natural resources are exploited by
1578 smaller, but richer, parts of the population. Therefore ECOSY believes in the
1579 taxation of natural resources consumption. The fund which will be generated
1580 by this taxation will be used for fighting poverty and for the sustainable
1581 development of the world.
1582 - Until this is feasible the EU must take a special responsibility to increase the
1583 money put into international aid. All EU member states should finally meet
1584 the objective of 0,7% of ODA dedicated to international aid already agreed
1585 upon, without taking expenditures in defence and migration into
1586 consideration.
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1587 - European international aid must be coordinated amongst the Member States
1588 in order to support democracy and human rights and not contributing to
1589 corruption or bad governance. The aid must also be given and managed in
1590 close cooperation with the recipient countries and regions.
1591 - The international development cooperation must not be linked to commercial
1592 preconditions of any kind. However, the development cooperation must be
1593 closely followed and evaluated in order to be useful and also improved.
1594 - Not only money must be fairly distributed, also knowledge and technology
1595 must be shared among humanity. Research results and other human
1596 scientific victories must be shared to make all humanity profit from them.
1597 - A fair distribution of the world’s wealth demands fair trade. This requires a
1598 strong regulation of international exchanges. EU can no longer demand from
1599 its economical partners to open their border whilst at the same time raising
1600 tariffs and granting domestic subsidies.
1601 - We have to continue our fight for Economic Partnership Agreements that are
1602 tools for the economic development of the ACP countries instead of
1603 instruments of liberalisation. The cooperation between the EU and ACP
1604 countries should follow the aim of food sovereignty and maintain the
1605 possibility of non-reciprocal trade preferences.
1606 - A fair distribution of the world’s wealth demands fair trade. This requires free
1607 trade in a fair regulatory framework. Economically poor countries benefit
1608 since they get the possibility to economic development and growth since they
1609 are not any longer held outside expansive and profit making markets.
1610 Everyone wins, including the today economical rich countries, because the
1611 world becomes fairer and the production more efficient. Domestic subsidies
1612 and tariffs of industrialised countries have to be abolished.
1613 - However, free trade cannot be implemented over a night. Developing
1614 countries must be able to protect their markets under a starting period.
1615 Industrialised countries must take greater responsibility to implement free
1616 trade; immediately abolish commodity subsidies and tariffs. The EU must
1617 reform its Common Agricultural Policy.
1618 - Welfare services and social security systems must be protected from free
1619 trade. They are not commodities.
1620 - To reach a more democratic world, human rights and democracy must
1621 penetrate all spheres of our global society, including international trade and
1622 the global financial system. The World Trade Organisation (WTO), the World
1623 Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) should be targets for these
1624 concerns since they today are steered more by a pure economic approach by
1625 mainly the richest countries, than by the people of the world. The WTO, the
1626 World Bank and the IMF should be reformed and incorporated within the
1627 reformed UN system, in order to become efficient tools of international
1628 solidarity respecting human rights.
1629
1630 8.5 Fair and equal access to technology
1631 ECOSY – Young European Socialists fight for the right and opportunity for everyone
1632 to have access to technologies and infrastructure that will improve their lives, with
1633 special emphasis on developing countries and communities. We can promote human
1634 development through access to technology by:
1635 - Raising awareness among European citizens about how they can make
1636 decisions that positively affect developing communities
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1637 - Demanding the European Union to take on a leading role in poverty

1638 alleviation.
1639
1640 8.6 Engage and disarm

1641 Real security is based on multilateralism, trust, respect and solidarity. The EU
1642 supports security for the Union through contributing to conflict prevention and
1643 conflict management. This must be done through active diplomacy and wealth
1644 distribution, and also through aiming at being the mediator supporting sustainable
1645 solutions. Nevertheless, in some situations are neither diplomacy nor wealth
1646 distribution enough and the hard facts on the ground pose difficult choices. Then the
1647 EU must be able to meet needs asking for military cooperation and activities.
1648 - The EU must be able to act with military force when required by the
1649 international society manifested in the authorization of the UN Security
1650 Council, the creation of a European military must be a process including
1651 larger participation of the member states and the European Parliament.
1652 - Nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction pose a great threat
1653 to humanity, independently of in which hands they are. To achieve
1654 disarmament serious multilateral initiatives are needed with the aim of total
1655 international disarmament as the final goal. The EU must invest more time in
1656 advocating international disarmament through all its channels and relations
1657 with international partners. The Union should also set the example by
1658 starting to disarm its own arsenals that are in the hands of different member
1659 states.
1660
1661 8.7 Sound Neighbourhood policies

1662 The European neighbourhood policies must be shaped with the same values as we
1663 use to build our own society. Democracy, human rights, respect of international law
1664 and rule of law. It must be aimed at building co-operations, to fight dictatorships, to
1665 support peace agreements and to eradicate poverty. In that sense we support the
1666 initiative of the Alliance of Civilizations on which the UN is already working, specially
1667 regarding its potential conclusions, as a good tool for building understanding, conflict
1668 resolution and peace.
1669 - Close co-operations must be built with Balkan countries in order to facilitate
1670 accession to the EU. The signing of the Stability and Association Agreements
1671 is a monumental step forward.
1672 - The EU must foster and develop a better relationship with Turkey and its
1673 citizens. A Turkish EU membership is desirable in order to strengthen the EU,
1674 multiculturalism and peace. However, a Turkish accession cannot happen
1675 before Turkey fulfils the criteria of the Acquis Communautaire: human rights,
1676 democratic values, rule of law, good neighbourhood relations, economic
1677 policy and social standards.
1678 - Europe must improve its relationship with its biggest and close neighbour,
1679 Russia. The EU must advocate democratic development and the rule of law,
1680 with special attention to human rights and maintain a continuing dialogue on
1681 energy supply.
1682 - ECOSY - Young European Socialists strongly advocates for a Black Sea Area
1683 Union. The EU must pro,ote peace, democracy, human rights and mutual
1684 understanding within the region.
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1685 - There is a need to bridge the Atlantic gap through an improved and
1686 constructive cooperation between the EU and the US on the basis of common
1687 and democratic values.
1688 - The Euro-Med cooperation is of great importance for the whole EU and the
1689 world, and must be further developed and deepened. The new ‘Union for the
1690 Mediterranean’ cannot remain a structure without content and become a tool
1691 for resolving problems, enhancing cooperation and creating development.
1692 - The EU must fight all dictatorships and use all peaceful means to support
1693 democracy. The situation in the last dictatorship of Europe, Belarus, is
1694 pressing. The EU must support the citizens’ work for democracy both by
1695 supporting grassroot activities such as youth exchanges, programmes
1696 facilitating for the Belarusian youth to study within the EU, and by executing
1697 high level pressure through different political and economic means.
1698 - This also applies to other dictatorships in the close neighbourhood of Europe.
1699 The EU should use its association agreements in order to do so. If a partner
1700 country does not respects human rights, and therefore is not respecting the
1701 articles of the association agreements, the agreements should be suspended
1702 to enable the partner to change policies. If no changes are done and human
1703 rights are still not respected the EU must follow the association agreements
1704 and terminate them.
1705 - Europe must support peace agreements to be reached and implemented. The
1706 agreement between Morocco and Western Sahara must be followed and a
1707 referendum on the independence of Western Sahara, must take place. The
1708 EU cannot allow Morocco to continue destroying the process. The Moroccan
1709 occupation of Western Sahara must end.
1710 - The EU must be actively involved in supporting a peaceful solution to the
1711 Israel-Palestine conflict. The two-people-two-state solution must be realised.
1712 The Israeli occupation of Palestine must end and the borders of 1967
1713 respected by all sides. Both parties must respect each other, follow
1714 international law, come back to the peace process and stop all violent actions
1715 towards civilians. The EU can and must support this.
1716 - At the same time, the EU has to be an active and credible partner for peace
1717 and stability in the whole wider Middle East area, supporting the efforts of
1718 Lebanon against internal and external armed conflicts, clarifying to Iran and
1719 Syria that it will be their partner only in peaceful procedures, and helping the
1720 people of Iraq to reconstruct their country.
1721 - The EU must pay more attention to Africa, in both its unity and whole
1722 diversity. EU should develop a sound partnership with the African Union in
1723 order to side-by-side fight poverty and develop democracy in the region with
1724 all different approaches needed in the different countries on the continent.
1725
1726 8.8 A strong global labour movement

1727 To build a fairer world it requires an active, democratic and global labour movement.
1728 We, ECOSY – Young European Socialists, work together with IUSY – International
1729 Union of Socialist Youth for this. We demand the Party of European Socialists and the
1730 Socialist International to do the same, as well as the European Trade Union
1731 Confederation (ETUC) and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC). The
1732 political branch of the labour movement must also cooperate more closely together
1733 with the trade union branch.
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1734 The ITUC must have the right to participate in all UN bodies concerning labour and
1735 trade in order to represent the world’s labour. The ITUC must also develop its work
1736 with international collective agreements. International acts of solidarity, such as
1737 solidarity strikes, must also be permitted.
1738
1739
1740 OUR FUTURE FOR EUROPE
1741
1742 In this Policy Paper ECOSY – Young European Socialists elaborates thoroughly its
1743 vision on the Future of Europe. Young Socialists and Social Democrats from all over
1744 Europe propose not only the further development of Europe, but analyse the world
1745 we all live in. This world can be a better world. This world can provide everyone a
1746 safe and secure environment with opportunities for self-determination and self-
1747 fulfilment. For that ECOSY – Young European Socialists in the last 17 years have
1748 been advocating and will continue to do so in the times to come. A democratic
1749 Europe, a social Europe for everyone and a Europe speaking with one voice
1750 stand at the heart of our common message.
1751
1752
1753
1754
1755
1756
1757
1758
1759
1760
1761
1762
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1764
1765
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ECOSY – Young European Socialists

Position Paper “Change for Europe” – Draft 01

15 CHANGE FOR EUROPE

32 II. POLICY PAPER

34 THE FUTURE OF EUROPE

39 A SOCIAL EUROPE FOR EVERYONE

47 A EUROPE SPEAKING WITH ONE VOICE

50 OUR FUTURE FOR EUROPE

53 THE FUTURE OF EUROPE

297 A SOCIAL EUROPE FOR EVERYONE

397 exercise their rights. Therefore ECOSY requests a European Children’s

498 backgrounds. Current student exchange programmes must be improved and

549 - A yearly audit has to be undertaken by the European Commission,

599 Forms of Discrimination Against Women has to be strengthened in order to

648 - It is necessary to specifically focus on employment measures to support

697 - To respond to mass migration, we need to tackle its causes: poverty,

849 response schemes and access to supplementary education in the case of

900 available: 1) contractual arrangements providing adequate flexibility for both

1053 6. INVESTING IN THE FUTURE OF PEOPLE

1405 - Carpooling should be actively promoted in areas where public transport is

1443 A EUROPE SPEAKING WITH ONE VOICE

1491 - The UN Charter must be revised in order to enable UN to effectively stop

1498 8.2 Improve international law

1531 8.3 Promoting Human Rights

1563 8.4 Fair distribution of wealth

1637 - Demanding the European Union to take on a leading role in poverty

1640 8.6 Engage and disarm

1661 8.7 Sound Neighbourhood policies

1726 8.8 A strong global labour movement

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