ECOSY Congress 11 Draft RnD Final

ECOSY – Young European Socialists www.ecosy.org

1 10th ECOSY Congress

Bucharest, 31st March – 3rd April 2011 Draft Resolutions & Declarations

1

2

3

4

5

6

10TH ECOSY CONGRESS 7

Bucharest, 31 March – 3 April 2011 8

9

10

11

Draft Resolutions & Declarations 12




page

Let’s do it now! The Party of European Socialists needs a common

programme

Jusos Germany

4

A path towards federal Europe

FGS Italy, SG Italy 4

Restoring trust

MJS France, Labour Students UK 5

Sports

ELYA Bulgaria 6

For publically funded higher education and adequate social living standards for students

SJÖ Austria, VSStÖ Austria, Animo Belgium, SONK Finland, MJS France, JS in de PvdA Netherlands, Mladi Forum Slovenia, SSF Sweden, Labour Students UK

7

Education against homophobia

Animo Belgium, SJD-Die Falken Germany, SDY Serbia, Labour Students UK 8

Support the prides – smash homophobia

SJÖ Austria, VSStÖ Austria, Animo Belgium, SDY Serbia 9

Stand together against right-wing extremism

SJÖ Austria, VSStÖ Austria, SJD-Die Falken Germany, SDY Serbia, Mladi Forum Slovenia, Young Labour UK

10

Automatic recognition of same-sex marriages and registered

partnerships JS Portugal

11

Young people and violence against women: raise your voice!

JSE Spain 13

Gender identity legislation as a human rights priority

SDY Finland, SONK Finland, JS Portugal 14

Addressing labour migration

Animo Belgium 15

The future of pension systems in Europe: the need to address the

right questions

SJÖ Austria, VSStÖ Austria, Animo Belgium, MJS Belgium, MJS France, Mladi Forum Slovenia

16

Redistribution against poverty

Animo Belgium, SJD-Die Falken Germany, SDY Serbia, Mladi Forum Slovenia, Labour Students UK

17

More progressive taxation

SDY Finland, SONK Finland 19

For social basics in order to start the economic recuperation

JSE Spain 20

Energy for all: 100% renewable energy in Europe by 2050

Animo Belgium, Labour Students UK 21




The privatisation of groundwater must end

SDY Finland, SONK Finland, JS Portugal 23

Water of life for Europe: autonomy, coherence and sustainability

FGS Italy 24

On the conflict in the Western Sahara

JS Portugal 24

End NATO – for a secure and peaceful world

Jusos Germany, SJD-Die Falken Germany 26

Establish an international convention to abolish nuclear weapons

SSF Sweden, SSU Sweden 28

The European Union is not allowed to reinterpret international law to

be able to fish in Western Saharian waters

SSF Sweden, SSU Sweden

29

Reforming the Socialist International, an urgent necessity

Animo Belgium, MJS France, JS in de PvdA Netherlands, Mladi Forum Slovenia, Labour Students UK

30

For Turkish integration into the European Union

Animo Belgium, EDEK Youth Cyprus, MSD Czech Republic, Jusos Germany, PASOK Youth Greece, Mladi Forum Slovenia

32

Italian unity in the European context

FGS Italy, SG Italy 34




LET’S DO IT NOW! THE PARTY OF EUROPEAN SOCIALISTS NEEDS A 13

COMMON POLITICAL PROGRAMME 14

15

Proposed by Jusos Germany 16

17

The European social democrats and socialists have a common history, but sometimes 18

different solutions for problems as well. The strength of the social democrats and 19

socialists is the fact that on the one hand they find different solutions, but on the other 20

hand they come to a common curse of action in the Party of European Socialists at the 21

same time. 22

23

Today the social democrats and socialists in Europe are in a minor position towards the 24

political right-hand parties. Most parliaments and governments are right-hand 25

dominated. The answers on new social problems, new democratic movements, the 26

change in making decisions through the internet or the global role of Europe in the 21st 27

need to be found at European level. A common approach of Europe`s Socialst and Social 28

democrats will make us stronger and opens the opportunity to find new solutions aside 29

from national egoism. 30

31

ECOSY – Young European Socialists therefore demand a common political programme for 32

the Party of European Socialists. And we want it now. ECOSY - Young Socialist asks the 33

Leader’s Conference to develop a roadmap for a common political programme as soon as 34

possible, which leads to a decision on the next Party of European Socialists congress. 35

ECOSY – Young European Socialists will argue for this on all levels. 36

37

A PATH TOWARDS FEDERAL EUROPE 38

39

Proposed by FGS Italy, SG Italy 40

41

The ratification of Lisbon Treaty by the member states was a cornerstone in the direction 42

of a stronger European Union. Notwithstanding its lack of constitutional aura of the 43

original project rejected in 2005 by some countries, nevertheless the improvements are 44

of great importance for European integration: a stronger European Parliament, the 45

Citizens' initiative, the reinforced scrutiny by national parliaments of EU legislation, the 46

new institutional figures of President of European Council and High Representative for 47

Common Foreign and Security Policy etc. 48

49

As ECOSY, we will keep struggling for further political and institutional steps in the 50

direction of a truly federal Europe, such as: 51

� The unification of President of European Council and President of the Commission, 52

considering that with the current legal framework it is already possible to have a 53

single person detaining both posts. This is a good way to create a politically 54

stronger European Union chief of the executive, avoiding the Commission being 55

kept as the secretariat of governments like it has been in many ways with 56

Barroso. 57

� Transnational european elections lists: this means that a quota of the current 58

European Parliament seats will be elected not on national lists but on European 59

parties lists that are the same for whole European Union. This will strenghten 60

European party politics, which is vital to make people understand fully what is at 61

stake in every European election, now still too much focused on internal national 62

issues. 63




� Legislative initiative for the European Parliament, to make it really a the voice of 64

the European people. 65

� Support of Citizens' initiatives by European parties to mobilise the population on 66

critical decisions on Europe's future and to create an European public opinion 67

around these political issues. This way it might be possible to find convergences 68

between different parties and groups and to be able to build bigger progressive 69

alliances through the direct engagement of citizens. 70

71

A real European federation is still far away but reaching these objectives by next 72

European elections could be a great leap forward in the right direction. 73

74

RESTORING TRUST 75

76

Proposed by MJS France, Labour Students UK 77

78

Youth has always been an uncertain period of life. For our generation more than for the 79

previous one, this uncertainty is synonymous with difficulties in finding a proper place in 80

society. The so-called frivolity of youth, if not a myth, is the privilege of a very small 81

caste. On the contrary, for most young people, the field of possibilities is getting more 82

and more restricted, and day-to-day existence is a permanent struggle to gain more 83

autonomy and escape poverty. 84

85

Yet, there is one thing in which young people are rich: their capacity to mobilise in favour 86

of what they believe in. The recent events in Greece, Spain, Portugal, France, the United 87

Kingdom, Tunisia, Algeria and Egypt all showed a youth facing different problems but 88

sharing the same aspirations for more democracy, justice and equality. 89

90

Socialists can and have to respond to those aspirations, but they suffer from the youth's 91

general disillusionment about politics and politicians. Such disenchantment is in some 92

respects understandable: why would they trust political leaders who, for the most part, 93

seem unable to secure them a future? 94

95

ECOSY – Young European Socialists is aware that confidence is not something to be 96

assumed upon oneself but something to be deserved. And the best way to prove that the 97

left and the right are not all much of a muchness is to offer credible alternatives aiming 98

at a real social transformation. 99

100

Because no one should leave the educational system without a degree, because youth 101

unemployment is not a fate, because we want to leave our children a healthier planet, 102

and for many other reasons ECOSY – Young European Socialists proposes ambitious left-103

wing policies. 104

105

Whatever the country or the continent, young people’s main concern remains the same: 106

finding a job. According to a recent International Labour Organisation report, in 2010, 78 107

million young people were unemployed worldwide, or 4.5 million more than before the 108

crisis. The same year, the unemployment rate among 15 to 24-year-olds reached 12.6%, 109

or 2.6 times higher than for people above 25. And although having a degree remains the 110

best protection against unemployment, it is in no way a guarantee to get a job that is 111

suited for one's qualifications or even merely decent. Right-wing political parties have 112

always treated education and employment as the poor relation and blamed 113

underperforming pupils and students and unemployed persons for lacking willpower or 114




simply not fitting the system. ECOSY – Young European Socialists strongly denounces 115

this vision, for it is based on unacceptable prejudices and justifies the fact that some 116

people are left behind by the side of the road. It is urgent to improve educational 117

systems by making them more adaptable to each pupil and student’s abilities and needs, 118

and to carry on pro-active job-creation policies, which implies reviewing a whole range of 119

policies in the fields of public works, industry, and the environment, since activities 120

related to environmental protection provide a great breeding-ground for jobs. 121

122

Investing massively into clean, renewable forms of energy and making individual and 123

collective behaviours evolve is all the more vital as if no radical changes are achieved in 124

the way we produce and consume, we are all heading for disaster. Everywhere on the 125

globe, ecological and human tragedies have multiplied because of climate disturbances, 126

but despite a growing ecological awareness among citizens, and in particular among 127

young people, world powers keep setting environmental goals they do not even try to 128

reach, out of fear that the first one to move might be the loser. For ECOSY – Young 129

European Socialists, there is no time for cowardice. We cannot afford to wait until all 130

countries are willing to act as one. However, nothing can be expected from the right in 131

this respect. Of course, conservatives and liberals pretend to care about environmental 132

issues, but their whole ideological corpus and the economic models they advocate are 133

completely incompatible with sustainable development and a prudent management of 134

resources. ECOSY – Young European Socialists states it clearly: ecology is not a matter of 135

political opportunism; it is a matter of conviction and long-term commitment. 136

137

But in the field of environment as in every other, a political project is only meaningful if 138

people can appropriate it. Unfortunately, the political sphere is often seen as a rat race 139

possessing its own language and codes, and where decisions are made without any kind 140

of control. ECOSY – Young European Socialists is convinced of the need to completely 141

rethink the way politics is done in order to re-empower citizens. Although the media are 142

a precious intermediary between political decision-makers and citizens, it is essential to 143

establish a more direct relation and to make sure exchanges work both ways. It is by 144

creating new spaces for consultation and expression and by meeting people in the places 145

where they live, work and socialise that we will gather around us all those who refuse to 146

be sacrificed on the altar of profit and competitiveness and want to be the masters of 147

their own destiny. 148

149

SPORTS 150

151

Proposed by ELYA Bulgaria 152

153

We, the young Bulgarian social democrats, claim that sport activities of young people not 154

also in Europe, but worldwide are a big problem due to their very low level of practicing. 155

156

Increase in sport activities can be done via: 157

� Obligatory sport disciplines in all levels of education; 158

� Sport activities in the youth age cannot be a matter of choice, but obligation such 159

as medical examination etc. 160

� Youth activity in the last years is related with debates, meetings and discussions 161

but not with the literal meaning of the word activity – sport. We should restore 162

the literal meaning of the word “activity”; 163

� ECOSY should organize and promote sports event and sport competitions all over 164

Europe. 165




� More actions for building and constructing of sport site in the countries from the 166

former Eastern Block that joined EU in 2007. 167

168

Increase in sport activities will lead to: 169

� Health status improvement of youngsters; 170

� Decrease the percentage of healthcare cost which are attributable to overweight 171

and obesity. 172

173

174

FOR PUBLICALLY FUNDED HIGHER EDUCATION AND ADEQUATE 175

SOCIAL LIVING STANDARDS FOR STUDENTS 176

177

Proposed by SJÖ Austria, VSStÖ Austria, Animo Belgium, SONK Finland, MJS France, JS 178

in de PvdA Netherlands, Mladi Forum Slovenia, SSF Sweden, Labour Students UK 179

180

This autumn and winter, in a number of European countries, students have been taking 181

to the streets, organising their interests and fighting for their right to free and equal 182

access to higher education. These events in Austria, the Netherlands and Great Britain 183

have raised students’ awareness of political processes. They have not only shown that 184

students are able to organise themselves as an important group in society with clear 185

political demands, but also that there is a clear conservative and neo-liberal plan behind 186

the debates on higher education policy reforms. Higher education institutions, indeed, 187

have already been under neo-liberal attack since the 1990s. 188

189

As a result of the financial and economic crisis European Union member states have 190

embarked on a programme of budget consolidation. Now, as conservative and liberal 191

groups and parties have gained power in most of Europe, they use this development to 192

put even more pressure on higher education institutions and students: cutting funds for 193

higher education and research, cutting allowances and aids, imposing or introducing 194

(higher) tuition fees. 195

196

Conservatives do this because they have their own idea of education. They want private 197

and elite institutions with limited access and without decent living standards for students 198

from the working class or less privileged backgrounds. They want the private sector to 199

tell the universities what should be taught and what the results of research should be. 200

Our vision of higher education is completely different. We stand for an inclusive higher 201

education system without any obvious or hidden barriers to access, that ensures that no 202

person, whatever socio-economic background s/he comes from, must abandon her/his 203

program because of financial limitations and that everybody who wants to take part in 204

higher education will be able to do so. We stand for higher education systems with 205

adequate public funding that makes higher education institutions independent from 206

private business interests and influence. We demand adequate taxation of wealth, high 207

incomes, inheritance and financial transactions to raise funds for a public higher 208

education sector. 209

210

In this fight, that some of us also have to face within our mother parties, we need 211

European solidarity. Solidarity with higher education lecturers and researchers, with 212

unions and political organisers as well as with grassroots movements of students. 213

214

215

216




In the light of this ECOSY – Young European Socialists: 217

� stands for inclusive, publicly financed higher education systems and demands the 218

abolition of all tuition fees of any kind. 219

� condemns all attempts to abuse the results of the financial crisis as an argument 220

for cuts in higher education budgets and/or financial support to students. These 221

cuts can also never be an adequate way to lead a country out of debt. On the 222

contrary, taxation of high incomes, capital transactions and inheritance is needed. 223

� welcomes and supports students’ movements all over Europe, that fight for the 224

goal of free and equal access to education and adequate support for students. 225

226

227

EDUCATION AGAINST HOMOPHOBIA 228

229

Proposed by Animo Belgium, SJD-Die Falken Germany, SDY Serbia, Labour Students UK 230

231

In more than 80 countries worldwide, homosexuality is a criminal offence. The 232

punishments vary from prison sentences to the death penalty, and as the murder of 233

David Kato, an LGBTT rights activist from Uganda, demonstrates, the lives of defenders 234

of LGBTT rights are at risk. In this global picture, the European Union has a rather good 235

track record on LGBTT rights. However, we should never forget that rights should not be 236

taken for granted and have to be fought for in order to be kept. Moreover, homophobia is 237

still widespread in the European Union and its applicant countries, and this in spite of 238

existing anti-discrimination legislation. Therefore, ECOSY – Young European Socialists is, 239

first of all, calling for legislation to be complemented with education against 240

discrimination. Respect for all people should be a key component in national education 241

curricula throughout the European Union and applicant countries. Secondly, we call on 242

(higher) education institutions throughout Europe to recognise initiatives by young 243

people and students to form LGBTT associations and societies, by granting them the 244

same rights as other youth and student organisations. 245

246

An overview of events from this year and last is enough to make clear that homophobia 247

is still a reality in Europe. There were member states and applicant countries where 248

LGBTT prides could not take place without violence. In other places homophobia proved 249

to be state-supported through homophobic legislation, which bans minors from accessing 250

information on homosexuality, censors references to sexual orientation in advertising and 251

withdraws sexual identity from the list of grounds protected by educational equal 252

opportunity policies. There were also proposals to impose fines for the ‘public promotion 253

of homosexual relations’. A problem that exists throughout the European Union is the 254

lack of mutual recognition of LGBTT partnerships and marriages, and in some cases their 255

complete non-recognition. 256

257

One would expect better from European Union member states, as the inacceptability of 258

discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation is specifically mentioned in the most 259

important legal documents of the European Union, the European Union Treaties. Indeed, 260

article 13, which entered European Union law with the Amsterdam Treaty 1997, and is 261

now contained in article 19 of the Lisbon Treaty, gives the European Union the ability to 262

take action to combat discrimination based on sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or 263

belief, disability, age or sexual orientation. Secondly, all European Union member states 264

have agreed to ban such discrimination in employment by the end of 2003 with the 265

employment directive that was adopted in 2000. On 2nd July 2008, the European 266

Commission proposed a new single horizontal anti-discrimination directive that would 267




extend the scope of protection for LGBTT people to social protection, social advantages, 268

and access to goods and services. However, this legislation is currently blocked at the 269

level of the Council of the European Union. In order to become European Union law, the 270

proposed directive needs to be adopted unanimously by all European Union member 271

states. Thirdly, the charter of fundamental rights mentions sexual orientation as a 272

prohibited ground for discrimination. Next to these binding measures there are the non-273

binding resolutions of the European Parliament, which carry some political weight, such 274

as the 1994 resolution on equal rights for homosexuals and lesbians in the European 275

Communities. A latest breakthrough, dating from June 2010, is the development of a 276

toolkit, prepared by the Council of the European Union in consultation with civil society 277

organisations, that outlines what the European Union should be doing abroad to defend 278

the human rights of LGBTT people. 279

280

Applicant countries are judged upon meeting the Copenhagen criteria, which include 281

human rights and respect for and the protection of minorities. The accession procedure 282

improved the legal situation in the member states that joined the European Union in the 283

past decade, for instance, in areas such as the decriminalisation of homosexuality and 284

the equalisation of the age of consent. However, it seems that laws did not change at the 285

same pace as attitudes, both of the public opinion and of the political establishment. 286

287

ECOSY – Young European Socialists believes that anti-discrimination legislation is a 288

valuable tool to sanction discriminatory behaviour, which is why we support the proposed 289

single horizontal anti-discrimination directive that would extend the scope of protection 290

for LGBTT people to social protection, social advantages, and access to goods and 291

services. Nevertheless, the many violations of LGBTT rights in the European Union and 292

applicant countries indicate that the current legal framework does not suffice. Nor will the 293

new horizontal anti-discrimination directive suffice, as this measure overlooks the 294

importance of changing the hearts and minds of people through familiarising them with 295

LGBTT issues. Education is key. 296

297

Given the situation outlined above, ECOSY – Young European Socialists: 298

� Calls on European Union member states and applicant countries to include respect 299

for all people, regardless of their sexual identity, ethnic origin, cultural 300

background or conviction in their national education curricula. 301

� Sees as a first concrete implementation of this demand the recognition by 302

(higher) education institutions throughout the European Union and its applicant 303

countries of initiatives by young people and students to form LGBTT associations, 304

societies, and networks, by granting them the same status as other youth and 305

student organisations. For instance, these LGBTT organisations should have the 306

same access rights to campus infrastructure and communication channels as other 307

organisations. The role of these LGBTT associations in empowering young LGBTT 308

people is crucial, and should therefore be supported. 309

310

311

SUPPORT THE PRIDES – SMASH HOMOPHOBIA 312

313

Proposed by SJÖ Austria, VSStÖ Austria, Animo Belgium, SDY Serbia 314

315

In many European countries the LGBTT pride day is like its name: it is a day of pride, fun 316

and solidarity. But we can also see contrary tendencies. Prides are often accompanied 317

with homophobic media campaigns and violence against the participants. Often, right-318




wing extremist and neo-Nazi groups physically attack the parades in order to stop them 319

from taking place. In some cases the police do not protect the prides, but joins in 320

attacking them. Homophobia is in most European countries still a central ideology in 321

society. One part of the fight against it is to support the prides. It is one of the main 322

goals of ECOSY - Young European Socialists to create a society without homophobia! 323

324

ECOSY - Young European Socialists: 325

� supports the LGBTT pride movement all over Europe and the world. 326

� calls on its member organisations to support and attend the national LGBTT prides 327

and LGBTT prides in other countries. 328

� will publish the dates of LGBTT prides on its homepage and provide assistance to 329

member organisations wishing to send delegations to them. 330

331

332

STAND TOGETHER AGAINST RIGHT-WING EXTREMISM 333

334

Proposed by SJÖ Austria, VSStÖ Austria, SJD-Die Falken Germany, SDY Serbia, Mladi 335

Forum Slovenia, Young Labour UK 336

337

Different forms of right-wing extremism have been on the rise since the 1980s in Europe. 338

In several European countries parties of the radical right have recently been relatively 339

successful in national and local elections. To the outside world, their extreme positions 340

may seem to resemble those of the fascist and national-socialist movements of the 341

1930s and '40s, although their positions are brought across in a different way. This is 342

often not done openly, but hidden behind clever rhetoric. 343

344

Right-wing extremist thinking is a combination of simplistic and hateful attitudes, anti-345

semitism, racism, nationalism, sexism, homophobia, authoritarianism and chauvinism. It 346

is often accompanied by a blind belief in the superiority of one national or ethnic group. 347

348

Representatives of these movements sometimes also reject parliamentarism as a way of 349

solving problems in society and as a way of representation of different opinions or 350

diverse social movements. But sometimes they even use the means of parliamentarism, 351

e.g. prestigious positions, in order to legitimise their vision of politics and make their 352

ideology socially acceptable. 353

354

Right-wing extremist parties, in government or not, are a threat for democracy. Not only 355

their policies are dangerous, also their ideas and ideology gain wider acceptance. Right-356

wing extremist parties have often found their way to a central position in society. It is no 357

longer perceived as disgraceful to vote for the far right. 358

359

Right-wing extremist political parties and movements offer simple solutions. For any 360

difficulties or social issues they blame groups of people like immigrants, Jews, Roma, or 361

homosexuals, and they often lead hate campaigns against them. But it would be too easy 362

to state that those parties and groups are only supported by frustrated people. Over the 363

last decades we’ve seen a triumph of neo-liberal economics and in many areas the 364

dismantling of the welfare state. 365

366

The current economic crisis has shown more sharply than ever that where socialists and 367

social democrats are found lacking in their commitment and policies to build an equal 368




society or have taken their traditional working class support base for granted, all too 369

often the far right have moved to fill that vacuum. 370

371

The decline of ideology within social democracy has led to voters seeking an alternative 372

to support. The search for identity and the increasing individualisation of society have led 373

to an abstract desire for ‘security’ and an opportunity for the rhetoric of the extreme 374

right to gain buoyancy with the electorate. 375

376

The extreme right managed to rhetorically meet the concerns of the working class and 377

lower middle class who face insecurity, unemployment and rapid changes in 378

demographics in their communities, yet find themselves less well equipped to deal with 379

those changes and the welfare state not there to help them come to terms with these 380

changes. 381

382

Young people have been particularly affected: many young people do not trust politics, 383

and a greater number are of the opinion that politicians show insufficient regard for the 384

needs and rights of their contemporaries. The extreme right have capitalised on such 385

fears and have sought to explain complex situations with simple rhetoric. 386

387

Socialism and social democracy must fight with working class people for the interests of 388

working class people: it must stand by their side and show them that the extreme right is 389

not the answer to their problems. It must show them that the only solution to fight 390

inequality and poverty is socialist and social democratic politics. 391

392

ECOSY - Young European Socialists calls 393

� upon all political forces committed to democracy, and especially socialist and 394

social democratic parties to declare a strict non-cooperation with right-wing 395

extremists. They need to be isolated from any influence or contribution to public 396

life. 397

� to fight united against right-wing extremism. It is a threat to freedom and 398

democracy, a threat to the fundamental values of our movement. In order to 399

preserve those values it is our duty to fight the right-wing extremists and their 400

intentions. 401

� upon socialist and social democratic parties to actively fight inequalities and 402

(youth) unemployment. It must be our task to elaborate upon employment, 403

education, housing, migration and integration policies and thereby regain 404

credibility among young voters. It is up to the socialist and social democratic 405

movement to build an equal society. 406

407

408

AUTOMATIC RECOGNITION OF SAME-SEX MARRIAGES AND 409

REGISTERED PARTNERSHIPS 410

411

Proposed by JS Portugal 412

413

The major fundamental rights struggle for the recognition of same-sex marriages all over 414

the world represents a firm commitment of all parties within the Socialist and Social-415

democratic family in Europe. Currently, of the ten sovereign countries that have granted 416

equality in access to civil marriage, five are members of the European Union (Belgium, 417

the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Sweden) and further 11 EU member states have 418

introduced some form of civil union or registered partnership (Austria, the Czech 419




Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Luxembourg, Slovenia 420

and the United Kingdom). 421

422

Although more than half of the EUs member states have already introduced some sort of 423

legal recognition for same-sex couples (albeit only a few have granted marriage rights), 424

the fact that same-sex couples in many EU countries don’t yet have access to legal 425

protection constitutes one of the most relevant forms of legal discrimination between 426

homosexual and heterosexual couples, depriving thousands of men and women of the 427

possibility of a stable legal recognition of their relationship, which entails a strong impact 428

on access to social services and other benefits. 429

430

The Bureau of ECOSY has already taken a position on this topic in the past, but the 431

recent increase in member states that recognized marriage rights and/or civil unions to 432

same-sex couples reveals a increase in urgency for action to be take. 433

434

Firstly, ECOSY reiterates its objective for all other member states to join the pioneer 435

member states in implementing changes to their civil legislation that introduced same-436

sex marriage to their legal systems. 437

438

Secondly, the institutions of the European Union must deal with the need to assure those 439

same-sex couples who do marry the possibility to move to other EU countries and have 440

their legal status preserved. It is unbearable that in the context of a common political 441

community which guarantees its citizens free movement as a fundamental right, a basic 442

aspect of a person’s legal status be subject to change based on the place of residence. 443

444

As the EU further develops common procedures in the field of family law, as well as a 445

gradual harmonization of national legislations in the field of the Law of Conflicts, ECOSY 446

once again urges the European Commission and all other European institutions to 447

contemplate the need to implement legislation allowing for same-sex marriages and civil 448

partnerships, valid under the legal system of one of its member States, to be 449

automatically recognized in all others. 450

451

The implementation of such a proposal finds decisive legal grounds not only in the fact 452

that discrimination based on sexual orientation is expressly prohibited by the European 453

Charter of Fundamental Rights, but also in the fact that equality of treatment and liberty 454

of movement are basic guarantees of EU citizens since the very first draft of the founding 455

treaties. 456

457

ECOSY believes that allowing for automatic recognition of same-sex marriages and civil 458

partnerships not only represents an urgent coherent response to the problem in the light 459

of the Treaty of Lisbon and the commitment to ban all forms of discrimination, but also 460

constitutes a significant symbolic recognition, at the highest level of the European 461

institutions, of the need for equal treatment to all Europeans, regardless of their sexual 462

orientation. 463

464

465

466

467

468

469

470




YOUNG PEOPLE AND VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN: RAISE YOUR 471

VOICE! 472

473

Proposed by JSE Spain 474

475

ECOSY - Young European Socialist highlight our support to European efforts to finish with 476

violence against women. In this way, it is fundamental, in our point of view, the 477

work that European Observatory about Violence against Women, recently created, will 478

perform. 479

480

It is basic to develop a policy that make clear the existing situation; to 481

establish the necessary measures in order to let women report aggressions; and 482

impose those measures without any delay. It is also necessary to achieve a total 483

and public awareness in order to publish the real situation for many women in 484

Europe and all over the world. 485

486

The main problem that we have to solve comes since the first years: it is important in 487

our society to set a priority in educational policies to promote the respect, the equality 488

and to establish the right roles. At the same time, awareness across the mass media, 489

highlighting the real cases and the public campaigns, with public help and policies 490

have become right practices that should be implemented in European countries. 491

492

But it is also certain that it is not enough with the institutional protection, although it 493

exists and it is bigger each time: reporting is the only way empower the protection 494

system, with the police and judicial systems. Silence is the best accomplice for 495

abusers, giving them a total impunity and a wide freedom to make their brutal 496

aggressions. 497

498

Due to the importance of setting a European society with both men and women 499

with the same obligations and with the same rights, European Young socialist and social 500

democrats keep a spirit that serve us like aim: a constant report and the work to 501

eradicate any discrimination, and to achieve the stronger prosecution to the violence 502

against women under any circumstances. 503

504

The violence against women is the first cause of death among women aged between 15 505

and 44 years old, rather than war, traffic accidents or the different kinds of cancer. It 506

goes beyond cultures, level of incomes, geographic areas, and it happens all over the 507

world. It is not a problem of adult people: first signs appear in early relationships 508

with the control over friendship, threats, sexual impositions, control over look or 509

clothes... 510

511

However, it is claim in several studies that young people don’t see some of these 512

behaviors like threats or like situations of non-physical violence, so education 513

continues being a fundamental work in this issue in early ages. 514

515

ECOSY – Young European Socialists: 516

� Demands more effectiveness in the police and judicial cooperation in Europe for 517

the prosecution against those who make violence against women. 518

� Demands a complete involvement of local, regional and national administrations in 519

the introduction of values of equality and mutual respect since the first levels of 520

the primary school. 521




� Show our stronger condemnation to the male chauvinism like a kind of violence 522

that is incompatible with a modern, democratic and progressive society. 523

524

525

GENDER IDENTITY LEGISLATION AS A HUMAN RIGHTS PRIORITY 526

527

Proposed by SDY Finland, SONK Finland, JS Portugal 528

529

The times we are living in are of great economic and social struggle. In a moment when 530

Europe is facing serious problems in dealing with youth unemployment and when 531

economic and financial struggles dominate the news and set the agenda of the European 532

Union and its member states, it is important not to forget that the construction of Europe 533

has always been about values. Values that have set the difference and offered standards 534

to the rest of the world. 535

536

But in these times of economic crisis, can we still claim that the Europe we know is up to 537

its challenges? If we look at the European political landscape at the moment, we are 538

confronted with the predominance of right wing parties in government. If we further 539

analyse their performance in government, we realise how their policies have not only 540

lead us to the situation we are currently in economically, but also how their vision tries to 541

influences the core values of Europe, preventing progressive values to prevail. The 542

attitude of most right-wing governments towards the transgender and transsexual 543

community eloquently reveals this fact. 544

545

In recent years, all over Europe, Socialists and Social-democrats have been fighting hard 546

for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender/Transsexual rights and, in several countries, 547

have even managed to approve legislation introducing same-sex marriage. The rights of 548

transgender people, however, have not always received the same coverage and attention 549

within the LGBT agenda, representing one of the most challenging issues in Europe. 550

551

On the one hand, conservatives attempt to correlate negative moral and emotional 552

implications to the problem, usually associating them to lack of information and prejudice 553

in order to succeed in ignoring the issue. On the other hand, the questions at hand raise 554

many complex legal implications, that require careful debate and decisive action. It is 555

therefore no wonder that in many countries a huge legal blur surrounding the rights of 556

the transgender and transsexual people still subsides, making this a question that urges 557

to be cleared and solved. 558

559

Most recently, the Portuguese socialist Government initiated a legislative procedure 560

aiming at passing a gender identity law, simplifying the recognition of sex-change 561

procedures. Unsurprisingly to many, it met fierce opposition on the right and a veto from 562

the right-wing President - even though it had achieved broad parliamentary support that 563

surpassed the left-wing parties and was recognized by experts (lawyers, medical doctors 564

and activists) as a significant step forward, in the line of the legislation in Spain or the 565

UK. 566

567

The Portuguese example shows that even if there is still a lot of work to be done 568

regarding the end of prejudice and in opening up the minds of the population, this type 569

of legislative initiatives has one main goal: to make the process of name and sex change 570

in civil registration much easier for those who underwent or are in the process of 571




undergoing sex-changing procedures, improving the quality of life of thousands of 572

people. 573

574

In fact, these apparently insignificant modifications to civil identification laws represent a 575

huge step forward for transgender and transsexual people in defining their lawful 576

identity, as well as allowing their inner self to match their legal identity. It simultaneously 577

solves two major problems faced by the majority of transgender and transsexual people: 578

� Ending bureaucratic and legally complicated and lengthy procedures regarding the 579

recognition of sex and name change; and 580

� Promoting an easy and trouble-free integration for transgender and transsexual 581

people in society. 582

583

Considering that these political and legal changes are vital to improving the protection of 584

human rights in Europe and to fighting discrimination, ECOSY therefore embraces the 585

need to influence the political agenda and promote the urgent adoption (or improvement) 586

of the necessary legal framework in every European country. 587

588

ECOSY will remain at the upfront of the fight to ensure human rights protection and the 589

end to discrimination, thereby improvement the quality of our democracy, and making 590

sure that the conservative prejudice that is undermining the best European tradition in 591

this field does not triumph. 592

593

594

ADDRESSING LABOUR MIGRATION 595

596

Proposed by Animo Belgium 597

598

As long as the world is divided by inequalities, people will migrate in search of a better 599

life. In order to relieve the prevailing pressure on asylum procedures all over Europe, 600

ECOSY – Young European Socialists makes a case for new channels of economic 601

migration. The crucial question in this regard is how to organise a balanced system for 602

labour migration, which meets the demands of destination countries, whilst respecting 603

the needs of poor countries in the South. 604

605

The European Commission has calculated that Europe will need to attract approximately 606

56 million new labour migrants in order to tackle the issue of an ageing population and to 607

fill the available job openings. Today, it is extremely difficult for people from outside the 608

European Union to get a job in Europe. Employers are required to give priority to 609

employees from within the European Union, and have to prove that they were not able to 610

find any European Union citizens to take the job before being allowed to hire non-611

citizens. 612

613

In the past few years, a number of initiatives have therefore been taken at European 614

Union level to liberalise economic migration policies. With the European ‘Blue Card’, 615

employees from non-European Union countries can come to work in Europe for a fixed 616

period. ECOSY – Young European Socialists opposes this concept of ‘circular migration’, 617

which allows people to work in Europe for a short period, but requires them to then 618

return to their country of origin with the option of re-applying for yet another temporary 619

work permit. ECOSY – Young European Socialists believes it is not realistic to expect 620

people, who have been living in Europe for a longer period, and whose children have 621

been going to a European school for a number of years, to return to their so-called 622




homeland, and wonders if Europe will not be confronted with the same phenomenon as in 623

the late eighties, when it became clear that the ‘guest workers’ from the fifties and 624

sixties would never return home. In contrast to those days, new migrants are now 625

expected to integrate as soon as possible, by learning the host country’s language and 626

assimilating to its customs. In that sense, it is only understandable that people, who 627

gradually have become ‘rooted’ in our societies, are not ready to swap their life in Europe 628

once more for an often poor existence in their country of origin. In the end, we are 629

talking about people, not commodities. According to ECOSY – Young European Socialists, 630

the concept of ‘circular migration’ underestimates the human side of the story and 631

implies a form of economic utilitarianism, inviting people to work here when we need 632

them, but sending them back as soon as they no longer are of use. We can never accept 633

this. As such, ECOSY – Young European Socialists pleads for more permanent forms of 634

migration. Labour migrants, who are given the right to live and work here, must have a 635

secure status which allows them to build up a new, stable life. New migrants are 636

consequently given a real chance to become part of our societies, with as a result that 637

their integration, certainly in combination with civic integration courses, will be less 638

problematic than before. 639

640

In addition, ECOSY – Young European Socialists demands measures to compensate for 641

the devastating phenomenon of so-called brain drain. Concretely, ECOSY – Young 642

European Socialists calls for employers who wish to hire high-skilled workers from 643

development countries to be required to pay a ‘brain drain tax’ for each highly educated 644

employee that they effectively offer a job. The turnover would then be added to the 645

budget for development cooperation. This tax would preferably be introduced at 646

European level. 647

648

649

THE FUTURE OF PENSION SYSTEMS IN EUROPE: THE NEED TO 650

ADDRESS THE RIGHT QUESTIONS 651

652

Proposed by SJÖ Austria, VSStÖ Austria, Animo Belgium, MJS Belgium, MJS France, Mladi 653

Forum Slovenia 654

655

The future of pension systems has become a crucial question in Europe, all the more so 656

in the context of the economic crisis. In most Member States, far-reaching reforms have 657

been adopted, which are based on a similar idea: the combination of improved life 658

expectancy, low birth rates and baby boomers' retirement creates a serious demographic 659

imbalance, that jeopardises pension systems, and the only solution to save them is to 660

incite people to work longer. by raising the legal retirement age, increasing the length of 661

pension contributions in time and/or modifying the calculation of pension rights. 662

663

For ECOSY - Young European Socialists, what is presented to European citizens as a 664

purely logical reasoning is in reality highly ideological and takes a narrow view of things, 665

as if the problem of pensions could only be solved through changes in pension law. 666

ECOSY – Young European Socialists, on the contrary, believes that any serious reflection 667

on pensions must encompass a wider range of issues and policies, in particular 668

employment policies, fiscal policies and labour law. 669

670

In its Green Paper entitled "Towards adequate, sustainable and safe European pension 671

systems", the European Commission draws an alarmist picture of the demographic 672




situation in Europe and advocates, although in rather veiled terms, the raising of the 673

legal retirement age. 674

675

ECOSY – Young European Socialists believes that this approach is not only biased, but 676

also economically and socially questionable. As the European Commission itself 677

underlines, "less than 50% of people are still in employment by the age of 60". In 678

addition it is known that in a large majority of cases, people do not choose to leave the 679

labour market early: they are forced to do so because of redundancies or health 680

problems. Therefore, the main effect of the deferment of the legal retirement age will be 681

to worsen the economic and social situation of the most vulnerable and to transfer the 682

financial cost from pension systems to unemployment benefit systems. Besides, if the 683

average life expectancy is increasing in Europe, the time people may reasonably be 684

expected to live in good health remains much lower and huge inequalities exist: in France 685

for example, an executive can hope to live in good health 10 years longer than a manual 686

worker. 687

688

ECOSY – Young European Socialists is convinced that it is possible to achieve socially fair 689

and economically sustainable pension systems as long as the right questions are 690

addressed: 691

� the best solution to improve the pensioner-to-worker ratio and to increase 692

pension contributions is the implementation of ambitious employment policies. 693

The biggest threat to our pension systems is unemployment, so the main 694

objective should be to make sure that every single person who wants to work (at 695

whichever age) can actually have a job and thus participate in the financing of 696

pensions. There is indeed something wrong with the fact that so many people 697

leave the labour market early, but raising the legal retirement age is useless when 698

the real problem is senior citizens' employability. Many actions could be taken in 699

order to enhance the latter, especially in the countries where senior citizens' 700

employment rates are particularly low: better follow-up processes during the 701

entire career, specific training programmes, adapted working rhythms and 702

methods, incentives to encourage businesses to employ older workers, and so on. 703

Another way to broaden the base of contributors to the pension system is to 704

guarantee that everyone who is in a job is paid and has a decent contract. This is 705

one of the reasons why ECOSY – Young European Socialists is against unpaid 706

internships and calls for the introduction of minimum incomes. 707

� the burden and cost of the pension systems cannot only be supported by workers 708

as it is the case in most past and current reforms. The burden must be fairly 709

shared, which for instance implies that certain types of income which do not yet 710

participate, or very insufficiently, in the financing of pensions should be 711

contributing (bonuses, golden parachutes, income from capital, and so on) and 712

that Member states should re-examine all existing exemptions. 713

714

715

REDISTRIBUTION AGAINST POVERTY 716

717

Proposed by Animo Belgium, SJD-Die Falken Germany, SDY Serbia, Mladi Forum 718

Slovenia, Labour Students UK 719

720

Poverty is symptomatic of societies where there is inequality. Generating wealth and 721

distributing this wealth in a fair and equal way should always be the core of poverty 722

reduction. It is a good thing that with the European year for combating poverty and 723




social exclusion, the European Union attempted to place poverty reduction in the 724

spotlight during 2010. However, ECOSY – Young European Socialists believes that 725

European policy should always be aimed at reducing inequality, rather than just during 1 726

single year. 727

728

In the European Union, around 80 million people, among which 19 million children, are 729

living below the poverty line. These people have severely restricted access to 730

employment, education, decent housing, and social services. There are criteria for 731

measuring the purely financial aspects of poverty: the ‘poverty line’ is put at 60% of the 732

median national income. Poverty is not only not having enough money to get by, it also 733

encompasses social exclusion, a lack of access to social services, which has an impact on 734

poor people’s health, housing, access to communication services, and participation in 735

community life. 736

737

ECOSY – Young European Socialists reiterates its commitment to full employment, and 738

furthermore notes that, even more than to have a job it is important to have a job that 739

guarantees a decent life.19 million people in the European Union are poor, despite being 740

in employment. Since so many people with a job have trouble to make ends meet we can 741

only conclude that working conditions, including salaries, are worsening, that many 742

people are not finding the necessary support from our social services, and that not all 743

jobs are decent jobs. 744

745

The crisis has hit young people particularly hard. Around 21% of all young people under 746

25 in the European Union are unemployed. According to the European Commission, in 747

November 2010, youth unemployment was at its highest level since the beginning of the 748

economic crisis, and is still increasing. Unemployment is not the only threat for young 749

people: as many young people who did find some sort of job during the crisis can testify, 750

many of those jobs were certainly not decent jobs but rather precarious short-term 751

contracts, unpaid or badly paid internships that replace real jobs and do not fulfill their 752

educational purposes, or so-called part-time positions that require a full-time dedication 753

with only half the salary. 754

755

9 out of 10 Europeans are of the opinion that it is the responsibility of their governments 756

to take action. More than half refer to their own government as the main responsible 757

entity for dealing with poverty. And almost three quarters of the European population 758

believe that the European Union has an important role in fighting poverty. It is clear that 759

there should be action against poverty and social exclusion from governments, both at 760

national and European level. 761

762

The European Union’s social policy could certainly use an extra boost. The European 763

Union’s attempts to reduce the gap between rich and poor regions through funds such as 764

the European Social Fund and the European Regional Development Fund. There is also 765

the poverty target in the Europe 2020 strategy, which is to have at least 20 million fewer 766

people in or at risk of poverty and social exclusion. This is a very weak target, as the 767

remaining 60 million people in poverty seem largely out of the picture from the very 768

start. There is much room for improvement if we really want to create a social Europe. 769

ECOSY – Young European Socialists therefore proposes the following actions against 770

poverty: 771

� A European Union-wide guarantee for a minimum income is necessary to help 772

people throughout the European Union to get out of the poverty trap. Some 773

people are born into poverty and will find it very hard to get out of it. That is 774

exactly where a guarantee for an adequate minimum income in all European 775




Union member states could make the difference. There are proposals to put this 776

guarantee for a minimum income at 60% of the median national income of each 777

member state separately. At the moment, not all member states have minimum 778

income schemes, and where they exist, they are not accessible to all people in 779

poverty. The minimum income can also be connected with minimum criteria for 780

pensions. The case for a minimum income as a right, as solidarity and as 781

redistribution of wealth, as opposed to charity, is also made by the European Anti-782

Poverty Network, which unites around 50 national networks and European 783

organizations with a focus on poverty reduction and social exclusion. 784

� Given the high rates of youth unemployment throughout the European Union and 785

the prevailing precarious working conditions of young workers, the proposal for a 786

European Youth Guarantee, which aims at “securing the right of every young 787

person in the European Union to be offered a job, an apprenticeship, additional 788

training or combined work and training after a maximum period of 4 months’ 789

unemployment” is one that ECOSY – Young European Socialists wholeheartedly 790

supports. However, this proposal should be complemented with that for a 791

European quality charter on internships, which would ideally set out “minimum 792

standards for internships to ensure their educational value and avoid exploitation, 793

taking into account that internships form part of education and must not replace 794

actual jobs. These minimum standards should include an outline of the job 795

description or qualifications to be acquired, a time limit on internships, a minimum 796

allowance based on standard-of-living costs in the place where the internship is 797

performed that comply with national traditions, insurance in the area of their 798

work, social security benefits in line with local standards and a clear connection to 799

the educational programme in question.” Given their convictions and political 800

ideology, left-wing political parties, social and environmental NGOs and companies 801

that claim to have an ethical business model are in the perfect position to put 802

their words into practice by providing decent contracts for young workers. 803

� Since poverty also means social exclusion and a lack of access to social services, 804

which has an impact on people’s health, housing, ability to use communication 805

and to participate in community life, poverty should also be measured by these 806

indicators, and legislation should be assessed by its impact on poverty. This 807

‘poverty benchmark’ is necessary in order to do away with hidden barriers in 808

society for people in poverty. If this poverty benchmark is taken seriously and is 809

implemented at the beginning of the legislative process, it can be a good tool to 810

make poverty visible in each policy field. 811

812

Poverty can only be eradicated when societies redistribute wealth in a fair and equal way. 813

In sum, for ECOSY – Young European Socialists eradicating poverty is not about pity or 814

charity. It is about rights and solidarity. 815

816

817

MORE PROGRESSIVE TAXATION 818

819

Proposed by SDY Finland, SONK Finland 820

821

In terms of real economy, the worst is over in the financial crisis. Although there is a 822

shadow hanging over the Euro system, the economic stability of European economies is 823

better. This is partly because of the harsh recovery efforts both at European and national 824

levels. 825




When we start to recover we must have a solid plan for paying back the debts of 826

recovery. Reducing public debt is a necessity in order to reduce the debt per GDP-ratio 827

since there are no signs of high growth rates in the near future. Therefore it is probable 828

that many European economies are compelled to make drastic budgetary cuts and raise 829

taxes. 830

831

Gathering an adequate amount of taxes for funding public services and stabilizing 832

budgets reflects our core values. The raising of taxes in a way that increases the share of 833

progressive taxes and reduces the share of proportional and regressive taxes is essential 834

for fair distribution of income. The weakest suffer from recession already when they lose 835

their jobs. It is our social responsibility to ensure that these people do not pay a larger 836

share of the bill of recession, proportionally to their income, than the people who are 837

better off. 838

839

840

FOR SOCIAL BASICS IN ORDER TO START THE ECONOMIC 841

RECUPERATION 842

843

Proposed by JSE Spain 844

845

The economical crisis has had his biggest effect in by raising youth unemployment, which 846

is situated almost double than the general unemployment rate in all over Europe. 847

The precariousness situation that young people has been suffering the past years 848

has provoked that with the increasing unemployment rate, young people were the 849

first to become unemployed. 850

851

The economical recuperation should be useful for the European institutions and 852

the Member States to settle the basis for the new production and competitiveness 853

model, where the education, the sustainability and the social an labor rights prioritizes 854

over the neoliberal values that have driven us to the actual financial and labor situation. 855

ECOSY – Young European Socialists consider fundamental to start treating the issue of 856

youth unemployment as a basic agenda point in the European policies. It is true 857

that Europe Strategy 2020 states as a key issue the employability of young 858

people, but we consider that we can not be used as mere working force. Most 859

of the measures established within the initiative promoted by the European 860

Commission, Youth on the Move, tend to improve education and provide with new tools 861

for the so called “jobs of the future, or new jobs”. We as young socialists and social 862

democrats consider that it is really important for the European Union to establish the 863

basics for the education and preparation of citizens, people compromised with their 864

environment, people participating from the projects in the society they live in, but 865

also in the reality that there is away from our European borders. 866

867

The actual crisis that we are living in, has its major reason in the loosing of values and 868

the lack of direction when the economical and finance policies had to be taken. We can 869

not let this happen again. 870

871

When the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion has just finished, 872

we are aware of the common responsibility that we have in order to avoid thousands of 873

people going into this situation every day. The solution is not only more education to 874

work longer, is education to achieve a Europe with citizens with values and 875

criteria over the individualism and the consumerism without limits. That is why we 876




share the worry to establish the basic literacy of the European citizenship as a priority, 877

due to the access to culture is the principal milestone to create an active citizenship. 878

879

ECOSY – Young European Socialists, consider that this moment has to be the opportunity 880

that we were all waiting to achieve the needed change; to be able to make the 881

conciliation between the personal, familiar and labour life a reality, and make possible 882

that jobs as a way to emancipate people and give them tools to empower them to 883

participate actively in the society. This way we will be able, with the help of all of us, to 884

build a Europe based in the equal opportunities. 885

886

We demand that: 887

� The basis for the economic recuperation should have young people and our 888

rights in the heart of the reform that has to be done, and those reforms should be 889

oriented to end with precariousness and make possible a stable life project. 890

� The European economy has to raise its competitiveness with bigger effort and 891

funds in R,D&I and in a better education and qualification of the workers. 892

We should not get into an intern competitiveness, in other words, the human 893

resources and the education might not become factors of competitiveness within 894

the EU countries, as the right is pretending, their idea is to generate a first 895

and second class Europe. 896

� The measures that we will adopt today, developing them in the year 2012, as 897

European Year for Active Ageing and Intergenerational Solidarity, related to 898

the future of the public retirement systems should settle over transition 899

periods that might help reevaluating the pensions, in an other hand, the 900

assurance that the increase of age in the population that is going to 901

happen until 2050, young people today will be able to access public and 902

decent pensions. 903

904

905

ENERGY FOR ALL: 100% RENEWABLE ENERGY IN EUROPE BY 2050 906

907

Proposed by Animo Belgium, Labour Students UK 908

909

Today we face two enormous problems concerning energy consumption. Firstly, our 910

energy mix is mainly based on natural, hence depletable, resources (oil, coal, gas and 911

nuclear fuel). This poses serious threats concerning the availability of these resources. 912

The era of cheap oil lies already in the past, and also for the other natural resources 913

potential peak use is in sight and the prices can at any time explode. In light of the rise 914

of China and other new economies that primarily use older technologies as energy 915

consumers, cheap coal, gas and even nuclear fuel will soon be history. In many European 916

countries energy prices are already on the rise. Without affordable energy one cannot 917

live a decent life. For us as socialists and social democrats energy availability is a social 918

right, a necessity for all as opposed to a luxury for some. To ensure energy for all we 919

have to move away from our dependence on natural, hence depletable, resources. 920

921

Secondly, the unnaturally high emissions of carbon dioxide that came along with our 922

industrial use of fossil fuels pose serious problems for our planet as a whole. The 923

concentration of carbon dioxide (in parts per million) in the earth’s atmosphere is directly 924

correlated with global warming. The third assessment report of the Intergovernmental 925

Panel on Climate Change warns us that it is impossible to predict what will happen if the 926

temperature on earth rises by 2 °C in comparison to pre-industrial times. Beyond that 927




threshold, climate change can become an independent mechanism that is beyond human 928

control. The increasing occurrence of floods, droughts, forest fires and powerful 929

hurricanes that we experience today are an indication of things to come. Scientists warn 930

that we are already halfway to the 2°C threshold. Furthermore, evidence is growing that 931

to quote a temperature increase by 2 °C as ‘safe’ was too optimistic, and we should limit 932

global warming to an increase by 1.5 °C. As socialists and social democrats, global and 933

intergenerational solidarity oblige us to prevent further global warming. A complete 934

transition to an energy production that is completely carbon-free is our only chance to 935

prevent this. 936

937

To tackle both challenges we face, we have but one option. By 2050 we will have to 938

evolve into a society that is completely independent of fossil and depletable resources. 939

Luckily scientists are on our side. Multiple studies show that this shift to 100% clean and 940

renewable energy production in 2050 is possible and would lead to a 90% decrease in 941

carbon dioxide emissions. 942

943

Basically, three conditions need to be fulfilled to make this shift possible. Firstly, we need 944

to stop wasting energy. The available technology allows us to make houses and buildings 945

self-sufficient in energy, or even to transform them into small-scale energy producers. 946

Industrial processes can also be made far more energy-efficient. Energy efficiency can 947

provide already half of the solution. Secondly, we should use the natural potential that 948

we have in Europe to reach 100% renewable energy production. According to the 949

European Commission, offshore wind energy in the North Sea alone could provide for 950

46% of Europe’s energy needs. Combined with other wind, solar, geothermal, and tidal 951

energy production sites and many small ‘prosumers’ (e.g. people living in ‘active’ houses: 952

house that produce more energy than they consume) makes 100% an absolutely 953

achievable goal. Thirdly, we have to come to a more active bidirectional energy grid in 954

Europe. This so-called ‘smart grid’ can be compared to the internet, with alongside big 955

‘providers’ a lot of small ‘uploaders’, that all use only what they need when they need it 956

and that contribute whatever they can. This requires a network that can give and take. 957

In addition, in order to be able to average out the energy supplied by a large multitude of 958

small, variable producers spread out over a large area into a continuous energy supply, 959

the smart grid will have to be able to transport energy over large distances at high 960

efficiency: for this, further developments in the technology of high-voltage direct current 961

systems are necessary and must be invested in. The advantages of such a strategy are 962

clear: 963

� The huge investments that are necessary (among others stimulating technological 964

developments and installing the smart grid) of 2.800 billion euros by 2050 are 965

largely compensated by the savings in costs caused by carbon dioxide emissions 966

that will hit 3.800 billion euros by 2050 according to a study by the European 967

Renewable Energy Council. 968

� By 2050, 6.1 million Europeans can be working in the renewable energy industry. 969

� European energy independence ensures access to affordable energy to everyone, 970

independent of geo-political and natural supply problems. 971

� Individual energy dependence (smart grid, active houses) benefits the whole of 972

society and the weakest most: their relative gains if they become ‘non- or 973

prosumers’ are more substantial. 974

� As a zero-carbon society, Europe will live up to its obligation of international and 975

intergenerational solidarity in combating global warming. 976

977

Bearing in mind that we face both a social (energy availability) and a societal problem 978

(global warming), and recognizing that renewable energy is the only realistic alternative 979




and studies show that a transfer to 100% renewable energy by 2050 is possible, ECOSY 980

– Young European Socialists demands that the European Commission and the European 981

Parliament take all the necessary steps to come to a Europe with 100% renewable 982

energy by 2050. 983

984

THE PRIVATISATION OF GROUNDWATER MUST END 985

986

Proposed by SDY Finland, SONK Finland, JS Portugal 987

988

The privatisation of nationally owned assets is normally proposed as a solution to the 989

indebtedness of European states. The attempts at the privatisation of groundwater 990

supplies have been encouraged by European right-wing governments. The groundwater 991

supplies are a valuable national asset, not to be sold at a low price to multinational 992

corporations. 993

994

Water is not, and should not be, a commercial product to be sold to the highest bidder. 995

Approximately 3 % of the Earth’s water supplies is freshwater, a big proportion of which 996

is already polluted. 997

998

In Britain, the privatisation of national water resources has gone on for a long time. In 999

Estonia, the privatisation of freshwater supplies was started after the turn of the century. 1000

Both in Britain and in Estonia the price of water has experienced an increase after the 1001

privatisations. A rise in the price of pure water can have drastic consequences for 1002

ordinary people. For instance in Brazil, one litre of drinking water costs around 10 euros. 1003

1004

In the developing countries, the consequences of privatisation of national water supplies 1005

are even more manifest. Six thousand children a day die as a result of inadequate 1006

hygiene. Over a billion people do not have access to clean drinking water. 2.6 billion 1007

people live without proper sanitation. The European Union, the World Bank and the 1008

International Monetary Fund have all endorsed the privatisation of world’s freshwater 1009

supplies. In the Dominican Republic the European Union has facilitated the privatisation 1010

of local freshwater supplies through the Cotonou Agreement. 1011

1012

The world’s freshwater supplies should not be privatised. The control of water resources 1013

should remain in the hands of democratically elected national governments. The world is 1014

already experiencing a shortage of clean water. The privatisation of water supplies would 1015

only worsen the problem. National water supplies can be, and should be, democratically 1016

controlled. Private companies should not be allowed to gain the possession of such a vital 1017

national resource. Instead, more focus should be put on the efficient, equitable and 1018

sustainable use of water resources. 1019

1020

ECOSY – Young European Socialists opposes the privatisation of the world’s groundwater 1021

supplies. 1022

1023

1024

1025

1026

1027

1028

1029

1030




WATER OF LIFE FOR EUROPE: AUTONOMY, COHERENCE AND 1031

SUSTAINABILITY 1032

1033

Proposed by FGS Italy 1034

1035

Youth. Often, when we think about it, we conjure in our minds the image of its legendary 1036

fountain, remembering us fairy tales of characters facing amazing adventures in order to 1037

retake the lost vigor, the strength of a young body: in the same way we have to product 1038

new energy for a tired Europe, nowadays not as young as when Jupiter desired her. 1039

We must consider three markers to reach a right energetic policy: environmental 1040

sustainability, economic growth and foreign relations. The first one, widely pointed out in 1041

Lisbon Declaration, give us the opportunity to expand and develop an innovative 1042

industrial sector, in which Europe could obtain a primate with consistent economic 1043

advantages, and to improve life conditions of European citizens, reducing public health 1044

expense in these years of growing debt. The second one, cornerstone of a general 1045

improvement, might consider the link between Public energetic capitalism, represented 1046

by the Public Companies indulging in old but lucrative mechanisms, and the 1047

augmentation of public found to research other energetic alternatives. The third is 1048

unfortunately often the sad appendix of the previous one. 1049

The energetic independence is a hot issue for each nation in the world, even more so for 1050

European Union. The natural resources are still often concentrated in not fully democratic 1051

countries, dictatorships or adversaries. 1052

Europe can’t depend on the imperialistic China, and it can’t support rash mining, digging 1053

and quarrying. 1054

The energetic question is the synthesis of European needs, interests and values. Europe 1055

cannot renounce to a full and farsighted growth without autonomy and coherence. If 1056

Europe will renounce to only one of these markers, we won’t lose just a full and 1057

farsighted growth but the entire Mission, and European Union will be remembered as one 1058

of the several failed adventures in mythology, like the “Water of Life” of the Fountain of 1059

Youth. A innocent dream of a childish humanity. 1060

1061

1062

ON THE CONFLICT IN THE WESTERN SAHARA 1063

1064

Proposed by JS Portugal 1065

1066

The conflict in the Western Sahara represents one of the last remaining chapters of the 1067

struggle for self-determination in the African Continent. Militarily occupied by the 1068

Kingdom of Morocco since 1975, the Western Sahara has endured decades of violent 1069

repression of civil liberties, human rights violations and gradual exhaustion of Saharawi 1070

natural resources by its occupying power. Furthermore, according to most recent 1071

estimates, the number of Saharawi refugees in neighboring Algeria and displaced people 1072

within the borders of the territory may reach more than 150.000, in precarious and 1073

unstable conditions. 1074

1075

After several years of positive expectations, following the 1993 Security Council 1076

Resolution that opened the way for a referendum on self-determination on the basis of a 1077

UN-negotiated truce between the POLISARIO front and the Moroccan authorities, the 1078

current status of the peace process is of stagnation and lack of optimism. As recently as 1079

in November 2010 we have witnessed an increase in violent repression of Saharawi 1080




demonstrations in several points in the territory, representing a serious setback for those 1081

who believe that bridges of dialogue can be built between both sides. 1082

1083

ECOSY believes that the European Union’s external agenda towards the Sahara needs to 1084

experience a radical transformation, abandoning the passive attitude that has 1085

characterized its positions in recent years and allowing it to assume a much overdue role 1086

as regional stabilizer and promoter of peace. Short term commercial gains need to be 1087

analysed not in the scope of an accountant’s eyeglass, but within the framework of the 1088

guiding principles of the EUs foreign and neighbourhood policies. 1089

1090

The renewal of the 2006 Fisheries Partnership Agreement between Morocco and the 1091

European Union represents an eloquent example of the need to put the EUs practice in 1092

line with International Law and its doctrine of respect for human rights. As the Legal 1093

Service of the European Parliament has recently pointed out in an opinion presented in 1094

July 2009, the inclusion of Western Saharawi waters within the scope of application of 1095

the Fisheries Agreement directly violates the need to respect “international law 1096

concerning the rights of the Saharawi people over their natural resource[s]), principles 1097

which the Community is bound to respect”. 1098

1099

The need to maintain good neighbouring relations with the Kingdom of Morocco, on 1100

political, diplomatic and economic levels, and to actively support the recent efforts in 1101

introducing democratic reforms, will not be jeopardised by an increase in attention to 1102

the situation in the Sahara. On the contrary, good neighbours should provide good 1103

counselling and promote the peaceful resolution of lasting conflicts. 1104

1105

The very similar case of East Timor, where an incomplete decolonization process was 1106

followed by many decades of illegal occupation by its neighbour Indonesia, has proven 1107

that effective negotiations, under the auspices of the United Nations, and oriented by the 1108

relevant principles of the UN Charter and the international community, such as the 1109

search for a peaceful resolution to the conflict, respect for self-determination and for the 1110

protection of human rights, can effectively work and put an end to decades-long 1111

conflicts. 1112

1113

Therefore, ECOSY urges the European Union’s institutions, particularly its High 1114

Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and its member States: 1115

� To place the peaceful resolution of the conflict on the top of its agenda, in line 1116

with UN Security Council Resolution nr. 809 (1993), by promoting the fulfilment of 1117

the referendum on self-determination, if necessary through additional mediation 1118

and by providing human and material resources to that effect; 1119

� To withdraw from and refrain from celebrating any internationally binding 1120

agreements in violation of the status of the Western Sahara as an occupied, non-1121

autonomous territory; 1122

� To demand that the Moroccan government fully respects human rights and 1123

restores civil liberties to the Saharawi people. 1124

1125

1126

1127

1128

1129

1130

1131




END NATO – FOR A SECURE AND PEACEFUL WORLD 1132

1133

Proposed by Jusos Germany, SJD-Die Falken Germany 1134

1135

The Nato founded as a security and defense alliance after the second world war, played 1136

an important role during the cold war. With the end of communism the defense alliance 1137

actually lost its original meaning. Nevertheless no disarmament took place. Instead of 1138

reducing the military capacities a rearmament process started. The Nato did a double 1139

expansion, they increased their competencies and the areas in the world they are 1140

working in. Nato was also pushing the qualitative armament process of the member 1141

states. 1142

1143

Against her former promises, she enlarged her territory closed to the former Russian 1144

area of influence. The resulting frictions still effect today relationships. Due to the 1145

Russian surrounding with Nato states the Nato organizes a feeling of insecurity for Russia 1146

what causes further armament in Europe. Originally founded as defense alliance, the 1147

Nato has increase her working fields to other non military risks, like Terrorism, nuclear 1148

proliferation, avoid migration movements or the access to resources and trade routes. 1149

These so called article non article 5 actions are a strategic change away from a defense 1150

alliance to an aggressive military alliance. 1151

1152

The Nato itself and the US administration erodes the influence of the United Nations by 1153

defining action as a security issue what are not original defense actions, or build military 1154

coalitions evading UN bodies. Security is not based on military alliances, but on civil and 1155

sustainable cooperation. The history of the Irak war shows that the USA only use the 1156

Nato under certain circumstances. Instead they were looking for willing partners in and 1157

outside the Nato. This war shows as an example the disability of the alliance to agree on 1158

a common position and the unwillingness to respect international law. Even if the Nato 1159

accepted officially the binding role of the United Nations in international conflicts, they 1160

tend to ignore it. In the case of Irak it was ignored by several members, in the case of 1161

Kosovo by the whole organization. The new strategic concept of the Nato implies that the 1162

Nato will ignore the UN Bodies in the future as well. Out of area and out of treaty 1163

interventions are not acceptable for Young European Socialists. It is necessary that the 1164

alliance moves back to the original base of the agreement: respect to the UN Bodies, 1165

abandon aggressive interventions and restriction to defense actions. At the same time 1166

the bodies of the United Nations need to strengthen their democratic process: The Veto 1167

rights need to be abolished. The recognition of the United Nations must be strengthened 1168

therefore it is necessary to keep the mandate to decide over military interventions only 1169

with United Nations. 1170

1171

Additional to the UN security mandate an d the role the United Nations can play in 1172

regional conflict handling, regional structure and interaction need to be strengthened 1173

make peace politics sustainable. Regional alliances like EU or OSZE showed that a 1174

regional cooperation on economical or political basis showed a way to make an armed 1175

conflict unthinkable. In that way the European Union is a role model, what could be a 1176

good example for other regional like south America and an alternative to Nato 1177

integration. On the other hand regional alliances are in danger to be militarizes step by 1178

step. The subtle armament of the EU to an European defense alliance is an obvious 1179

example. This causes an increasing separation, especially against migrants and an 1180

offensive orientation on regional interests. This is a dangerous combination with high 1181

risks for global conflicts. Therefore it is necessary to strengthened integrative alliances. 1182




Only these alliances are sustainable peace building instruments. All efforts to militarize 1183

the EU or other regional alliances is denied by Ecosy young socialists. 1184

1185

Conflict prevention is better than a conflict solution, especially at international level. As 1186

long as the majority of people lives in poverty, this long conflicts between rich and poor 1187

will exist especially in the exploited countries of the south. These conflicts might be 1188

regional conflicts or show up as ethnic or religious conflicts. In the end the reason of 1189

mosts conflicts is revolt against social inequality. To solve these conflicts pre emptive 1190

wars can not help. To sustainably solve the worlds conflicts we need a global economy 1191

and developments politics and a fair distribution of wealth. 1192

1193

To cover the loss of use Nato had after the end of the cold war, Natos Duties were 1194

systematically extended. Instead of a disarmament process in Eastern Europe weapon 1195

capacities rose. With the extension to action areas what can not be solve with military 1196

strategies, like terrorism, Web crimes, migration movements, new problems are created. 1197

Additionally to that Nato defined in her Strategy the goal to secure goods transportation, 1198

or ban migration, what is a clear strategy supporting the interests of the developed 1199

countries. Military intervention without UN mandate shows that the alliance is not longer 1200

a peace alliance. The USA can misuse the alliance to plan and organize the military 1201

interventions they wish. The inclusion of former Soviet Union States provocates conflicts 1202

with Russia. All this does not cause peace and disarmament, but for more conflicts and a 1203

higher chance of military intervention in conflicts. 1204

1205

Therefore ECOSY Young Socialists demand: 1206

� End Nato. We need a politic of collective security instead of exclusive defense 1207

alliances. A politic of multilateralism is necessary, what prevents and not 1208

intervents. Conflicts need to be solved early with civil method, that you do not 1209

need military intervention at all. It should be a goal for all Social democrats at 1210

international level to covercome Nato by a cooperative conflict solution. 1211

� As long as Nato exists it shall be a defense alliance only. It is defiantly necessary 1212

to return to Natos founders agenda, to solve conflicts first peacefully, and 1213

afterwards use military options. Any extension of Nato duties or members we 1214

deny. 1215

� Disarmament in Nato states must be pushed, without pushing the armament of 1216

single states. That means we need disarmament contracts between Nato states to 1217

accompany the process. 1218

� Russia shall be included in the process and included in the future security 1219

architecture. Russia is a very important strategic partner for Europe’s security in 1220

the world. Only with the inclusion of Russia the armament circle between west 1221

and east can be finished. 1222

� We want Collective Security instead of global aggression. The United Nation own 1223

the principle of peaceful international conflict solution. The alternative to Nato 1224

already exists, we only need to bring it to live. Therefore a successful UN reform 1225

is necessary, including democratization, ban of any veto right in security council, 1226

and better Finances. On the way to implement a stable system of collective 1227

security regional an political alliances can help, if they organize a non military 1228

integration. This type of alliances Ecosy Young Socialists want to support. 1229

1230

1231

1232




ESTABLISH AN INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION TO ABOLISH 1233

NUCLEAR WEAPONS 1234

1235

Proposed by SSF Sweden, SSU Sweden 1236

1237

About 65 years ago, at the end of the Second World War, the US President Harry S. 1238

Truman issued an order to attack Japan with nuclear weapons. The result of Truman’s 1239

order was a collective death warrant for the people of two Japanese cities. The first 1240

nuclear bomb was dropped over Hiroshima the 6th of August 1945 at 8.15 a.m. More 1241

than a hundred thousand lives were immediately wiped out and the spread of radioactive 1242

particles have killed ten thousands of people in succeeding generations since. 1243

1244

Two days after the catastrophe in Hiroshima the second American nuclear bomb 1245

detonated in Nagasaki and caused the death of an additional 70 000 people. The city was 1246

put into ruins. 1247

1248

We have to remind each other of these tragedies. As long as there are nuclear weapons, 1249

the terrible history can repeat itself. 1250

1251

Since the end of World War II nuclear weapons have made up a growing threat against 1252

mankind. This threat fortified during the Cold War and escalated the period after the era 1253

of terror balance. Many states have nuclear weapons. The primary nuclear weapon 1254

states; the US, Soviet Union (today’s Russia), France, Great Britain and China are more 1255

recently accompanied by Israel, India, Pakistan and North Korea. The fact that military 1256

powers possess weapons that can be used as threatening means in negotiations 1257

compromises the work for peaceful global cooperation. No one can win a nuclear war. 1258

The only predicted result of such a war is mutual destruction. 1259

1260

In 1970 the non-proliferation-treaty (NPT) entered into force. The treaty forces the 1261

nuclear weapon states to disarmament. The treaty also prohibits states that are lacking 1262

nuclear weapons to get these arms. Despite the treaty, four more states have developed 1263

nuclear weapons. Today there are 22 000 nuclear weapons with a common capacity that 1264

could destroy all life on earth numerous times. Many of these weapons are constantly 1265

ready to fire. The present treaty is therefore non-sufficient. 1266

1267

Sweden, in cooperation with other European states, has been working for peace and 1268

disarmament. In 2003 the Swedish government established the so called Blix commission 1269

on initiative of Anna Lindh. The commission was, as its’ name implies, lead by Hans Blix 1270

who presented their report in 2006. The report contains 60 recommendations to the 1271

International community. 30 of them considering nuclear weapons. The commission 1272

recommended a prohibition against keeping nuclear weapons outside the own territory 1273

and proposed an eventual future prohibition. The US was recommended to end all test 1274

detonations of nuclear weapon charges. The Blix commission also suggested Sweden to 1275

become the host for a secretariat for the NPT to monitor and work for disarmament. 1276

1277

ECOSY must show the path towards a world free from nuclear weapons and embrace the 1278

suggestions of the Blix commission. The European Union is an important political 1279

platform in the work for peace. By common actions we should work for a complete 1280

disarmament of nuclear weapons in the European countries. EU should be a nuclear free 1281

zone and become the role model for the rest of the world. Consequently Great Britain 1282

and France have to get rid of their nuclear weapon arsenals. 1283




In order to realise a successful struggle for a world free from nuclear weapons we need 1284

to work for the forming of an international convention that prohibits nuclear weapons. 1285

Today there are conventions against chemical and biological arms, as well as conventions 1286

prohibiting cluster weapons, mustard gas and certain mines. Despite this fact there is no 1287

convention prohibiting the most dangerous weapon of them all. 1288

1289

A world without nuclear weapons is a better, safer and more free world. The 1290

disarmament will liberate enormous amounts of resources that can be used to fight 1291

poverty. We have to put a strong pressure on those in power in order to make a nuclear 1292

free world possible within our lifetime. It is not only necessary; it is also, by all means, 1293

possible. 1294

1295

Therefore we demand the following: 1296

� That ECOSY continues the struggle to make the European Union a zone free of 1297

nuclear weapons 1298

� That ECOSY works for the creation of an international convention that prohibits 1299

nuclear weapons. 1300

� That ECOSY works to encourage nuclear weapon powers to avoid keeping any 1301

forms of nuclear weapons on foreign territory in accordance with the Blix 1302

commission’s proposal number 4. 1303

1304

1305

THE EUROPEAN UNION IS NOT ALLOWED TO REINTERPRET 1306

INTERNATIONAL LAW TO BE ABLE TO FISH IN WESTERN 1307

SAHARIAN WATERS 1308

1309

Proposed by SSF Sweden, SSU Sweden 1310

1311

Since the European Union in 2006 concluded a fishing agreement with Morocco, the 1312

European commission has repeatedly stated that it does not violate international law. 1313

Sweden maintained the opposite, based upon an analysis made by the UN’s former head 1314

of law, Hans Corell. Sweden was the only EU-country voting against the agreement. 1315

Should the European Union continue to buy fishing rights for a total amount of 30 million 1316

Euros annually from an occupying power and illegitimate owner? 1317

1318

The view that the agreement is violating international law is widely supported amongst 1319

lawyers. For example the juridical unit of the European Parliament has not accepted the 1320

agreement. Despite that, the European Commission continues to withhold its standpoint. 1321

For example through a letter from the fishing commissioner Damanaki to the Western 1322

Sahara Resource Watch. 1323

1324

According to international law an occupied or colonised people has inalienable rights and 1325

permanent sovereignty over its natural resources. These rights are protected in many 1326

UN-declarations that the administrator of the area shall respect, regardless if it is an 1327

occupying power or not. The natural resources are only allowed to be used for 1328

investments carried out in cooperation with the people living in these territories and in 1329

accordance with their wishes. The aim shall be to support socio-economic development. 1330

Yet the European commission is constantly misinterpreting Corell’s analysis: The use of 1331

natural resources is forbidden only if carried out without respecting the needs and 1332

interests of the people in the area. Hence the European commission leaves out the 1333

cooperation, the wishes, and the supporting of socio-economic development from the 1334




analysis. There has been no cooperation with representatives from the Western Saharian 1335

community, neither when the agreement was concluded nor later. On the contrary both 1336

Polisario, by the UN recognised representatives of Western Sahara, and all significiant 1337

human rights organisations in Western Sahara, have clearly opposed the fishing 1338

agreement. 1339

1340

The commission has not specified how the agreement benefits the owners of the 1341

resources, the Western Saharian people. For example Finland demanded this when the 1342

agreement was concluded, as well did the Swedish Minister for Agriculture later on. 1343

1344

The European commission points at new infrastructure, an enlarged number of local jobs 1345

and improved know-how. But worth noting is that the large-scale fishing in Western 1346

Saharan waters, dictated by Moroccan and foreign interests, has almost totally 1347

superseded the traditional fishing close to the coast. To the small extent it exists, it is 1348

carried out by poor Moroccan settlers, not Western Saharians. 1349

1350

We need to be able to trust the information from the European Union. The shortcomings 1351

of the commission’s argumentation have been pointed out for a long time. That an 1352

improvement is nowhere to be seen is a frightening sign of a deliberate withholding of 1353

information from member states, Parliament and the public! 1354

1355

We therefore demand: 1356

� That ECOSY clearly stands up for international law and against reinterpretations 1357

that allow unrestrained exploitation of protected areas. 1358

� That ECOSY commit to the abolition of the Moroccan occupation of Western 1359

Sahara and that future fishing agreements between the EU and Morocco must 1360

leave out Western Saharian waters 1361

� That ECOSY works for a European recognition of Western Sahara as a sovereign 1362

state. 1363

1364

1365

REFORMING THE SOCIALIST INTERNATIONAL, AN URGENT 1366

NECESSITY 1367

1368

Proposed by Animo Belgium, MJS France, JS in de PvdA Netherlands, Mladi Forum 1369

Slovenia, Labour Students UK 1370

1371

The popular uprising in Tunisia triggered shockwaves throughout the Mediterranean Sea 1372

area, most notably in Egypt. The images of mass demonstrations captured the world’s 1373

attention. We strongly sympathise with these courageous people’s cause: the fight for 1374

democracy and a more equal distribution of wealth. Therefore, we think it is a disgrace 1375

that the governing parties in both Tunisia and Egypt were, until very recently, members 1376

of the Socialist International. As the Socialist International declares itself to be “an 1377

association of political parties and organisations which seek to establish democratic 1378

socialism”, membership in the Socialist International immediately accords an aura of 1379

legitimacy and respectability. Therefore, ECOSY – Young European Socialists calls for an 1380

urgent reform of the Socialist International, with as an immediate first step an initiative 1381

from our mother parties to thoroughly examine and assess the list of members of any 1382

membership status of and of all new applicants to the Socialist International with regard 1383

to their democratic socialist values. In case parties are found not to meet the required 1384

standards, their membership should be terminated. 1385




It all started in Tunisia, where there has been social unrest since mid-December 2010. 1386

The suicide of a 26-year-old was the beginning of widespread popular protest, in which 1387

young people took the lead. This is hardly surprising, as youth unemployment is rife, 1388

while a corrupt ruling class was amassing riches. The political, social and economic 1389

causes of the uprisings are present in many countries in the Mediterranean Sea area: 1390

corrupt and authoritarian rule, poverty caused by an unequal distribution of wealth, rising 1391

food prices and the precarious situation of young people. Suppressed rage, social media 1392

and young energy proved to be a powerful mix for a revolution. It already had as a 1393

consequence that Tunisia’s dictator, Zine el Abidine Ben Ali, fled the country. The 1394

democratic fire spread from Tunisia to Egypt, and given the common features of many 1395

countries in the region one wonders which country will be next. 1396

1397

What these dictatorships at the doorsteps of the European Union also had in common is 1398

the support of some leaders of European Union member states. Messages of support to 1399

Egypt’s dictator Hosni Mubarak continue to be sent by European leaders, referring to him 1400

as “courageous” or a “force for good”. Hundreds of dead, thousands of wounded, armed 1401

forces that attack praying and unarmed people with the water cannon. Such is the 1402

‘courage’ of the ‘brave’ Mubarak and his allies. It seems some of our leaders have been 1403

hanging out with the wrong crowd. 1404

1405

As young people from socialist and social democratic organisations we can only condemn 1406

that a body belonging to our own political family, the Socialist International, has 1407

tolerated the presence of parties such as the Tunisian Constitutional Democratic Rally 1408

and the Egyptian National Democratic Party for so long, and still tolerates the presence of 1409

a number of evidently dubious parties such as the Ivorian Popular Front. It seems quite 1410

unlikely that the Socialist International only recently discovered that these parties are 1411

undemocratic, or is yet to discover this. This disgraceful situation should be a wake-up 1412

call for all member parties of the Socialist International that consider themselves to be 1413

democratic socialists. 1414

1415

Given the situation outlined above and given that the Statutes of the Socialist 1416

International stipulate that the Socialist International is “ an association of political 1417

parties and organisations which seek to establish democratic socialism”, ECOSY – Young 1418

European Socialists: 1419

� would like to remind the Socialist International of its mission of establishing 1420

democratic socialism and that membership in the Socialist International accords 1421

parties an immediate aura of legitimacy and respectability. 1422

� calls for an urgent reform of the Socialist International, and in particular of the 1423

workings of the SI Ethics Committee. 1424

� thinks this process of reform should start with the immediate first step of an 1425

initiative from our mother parties to thoroughly examine and assess the list of 1426

members of any membership status of and all new applicants to the Socialist 1427

International with regard to their democratic socialist values. The membership of 1428

parties found lacking in this respect should be terminated. 1429

1430

1431

1432

1433

1434

1435

1436




FOR TURKISH INTEGRATION INTO THE EUROPEAN UNION 1437

1438

Proposed by Animo Belgium, EDEK Youth Cyprus, MSD Czech Republic, Jusos Germany, 1439

PASOK Youth Greece, Mladi Forum Slovenia 1440

1441

ECOSY – Young European Socialists aims for the European Union to respect the charter 1442

of fundamental rights of the European Union, which is based on indivisible and universal 1443

values of human dignity, freedom, equality and solidarity. Furthermore, ECOSY – Young 1444

European Socialists strongly believes in the purpose of the charter of the United Nations 1445

in declaring states shall seek amiable and peaceful relations, work on international 1446

cooperation and resolve global problems of an economical, social and cultural nature, and 1447

support and empower respect to human rights and basic freedoms for all without 1448

distinction as to race, sex, language, creed or any other factor. 1449

1450

ECOSY – Young European Socialists believes the European Union must be open to the 1451

accession of other states respecting the aforementioned values. The European Union 1452

must aid these states and their inhabitants in fulfilling common goals. Turkey is 1453

considered a key partner of European Union. Europe and Turkey share a common past 1454

that gives a firm basis for closer cooperation. ECOSY – Young European Socialists 1455

welcomes Turkey’s aspiration to join the European Union, and states its support for the 1456

membership of Turkey in the European Union. ECOSY – Young European Socialists 1457

believes that the accession of Turkey to the European Union, upon fulfilment of the 1458

required criteria, will contribute to stabilization concerning human rights and the social 1459

situation in the region and result in a cultural gain for Europe as a whole. 1460

1461

Self-evidently, Europe must expect Turkey to fulfil the Copenhagen criteria and comply 1462

fully with the acquis communautaire before it may join the European Union. Still, ECOSY 1463

– Young European Socialists considers that the accession process itself can – and has to 1464

– continue, in order to also guide Turkey to improve its human rights standards and its 1465

economic situation. 1466

1467

The main remaining problems are situated in the realm of Turkey’s domestic politics and 1468

constitutional framework. The freedom of the press, religious rights and freedoms, 1469

women’s rights, minority rights, the role of the army, and the ban of torture remain to be 1470

effectively enforced. The freedom of press is essential: no journalist should be 1471

persecuted or tortured for their writings. Some reforms in the right direction have taken 1472

place already with the constitutional reforms in 2005 and 2011 and the mitigation of 1473

article 301 of the Turkish penal code in 2008, but still the freedom of press is not fully 1474

secured. Other aspects of the Turkish legal system and judiciary are likewise in need of 1475

further reform: nevertheless, many important steps such as the abolition of capital 1476

punishment have already been taken. The constitutional reform due to take place in the 1477

next period has to lead to a more independent judiciary, rather than to a new round of 1478

competition among the government and the military for their influence on justice. 1479

1480

The situation of trade union rights in Turkey remains dismal. Even though all Turkish 1481

workers now have the theoretical right to be unionized in a union of their choice, and 1482

most have the right to collective bargaining and the right to strike (except public service 1483

workers), these rights continue to be exercised within a highly restrictive framework. In 1484

addition, government-backed trade unions have been set up in order to undermine the 1485

collective bargaining process. 1486

1487




The role of the Turkish military is double-edged.. Historically, its role started as a 1488

guarantee for secularism in Turkey. However, in the last decades, its big autocratic 1489

political power in the state and the way it has been using it in the country’s domestic 1490

politics – often beyond democratic principles – has been highly questionable. In order for 1491

Turkey to join the European Union it must be absolutely clear that the military no longer 1492

exercises this undue influence. The gap the diminishing military influence leaves needs to 1493

be closed by an increasing democratic influence of civil society. 1494

1495

Minority rights have a high standing in the European Union. Regional cultures and 1496

languages have extended rights and are especially protected. These standards need to be 1497

implemented for the Kurdish population and other ethnic minorities in Turkey, with 1498

absolute respect for Turkey’s territorial integrity. ECOSY – Young European Socialists 1499

demands an immediate end to the judicial persecution of politicians and political parties 1500

who stand up for Kurdish language rights in a fair and peaceful way, while continuing to 1501

condemn all violence from both Kurdish insurgents and the Turkish state. 1502

1503

EU being an area of peace and cooperation, Turkey – like any other country aspiring at 1504

EU integration – has to show its commitment to peace and cooperation as a major 1505

chapter of its EU accession, namely on the field of good neighbourhood relations, 1506

especially with current EU member states. Although the relations with Greece seem to 1507

follow a positive path in the last period, also due to the big efforts of the socialist Greek 1508

government, there are still questions to be solved (p.e. the regular violation of Greek 1509

airspace, or the conflict about the sea shelf in the Aegean ). Furthermore, Turkey has to 1510

implement the Ankara Additional Protocol to its SAA regarding Cyprus, opening its ports, 1511

territorial waters, airports and airspace to all EU member states, including Cyprus. In line 1512

with its specific resolutions on the situation in Cyprus, ECOSY – Young European 1513

Socialists calls for immediate increased efforts from all parties involved to reach a 1514

solution to this specific problem: particularly, ECOSY – Young European Socialists calls 1515

upon Turkey to ratify the additional protocol and open normal diplomatic and trade 1516

relations with Cyprus, and upon the European Union to honour its commitment to lift its 1517

trade embargo against the Turkish-occupied part of Cyprus. 1518

1519

Compared to other countries in the region, Turkey is relatively progressive in the area of 1520

women’s rights: as an example even parties with a religious background have female 1521

candidates on their lists. However, there is still much to be done as the actual influence 1522

of women in Turkish society is smaller than the formal parameters indicate. Under 10% 1523

of actually elected members of parliament being female, very scarce representation in 1524

trade unions, over 20% of gender pay gap, are just a few examples of this. In fact, 1525

changes still need to be implemented in order for Turkey to meet the European Union’s 1526

standards of anti-discrimination. Turkey needs to take serious actions to protect women 1527

against domestic violence and honor crimes, issues where many of the European Union’s 1528

current member states need to improve as well. 1529

1530

It is quite clear that Turkey would as yet be a net beneficiary in the European Union. The 1531

Turkish agricultural sector falls short of European standards in terms of competitiveness, 1532

the unemployment rate is relatively high – especially for young people – and the 1533

distribution of wealth is highly unequal. In addition, there is a huge difference between 1534

the regions in western and eastern Turkey. ECOSY – Young European Socialists calls for 1535

the European Union to already integrate Turkey into its program that could reduce 1536

current social disparities while it holds candidate status. On the other hand Turkey’s 1537

economy has very strong growth rates in the last years with double-digit growth in 1538

2005/2006 and a fast recovery after the 2009 crisis. Turkey is catching up fast. Looking 1539




at Turkey’s size an integration of the Turkish economy into the European market would 1540

mean an instant improvement to the European Union’s overall growth rate, given the 1541

relatively low growth rates in most current member states. Turkey has already agreed to 1542

accept a transition period for the implementation of the free movement of workers, which 1543

can facilitate the process and alleviate fears of mass immigration in current member 1544

states. Given the structure of Turkish agriculture, it should also be noted that one of the 1545

preconditions for the European Union to be able to successfully integrate Turkey is a 1546

reform of the European Union’s common agricultural policy in order to avoid Turkish 1547

agriculture unduly straining the European Union’s budget. 1548

1549

ECOSY – Young European Socialists notes furthermore that the fear of European 1550

conservatives to integrate a Muslim-majority society is one of the big reasons for 1551

stopping Turkish integration in the EU. Different conservative parties in Europe such as 1552

the German Christian Democratic Union and the French Union for a Popular Movement 1553

have abused the debate about Turkish full membership to collect voters with racist and 1554

islamophobic arguments, and have proposed a privileged partnership as a alternative 1555

solution for Turkey. ECOSY – Young European Socialists strongly denounces these highly 1556

offensive and insulting proposals for a second-class role for Turkey. It has to be noted 1557

that even though the official position of the European Union remains the same, these 1558

arguments have already had devastating effects on support for European integration 1559

among the Turkish population. ECOSY – Young European Socialists appeals for the 1560

European Union to set a clear roadmap within which Turkey can expect to join and to 1561

give Turkey a clear guarantee that, once it fully complies with the Copenhagen criteria 1562

and the acquis communautaire, it will become a full member of the European Union with 1563

the same rights and responsibilities as all other member states. 1564

1565

Today, the integration process which has been started in 2005 has almost been stalled, 1566

and a new step forward is needed. 13 of the 33 chapters of the acquis have meanwhile 1567

been “opened”, but only one has been “closed” (completed), and all except 3 of the 1568

remaining chapters have been formally frozen, mostly because of the Cyprus issue. 1569

ECOSY – Young Socialists calls for a faster integration process. Both the European Union 1570

administration and Turkey need to increase efforts to move the remaining obstacles out 1571

of the way and make a successful membership possible. 1572

1573

1574

ITALIAN UNITY IN THE EUROPEAN CONTEXT 1575

1576

Proposed by FGS Italy, SG Italy 1577

1578

2011 is Italian unification’s 150th anniversary, an important step toward the constitution 1579

of an European cultural Identity. The Italian Resurgence was a struggle against the old 1580

imperialisms, the clerical interferences and the ancient feudal privileges, to give, to a 1581

huge and varied population, the same institutions and guarantees of legal and civil 1582

equality, in the name of interdependence and common identity. The birth of Italian 1583

nation, French Revolution, catalan Renaixença, Wiedervereinigung, etc, have been 1584

political and cultural victories of the European progressive forces against the reactionary 1585

powers and, with due reservation, a sort of redemption of the people against the rulers. 1586

Socialists, democrats and progressives can’t leave the “Amor di Patria” (own country's 1587

love) to conservatives, real representatives of human divisions and negative ideas. For 1588

this reason we should take care, with critical ability, of national and local memories, to 1589

claim them, when it is the case, as battles for progress, civil rights and individual 1590

liberties. In history it always happened that when the progressive forces have struggled 1591




for just internationalist objectives the agents of reactionary right have used the national 1592

roots as weapons to deprive the left of its place in the history of the countries, to 1593

demonize the progressive ideas as enemies of their rhetorical visions of people.W If 1594

nationalists revivals are foes of progress and foreboding of political violence and racial 1595

hate, on the other hand cultural heritages are pieces of the puzzle towards a single 1596

human nation. 1597

ECOSY Congress 11 Draft RnD Final

Documents

Transcript of ECOSY Congress 11 Draft RnD Final