ECOSY – Young European Socialists

www.ecosy.org

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6 10 ECOSY CONGRESS
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14 Draft Position Paper
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18 OUR FUTURE FOR EUROPE

19 Position Paper 2009 - 2011
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24 A democratic Europe
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26 A social Europe for everyone
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28 A Europe speaking with one voice
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43 I. DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES
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45 OUR PRINCIPLES 4
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47 ECOSY – A PROGRESSIVE ORGANISATION 5
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52 1. OUR PRINCIPLES
53 ECOSY – Young European Socialists is an organisation working to build a democratic, just
54 and fair society, within a social Europe of sustainable economic growth whose returns are
55 equally shared, guaranteeing the best achievable living and working conditions to all. Our
56 mission is one to empower and enable every European to have a decent life, a life filled
57 with opportunities for self-determination and self-expression, participation in the
58 democratic life of a society in which knowledge, services, prosperity and power are
59 equally shared. This vision we build based on values of: solidarity, equality, justice,
60 freedom, and democracy.
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62 1.1 Solidarity
63 Solidarity is the core of the workers movement we come from and are part of. Without
64 solidarity the social achievements our movement struggled for would not have been
65 possible, likewise without solidarity the building of a democratic, just and fair society will
66 not be possible. Solidarity is more than compassion or charity: it is a matter of social
67 justice. Our ideas of a social Europe and a European welfare system are based on
68 solidarity: all should contribute according to their capacity and benefit according to their
69 needs. Thus we build a society that ensures a decent life for everybody. Solidarity does
70 not know any borders, so we are working for a Europe that works for equality, justice
71 and freedom worldwide. A world built upon solidarity, is a world of peace. Peace is more
72 than the absence of war. A culture of peace is one in which human rights are respected,
73 exercised and internationalised: it is a safe environment, where everyone can express
74 him- or herself freely enjoying good social and economic conditions.
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76 1.2 Equality and justice
77 Equality and justice are key principles in our struggle for democracy: a reality in which
78 every person lives in dignity, enjoying equal rights, security and opportunities. This is
79 vital in creating an active civil society, which develops through its social cohesion and the
80 empowerment of its people, who have free, equal and available access to high-quality
81 education, work, social welfare systems and public services. In an individual context
82 equality and justice are integral to ensure for each person the chances for self-expression
83 and self-determination, regardless of economical or social background, ethnic origin,
84 secular convictions or religion, gender or sexual identity, age or health conditions. True
85 freedom and individuality can only be guaranteed in a society built upon solidarity,
86 equality and justice.
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88 1.3 Freedom
89 We define freedom as a right to be able to make choices and follow them, to express
90 opinions and beliefs, and to act in favour of them without confinements, to decide upon
91 one’s own destiny. This is why freedom is a crucial value in a struggle for a democratic
92 society and self-fulfilment of individuals. True freedom is impossible without a society
93 based on solidarity and a fair distribution of wealth. When everyone has equal prosperity,
94 knowledge and power, breaking through suffocating social constructs, only then
95 everybody can be truly free. Freedom, as also solidarity, equality and justice, means to
96 have rights and to have responsibilities: to be respected in one’s decisions and to always
97 respect others, to be accepted and included in society, while making sure that so are the
98 others, in current and future generations.
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100 1.4 Democracy
101 Democracy and the invaluable civil rights we possess are an essential means for ensuring
102 equality, empowerment and the inclusion of all sections of society. We must be ever
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103 vigilant in the protection of these freedoms, especially when they are questioned in the
104 face of modern threats and crises. And we must go further and always demand increases
105 in the quality of democracy: increasing transparency, accountability, representation and
106 political inclusion at all levels. The goals of the socialist movement can only be realised
107 when all citizens have equal decision-making power in political matters, and use it fully.
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109 2. ECOSY: A PROGRESSIVE ORGANISATION
110 ECOSY – Young European Socialists has a proud history of gathering and uniting young
111 socialist and social democratic organisations from all over Europe, including countries not
112 currently part of the European Union. It provides a place of political debate and action for
113 young European socialists and social democrats at the European level. Each year, ECOSY
114 – Young European Socialists organises meetings, seminars and other actions that help
115 young European socialists and social democrats to exchange views, learn from one
116 another, agree on joint positions and shape common tools of activism and influence.
117 ECOSY – Young European Socialists will continue to build an integrated and progressive
118 organisation that stands at the heart of the socialist and social democratic movement in
119 Europe, contributing to and shaping the European socialist debate and policy.
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121 2.1 Active to shape the future of Europe
122 ECOSY – Young European Socialists actively contributes to the European political scene
123 and participates in the European discourse. For us, the European Union may never be
124 limited to a single market framed by rules to ensure fair competition. ECOSY – Young
125 European Socialists demands and works for a democratic, social and federal Europe.
126 Some elements of this demand have been heard, but it is not enough. A social and
127 democratic Europe will continue to be the base of the vision of ECOSY – Young European
128 Socialists for the future of Europe.
129  ECOSY – Young European Socialists actively promotes a clear socialist and social
130 democratic vision on the future of Europe. We will combat social injustice and the
131 threat of populist agitation by right-wing parties against a united Europe based on
132 our principles and values.
133  The European Union is more than cooperation between its member states. ECOSY
134 – Young European Socialists underlines that the European Union is composed of
135 states ready to give up parts of their sovereignty and work together effectively to
136 tackle social and economical challenges. The European Union should not be a
137 geographical or religious alliance, but a political community based on common
138 values and political vision and culture. Europe united is stronger than Europe
139 divided, and we can achieve more together than apart. We, young socialists and
140 social democrats believe in and will work for the future of Europe. Reaching out to
141 citizens, especially youth, informing them about and involving them in the
142 European project is of the utmost importance.
143  In the international community a strong and globally active Europe is needed.
144 Europe should be a force for the promotion of our principles and values. It has to
145 take its global responsibility by actively and continuously working for the peace
146 and the development of the international community in accordance with the
147 Charter of the United Nations and the basic rules of international law respecting
148 and promoting democracy, human rights and freedom, playing an active role in
149 international United Nations-mandated peacemaking and peacekeeping efforts
150 and showing a good example of international solidarity.
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153 2.2 Working closely with member organisations

154 ECOSY – Young European Socialists is a unique youth organisation with its member
155 organisations in 45 countries in Europe, and still several countries to grow to. Like the
156 European Union, ECOSY – Young European Socialists is more than the sum of its
157 members. It is a vibrant and active political body of young European socialists and social
158 democrats. By working closely with member organisations, this organisation can help
159 shape Europe’s future.
160  The ambition of ECOSY – Young European Socialists and its member organisations
161 is to build an ever stronger European socialist and social democratic movement.
162 For that, member organisations and ECOSY – Young European Socialists
163 coordinate common policies and actions, both nationally and internationally.
164  ECOSY – Young European Socialists is a pioneer for Europe with a sustainable and
165 constructive strategy towards the Balkans, bringing Europe closer to young
166 socialists and social democrats in this region. Furthermore, ECOSY – Young
167 European Socialists is engaged in working with organisations in the Black Sea
168 area, the Middle East and all neighbouring countries.
169  ECOSY – Young European Socialists and its member organisations make an effort
170 to spread information about activities and political positions to all members and as
171 broadly as possible in the surroundings of member organisations.
172  ECOSY – Young European Socialists engages itself to educate its members and
173 activists. Creating political consciousness, discussing society and equipping
174 members with skills to express their opinions are the goals of this educational
175 process. Seminars, trainings and summer camps are the spaces of this
176 educational work, which will be continuously developed, particularly through the
177 ECOSY Pool of Trainers.
178  ECOSY – Young European Socialists runs campaigns on topical issues with a multi-
179 level approach aiming to influence both national politics through its member
180 organisations and European politics through the Party of European Socialists, the
181 S&D/PES groups and other connections.
182  ECOSY – Young European Socialists is the representative of all young socialists
183 and social democrats on the European level.
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185 2.3 Cooperation with the Party of European Socialists and
186 S&D/PES groups
187 The relationship between ECOSY – Young European Socialists and the Party of European
188 Socialists is strong. At the 1997 Party of European Socialists Congress in Malmö,
189 Sweden, ECOSY – Young European Socialists was officially recognised as the youth
190 structure of the Party of European Socialists while its political autonomy was guaranteed.
191 It is involved in all Party of European Socialists bodies and has thus the opportunity to be
192 the voice of young socialists and social democrats there. ECOSY – Young European
193 Socialists’ voice has to be progressive, critical and constructive towards our mother
194 parties.
195  The Party of European Socialists must be recognised as an indispensable tool for
196 the socialist and social democratic family in Europe. The Party of European
197 Socialists has to become a truly united European party in the foreseeable future, a
198 party that develops common long-term and constructive strategies for Europe. It
199 is a sign of our strength that we can recognise our differences, discuss them and
200 find political syntheses.
201  The Party of European Socialists has an important role to play. It should prepare
202 and coordinate common decisions between socialists and social democrats in all

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203 European institutions and is the main tool for European socialists and social
204 democrats to take on political and social challenges.
205  The Party of European Socialists should coordinate socialist and social democratic
206 leaders, heads of state and governments and at the same time involve all
207 members of its constituent parties so as to create a real European party identity.
208 It has to organise networks of socialists and social democrats at the European
209 level.
210  The Party of European Socialists has to maintain close ties with democratic, left-
211 wing and progressive forces in society, notably through the Global Progressive
212 Forum and Social Forums.
213  The Party of European Socialists has a democratic Europe as one of its guiding
214 principles. Acknowledging the recent progress, we note that the Party of European
215 Socialists must develop further as a party. We must make similar reforms in the
216 Party of European Socialists as those we demand for the European Union. ECOSY
217 – Young European Socialists therefore demands that transparency and democracy
218 are to be increased in all Party of European Socialists decision-making, as well as
219 the establishment of a system of majority voting on all decisions, in all bodies of
220 the Party of European Socialists.
221  The Party of European Socialists has to play as a real party in the European and
222 national public debate. The political program and the election manifesto drafted by
223 the Party of European Socialists should always be the reference and guide for the
224 S&D group in the European Parliament and the PES group in the Committee of the
225 Regions and should be taken into account by the representatives of governments
226 with socialist and social democratic participation in the Council of the European
227 Union and by socialist and social democratic leaders in the European Council.
228  As part of the common work towards European elections the Party of European
229 Socialists will choose a common candidate for the position of President of the
230 European Commission. This candidate must be selected through a transparent and
231 democratic process, in which the voice of all parties and their members, as well as
232 that of the associated organisations, is heard.
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234 2.4 Working together with civil society
235 The European socialist and social democratic movement is more than an organisation of
236 political parties and their youth organisations. It is a movement of all progressive forces.
237 The World Social Forum was organised with the purpose of analysing the process of
238 globalisation and gather people, providing a constructive opposition to the trend of neo-
239 liberal globalisation and to formulate new alternatives to replace the existing non-
240 democratic neo-liberal governing consensus. In this context too, ECOSY – Young
241 European Socialists has to be a leading factor of the socialist and social democratic
242 movement.
243  ECOSY – Young European Socialists, together with the International Union of
244 Socialist Youth and the International Falcon Movement – Socialist Education
245 International, established the Global Progressive Youth Forum. The Global
246 Progressive Youth Forum is an open framework, supported by ECOSY – Young
247 European Socialists, that participates on behalf of its partners inside the World
248 Social Forum and the European Social Forum and will seek to enclose other
249 progressive youth organisations. The Global Progressive Youth Forum will engage
250 with grassroots activists from all over the world.
251  The Global Progressive Forum, a cooperation between the Party of European
252 Socialists, the S&D/PES groups, the Socialist International and other partners, has
253 to be strengthened. Active involvement in the World Social Forum and the

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254 European Social Forum remain necessary. The Global Progressive Forum has to
255 engage grassroots activists in its work and should organise debates and
256 exchanges between them. We call upon the Party of European Socialists for more
257 support.
258  ECOSY – Young European Socialists actively seeks to cooperate with progressive
259 partners like the European Trade Union Confederation Youth, the International
260 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Youth and Student Organisation,
261 the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association, the
262 European Students’ Union, and the Organising Bureau of European School Student
263 Unions. ECOSY – Young European Socialists is a committed member of the
264 European Youth Forum and engages with other youth organisations in order to
265 achieve its goals in the European youth policy field.
266  ECOSY – Young European Socialists is open to work with (international) non-
267 governmental organisations, trade unions and foundations that can help with the
268 education of members and contribute to the strife of ECOSY – Young European
269 Socialists towards a more democratic and social Europe and contribute to ECOSY
270 – Young European Socialists’ political objectives.
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274 II. POLICY PAPER

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279 THE FUTURE OF EUROPE 10
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281 A DEMOCRATIC EUROPE
282 1. For a more democratic and Federal Europe 11
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284 A SOCIAL EUROPE FOR EVERYONE
285 2. European Youth: a political actor 15
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287 3. Education for all 17
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289 4. All equal, all different 20
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291 5. More and better jobs 23
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293 6. Investing in the future of people 30
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295 7. Protect the environment 33
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297 A EUROPE SPEAKING WITH ONE VOICE
298 8. Strong and coherent foreign policy 37
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300 OUR FUTURE FOR EUROPE 44
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304 THE FUTURE OF EUROPE

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306 Our generation faces a world of crises, but also of opportunities. For all that is wrong
307 with Europe, we are the first generation in history to grow up with a European Union of
308 cooperation, diplomacy, harmonisation and democracy. More and better can be done with
309 Europe, and more and better must be done. It is our task as young people, and as
310 socialists and social democrats, to make a democratic, federal and social Europe the
311 answer to the questions of our time. How can we reduce the inequality caused by the
312 negative side-effects of global finance? How are we to continue improving the living
313 standards for European citizens while preserving our planet's resources for the future
314 generations? How are we to make our differences and diversity a source of strength, and
315 not a source of division? Embarking on a path towards more cooperation and integration,
316 this Europe based on peace, freedom and democracy is now facing new challenges that go far
317 beyond the questions originally raised.
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319 A democratic Europe
320 With the enlargement of the European Union to 27 member states and beyond and
321 insights into the destructive logic of various forms of competition between member states
322 it becomes of the utmost importance to engage in a new step forward. Maintaining
323 current institutions and budgetary concerns will paralyse Europe, fuelling only more euro-
324 scepticism. Less Europe cannot answer the social and economic needs of the European
325 people. More Europe, on the contrary, will provide a concrete strategy for the future.
326 ECOSY – Young European Socialists demands that the European Union receive the
327 necessary capacity to act for the benefit and through the active consent of its people.
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329 A social Europe
330 Today, the challenges of Europe have shifted from building a Europe of peace towards a
331 more intrinsic challenge. After the Second World War, governments led by the socialist,
332 social democratic and labour family in Europe have been working on its welfare states,
333 working towards social protection and prosperity for everyone. New challenges like
334 globalisation and an ageing society as well as the ever more apparent limits of market
335 mechanisms open a new chapter for Europe, a chapter of building and strengthening the
336 European welfare state. Not at the expense of people, but with the goal to enable
337 everyone to have a decent life, decent work and a decent livelihood. ECOSY – Young
338 European Socialists demands the political will and corresponding action to make the
339 European project a true political and social project.
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341 A Europe speaking with one voice
342 Today, sustainable peace and stability on the European continent are realised and future
343 enlargements on the basis of democratic criteria will mark the capacity of Europe to bring
344 sustainable and lasting peace for its citizens. Next to that, building sustainable
345 relationships with the states of the Black Sea area, the Mediterranean Sea area and the
346 Middle East, will open a new chapter for Europe. For that reason, it’s time that Europe
347 claim it global responsibility towards its direct neighbours as well as the rest of the world.
348 ECOSY – Young European Socialists calls for a Europe that has a strong and common
349 foreign policy.
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351 In this policy paper ECOSY – Young European Socialists elaborates its vision on the
352 future of Europe. Young socialists and social democrats from all over Europe propose not
353 only the further development of Europe, but analyse the world we all live in. This world
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354 can become a different and better world. This world can provide a safe and secure
355 environment. ECOSY – Young European Socialists has been advocating for this in the last
356 19 years and will continue to do so in the times to come.
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358 A DEMOCRATIC EUROPE
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360 1. FOR A MORE DEMOCRATIC AND FEDERAL EUROPE
361 According to the principle of subsidiarity, any political issue should be dealt with on the
362 political level which is best suited in order to solve the problem. Therefore ECOSY –
363 Young European Socialists demands that challenges that require a Europe-wide approach
364 be dealt with at the European level. With 27 member states it has become of the utmost
365 importance to reform the existing institutional framework. ECOSY – Young European
366 Socialists stands for a federal and democratic Europe that allows the European Union to
367 be a strong political actor and calls for a new consensus for Europe and its immediate
368 implementation.
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370 1.1 Democratise the European institutions
371 ECOSY – Young European Socialists believes that the European Union should not be the
372 Europe of the member states only. For member states and European citizens the
373 European Union is the level of strong and active cooperation to which competences have
374 to be delegated in order to tackle and solve problems the European society and people
375 are facing today. For ECOSY – Young European Socialists pursuing a democratic and
376 federal Europe is both an ideal and an ambitious agenda to reform the current
377 institutional framework. In order to reach this the legitimacy and the capacity of the
378 European institutions have to be improved.
379  The reform of the European Parliament is for ECOSY – Young European Socialists
380 a necessary start. It needs to have the power to co-decide on all European Union
381 legislation, full budgetary powers and the right of initiative. The European
382 Parliament is the only institution directly elected by the citizens of the European
383 Union. In order to increase its legitimate representation the seats should be
384 gradually (proportionally to population) distributed. In that, adequate
385 representation of all member states has to be ensured.
386  The Council of the European Union should be transformed into a truly
387 representative upper house of the European Union’s bicameral system,
388 representing the member states and consisting of delegates nominated for fixed
389 terms of national legislature. The European Parliament would share the legislative
390 power with this upper house.
391  The European Commission should be developed into the government of the
392 European Union, as the main executive power. This European Commission
393 promotes the interests of all European citizens. In order for the European
394 Commission to efficiently function as a European government, it is essential that
395 the European Commission be appointed as such, based on a joint government
396 policy paper adopted by a majority in the European Parliament. The European
397 Commission must be formed as a coalition between political groups, without
398 interference from member state governments or parliaments. The composition of
399 the European Commission must follow the results of the European elections. Every
400 European Commissioner should be appointed to a concrete portfolio, and the
401 number of European Commissioners should be fixed accordingly. European
402 political parties have to name their candidates for the European Commission posts
403 in the electoral campaign.
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404  The European Union’s administration has to be thoroughly reformed in order to

405 improve its effectiveness and transparency.
406  The European Commission and its members have to be individually accountable to
407 the European Parliament.
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409 1.2 Justice for all
410 The European Union has to become an area of “justice for all”, supported by an effective
411 judiciary system. For that further European integration in the field of police and judiciary
412 cooperation in criminal matters is necessary. Approximation of criminal laws, the
413 Tampere Conclusions that created the concept of mutual recognition in this area and the
414 building of judiciary institutions must be consolidated and made more coherent.
415  The European Union should join the European Convention on Human Rights as
416 soon as possible. The jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights would
417 then cover the European Union’s institutions. This would be an important step in
418 promoting fundamental and human rights within the European Union.
419  The Charter of Fundamental Rights has to be adopted as legally binding for all
420 European Union member states as well as the European institutions. The
421 European Court of Justice has to have the power to review its interpretation and
422 application.
423  Cooperation between judiciary authorities has to be encouraged and measures put
424 in place to speed up the provision of information, facilitate decision-making and
425 raise awareness of each others’ judiciary and legal systems. A high level of
426 personal data protection has to be ensured.
427  Following the Tampere Conclusions, the principle of mutual recognition has to
428 become the “cornerstone” of judiciary cooperation in civil and criminal matters in
429 the European Union. A member state will have to recognise and execute in its
430 territory orders issued by judiciary authorities of another European Union member
431 state.
432  Information already contained in police or judiciary records, such as records of
433 criminal convictions, have to be available for all judiciary authorities in the
434 European Union. A European Evidence Warrant must be developed, and the
435 European Arrest Warrant must be recognised by all member states.
436  ECOSY – Young European Socialists calls for the gradual adoption of minimum
437 rules relating to the constituting elements of criminal acts and the adaptation of
438 penal facilities in accordance with the minimum requirements set by United
439 Nations and European Union regulations.
440  Without prejudice to the established role of the European ombudsman, the role of
441 the Court of First Instance should be as the appellate court for every citizen and
442 legal person against the European institutions.
443  Common standards to ensure uniform protection of individual rights throughout
444 the European Union have to be established, including access to legal advice, both
445 before and during trial, access to interpretation and translation for non-native
446 defendants, protection of persons who cannot understand or follow the
447 proceedings, a letter of rights and more.
448  The office of the European Public Prosecutor has to become an independent
449 judiciary authority. The European Public Prosecutor would instigate proceedings
450 for cases relating to offences directly affecting the interests of the European
451 Union.
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454
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455 1.3 Citizens need to be actively involved

456 The involvement of the civil society in European decision-making is crucial for the
457 participation of citizens and the legitimacy of its institutions. During the recent years,
458 criticism of the European Union have been growing. People feel a distance between the
459 European Union and its purpose. ECOSY – Young European Socialists welcome Plan D and
460 the citizens’ agenda of the European Commission, but underline that more has to be
461 done.
462  Citizens of the European Union need to be empowered to follow, scrutinise and
463 participate in the work of the European Union. The principle of openness and
464 public access to official records must be realised. All proceedings of the Council of
465 the European Union and the European Council should be open to the public.
466  Civil society has to be engaged into the decision-making process. The involvement
467 of the Economic and Social Committee needs to be increased.
468  Moreover, lobbying at the European level should be organised according to
469 transparent and democratic mechanisms, and information about all funding and
470 donations, public as well as private, to parties and candidates must be made
471 easily accessible to the public, and has to include all stakeholders. We must
472 strengthen the protection of citizens’ activism throughout Europe, especially in
473 areas where participatory democracy and citizens’ freedoms of association are
474 threatened.
475  We want to give the European elections a true European dimension. As
476 recommended in the European Parliament report on the future of the European
477 political parties’ statutes, we believe that a political party statute should be
478 adopted at the European Union level. What is more, ECOSY – Young European
479 Socialists fully supports the idea of common electoral manifestos and campaigns.
480 We want members of European Parliamentary groups to be accountable to the
481 European parties and their programs. This is why we call as the first step all the
482 candidates in European elections to state which political group they intend to join
483 in the assembly and which party electoral manifesto they run on. The European
484 foundations, created by the European political parties in 2007, have to be further
485 developed and lead the mission of research and citizens’ education.
486  The common European identity of all Europe’s citizens has to be strengthened.
487 This is why, ECOSY – Young European Socialists strongly demands that the
488 European Union develop policies enabling every European citizen to personally
489 experience the European Union. Additionally, to increase citizens’ participation
490 ECOSY – Young European Socialists promotes the idea of European debates
491 across the continent, legal tools like the right of “citizens’ initiative” for one million
492 citizens to initiate a legislative process, and the establishment of real European
493 media.
494
495 1.4 Deepen integration to continue enlargement
496 On the 1st of January 2007 the European Union enlarged to 27 member states, uniting
497 different states with different cultures, political realities, and perception of civic
498 processes, procedural habits, development levels, social welfare states and economies.
499 ECOSY - Young European Socialists is proud of this unique diversity of the European
500 Union, and is at the same time not blinded by the difficulties that emerge from it. The
501 ambition to deepen integration in order to continue with the enlargement process is one
502 of the main challenges of the European Union.
503  Deeper integration is necessary in order to ensure that further enlargement
504 remains possible. Institutional reform, increased cooperation on several policies
505 and extending competences of the European Union are necessary.

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506  ECOSY – Young European Socialists believes that it is of great importance to

507 continue the process of integration and that the scepticism of a few member
508 states should not prevent it. Therefore it is necessary to allow and encourage
509 enhanced cooperation between those who are willing and able. However this
510 should not result in a permanent structure of a multi-tiered European Union, but
511 should always be considered as a temporary phase, clearing the path for
512 integration to resume in a united manner.
513  It is a collective responsibility of all member states when one is unable to follow
514 political integration. In the European Union’s budget extra financial means have to
515 be made available and expertise has to be offered to these countries, with the aim
516 of allowing integration to proceed at the same pace for all.
517  The European Union’s enlargement has to continue. The acquis communautaire
518 entails all objective criteria (respect for human rights, rule of law, economic
519 policy, financial accountability...) accessing member states have the responsibility
520 to comply with. The European Union has to offer sufficient financial means and
521 expertise to enable these states to comply with the European Union’s criteria and
522 has to work on reforming itself so as to be fully able to welcome the candidate
523 countries properly whilst ensuring the continuation of its political project.
524
525 1.5 A constitution for Europe
526 Since its foundation, ECOSY – Young European Socialists has worked towards a European
527 Union of citizens that has a strong political role to play. For this reason ECOSY – Young
528 European Socialists strives for a federal and democratic European Union. The
529 constitutional treaty and the Lisbon treaty took some steps towards this direction,
530 although other demands of ECOSY – Young European Socialists were not reflected.
531 Repeated votes against constitutional treaties in several member states have been the
532 expression of a pre-existing crisis of the European project. ECOSY – Young European
533 Socialists demands political leadership to bring the necessary institutional reforms
534 forward, in combination with strengthening the social dimension of the European Union.
535  The direction for institutional reforms in the constitutional treaties have to be
536 upheld. This “substance” of the constitution has to be maintained and preferably
537 strengthened amongst others by developing the field of majority voting, changing
538 the modification procedure and making the enhanced cooperation mechanism
539 more flexible.
540  It is necessary to design a roadmap for re-launching the European constitutional
541 process. ECOSY – Young European Socialists call for the inclusion of a new civil
542 dialogue on this matter. Especially young people should be enabled to participate
543 in drafting this roadmap and in the new civil dialogue.
544  Any new constitutional treaty should be based on the separation of the
545 institutional reforms and the policy reforms. In particular, a treaty should put
546 more emphasis on: social policy agenda, the European social model, tackling
547 climate change, energy policy, disarmament, enlargement policy and reforming
548 the financial system.
549  We propose that any European constitutional framework should contain measures
550 to protect public services, should not provide for increased European militarization
551 and should not be inspired by neo-liberal values.
552  We call for the members of the next European Parliament to be elected also with a
553 constituent mandate for a precise term, at the end of which a constitutional text
554 to be drafted shall be submitted to the European citizens for approval in the
555 process of a Europe-wide referendum.
556
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557 A SOCIAL EUROPE FOR EVERYONE

558
559 2. EUROPEAN YOUTH: A POLITICAL ACTOR
560 The future of Europe depends on the ability to foster a European society that is child- and
561 youth-friendly. This society must enable young people to acquire knowledge and skills to
562 take up future possibilities and challenges. For ECOSY – Young European Socialists,
563 young people stand at the core of the future European project ensuring a social Europe.
564 Therefore, youth policies have to be mainstreamed into all policy areas of the European
565 Union, with the general aim to improve and develop the living, learning and working
566 conditions and the participation of young people, encompassing the whole range of
567 social, cultural, economic, democratic and environmental issues.
568
569 2.1 For a European youth policy on a new basis
570 ECOSY – Young European Socialists welcomed the Youth on the Move flagship initiative
571 launched by the European Commission in 2010 as we did with the European Youth Pact
572 in 2005. Unfortunately both initiatives lack the ambition needed to achieve a lasting
573 impact on the lives of European youth. The 2005 European Youth Pact stressed the
574 importance of securing employment, integration and social advancement as well as the
575 reconciliation of family life and working life. While the current proposal for the Youth on
576 the Move flagship initiative connects education to employment, it fails to incorporate all
577 other dimensions. ECOSY - Young European Socialists believe that the agenda to improve
578 young people's chances in the knowledge economy through education must go hand in
579 hand with a legislative process to ensure that jobs and educational placements provide
580 for a decent living: therefore a widened youth pact is necessary.
581  In order to mainstream youth objectives into all policies of the European Union,
582 one European Commissioner for child and youth policies has to be elected with a
583 widened political mandate, enabling this European Commissioner to advocate for
584 youth policies on all matters. This mandate must include the obligation to
585 organise consultations and a real dialogue between young people and decision-
586 makers.
587  ECOSY – Young European Socialists advocates for a youth policy that considers
588 young people as the future of Europe with the same rights, regardless of their
589 cultural, ethnic, geographical or economic background. Young people must have
590 full citizens’ rights and should be able to participate in political and governmental
591 decision-making processes, including the right to vote from the age of 16.
592  More ambitious and precise actions must be taken to promote the employment
593 and social inclusion of young people. For that a European youth employment
594 strategy has to be deployed and active labour market policies for young people
595 developed, with a special emphasis on disadvantaged young people.
596  Clearer targets for education and training have to be implemented, including
597 reducing the number of drop-outs, improved access to vocational education and a
598 single unified framework for the recognition of qualifications.
599  More emphasis needs to be put on non-formal education and its recognition as a
600 supplement to formal education practices.
601  In all areas of European policies, and especially in the field of sustainable
602 development strategy, social policy and foreign affairs, young people have to be
603 incorporated in the decision-making process.
604  Young people's empowerment and participation at the national and European
605 levels are lacking. We expect a clear message from the European Commission
606 that it values the consultation and contribution of young people on the European

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607 level, for example through the European Youth Forum, as well as through the
608 young Europeans' civil society and the open national consultation processes, the
609 European Students' Union which represents Europe's student population, and of
610 course the European party political youth organizations. Our role cannot be
611 restricted to accepting and criticizing: young Europeans deserve to actively
612 participate in the decision-making and policy-formulating processes themselves.
613  We strongly believe in the role of youth councils as the voice of young people
614 expressed towards institutions. We claim for an adequate economical support for
615 them and the European Youth Forum, with respect for their independence.
616
617 2.2 Youth mobility card for all
618 In building one European identity it is important to increase the mobility of young people
619 throughout Europe and by that, enabling young people to learn from different cultures,
620 different visions and ideas and different lifestyles. Often exchange programs are more
621 accessible for already advantaged youth. Therefore ECOSY – Young European Socialists
622 proposes alternatives to the European Commission, by its involvement in the European
623 Youth Forum.
624  All young people have to receive a “mobility card” by which they are entitled to
625 free technical and financial support from the European Commission, ensuring
626 opportunities for everyone to work and study abroad. This program must also
627 guarantee that hosting institutions receive proper European funding for every
628 hosted student.
629  The Youth in Action programme is provided with insufficient financial means in the
630 financial perspectives 2007 – 2013. ECOSY – Young European Socialists welcomes
631 the increased focus on the European Voluntary Service, but not at the expense of
632 other programme lines. Especially more emphasis has to be put on action 1
633 (youth exchanges) to increase possibilities to enhance mutual understanding and
634 build a strong European identity. The age range of its participants has to be
635 widened from 13 to 30 years.
636  Information services to promote studying and working abroad have to be
637 improved at the national and European levels. Especially EURES (the European job
638 mobility portal) and PLOTEUS (the portal for learning opportunities in Europe) has
639 to be further developed according to this demand.
640  ECOSY – Young European Socialists demands that the European Union declare
641 “exchange for everybody” as an important objective to reach and decide upon
642 concrete steps to achieve this goal. To make it a reality, ECOSY – Young European
643 Socialists demands that the European Union pay special attention to school
644 students’ exchange programs. The age group of 14- to 16-year-olds offers wider
645 opportunities to reach all young people, including those more disadvantaged and
646 not reached by existing programs. The Erasmus/Socrates programs, including
647 “Junior Erasmus” often remain limited to highly educated young people. Special
648 provisions have to be taken to increase the participation of young people from all
649 educational institutions, including vocational schools, embedded in a European
650 system for the recognition of qualifications.
651  The “Citizens for Europe” programme has to develop a specific youth perspective,
652 with the aim of bringing young citizens of all ages and social and economic
653 backgrounds into the sphere of the European Union. In the frame of the Citizens’
654 Agenda, a special and broad youth initiative has to be taken, enclosing a
655 sustainable and lasting dialogue between the European Commission and youth
656 organisations on the future of Europe.
657

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658 2.3 Put children’s rights at the heart

659 The European Union should maintain and develop legislation on children. The European
660 Union must ratify the United Nations convention on the rights of the child. All relevant
661 European Union legislation must be evaluated on the basis of this convention. Control
662 mechanisms must be developed including granting the European Court of Justice
663 jurisdiction over the implementation of the convention. It is also necessary to offer
664 children opportunities to demand their rights. Therefore ECOSY – Young European
665 Socialists requests a European Union children’s ombudsperson.
666  The role of the European Union children’s ombudsperson will be to coordinate
667 work of mutual benefit between offices of children’s ombudspersons in different
668 states in Europe, and also to work with children’s rights NGOs on developing
669 shadow reports to the United Nations on the progress made by states who have
670 signed up to the United Nations convention on the rights of the child.
671
672 3. EDUCATION FOR ALL
673 For ECOSY – Young European Socialists education is the key to sustainable progress for
674 Europe. Education can in a time of decline ensure the self-fulfilment of all by promoting
675 equality, active citizenship, high-quality employment and better cultural understanding.
676 Education empowers young and old to take on the challenges of the future. Education
677 must be connected with the values and the integrity of young people. It should renounce
678 memorization and encourage young people to learn to think independently and critically,
679 evaluate, trust in their own powers rather than be told what to think and follow orders.
680 Therefore, the accessibility of education all across Europe needs to be improved,
681 regardless of students’ country of origin and age. ECOSY – Young European Socialists
682 strives for quality education for all, free of charge and free of discrimination. We envisage
683 the educational process as one that should accompany people throughout their lives.
684
685 3.1 Free and equal access to education
686 The current knowledge-based society requires highly qualified people, a demand that can
687 only be met through education. Therefore, public, secular, high-quality education,
688 starting from the earliest age, should be guaranteed for free for every child, adolescent
689 and adult in Europe. The trends to privatise education, leading to lower or non-existent
690 grants and increased and differentiated tuition fees, mean excluding the less affluent
691 from education. In the perspective of ECOSY – Young European Socialists education is a
692 public good and can never be treated as a commodity.
693  ECOSY – Young European Socialists underlines the necessity to improve the
694 accessibility of (higher) education. All forms of education have to be free for
695 everyone. Hidden costs in education, like prices of books and readers or the cost
696 of accommodation and food, should be reduced and preferably eliminated. Other,
697 non-financial, access barriers to education like entry exams, knock-out exams,
698 and numerus clausus systems have to be eradicated.
699  ECOSY – Young European Socialists fights for comprehensive schools in the whole
700 of Europe. Comprehensive schools are essential for equal chances in the
701 educational system.
702  Special attention is needed for people from economically and socially
703 disadvantaged backgrounds to break through the generational poverty cycle. It is
704 unacceptable that people with disadvantaged backgrounds are still less present in
705 (higher) education, despite the huge increase of participation in education
706 systems during the last few decades. Special attention is also required in
707 achieving integration, which can be reached through adoption of the principles

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708 and methodology of intercultural education which is linked with the abolition of
709 discrimination, the equality of law and mutual understanding.
710  Personal counselling and pupil-oriented programmes such as dual education
711 should be strengthened to prevent drop-outs. Active support for those who have
712 or are about to leave education prematurely is necessary. Moreover people who
713 have left education prematurely should be able and encouraged to get back at any
714 time during their life.
715  Ensuring accessibility includes sufficient financial support for students, also those
716 in research or doctoral programmes.
717  Self-organization, democratisation and co-decision of student unions at all levels
718 of education are essential for the concept of active citizenship. At every
719 educational level these independent bodies have to be established.
720  Gender-sensitive subjects together with gender-sensitive teachers’ and learners’
721 tools and anti-discrimination programmes have to become standard in all schools.
722 Gender sensitivity should be mainstreamed into all teacher training, including
723 nursery and pre-school teachers’ training. The gendered segregation between
724 studies should be fought by active policies stimulating women to enter into
725 traditionally more male-dominated fields of study and men to consider “feminine”
726 studies. Programmes promoting choosing untraditional fields of study are an
727 example of this policy. Public investments need to ensure elementary and higher
728 education for everyone. In the perspective of ECOSY – Young European Socialists
729 sufficient educational funding has to be ensured through a progressive tax system
730 which taxes high income and capital income and discharges low and middle labour
731 incomes. Charging students or levying an additional tax from graduates can never
732 be an option.
733  Yearly investment of at least 4,5% of the national GDP of all European states as
734 well as 1% of the European Commission budget into education have to become
735 effective guidelines. Budget lines for education and research have to be separated
736 to ensure that extra investments are not at the expenses of one another.
737 Sufficient extra funding to train and employ enough teachers and academic staff
738 is necessary.
739  Pressures to privatise education at any level have to be counterbalanced and a
740 prohibition for private companies to buy themselves into educational institutions
741 developed.
742
743 3.2 For a real European education area
744 ECOSY – Young European Socialists welcomes the basic principles of the Bologna
745 process: it is necessary to ensure student mobility, promote better intercultural
746 understanding and multilingualism, and improve the personal development of European
747 students. ECOSY – Young European Socialists is, however, increasingly worried about the
748 course of events. The Bologna process is often misused to implement other reforms like
749 the introduction or raising of tuition fees that limits study opportunities, cuts in financing
750 or staff numbers or the introduction of less flexible education systems. ECOSY – Young
751 European Socialists strives for a real European education area, based on the principle of
752 free and equal access for all.
753  The Bologna process should be about real diploma recognition, including
754 vocational training, European Credit Transfer System credits and parts of study.
755 The Bologna process should be about increased mobility of all students and not
756 just of the richest ones. A more integrated and more controllable approach in the
757 Bologna process, involving students and higher education institutions themselves
758 has to be established.

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759  Increased spending in the Bologna process to enhance student and academic staff
760 mobility is necessary, including more attention for the increased participation of
761 students from less advantaged financial backgrounds.
762  Diplomas and credits from both formal and non-formal education need to be
763 recognised by all European educational, state and professional institutions.
764  The European education area has to become open for students from third
765 countries.
766
767 3.3 Life-long learning for everyone
768 Education and life-long learning constituted the most important pillars of the Lisbon
769 strategy, however, in the Europe 2020 flagship initiatives “Youth on the Move” and “New
770 Skills, New Jobs” this has been reduced to the employability of youth and retraining of
771 older workers at risk of lay-offs. Citizens must be continuously facilitated in every way to
772 participate in life-long learning. The success of the life-long-learning initiative depends on
773 not confining it to middle and higher management or to a market-based logic, but
774 applying it to all workers according to their choices for self-fulfilment. It must embrace
775 different elements including vocational training in order to prepare people for the labour
776 market and cooperate closely with the private sector whilst remaining independent of it.
777 The private sector has an important role to fulfil in the life-long learning agenda in that it
778 must take on its responsibilities to keep on training its employees, however cannot
779 interfere with autonomous education itself.
780  The budget for life-long learning programmes has to be increased and a
781 comprehensive strategy at the European level to implement life-long learning as
782 promised in the Lisbon strategy has to be developed.
783  It is important that everyone has the right to receive the additional schooling of
784 their choice free of charge, especially the disadvantaged.
785  A minimum of 3% of national GDP has to be invested in research and life-long
786 learning in every member state.
787
788 3.4 Full recognition of non-formal education
789 Non-formal education and voluntary work are important means of personal development
790 and training for many young people. ECOSY – Young European Socialists sees non-formal
791 education as extremely valuable for both the individual and for society as a whole and
792 therefore calls for its full Europe-wide recognition in the academic, state and professional
793 spheres. ECOSY – Young European Socialists stresses that this value must be additional:
794 it can never replace formal education or perform tasks that should be the state’s or a
795 company’s responsibility, and voluntary work can never replace a decent, paid job.
796  Non-formal education and prior learning have to be fully recognised in the
797 European Union as a tool to empower people and give them the opportunities to
798 reach self-fulfilment. The received credentials from it should be a base to enrol in
799 higher education.
800  ECOSY – Young European Socialists welcomes the increased funding of the
801 European Voluntary Service. Other European and national programmes for
802 voluntary work and non-formal education have to follow. The accessibility of the
803 voluntary programmes for disadvantaged groups in society has to be increased.
804  All volunteers should enjoy full social rights.
805  A yearly audit has to be undertaken by the European Commission, accountable to
806 the European Parliament, to ensure that voluntary workers have not been
807 burdened with state responsibilities. Misuse of voluntary work as cheap or even
808 free labour has to be prevented.
809
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810 4. ALL EQUAL, ALL DIFFERENT

811 Our welfare states are based on an understanding of society as a community of solidarity
812 with a common responsibility to let everyone share equally in prosperity. For ECOSY –
813 Young European Socialists rights come before obligations. Everyone has the social right
814 to receive the appropriate benefits for the sake of inclusion and social cohesion. It is
815 essential to ensure everybody can make a decent living and fully participate in civil
816 society.
817
818 4.1 Civil, political, social and economic rights for everyone
819 Integration is a natural process. Therefore the challenge is not to speak of an
820 immigrants’ issue, but to create political, economic and social conditions for an open
821 society in which everybody can fully participate, regardless of income, ethnic or social
822 origin, gender, sexual orientation or other identities, religious or political orientation and
823 citizenship. It is a society, where everybody’s human and fundamental rights are
824 guaranteed, has the right to decent work, receives social benefits and follows education.
825 It is necessary to overcome exclusion and discrimination of groups and individuals,
826 caused by racism, homophobia, sexism and the lack of attention for persisting gender
827 inequality.
828  ECOSY – Young European Socialists advocates an inclusive approach of society,
829 where differences are valued, but where common values like respect for human
830 rights are shared.
831  We demand anti-discrimination policies combined with a Europe-wide awareness-
832 raising campaign. Comprehensive integration programmes and free language
833 courses for immigrants aiming at empowerment and integration have to be
834 developed.
835  Equality means not only civil and political equality. ECOSY- Young European
836 Socialists fights for full political, civil, social and economic equality for everyone.
837  Social cohesion and integration must be a priority: therefore we demand actions
838 combating poverty. A necessary action to fight poverty and create an inclusive
839 society is to guarantee free and equal access to education for everyone at every
840 age. Also adult education must be accessible to really include disadvantaged
841 groups.
842
843 4.2 Real gender equality
844 Just like young people and immigrants, women are the first victims of neo-liberal and
845 conservative policies in our societies. Also the economic crisis affects women much more
846 than men in the long run. Cuts target branches like public services where mainly women
847 are employed. Services like childcare and care for the elderly and ill are pushed back into
848 the responsibility of the families, meaning to the responsibility of the women. The model
849 of a patriarchal society is re-established and strengthened using the economic crisis as
850 an excuse. ECOSY – Young European Socialists calls for an inclusive society which
851 guarantees women equal rights, also economic equal rights. Women still lag behind in
852 terms of economic self-sufficiency, taking on the vast majority of reproductive labour.
853 Gender equality in Europe is far from achieved. Additionally, violence against women,
854 both at home and away, mobbing, trafficking and forced prostitution are a reality. ECOSY
855 – Young European Socialists commits itself to the eradication of all forms of gender
856 inequality and the consolidation of women’s civil, political, social and economic rights.
857  ECOSY – Young European Socialists welcomes the reaffirming of the Beijing + 15
858 declaration and platform for action, though emphasises that the general political
859 commitment to their implementation, as also to the millennium development
860 goals and the United Nations convention on the elimination of all forms of
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861 discrimination against women, has to be strengthened in order to proceed faster

862 and more efficiently. We must struggle globally for a global right to gender
863 equality.
864  ECOSY – Young European Socialists welcomes the introduction of the gender
865 equality dialogue and the European Equal Pay Day announced in the European
866 Commission strategy for equality between women and men 2010-2015. However,
867 ECOSY – Young European Socialists demands increased funding for the
868 implementation of the strategy and for the European Union Gender Institute.
869 Furthermore, ECOSY – Young European Socialists laments the absence of
870 references to women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights, as well as the
871 lack of measures to improve the quality of women’s employment.
872  The gender pay gap is a fact in Europe. Women take on the bulk of part-time and
873 unpaid jobs and perform the bulk of domestic labour. Women’s labour market
874 participation must be increased, but this cannot happen through more part-time
875 employment. Much further work is needed to realise equal career, wage and
876 pension perspectives for women and men. We call for a reform of social security
877 systems to incorporate the specific needs of women.
878  Statistics show women remain longer unemployed than men. Gender-sensitive
879 policies of the active labour market must be developed.
880  Social benefits cannot depend only on working hours in paid employment. Public
881 services must be expanded to cover tasks done traditionally by women in the
882 household, and day care must be made an accessible and affordable option for all
883 families.
884  ECOSY – Young European Socialists strongly advocates high-quality gender-
885 sensitive health care. By that we demand the right to decide and plan family life,
886 which is possible only when information, free artificial insemination, adequate
887 support for adoption, free contraceptives and legal safe abortion, are available.
888 The immediate creation of a women’s information service network to deal with
889 awareness-raising activities and public information is also necessary. We regard
890 women’s right to decide over their own bodies as a fundamental right that has to
891 be integrated into the acquis communautaire. Respect of this condition has to be
892 one of the criteria for accession. What is more, taking into account rising
893 numbers of breast cancer cases, we demand free mammographies for all women
894 in Europe.
895  Sufficient maternity and paternity leaves must be available with no distinction in
896 payments, as reconciliation of professional and family life is an important issue in
897 the emancipation of women both in the house and in the labour market. Both
898 women and men must be encouraged to follow untraditional paths: the system
899 must be open to the working woman as well as the caring man. Parental leave
900 should be equally distributed between both parents. The role and right of fathers
901 to care for their children should be encouraged. This must be supported by state-
902 funded and high-quality child care systems which allow both mothers and fathers
903 to return to work or studies at the end of the parental leave.
904  The “glass ceiling” is still a reality, as the number of women in any higher
905 position, in labour and in politics, especially in elected positions at international,
906 national, local or even organisational level is too low. Gender quotas are a good
907 means to elevate women’s representation in politics as a short-term measure. The
908 “zipper system”, both by electoral lists and by speakers’ lists, has to be
909 implemented. Additionally, trainings which empower women to enhance their
910 skills and increase their confidence in order to run for higher positions must take
911 place within organisations.

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912  We consider necessary a specific focus on employment measures to support

913 groups of women who face discrimination. Private and public enterprises should
914 have a duty of at least 40% women in executive board positions.
915  We demand the swift transposition and effective implementation of the European
916 protection order as adopted by the European Parliament.
917  Comprehensive, coordinated action is needed by all European Union member
918 states in cooperation with third countries to fight against trafficking of women.
919  We demand for the European Parliament’s report and special directive abolishing
920 promotion of gender stereotypes and gender-based violence in media and
921 advertisement to be introduced Europe-wide.
922  ECOSY – Young European Socialists calls upon all European countries to accept
923 gender-based violence like female genital mutilation as a reason to accord
924 asylum.
925
926 4.3 The right to be queer
927 The struggle for equal rights for lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgenders and transsexuals
928 (LGBTT) is in many ways a symbolic struggle for the right to be different and equal.
929 LGBTT people face discrimination in society, the labour market, education and politics. In
930 fact, homophobia and cases of civil rights denial are rising. A considerable amount of
931 member states still haven’t introduced same-sex partnership or marriage, and even
932 fewer have granted same-sex couples the right to adopt children. Furthermore, LGBTT
933 people are seriously disadvantaged in our social security systems when it comes to
934 receiving benefits or proper treatments. In many countries they are denied the right to
935 be blood and organ donors.
936  ECOSY – Young European Socialists demands complete freedom of gender identity
937 and sexual orientation, guaranteed by the state, and more and better anti-
938 discrimination legislation to be implemented.
939  ECOSY – Young European Socialists calls upon the European Commission to
940 include active policies against the discrimination of LGBTT people in the strategy
941 for equality between women and men. Additionally, the European Commission
942 should start an awareness-raising campaign against homophobia in the European
943 Union and its member states and for a better approach in school curricula.
944  Same-sex marriages and same-sex partnerships must have the same legal status
945 as marriages and partnerships between women and men, including equal social
946 security benefits for same-sex couples.
947  LGBTT people should have the same rights in terms of family planning. The right
948 to adopt children for same-sex couples, equal access to artificial insemination for
949 LGBTT people and the right to unite families for same-sex couples have to be
950 ensured.
951  ECOSY – Young European Socialists calls upon all European countries, to give
952 asylum to LGBTT people who come from countries that consider their sexual
953 orientation to be a crime.
954
955 4.4 For an open Europe
956 ECOSY – Young European Socialists sees migration as a positive phenomenon in a
957 globalised world where capital is already highly mobile. Closing borders, named as the
958 “Fortress Europe” project, doesn’t stop migration from taking place: it just worsens
959 immigrants’ conditions. Most migration stems from poverty and consists of long and
960 dangerous travels from poor countries to richer regions, particularly to southern
961 European countries.

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962  ECOSY – Young European Socialists stands for a rational, solidarity-based

963 approach to immigration which offers safety to those who seek asylum and deals
964 with economic migrants in a respectful and responsible manner.
965  To answer mass migration we need to tackle its causes: poverty, repression and
966 armed conflicts. The European Union and its member states have to take the lead
967 in this process, whilst at the same time taking a common responsibility to
968 accommodate immigrants in our societies. The Schengen information system
969 should be reformed to be more transparent and open.
970  Any quotas for foreigners on the basis of nationality, religion, profession or level
971 of education have to be abolished. ECOSY – Young European Socialists rejects
972 both the principle and the implementation of the European Union Blue Card.
973  ECOSY – Young European Socialists strongly denounces the hostile and emotional
974 tone of the immigration debate in most European Union member states and the
975 abuse of public insecurity by far-right and populist parties.
976  ECOSY – Young European Socialists believes that no person is illegal. The Hague
977 programme to develop a common European Union policy on immigration and
978 asylum has to be implemented, including equal sharing of the costs of accepting
979 and integrating immigrants in member states, full civil, political and social rights
980 for immigrants with or without legal status, the right to unite families, to soil and
981 to multiple nationalities. A general pardon for all “illegal” migrants in Europe has
982 to be applied, giving them a citizenship, including all rights and responsibilities.
983 Every resident should have the right to vote in local, regional, national and
984 European elections.
985  The right of unrestricted stay after divorce from a national or anyone on whose
986 residence permit the divorcee is dependent has to be anchored in national laws.
987  Within attempts to reform the social model, serious consideration of the social
988 security benefits for migrants, especially those arriving in the new country while
989 being older and with no insurance, has to be included. Access to public services,
990 especially health care, education and free language courses has to be the basis
991 aiming at empowerment and integration. Together with the immigrants, better
992 integration policies to target both migrants and society as a whole have to be
993 developed.
994
995 5. MORE AND BETTER JOBS
996 19 million people in the European Union are currently unemployed and more than 65
997 million people live below the poverty line. Economic growth is essential to achieve the
998 goal of full employment, but it is not sufficient to create more and better jobs and to
999 reduce poverty. We need a Europe that invests in its people, invests in skills and
1000 opportunities, especially of young people. For ECOSY – Young European Socialists full
1001 employment remains a central part in our vision to create a high-quality European social
1002 welfare state. Unlike the conservatives we still believe in full employment. Giving up the
1003 goal of full employment means to accept that some people are excluded from
1004 participation in the labour market and in society, for a long time or the rest of their life.
1005 It means to accept segregation in the society between people who are in and those who
1006 are out. Everybody has the right to have a decent job. Therefore, ECOSY – Young
1007 European Socialists advocates more and better jobs for everyone. In its history, the
1008 European Union has predominantly focused on creating a single market, including
1009 increasing possibilities for labour mobility, although the new member states are still
1010 excluded from this right. Now it is high time that the European Union enters into a new
1011 path towards a social Europe. For that ECOSY – Young European Socialists demands that
1012 a new social treaty be developed, based on the lines set out in the Delors white paper on

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1013 social progress. The three pillars in this social treaty are active labour market policies
1014 (Luxembourg process), microeconomic and structural reforms (Cardiff process) and
1015 macroeconomic and budgetary measures (Cologne process) that have to unite in order to
1016 achieve the aim of more and better jobs for everyone. ECOSY – Young European
1017 Socialists rejects any calls for wage moderation as outlined in the Delors white paper
1018 however, as this is anathema to the pursuit of better jobs.
1019
1020 5.1 Social justice for all
1021 A social Europe begins with equal social rights for everyone. Active labour market
1022 policies, which not only ensure inclusivity, but also eliminate existing injustice, like the
1023 working poor phenomenon or exploitation over unpaid internships hidden under the
1024 slogan of “transition between education and labour market”. ECOSY – Young European
1025 Socialists demands that, within the new approach towards working in the life-cycle
1026 concept, social justice and equality be maintained and improved.
1027 ECOSY – Young European Socialists therefore demands that combating all forms of
1028 discrimination stated in article 13 of the treaties of the European Community (Maastricht,
1029 Amsterdam and Nice) be included in all member states’ legislation and policies.
1030  Work has to pay. This simple principle is for ECOSY – Young European Socialists
1031 more than eradicating the occurrence of working poor. It includes the guarantee
1032 for everyone to have decent work, a decent life and a decent livelihood. Because
1033 of that it is necessary that a European minimum wage or collective agreements
1034 with equal purchasing power be applied based on a long-term vision of social
1035 convergence with the exception of those countries, where a minimum income is
1036 secured by collective agreements.
1037  Recognition of qualifications, labour standards in combination with minimum
1038 wages shall also be a way to ensure equal labour financial conditions and the
1039 same possibilities across the continent. It is also a step in finding a strategy to
1040 eliminate brain drain phenomena that endanger economies and social progress of
1041 less developed countries.
1042  The gender pay gap is persistent and stands at 17,8%. For ECOSY – Young
1043 European Socialists the principle of equal pay for equal work is guiding. The
1044 execution of the European pact for gender equality is necessary. Very few
1045 member states have developed concrete policies to tackle it: the powers of the
1046 European Commission have to be increased to enforce the implementation of
1047 both.
1048  It is imperative to improve the safety and health at work of all workers, and
1049 especially pregnant workers and workers who have recently given birth.
1050  All member states have to implement rules establishing paid maternity/paternity
1051 leave following the birth of a child. ECOSY – Young European Socialists promotes
1052 parental leave that is equally shared between parents so that both parents are
1053 accorded an equal quota of the leave that the other cannot use. The same rights
1054 must be extended to same-sex couples, and single parents should be accorded
1055 the entire leave period.
1056  High quality free child care is a social right. The 2002 Barcelona Council objectives
1057 to provide child care for at least 90% of children between the age of 3 and
1058 mandatory school age and at least 33% of children under 3 years of age have to
1059 be realised. This child care must be accessible, affordable and of high quality for
1060 all families. Furthermore, value added tax on children’s products has to be
1061 reduced.
1062  Equal access to social security and services has to be realised for everyone,
1063 regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic or

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1064 ethnic background or disability. ECOSY – Young European Socialists condemns

1065 practices such as a lower minimum wage or lower benefits for specific groups in
1066 society as discriminatory.
1067  Unemployment among people with disabilities remains unacceptably high. There is
1068 a need to provide a broad spectrum of employment opportunities, including
1069 protected and assisted employment, the possibility to obtain and constantly renew
1070 qualifications and representation of disabled people. The European Parliament
1071 report on the situation of people with disabilities in the enlarged European Union,
1072 including the European Action Plan 2006-2007, and the United Nations convention
1073 on the rights of people with disabilities have to be implemented throughout the
1074 European Union.
1075
1076 5.2 Full youth employment in Europe
1077 The ten-year-old Lisbon strategy has been replaced by the Europe 2020 strategy.
1078 Although the Lisbon strategy has not been a success story, the new Europe 2020
1079 strategy is no more than a continuation of the old agenda. Social aspects are still not in
1080 the heart of the strategy. Only with a shift towards a clear social agenda more and better
1081 jobs can be realised.
1082  ECOSY – Young European Socialists advocates full employment, combined with
1083 more and better jobs.
1084  Youth unemployment and young people working in poverty have to be effectively
1085 tackled throughout the European Union. The provisions in the European Youth
1086 Pact regarding fighting youth unemployment, sustained integration of young
1087 people into the labour market, national social inclusion policies to improve the
1088 situation of the most vulnerable young people, prevention of educational failure,
1089 stimulating the vocational integration of young people and easing the transition
1090 from education to work, must be fulfilled. They should become the guiding
1091 principles in implementing the Europe 2020 strategy.
1092  The position of young people and women in trade unions has to be strengthened,
1093 to give young people the possibility to fight for their rights.
1094  The links between higher education institutions, research and technological
1095 centres and enterprises have to be strengthened, in particular through networking
1096 activities and joint actions, from this innovation and new jobs can be realised.
1097  The knowledge-based society is one of the answers to deliver more and better
1098 jobs. But it will only work with a wider approach, not only focusing on fashionable
1099 elite research. The Europe 2020 strategy has to take this into account. But the
1100 knowledge-based society has to be seen also as a chance for society as a whole.
1101  The strategy’s objective of increasing the participation rate of women in the
1102 labour market to 70% by 2020 has to be achieved.
1103  Labour market modernisation strategies have to be put in place for the
1104 anticipation of gradual changes throughout the European Union in diminishing
1105 sectors, alongside active measures to reinforce the economic well-being of
1106 regions. Specific employment, training and support services for workers in the
1107 context of company and sector restructuring have to be developed, such as rapid-
1108 response schemes and access to supplementary education in the case of collective
1109 lay-offs. We should also aim at preventing such lay-offs by measures such as the
1110 conditioning of public subsidies on guaranteed terms of employment.
1111  Active labour market policies should enable young people to enter the labour
1112 market more easily, at the same time protecting them from exploitation within the
1113 framework of unpaid internships or short-term contracts without proper social
1114 security. This can only be counterbalanced by strong contractual legislation, trade

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1115 unions and member states providing the right to employment. This has to include
1116 effective action against the long-hours culture and ensuring equal rights for
1117 temporary workers. ECOSY – Young European Socialists also calls for the adoption
1118 of a framework directive for internships, forbidding unpaid internships, and for the
1119 European institutions, as well as the Party of European Socialists, the S&D/PES
1120 groups and their associated organisations, to immediately stop hiring unpaid
1121 interns. At the same time, an active labour market has to ease the transition
1122 between jobs to ensure labour market development and individuals’ self-
1123 fulfilment.
1124  The open method of coordination in the Europe 2020 strategy has to be changed
1125 into a mechanism giving the European Commission and European Parliament
1126 more possibilities to implement its objectives. With this new mechanism a better
1127 balance between the responsibility of the European Commission and member
1128 states is realised. The review of national action plans will therefore become more
1129 effective.
1130  Special attention has to be given to small and medium enterprises and to
1131 women’s and young entrepreneurship and innovative businesses. The community
1132 program for competitiveness and innovation should invest in these special groups.
1133  Even as the service sector has risen, the industrial sector is still an important part
1134 of the European economy, so we need a European industrial policy strategy, which
1135 is not based on competition, but has a Europe-wide political approach and takes
1136 into consideration the effects on neighbouring countries.
1137  The “New skills, new jobs” initiative contained in the Europe 2020 strategy should
1138 be amended in order to make sure employment protection for young people is not
1139 reduced.
1140
1141 5.3 Our European social model
1142 The European social model is far from being reached and its boundaries and
1143 responsibilities have yet to be agreed. This debate will take generations to come. ECOSY
1144 – Young European Socialists takes a first step in this debate, not only by defining
1145 common objectives for the different social models in Europe, but also by designing
1146 further-reaching policy objectives. In the light of the increasing social consciousness of
1147 European citizens this will be the most comprehensive strategy for Europe’s future.
1148  Europe should not give up its ambitious social policies, but should make use of
1149 their potential contribution to economic performance and quality of life. For that
1150 throughout Europe the efficiency of social policies has to be enhanced, poverty
1151 eliminated, investments in education and life-long learning increased and ensured
1152 that financing social policies contribute to the objective of full employment.
1153  The European social model for the future has to be a synthesis of what is best in
1154 each national system. Therefore, it is more than the lowest common denominator
1155 of all national social models.
1156  ECOSY – Young European Socialists opposes easy and low-cost hiring and firing.
1157 Labour market reforms have to be embedded in a framework that enhances
1158 flexibility while upholding high levels of social security. There have to be clear
1159 limits to flexibility by law. Flexibility furthermore has to offer an option and has to
1160 be attractive for the employee and not only for the employer, e.g. offering
1161 possibilities for a better work-family life balance.
1162  So-called flexicurity has to aim at providing adequate social security during
1163 periods of labour market transitions. It can only be realised when four
1164 preconditions are available: contractual arrangements providing adequate
1165 flexibility for both workers and employers to shape their relation according to their

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1166 needs; active labour market policies effectively supporting transitions between
1167 jobs as well as from unemployment and inactivity to jobs; credible life-long
1168 learning systems enabling workers to remain employable throughout their career;
1169 and modern social security systems ensuring that all workers are adequately
1170 supported during absences from the labour market and to facilitate labour market
1171 mobility and transition. On the basis of these four pillars a European flexicurity
1172 directive has to be developed that is part of the new social treaty.
1173  Common European definitions of concepts such as workers, minimum salary, and
1174 subcontracting have to be developed. The European Foundation for Improvement
1175 of Living and Working Conditions, in dialogue with youth organisations and the
1176 European Parliament, has initiated a debate on this with the aim of developing
1177 further guidelines, based on best practices in all member states including
1178 guaranteed implementation and effective supervision.
1179  Part-time employment should not mean working in poverty. The share of people
1180 in part-time employment is around 18%. And recently, rises in involuntary part-
1181 time employment have been observed for both men and women. Decent living
1182 conditions and opportunities have to be guaranteed in part-time employment just
1183 as in full-time employment. Therefore the working time directive on part-time
1184 work has to include strong social security provisions.
1185  ECOSY – Young European Socialists advocates the youth guarantee, as proposed
1186 by the European Parliament, which caps youth unemployment at four mounts and
1187 ensures that all young people under the age of 25 are in a job, in a paid
1188 traineeship or in education.
1189  The redistribution of work must be achieved through the reduction of working
1190 time, with the aim to reduce unemployment and achieve a higher quality of life.
1191 Our goal is a 32-hour working week, without loss of purchasing power. Working
1192 time reduction should be implemented at the national level, but stated within the
1193 working time directive. Still we think that the reduction of working time should be
1194 a matter for the trade unions and the employers’ associations. ECOSY – Young
1195 European Socialists is in favour of a responsible reduction in working time over a
1196 period of time.
1197  The working time directive has to be adopted ensuring a maximum of 40 hours
1198 working time per week for all workers without opt-out clauses in the European
1199 Union. A special provision has to be drafted to guarantee existing shorter working
1200 times in several member states of the European Union.
1201  The reconciliation of working life and family life has to be promoted, including
1202 sharing the responsibility between partners, expanding the child care network and
1203 developing innovative forms of work organisation.
1204  Regional employment disparities have to be targeted via specific policies focusing
1205 on the quality of education and training, investment in skills, education and life-
1206 long learning and partnerships at local and regional level to promote job creation
1207 and addressing the skills gap.
1208  ECOSY – Young European Socialists welcomes the creation of a globalisation
1209 adjustment fund as complement to the European Social Fund to provide specific
1210 support for workers for job conversion and seeking new employment. This fund
1211 must not be misused by companies to get rid of their social responsibility and to
1212 resort to cheap collective lay-offs.
1213  Undeclared work has to be transformed into regular employment by increasing
1214 awareness of the negative effects of undeclared work, simplifying procedures and
1215 legislation, lowering the tax burden on specific employment sectors and
1216 developing effective surveillance and sanctions.

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1217  Health care is a fundamental part of the social model. We demand it to be of high
1218 quality and free of charge. Taking into account the rising mobility of workers, a
1219 number of common health care problems on the European Union’s labour market
1220 due to the same health-endangering technologies, as well as a general demand
1221 for improvements coming from the fact of an ageing society, we urge the
1222 European Union to design policies aimed at coordinating the European healthcare
1223 system better.
1224
1225 5.4 A social labour mobility directive
1226 Earnings’ disparities in old member states are between two to four times larger than in
1227 new member states, and the standards of labour market and social models differ overall
1228 due to their distinct histories. Those are challenges in creating a single European labour
1229 market, which has to become reality if Europe is to be for the people, not for the profit.
1230  The free mobility of workers must be a real mobility of the people, not only of
1231 labour forces. Therefore it has to go hand in hand with the free movement of
1232 workers from new member states that are still excluded from it in the majority of
1233 old member states. The trans-national arrangements to limit the free movement
1234 of workers have to be abolished.
1235  Convergence of labour market regulations throughout the European Union, not
1236 towards the lowest common denominator but towards high standards, has to be
1237 realised. Workers have to work under national legislation limiting possibilities for
1238 wage dumping and unfair working conditions. Existing directives relating to this
1239 matter have to be replaced by a new, legally binding social labour mobility
1240 directive.
1241  The social progress clause introduced by the Lisbon treaty has to be used to
1242 reverse previous European Court of Justice interpretations of the posting of
1243 workers directive. Instead it must be implemented as the progressive social
1244 legislation the original legislators intended it to be.
1245  The free mobility of workers has to go hand in hand with the free movement of
1246 social benefits. The mobility of pension schemes, health care benefits,
1247 unemployment benefits and other social benefits of collective agreements have to
1248 be ensured. This demands a new European perspective laid down in the new
1249 directive.
1250
1251 5.5 Solidarity between generations
1252 Between 2005 and 2030 the number of persons above 65 years of age will rise by 40
1253 million, while the number of young people will decrease by 21 million, with the
1254 consequence that the ratio between inactive persons (young, old and other dependent
1255 persons) and persons in working age will rise from 49% in 2005 to 66% in 2030. This
1256 provides an enormous challenge for Europe. ECOSY – Young European Socialists
1257 welcomes the European Commission green paper on confronting demographic change
1258 and calls for a new solidarity between generations.
1259  Older workers have to be encouraged and enabled to re-enter the labour market,
1260 not by increasing the minimum retirement age but by stimulating measures for
1261 older people to continue to participate in society, both in a job and in voluntary
1262 work. Career length and hardness of work in some sector have to be acknowledged
1263 in the definition of retirement age and the possibility to benefit from early
1264 retirement.
1265  Access to life-long learning with the aim to stimulate older people to remain active
1266 within the labour market has to be improved, and member states have to be

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1267 encouraged to remove all disincentives for older people to continue working
1268 especially in regard to more flexible working opportunities such as part-time work.
1269  Equal access to pension and retirement schemes has to be realised. Existing laws
1270 against age discrimination have to be implemented and reinforced.
1271  The importance of knowledge capture for retiring employees has to be highlighted,
1272 particularly in the public sector. This can include a European public service
1273 knowledge portal open to younger workers and measures to link students and
1274 pupils with pensioners: providing career guidance, assistance in completing
1275 education, access to appropriate training and apprenticeship.
1276  Special measures, including child care, housing and social protection, are needed
1277 to support single parents to enter the labour market.
1278  The responsibility for children cannot be put only on parents: the society has to
1279 take its responsibilities, instead of single payments for children as the only
1280 measures.
1281  The intergenerational solidarity, which is a fundamental principle of the European
1282 welfare states, must be reinforced. All attempts to reverse it have to be clearly
1283 rejected. It is not acceptable that the young generation bears the responsibility for
1284 caring for and financing the older generations and at the same time is burdened
1285 with more and more costs concerning there current period of life.
1286
1287 5.6 More power to the trade unions!
1288 Better involvement and firm commitment of the social partners is a necessary condition
1289 for the success of policies aimed at improving labour market transitions for employees, in
1290 particular moving from temporary to permanent contracts, and for better income and
1291 career development. With capital and workers’ mobility it is also high time to reform and
1292 empower international trade unionism, to ensure proper representation of workers and
1293 social dialogue.
1294  The role of the Economic and Social Committee has to be strengthened on social,
1295 economic, financial and budgetary matters.
1296  We believe that collective agreements are the best way to strengthen the rights of
1297 workers or to bargain wages. There needs to be an environment in all European
1298 Union member states that supports collective agreements.
1299  The informal economy must be reduced, and finally abolished, in cooperation with
1300 social partners.
1301  ECOSY – Young European Socialists calls for a revision of the Council directive on
1302 European work councils aiming at expanding the scope of and enhancing the right
1303 to information and consultations and improving working facilities for
1304 representatives of employees in European work councils. The right to a European
1305 strike has to be ensured.
1306  ECOSY – Young European Socialists welcomes the European Commission’s
1307 proposal regarding the trans-national social dialogue as a first step towards the
1308 strong involvement of social partners.
1309  The European Network of Employment Agencies, EURES, should be further
1310 developed and more strongly supported.
1311  ECOSY – Young European Socialists demands the right for a European strike, and
1312 also the right to engage in neutrality agreements, meaning that the trade union
1313 has the right to go into the workplace and speak to the workers.
1314
1315
1316

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1317 6. INVESTING IN THE FUTURE OF PEOPLE

1318 To secure the future of Europe, the monetary, financial and fiscal strategy of the
1319 European Union has to be progressive, innovative, active, socially responsible and open
1320 to new perspectives. It has to invest in the future of people, in cohesion, in solidarity, in
1321 quality, in mobility, in growth and employment, in education, in new technologies and in
1322 enlargement. And it has to invest in a fair and just society. Member states have to
1323 ensure that the European Union has sufficient means corresponding to these economic
1324 and social aims.
1325
1326 6.1 Pact for growth and full employment
1327 The current stability and growth pact has proven to be inefficient. In times of economic
1328 downturn, when anti-cyclical investments in education and growth are necessary in order
1329 to create the necessary employment and to ensure the social security of all, states are
1330 blocked. To promote economic and financial integration it is necessary to develop a new
1331 pact: a pact for growth and full employment. Uniting objectives such as full employment,
1332 social security, economic growth and financial stability can be the only way to ensure a
1333 sustainable future for Europe.
1334  ECOSY – Young European Socialists has always criticised the stability and growth
1335 pact. The 2010 revised stability and growth pact has worsened the situation,
1336 paying no attention to a range of macroeconomic indicators such as the
1337 unemployment rate, and allowing less instead of more flexibility. ECOSY – Young
1338 European Socialists demands it be replaced with a pact for growth and full
1339 employment.
1340  The new pact has to change the current guidelines on financial stability: the
1341 maximum deficit should vary across countries, according to their overall debt
1342 situation, and the severity of the recession or economical growth the country
1343 faces, and the reference value, used to judge the budgetary situation of countries,
1344 and should be the structural deficit.
1345  In that budgetary flexibility has to be allowed to the member states especially
1346 where it concerns anti-cyclical fiscal policy, which is very effective on the national
1347 level in the monetary union. As deficit spending without any limitations is not
1348 useful, rules like a ceiling of debts equal to new investments and a long-term
1349 expenditure growth limit should be implemented. The investments have to be
1350 linked to a clear social and sustainable development strategy.
1351  The eurozone crisis of 2010/2011 has shown that the European Union does not
1352 have the right measures to tackle financial market speculation against the
1353 eurozone as a whole or against single countries in the eurozone. Sound
1354 macroeconomic coordination is still missing to make use of the euro as an
1355 economic tool for the benefit of the people. Next to regulatory provisions, a better
1356 mechanism for cooperating on macroeconomic policies has to be established,
1357 leading to a convergence of member states’ individual policies, based on the
1358 principles of the new pact. This is the only way to overcome social dumping
1359 practices now undertaken by several member states and make the European
1360 Monetary Union a social and political project.
1361  ECOSY – Young European Socialists call for the implementation of eurobonds in
1362 order to make speculation against a single country in the eurozone inefficient.
1363  The Maastricht treaty has given the European Central Bank a vague mandate and
1364 a complete independence, with the result that the central bank has not been
1365 responsive to recessions. Therefore, fighting inflation should not be its only
1366 concern under the political control of the European Parliament. Inflation targets

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1367 should be flexible and aligned with other macroeconomic goals such as
1368 sustainable growth, full employment and stability in foreign trade and payments.
1369  The already existing framework of the European Investment Bank and the
1370 European Investment Fund should be further developed.
1371
1372 6.2 Effective financial institutions
1373 The recent global financial and economic crisis has shown that Europe is lacking effective
1374 institutions and regulation to tackle the challenges of the financial markets. The
1375 European Union has to become a more active player in the financial markets by
1376 regulating, supervising and controlling financial market products, banks and other
1377 financial institutions.
1378  ECOSY - Young European Socialists calls for a restriction of complex financial
1379 market products. An authorisation of new financial market products is necessary.
1380 Over-the-counter trades have to be registered and they have to go through a
1381 central clearing point.
1382  ECOSY – Young European Socialists demands that all financial institutions, not
1383 just banks, be brought under the regulation of the banking and financial market
1384 institutions supervision.
1385  The coordination of national and European supervision institutions has to be
1386 improved. The three new European supervision institutions which have started
1387 their work in 2011 are still lacking elements of efficient cooperation and
1388 coordination.
1389  Rating agencies have to be more independent. ECOSY – Young European
1390 Socialists is calling for a public rating agency.
1391  ECOSY – Young European Socialists demands the implementation of a financial
1392 transaction tax. This tax has to be implemented at the European Union level and
1393 the revenue will benefit the European Union’s budget.
1394
1395 6.3 New fiscal coordination
1396 Tax competition must not exist in the European Union. Taxation systems must be
1397 coordinated and respect a clear regulatory framework with the aim of harmonisation. Tax
1398 havens must have no space within the European Union. A fair and effective fiscal system
1399 that encourages investments and taxes capital will increase the trust of citizens and will
1400 help redistribution, by financing social welfare. A European tax on capital movement and
1401 a European green tax can increase the European Union’s own financial resources. At the
1402 same time a minimum taxation of companies is needed. This minimum rate will also
1403 increase financial resources and help to suppress flat taxation in the European Union.
1404
1405 6.4 A budget for the people
1406 In order to fulfil our ambitions for the future of Europe the European budget has to be
1407 changed. The European Union has to increase its own resources (which have been
1408 stagnant for 20 years now) and reform and expand its budget, with a strong political will
1409 and clear political choices for investment in the welfare of all its citizens. A solid and
1410 further expanded budget is needed.
1411  A ceiling concept of 1% member states’ GDP for the European budget can be
1412 applied only when Europe has a new clear fiscal strategy with its own tax sphere.
1413 Otherwise a 1,5% ceiling has to be applied.
1414  Over 40% is spent on the common agricultural policy, while the spending on
1415 research and innovation is limited and almost no money for social objectives is set
1416 out. Research and development, innovation, new technologies and the information

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1417 society must gain the attention and funds they deserve in order to reach
1418 economic growth and competitiveness.
1419  Research and development must be a fundamental tool to improve economic
1420 growth and thus social cohesion policies. Public administrations and enterprises,
1421 implementing the social responsibility that they have to hold, should make efforts
1422 together to reach spending of 3% of the GDP.
1423  The focus on research and education has to improve when the objectives of the
1424 Europe 2020 strategy are taken seriously.
1425  Social funds must be oriented towards cohesion among member states, regions
1426 and citizens, and provide the tools for growth in solidarity.
1427  Good-quality and free access to public goods has to become a guiding principle for
1428 the European Union’s budget and fully reflected in the structure of the budget. By
1429 that the role of the European Union in promoting full employment, social security
1430 and economic growth can be truly achieved.
1431
1432 6.5 More dynamic regional development
1433 We must make solidarity and cohesion the two words that sum up our vision for the new
1434 regional policy in the European Union. Solidarity, because our policy should aim to
1435 benefit citizens and regions that are economically and socially deprived compared to
1436 others. And cohesion, because there are positive benefits for all in narrowing the gaps of
1437 income and wealth between the poorer countries and regions and those which are better
1438 off. More power to local administration can mean more power to the citizens, and
1439 sometimes a more effective facing of social problems. More infrastructure and regional
1440 programs of development, with full respect to each area’s cultural, social and
1441 environmental conditions, abolishes disparities and creates the real conditions for true
1442 growth. Regional development concerns rural and urban areas equally. In that sense, the
1443 development of the Lisbon agenda at both regional and local level must become a reality
1444 if we want our measures to have a real impact on social cohesion. Enlargement must be
1445 an important parameter when designing relative policies, in order to bridge disparities
1446 among regions.
1447
1448 6.6 Services to strengthen and unite
1449 In its history Europe has predominantly been promoting the single market and bringing
1450 public services and goods into the sphere of the single market, often with disastrous
1451 effects alienating citizens from their social rights. It is important to promote the
1452 competitiveness of the European economy, in the public and private sector, but this
1453 philosophy can no longer be based on privatisation and continuing liberalisation. The
1454 comparative advantage of Europe is not low wages or the lack of a welfare state, it is the
1455 quality and knowledge it has which have to be combined with a profound welfare system.
1456 In order to attract international investments the welfare state has to be nurtured.
1457  ECOSY - Young European Socialists underlines the importance of public services in
1458 general and in particular of public services that guarantee everyone everywhere
1459 equal quality and access to their essential needs.
1460  With public services we have the possibility to democratically control and adopt
1461 sensible answers to our needs, like the quality of drinking water, so that when it
1462 comes to services of general interest public ownership is the most efficient.
1463  A new and clear definition of services of general interest and services of general
1464 economic interest is needed. Services of general economic interest are a key
1465 component of the European welfare state, essential for ensuring social and
1466 territorial cohesion, and contribute to competitiveness. We demand guidance on
1467 this principle according to the principle of non-exclusion for everybody.
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1468  Fundamental sectors that must be run in the sphere of the government are
1469 security, justice, health care, education, water, energy, public transport, post and
1470 telecommunication, public media and information, culture, sports, child care and
1471 social security.
1472  The European Union and member states should reserve the right to impose a
1473 public service requirement on private firms in certain sectors: for example, open
1474 access to a bank account service close to all citizens, regulation on private
1475 broadcasting.
1476  Furthermore, we call for a European charter of public services in order to ensure
1477 that the European Union respects the principles of these services, which have an
1478 important role in the territorial set up. Furthermore, we have to resist further
1479 dismantling of social services through the World Trade Organisation negotiations.
1480  ECOSY – Young European Socialists calls on member states to invest more in the
1481 exploitation of information and communication technologies in public sector
1482 services, such as health, education and government, in which ICT can make it
1483 easier to respond to future social services needs and to cooperate in order to
1484 develop pan-European services.
1485  Public services delivery in the information society should clearly reflect the
1486 increasingly sophisticated needs of individual users and groups and therefore be
1487 based on an adequate response by the supplying industry to such needs with a
1488 view to effective and customised service design.
1489  It is vital that every person living in the European Union has free access to good-
1490 quality, public and solidarity-based health care systems, and to low-cost medicine,
1491 regardless of their age or employment status. Health and medicine research
1492 should be adequately financed, especially at European level.
1493  A European housing directive has to be developed. This should exclude social
1494 housing from the scope of the market economy, include improving accessibility to
1495 decent housing and housing conditions, especially for students, working youth and
1496 those less-favoured groups which are particularly affected by poverty, such as
1497 people at a disadvantage and older people who cannot look after themselves.
1498 More attention should be spent on the homeless, by providing care, imparting
1499 basic skills, and promoting social integration.
1500  ECOSY – Young European Socialists promotes Europe-wide public services, owned
1501 by European public enterprises, like a European railway system or European air
1502 traffic control.
1503  Health and medicine research should be adequately financed, especially at the
1504 European level. Furthermore, ECOSY – Young European Socialists advocates the
1505 generalisation of the use of generic drugs.
1506
1507 7. PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT
1508 Protecting the environment is essential for the quality of life of current and future
1509 generations. The challenge for both developed and developing countries is to combine
1510 this with continuing economic growth and improving living standards in a way which is
1511 sustainable in the long run. In other words economic, social and environment policies
1512 must be closely integrated. Sustainable development has economic, social and
1513 environmental components, and a proper balance needs to be realised between these
1514 components. Social, environmental, public health and development objectives are not
1515 contradictory but instead involve important synergies. The young generation of the
1516 European Union has to be involved in designing policies that combine the environment,
1517 society and culture in a progressive and sustainable manner.
1518
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1519 7.1 Innovative environmental policies

1520 Our Europe has to be environmentally sustainable. It is our responsibility towards the
1521 next generations, and it is part of the concept of international solidarity to implement
1522 those commitments in Europe and the rest of the world. Ecological progress and
1523 protection is one of our main goals in approaching other European policies. Europe has
1524 the technology and infrastructure to implement renewable energy policies, sustainable
1525 water management, safe waste management, and a new environmentally responsible
1526 agricultural policy. The investment in environmental policies is an investment in the
1527 present and in the future, and provides a basis for innovative possibilities for business
1528 and economical development. The European Union has the international standing and
1529 political capital to push for international agreement on sustainable development. ECOSY
1530 – Young European Socialists believes that it is necessary for the European Union to use
1531 these capabilities in order to build a sustainable future for everyone.
1532  ECOSY – Young European Socialists is committed to building a Europe on a
1533 sustainable basis. The single market and national economic interests can not
1534 obstruct the resolution of environmental problems. The European Environmental
1535 Agency should become the actual environmental control body ensuring the
1536 respect and implementation of European Union environmental legislation. The
1537 agency must be supplied with sufficient financial means and legal sanctions in
1538 order to bring countries and companies to justice if they infringe legislation.
1539  The implementation of the existing European environmental rules is an important
1540 but imperfect process, and a strong regulatory framework alone is not enough for
1541 an effective environmental policy. The creation of public support through
1542 environmental information and education, especially focused on young people,
1543 should be one of the cornerstones of the European environmental policy.
1544  Energy efficiency must be emphasised at all levels of domestic and commercial life
1545 across Europe. Energy policy, production and infrastructure must all take account
1546 of the need to reduce energy consumption whilst maintaining living standards and
1547 economic competitiveness. Low- and zero-energy houses should become the
1548 building standard in all newly built houses in Europe, and this development should
1549 be encouraged by both incentives and tighter regulation.
1550  The principle of “the polluter pays” has to be the guiding principle in establishing
1551 green taxes. These taxes have to be invested in financing the European
1552 Environmental Agency, research and education and related environmental
1553 strategies, realising a European environmental fund.
1554  It must be an absolute priority to intensify the research on new, alternative
1555 energy resources. The VII framework program for research, innovation and
1556 development already sets this as a priority, endorsed by a generous budget. The
1557 European energy strategy has to be based on clean and sustainable forms of
1558 energy production and distribution, not as currently based on highly polluting and
1559 insecure fossil and nuclear forms of energy production and distribution. Energy
1560 security must be an integral part of the European energy policy. It must be
1561 achieved through a diversification in energy sources, the development of new
1562 technologies, and through international cooperation in already existing energy
1563 markets.
1564  Sustainable water management must be one of the main concerns of the
1565 European Union. The implementation of the European water directive has to be
1566 secured and member states have to address their lack of commitment.
1567  We must protect biodiversity, by opposing the release of genetically engineered
1568 crops and animals into the environment. We must promote measures like the
1569 labelling of genetically engineered foods and the segregation of genetically
1570 engineered crops and seeds from conventional and organic seeds, in order to give
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1571 citizens the opportunity to make informed choices and responsible decisions about
1572 their future.
1573  Special attention should be brought to animal rights. Common European laws and
1574 regulations should be implemented for the protection of laboratory animals.
1575 Common laws should be passed against the hunting or fishing of endangered
1576 species, and animal welfare must be protected more robustly within agriculture,
1577 particularly with regards to intensive factory farming techniques.
1578
1579 7.2 Fighting climate change globally
1580 Environmental problems are not limited to national borders: they form a global
1581 challenge. Many developed and developing countries prefer economic growth over
1582 sustainable development, leading to deforestation, soil degradation, water and air
1583 pollution. Europe has a global responsibility in addressing these states on their
1584 destructive behaviour which leads to climate change. The European environmental policy
1585 can only be effective when embedded in a global strategy. The European Union must
1586 work towards a progressive global consensus on addressing climate change. European
1587 Union member states must accept their own responsibility and aim at ambitious targets,
1588 followed by the use of Europe’s strength in global negotiations pressuring states like the
1589 United States, China and India to adopt sustainable policies.
1590  A safe global livelihood is a human right, including a safe and healthy
1591 environment. The European Union must use its authority to promote a better
1592 environment for all.
1593  The Kyoto protocol was an important first step in the struggle to control climate
1594 change. Future negotiations within the United Nations framework convention on
1595 climate change must seek solutions to involve the United States, other
1596 industrialised countries and developing countries in the efforts to tackle climate
1597 change effectively. The starting point must be to limit any global warming to
1598 +2°C. This can only be reached through measures started immediately, not in few
1599 or ten years time when the necessary cuts will be even greater. The European
1600 Union must commit to a 40 % decrease in carbon dioxide emissions (with respect
1601 to the 1990 levels) by 2020 and to a 80 % decrease by 2050.
1602  ECOSY – Young European Socialists calls for real international environmental
1603 governance starting with a merger of the United Nations commission for
1604 sustainable development with the United Nations Environment Programme, and
1605 with this body being given greater weight amongst international organisations.
1606 This new commission should be entitled to impose financial sanctions.
1607  The establishment of a security council for environmental issues within the United
1608 Nations system has to be part of Europe’s global strategy. This council should
1609 function as an organ that secures common environmental demands and is entitled
1610 to impose financial sanctions.
1611  The European Union must design environmental initiatives, introduced on a
1612 worldwide basis, fundamentally dealing with the former principles which have
1613 characterised international trade. The European Union must use its position in the
1614 World Trade Organisation to push to mainstream environmental aspects into the
1615 trade agreements.
1616  Europe-based multinationals and members of the European Union involved in
1617 waste dumping in developing countries should be sanctioned.
1618  Any proposed green taxes must be designed in a way they directly influence the
1619 behaviour causing emissions, i.e. the polluter pays. No industry should be
1620 protected in the name of national interests or for any other non-environmental
1621 reasons, and where environmental funds are used to preserve industries we must

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1622 take great care to ensure that the environmental benefits are real. The aim of the
1623 green taxes must be to change behaviour and therefore eventually make
1624 themselves redundant. They must be implemented at a level high enough to deter
1625 and compensate for the harms of pollution, but steps must be taken to ensure
1626 that costs are not simply passed on to consumers, particularly those with low
1627 incomes, in a socially unjust way.
1628
1629 7.3 Sustainable transport networks
1630 Today, the vast majority of personal transport is still based on the use of fossil fuels. A
1631 radical change in mentality is crucial, and the use of other more environment-friendly
1632 alternatives should be encouraged. ECOSY – Young European Socialists supports
1633 personal freedom of movement, but prefers it to be executed in more sustainable ways in
1634 the future. The member states, in cooperation with regions and local partners should
1635 improve the availability and accessibility of public transport based on sustainable
1636 strategies, as well as making sustainability a central concern of urban and transport
1637 planning.
1638  The European Union has to establish a legally binding certification system for both
1639 imported and domestic biological fuels. The certification system must be based on
1640 enhancing the potential of biological fuels to cut greenhouse gas emissions, while
1641 avoiding the wider environmental impacts of biological fuel production.
1642  To reduce the environmental damage of road and air transport and to address its
1643 increasing congestion problems, the European Union needs to promote alternative
1644 modes of transport.
1645  The position of rail travel has to be improved. Public transport has to be free of
1646 charge and one European (high-speed) rail network developed. Passengers’ rights
1647 have to be strengthened. Continental transport of all kind of goods has to be
1648 moved from the roads onto the railways and water which are more efficient and
1649 sustainable. In order to achieve this, we must invest more in railways and in
1650 waterways by improving and increasing track infrastructure, railway stations, port
1651 services and maritime safety standards.
1652  Road safety must be increased and emphasis must be placed on reducing the
1653 number of deaths on the roads across Europe.
1654  Road networks, especially trans-national ones, have to be improved.
1655  Cars represent 10% of all European Union carbon dioxide emissions. Up till now,
1656 the European Commission's strategy for reducing carbon dioxide emissions has
1657 mainly been based on voluntary commitments from the car industry. A directive
1658 for clean cars has to developed and implemented.
1659  Improving public transport networks across Europe, both in urban and rural areas
1660 has to be made a priority in Europe, both nationally and in European Union
1661 policies.
1662  Carpooling should be actively promoted in areas where public transport is
1663 insufficiently developed. This system combined with a directive for clean cars
1664 reduces pollution, traffic density and driver stress.
1665  Air traffic has increased dramatically in the last 15 years, leading to a 73%
1666 increase in greenhouse gas emissions from international aviation. Planes have to
1667 become cleaner and the number of short distance flights should be decreased by
1668 increased incentives to use rail travel and by higher taxes on short-haul and
1669 domestic flights. A European tax on flights within 500km should be imposed.
1670  Local authorities have to be encouraged to provide investments in clean and
1671 efficient public transport in their region. The European Commission has to develop
1672 a green paper on urban transport, combining the use of bicycles, the
1673 establishment of high environmental standards to be met by all vehicles, creating
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1674 pedestrian zones and car-less days in order to raise awareness and compulsory
1675 measures of cutting the traffic in areas where the recording of concentrations of
1676 carbon dioxide exceeds a standard level.
1677
1678 7.4 Reform the common agricultural policy
1679 The common agricultural policy uses up 40% of the European Union’s annual budget. The
1680 need for food security and independence was important in the past. But today this
1681 rationale does not apply. In a globalising world and an enlarging European Union the
1682 original goal of food security has to be redefined. Bringing other priorities such as
1683 sustainability, efficient water management, production of food on the basis of quality and
1684 not quantity, environmental and animal-friendly ways of production, and the focus on
1685 rural populations with high standards of quality of life and welfare. This model can
1686 empower small farmers and producers on one hand, and would be much more coherent
1687 with the European policy regarding the development of the poorest countries.
1688  ECOSY – Young European Socialists underlines that the expenditure on the
1689 common agricultural policy must be substantially reduced and must also be
1690 reformed into a social rural development fund and an innovative rural
1691 environmental and forestation initiative. The focus of both shifts from general
1692 agricultural production into protecting and strengthening the natural value of the
1693 landscape, stimulating environment-friendly production patterns of small farmers
1694 and stimulating the production of renewable energy.
1695  Co-decision by the European Parliament on all matters of reforming the common
1696 agricultural policy has to be implemented.
1697  Payments of agricultural subsidies should be re-nationalised whilst the decision-
1698 making and coordination of the policy should remain at the European Union level.
1699 This would increase the transparency of the common agricultural policy as well as
1700 reveal the expenditure at national level without risking unfair competition.
1701
1702 A EUROPE SPEAKING WITH ONE VOICE
1703
1704 8. STRONG AND COHERENT FOREIGN POLICY
1705 A disproportionally large share of the world’s power lays today in Europe. The European
1706 Union must use this power to make our world fairer, to make human rights respected, to
1707 strengthen international law, to support peace and prevent conflicts, to promote
1708 international democracy, and to create a fair distribution of the world’s wealth. Security
1709 and development are closely inter-dependent. This strong, common and coherent foreign
1710 policy should be the doctrine of the European common foreign and security policy and
1711 the association agreements. Its most important instrument in the next years will be the
1712 new European External Action Service, directed by the High Representative of the Union
1713 for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy: we want it to work for a well-functioning
1714 multilateral system built on the basis of the United Nations, a strong labour movement,
1715 disarmament, fair trade, an enlarged international development cooperation based on
1716 engagement, and a serious neighbourhood policy. Europe must become a highly relevant
1717 political actor on the international arena in order to achieve these goals. The High
1718 Representative has to foster policy coordination and coherence between institutions, being
1719 Vice-President of the European Commission and chairperson of the foreign affairs Council.
1720 Effectiveness and transparency through accountability to the European Parliament have to
1721 lead the activity of the European External Action Service. The challenge of European foreign
1722 policy lies in making the European common foreign and security policy a tool of

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1723 international solidarity by both increasing the actual importance of the common foreign
1724 and security policy and changing the current content of it.
1725
1726 8.1 The United Nations – a protector of peace and human beings
1727 ECOSY – Young European Socialists believes in cooperation, international law and
1728 multilateralism as the best way to reach peace and international democracy. Therefore
1729 the United Nations is the most relevant global body the European Union must invest time
1730 and energy in, and the European Union must improve its coordination within the United
1731 Nations to enable the European Union’s common foreign and security policy to reach
1732 some effect. The United Nations also needs to be reformed, especially in order to protect
1733 human beings instead of borders and to implement more effectively its own decisions.
1734  The United Nations must be reformed in order to become more democratic and
1735 representative of the world’s population. The aim is to enable the United Nations
1736 General Assembly to function as the parliament of the world.
1737  The United Nations Security Council needs reform aiming at abolishing the five
1738 permanent members’ vetoes. This is a long process and one initial step should be
1739 to have only one permanent member from Europe, a seat that should be taken by
1740 the European Union. Seats made available in the process should be attributed to
1741 emerging countries.
1742  The United Nations should strengthen its cooperation with civil society and
1743 especially globally organized youth organizations.
1744  The United Nations’ possibilities and human and financial resources to execute
1745 humanitarian interventions must be improved.
1746  The United Nations charter must be revised in order to enable the United Nations
1747 to effectively stop genocide and other crimes against humanity and human rights,
1748 no matter whether it is perpetrated due to domestic, regional or international
1749 conflicts.
1750  In parallel the cooperation and coordination among the various international
1751 institutions, both political and financial, must be strengthened in order to make
1752 international politics more effective and transparent.

1753 8.2 Improve international law

1754 Societies without laws are left to the solemn arbitrary decision-making of the strongest,
1755 leaving the smaller and weaker with no rights and only few opportunities to affect their
1756 development. This also applies to our international society. Therefore, international law is
1757 crucial to build international democracy and a fair world order. However, even if we
1758 defend the idea of international law, we see the urgent need to develop and strengthen
1759 it, especially in a direction where human rights and democracy are at the core of it.
1760  The International Court of Justice has to become the independent judiciary part of
1761 the new global governance system. The International Criminal Court, the
1762 International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the International
1763 Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda have to become an integral part of this judicial
1764 system. There should be no option for states to exempt themselves or their
1765 citizens from the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court. All countries
1766 should sign and ratify the statutes of the International Criminal Court, which
1767 mandate should be strengthened by replacing the present ruling principle of
1768 complimentarity binding the hands of the International Criminal Court with the
1769 principle of universal jurisdiction. The regional tribunals should be merged into the
1770 International Criminal Court.
1771  International law must be improved in order to not only regulate the behaviour of
1772 states at international level, but everyone including individuals, associations and
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1773 corporations. To fight terrorism a fair distribution of the world’s wealth is also
1774 needed.
1775  Terrorism can never be fought with the weapons of terrorism. Instead, respect of
1776 human rights, international law and the principles of democracy are required in
1777 order to meet and fight terrorism.
1778  It is of great concern when states violate international law since it unbalances the
1779 world and makes it a more insecure place. With respect to this we strongly
1780 condemn any so-called pre-emptive strikes or wars.
1781  Moreover, an independent and unique international prosecutor's authority should
1782 be established being responsible for the coordination and the management of the
1783 impartial investigation necessary for the court procedure.

1784 8.3 Promoting Human Rights

1785 The universal declaration on Human Rights and its 30 articles must be respected by
1786 everyone, states and associations as well as corporations and individuals. They must be
1787 integrated into all international, national and regional legal systems and treaties. Nothing
1788 can stand above the human rights. Human Rights include civil and political rights as well
1789 as economic and social rights. To implement these rights, such as the rights to water,
1790 food, education and health care, ECOSY – Young European Socialists welcomes all
1791 progressive initiatives aiming at building democracy and welfare.
1792  Some groups of the population are in need of support and protection since they
1793 are more targets of injustices (women, children, disabled, LGBTT people and
1794 different minorities). In order to make everyone’s human rights respected special
1795 attention must be raised for these groups.
1796  ECOSY – Young European Socialists actively advocates against torture and the
1797 death penalty. Neither can be accepted in a society built on respect of human
1798 rights, democracy and the rule of law.
1799  Many diseases pose a great threat to humans and society, one of them is
1800 HIV/AIDS, another is malaria. The consequences are to be seen in economically
1801 weak countries that lack the opportunity to fight them alone. Research into
1802 causes, prevention and medication must be developed and enabled for all
1803 countries to take part in, in order for all individuals that need it to get it. The
1804 political fight against prejudices about the diseases and in favour of preventive
1805 measures must be fought in parallel.
1806  As consumers, we also have good opportunities to promote fair trade and to
1807 support human rights and democracy by choosing products produced with the
1808 respect of these values. For that it is important to develop and coordinate brands
1809 showing how a product has been produced and with values. Products not
1810 responding to these standards must be banned from the European market.
1811  ECOSY – Young European Socialists fights for the right for everyone to have
1812 access to technologies and infrastructure that will improve their lives, with special
1813 emphasis on developing countries and communities.

1814 8.4 Fair distribution of wealth

1815 The wealth of the world is unfairly distributed. If everyone would live according to the
1816 average European standards this globe would not be enough. The European standards of
1817 living conditions are often based at the expense of people in other parts of the world.
1818 This is unacceptable. The United Nations must promote a fairer distribution of wealth,
1819 prevent corruption, tax evasion and economic crimes through coordination with
1820 international judiciary systems.

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1821  United Nations development aid should be sustained by a share of the proceeds
1822 from the financial transaction tax we want to implement both at international and
1823 European level.
1824  The world’s natural resources must be used in a sustainable way to ensure the fair
1825 distribution of wealth. Most natural resources are exploited by a smaller but richer
1826 part of the population. Therefore ECOSY – Young European Socialists struggles for
1827 taxation of natural resources consumption. The fund which will be generated by
1828 this taxation will be used to fight poverty and for the sustainable development of
1829 the world.
1830  Until this is feasible the European Union must take a special responsibility to
1831 increase the money invested into international aid. All European Union member
1832 states should finally meet the objective of 0,7% of GDP dedicated to international
1833 aid already agreed upon. Those cannot take into consideration the budget affected
1834 to immigration policies.
1835  European international aid must be coordinated among the member states in
1836 order to support democracy and human rights and not contribute to corruption or
1837 bad governance. The aid must also be given and managed in close cooperation
1838 with the recipient countries and regions, in order to be international development
1839 cooperation rather than pure aid.
1840  The international development cooperation must not be linked to commercial
1841 preconditions of any kind. The development cooperation must be closely followed
1842 and evaluated in order to be useful and also improved.
1843  Not only money must be fairly distributed, also knowledge and technology must
1844 be shared among humanity. Research results and other human scientific victories
1845 must be shared to make all humanity profit from them.
1846  A fair distribution of the world’s wealth demands fair trade. This requires a strong
1847 regulation of international exchanges. This requires free trade in a fair regulatory
1848 framework. Economically poor countries benefit since they get the possibility of
1849 economic development and growth since they are no longer kept outside
1850 expansive and profit making markets. Everyone wins, including the economically
1851 rich countries of today, because the world becomes fairer and the production
1852 more efficient. The European Union can no longer demand from its economical
1853 partners to open their borders while at the same time raising tariffs and granting
1854 domestic subsidies.
1855  However, free trade cannot be implemented overnight. Developing countries must
1856 be able to protect their markets under a starting period. Industrialized countries
1857 must take greater responsibility to implement free trade and immediately abolish
1858 commodity subsidies and tariffs. The European Union must reform its common
1859 agricultural policy.
1860  Moreover, we have to continue our fight for economic partnership agreements
1861 that are tools for the economic development of the African, Caribbean and Pacific
1862 countries instead of instruments of liberalization. The cooperation between the
1863 European Union and the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries should follow the
1864 aim of food sovereignty and maintain the possibility of non-reciprocal trade
1865 preferences.
1866  Welfare services and social security systems must be protected from free trade.
1867 They are not commodities.
1868  To reach a more democratic world, human rights and democracy must penetrate
1869 all spheres of our global society, including international trade and the global
1870 financial system. The World Trade Organisation, the World Bank and the
1871 International Monetary Fund should be targets for these concerns since they today
1872 are steered more through a purely economic approach by mainly the richest
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1873 countries, than by the people of the world. The World Trade Organisation, the
1874 World Bank and the International Monetary Fund should be reformed and
1875 incorporated into the reformed United Nations system, in order to become
1876 efficient tools of international solidarity respecting human rights.

1877 8.5 Engage and disarm

1878 Real security is based on multilateralism, trust, respect and solidarity. The European
1879 Union supports security for the European Union through contributing to conflict
1880 prevention and conflict management. This must be done through active diplomacy and
1881 wealth redistribution, and also through aiming at being the mediator supporting
1882 sustainable solutions. Nevertheless, in some situations neither diplomacy nor wealth
1883 redistribution are sufficient and the hard facts on the ground pose difficult choices. Then
1884 the European Union must be able to meet needs asking for military cooperation and
1885 activities.
1886  The European Union must be able to act with military force when required by the
1887 international society manifested in the authorisation of the United Nations
1888 Security Council. The creation of a European military must be a process including
1889 larger participation of the member states and the European Parliament.
1890  Nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction pose a grave threat to
1891 humanity, independently of in which hands they are. To achieve disarmament
1892 serious multilateral initiatives are needed with the aim of total international
1893 disarmament as the final goal. The European Union must invest more time in
1894 advocating international disarmament through all its channels and relations with
1895 international partners. The European Union should also set the example by
1896 starting to disarm its own arsenals that are in the hands of different member
1897 states.

1898 8.6 Sound Neighbourhood policies

1899 The European neighbourhood policies must be shaped with the same values we use to
1900 build our own society: democracy, human rights, respect of international law and the rule
1901 of law. It must be aimed at building co-operations, to fight dictatorships, to support
1902 peace agreements and to eradicate poverty. In that sense we support the United Nations
1903 initiative of the alliance of civilizations and the newly established United Nations
1904 International University Institute linked to it, as good tools for building understanding,
1905 conflict resolution and peace.
1906  Close co-operations must be built with Balkan countries in order to facilitate their
1907 accession to the European Union. Visa-free regimes must be expanded to allow
1908 young people to study and work abroad more easily.
1909  The European Union must foster and develop a better relationship with Turkey
1910 and its citizens. A Turkish European Union membership is desirable in order to
1911 strengthen the European Union, multiculturalism and peace. However, Turkish
1912 accession cannot happen before Turkey fulfils the European Union’s accession
1913 criteria: implement the acquis communautaire, human rights, democratic values,
1914 rule of law, good neighbourhood relations, economic policy and social standards.
1915  Europe must improve its relationship with its biggest and close neighbour, Russia.
1916 The European Union must advocate democratic development and the rule of law,
1917 with special attention to human rights.
1918  There is a need to bridge the Atlantic gap through an improved and constructive
1919 cooperation between the European Union and the United States on the basis of
1920 common and democratic values. The European Union must build alliances to
1921 succeed in its struggle for human rights, democracy and peace.
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1922  The Euro-Mediterranean cooperation is of great importance for the whole

1923 European Union and the world, and must be further developed and deepened, as
1924 well as continue to go from word to action.
1925  The European Union must fight all dictatorships and use all peaceful means to
1926 support democracy. The situation in the last dictatorship of Europe, Belarus, is
1927 pressing. The European Union must support the citizens’ work for democracy both
1928 by supporting grassroots activities such as youth exchanges, programmes
1929 facilitating for the Belarusian youth to study within the European Union, and by
1930 applying high-level pressure through different political and economic means.
1931  This also applies to other dictatorships in the close neighbourhood of Europe. The
1932 European Union should use its association agreements in order to do so. If a
1933 partner country does not respect human rights, and therefore is not respecting
1934 the articles of the association agreements, the agreements should be suspended
1935 to enable the partner to change policies. If no changes are done and human rights
1936 are still not respected the European Union must follow the association agreements
1937 and terminate them.
1938  Europe must support peace agreements to be reached and implemented. The
1939 agreement between Morocco and Western Sahara must be followed and a
1940 referendum on the independence of Western Sahara must take place. The
1941 European Union cannot allow Morocco to continue destroying the process. The
1942 Moroccan occupation of Western Sahara must end.
1943  The European Union must be actively involved in supporting a peaceful solution to
1944 the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The solution of two peoples and two states must be
1945 realised. The Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory must end, the expansion of
1946 Israeli settlements must be frozen and the borders of 1967 respected by all sides.
1947 Both parties must respect each other, follow international law, come back to the
1948 peace process and stop all violent actions, especially towards civilians. The
1949 European Union can and must support this.
1950  At the same time, the European Union has to be an active and credible partner for
1951 peace and stability in the whole wider Middle East area, supporting the efforts of
1952 Lebanon against internal and external armed conflicts, clarifying to Iran and Syria
1953 that it will be their partner only in peaceful procedures, and helping the people of
1954 Iraq to reconstruct their country.
1955  The European Union must pay more attention to Africa, in both its unity and
1956 diversity. The European Union should develop a sound partnership with the
1957 African Union in order to side-by-side fight poverty and develop democracy on the
1958 continent with all different approaches needed in the different countries on the
1959 continent.

1960 8.7 A strong global labour movement

1961 To build a fairer world requires an active, democratic and global labour movement.
1962 ECOSY – Young European Socialists, works together with the International Union of
1963 Socialist Youth and the International Falcon Movement – Socialist Education International
1964 for this and we want to find other global partners that share our same concerns on the
1965 workers' future. We demand that the Party of European Socialists and the Socialist
1966 International do the same, as well as the European Trade Union Confederation and the
1967 International Trade Union Confederation. The political branch of the labour movement
1968 must also cooperate more closely together with the trade union branch. The International
1969 Trade Union Confederation must have the right to participate in all United Nations bodies
1970 concerning labour and trade in order to represent the world’s workers. The International
1971 Trade Union Confederation must also develop its work with international collective

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1972 agreements. International acts of solidarity, such as solidarity strikes, must also be
1973 permitted. We must be in solidarity with workers here and elsewhere. ECOSY – Young
1974 European Socialists joins the fight to end the exploitation of workers and the intimidation
1975 of their representatives around the world. Governments should be made responsible for
1976 the effects of their actions in other parts of the world: state institutions should subscribe
1977 to fair trade, and any company performing works for public institutions should have to
1978 prove they honour the principle of chain responsibility.
1979

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1980 OUR FUTURE FOR EUROPE

1981
1982 In this policy paper ECOSY – Young European Socialists elaborates its vision on the
1983 future of Europe. Young socialists and social democrats from all over Europe propose not
1984 only the further development of Europe, but analyse the world we all live in. This world
1985 can become a different and better world. This world can provide a safe and secure
1986 environment. ECOSY – Young European Socialists has been advocating for this in the last
1987 19 years and will continue to do so in the times to come. A democratic Europe, a
1988 social Europe for everyone and a Europe speaking with one voice stand at the
1989 heart of our common message.
1990
1991
1992 THIS IS OUR FUTURE FOR EUROPE:

1993 More democratic and federal Europe

1994 - Democratise the EU institutions
1995 - Justice for all
1996 - Citizens need to be actively involved
1997 - Deepen integration to continue enlargement
1998 - A constitution for Europe

1999 European youth: a political actor

2000 - For a European Youth Pact on a new basis
2001 - Youth mobility card for all
2002 - Put Children’s rights at the heart
2003
2004 Education for all
2005 - Free and equal access to education
2006 - For a real European education area
2007 - Life long learning for everyone
2008 - Full recognition of non-formal education

2009 All equal, all different

2010 - Civil, political and social rights for everyone
2011 - Real gender equality
2012 - The right to be queer
2013 - For an open Europe

2014 More and better jobs

2015 - Social justice for all
2016 - Full youth employment in Europe
2017 - Our European social model
2018 - A social labour mobility directive
2019 - Solidarity between generations
2020 - More power to the trade unions!
2021
2022 Investing in the future of people
2023 - Pact for growth and full employment
2024 - Effective financial institutions
2025 - New fiscal coordination
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2026 - A budget for the people

2027 - More dynamic regional development
2028 - Services to strengthen and unite
2029
2030 Protect the environment
2031 - Innovative environmental policies
2032 - Fighting climate change globally
2033 - Sustainable transport networks
2034 - Reform the Common Agricultural policy

2035 Strong and coherent foreign policy

2036 - UN – a protector of peace and human beings
2037 - Improve international law
2038 - Promoting human rights
2039 - Fair distribution of wealth
2040 - Fair and equal access to technology
2041 - Engage and disarm
2042 - Sound neighbourhood policies
2043 - A strong global labour movement
2044

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