European Union's secret receipt for a sustainable environment, public health and food safety

by Edoardo de Stefani

European Union's secret receipt for a sustainable environment, public health and food safety is simple enough to be replied at home. Indeed, citizens are the most important ingredients for the success of the "circular economy". 

On 29 January 2015 the European Parliament (EP) acknowledged the need to include citizens in the policy making process for exploiting the benefits of the "circular economy", through the technology of social innovation. What is really necessary in Europe, as mentioned at the conference, is to change mentality and to make use of all our assets, including the young generation and the Erasmus one: “Young people are said to be less politicized, but at least they maintain a strong idealistic push that can sustain Europe as a symbol for everyone". 

Though, civic engagement is not only about idealism or an institutional practice to increase the social acceptance of EU. People can contribute to the correct functioning of the delicate clockwork, for instance by participating at the design of those projects that aim at delivering community services. The general idea is that established decision-making structures can be sustained in policy formation and projects implementation by active networks of civic stakeholders.

The Revision of the Non-Proliferation Treaty: Prospects and Issues

by Angelo Amante

On Thursday 29 January 2015, the sub-Committee on Security and Defence of the EP hosted a public hearing on the review of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Every year, the nine nuclear states, with America and Russia leading the way, spend $100 billion for the maintenance of their nuclear armouries, demonstrating their unwillingness to renounce in the future to their nuclear might. The discussions were focused above all on the position to be assumed by the EU on the subject, stressing the responsibility of the EU in fostering the international control of nuclear arsenals. The ninth conference for the revision of the NPT will be held from 27 April to 22 May of this year, with an array of issues to be resolved. Among the most important themes to be dealt with during the forthcoming negotiations there is the impact of the Ukrainian crisis on the nuclear agenda and the status of the so-called “deviant states”, that is North Korea and Iran. Moreover, the experts invited to take part in the public hearing also stressed the humanitarian aspect of nuclear disarmament, which will influence every future debate over non-proliferation.

GSP+ treatment for the Philippines

(back in 2014)

by Seval Alpaslan

November 5-6, 2014 - The European Parliament (EP) has discussed the GSP+ demand of the Philippines, on November 5^th and 6^th, 2014. GSP+ stands for Generalized System of Preferences Plus (GSP+), a scheme that allows developing countries to export products to the European Union (EU) at a zero or much reduced tariff. The Philippines expects to improve their share with EU’s fresh and processed tuna market with GSP+.

The Philippines mentioned in the conference that GSP+ is a serious issue and a centre matter for the developing countries to enter in the EU market with reduction tariff, since there will be fighting chance with its products and also with employment opportunities.

Children,Not Soldiers

By K.M.

Each year, war destroys the lives of millions of children and their families throughout the world.Conflicts deprives children of parents, basic social services, health care and education. 

Children are displaced and many of them are trafficked and held as hostage. They are robbed of their childhood and exposed to terrible dangers and to psychological suffering. 

They are also recruited into government armed forces, paramilitaries, civilian military and different other armed groups. Children continue to be recruited, not only as soldiers but as guards, cooks, spies and messengers. Many girls are forced into marriage or used as sex slaves. 

Serbia - Kosovo relations in the Context of EU enlargement policy

By Elvita Mertins

The European Union (EU) has been set ambitious demands to Kosovo and Serbia towards their way to EU membership. Kosovo has been identified as a potential candidate for EU membership, since its declared independence from Serbia in 2008, while Serbia was granted to the EU candidate status in 2012. Kosovo’s declaration of independence was firmly rejected by Serbia. Consequently, it has led the region into unresolved territorial disputes and a frozen conflict between Serbia and Kosovo. However, the EU has made clear the statement that both countries’ progress toward an accession depends on improving their neighborly relations and ensuring peace in the region. Hence, unresolved territorial disputes have become one of the main obstacles of both countries’ to the EU membership aspirations. 

First and foremost, Serbia has maintained that the two objectives – Serbia’s EU membership and normalization of relations with Kosovo – are mutually exclusive. The EU’s enlargement strategy is based on a development of positive relations with neighbors, and from this perspective any anti-Kosovo policies or aggressions from Serbia are counterproductive to the EU interests. Furthermore, it is evident that, member states have no interests in importing further territorial disputes in the EU.

The Syrian refugee crisis: Syria's neighbouring countries plea for more EU support.

By Ana Maria Sarmento

During the month of December 2014, the European Parliament (EP) has been discussing the critical situation of the Syrian refugees accepted by its neighbouring countries. Both in Committee on Foreign Affairs hearings as in several conferences, the EP has debated some solutions the European Union (EU) could develop to support these refugees, as well as the countries who host them.

Fleeing from the war, the Syrian refugees are being hosted by neighbouring countries such as Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan. Since the beginning of the Syrian civil war in the early 2011, 6.5 million of people have been internally displaced in Syria and a total of 10.8 million people have been affected inside of the country, according to latest statistics of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). So far, 3.2 million of Syrians have been registered as refugees in Syria's neighbouring countries. These numbers are overwhelming and they demonstrate clearly the enormous crisis that Syria and the region are facing.

Innovation: a new deal for development cooperation

By Silvia Tovar

What is innovation?
Innovation was the main issue discussed in AidEx, event held on 12th and 13th of November in Brussels that gathers, once a year since 2010, professionals in aid delivery and development assistance. The participants, coming from donor agencies, NGOs, private enterprises and suppliers of essential aid equipment, had a unique opportunity to work together on improving aid delivery.

But, why innovation? Humanitarian aid and cooperation for development face continuously challenges to respond to emergencies and to achieve social changes in complex situations. Since the 90s, many have criticized its lack of effectiveness and results in the assistance to other countries or people in need. The “donor fatigue” is also appeared as a result of a decrease of funds for aid in individual and country-level donors. In this situation, some believe that being more innovative may improve the humanitarian and development work. Now, even donors include innovation as eligibility criteria for funds. Everyone seems to be concerned about innovation yet, is it clear what does it mean? The participants of AidEx could learn some features from the different conferences held during the event.