Committee Topics
The committee topics that will be discussed throughout Hiber 2015 are the following:
DEVELOPMENT
With the Millennium Development Goals expiring in 2015 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set to be negotiated as their follow-up, what should the EU’s priorities be in setting these targets and what steps should the EU take to adequately achieve them?
CIVIL LIBERTIES, JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS
Game of homes: Across Europe 11 million homes lie vacant and yet 4.1 million people are deemed homeless. Dubbed ‘Europe’s greatest scandal’, how should the EU tackle this housing crisis and should steps be taken towards establishing a common housing policy?
ENVIRONMENT, PUBLIC HEALTH & FOOD SAFETY
From trash to treasure: Recycling and waste-to-energy programmes are instrumental in the fight to divert waste from landfills and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. How should the EU incentivise the wider adoption of such programmes towards more sustainable waste management and its use for energy production?
TOURISM AND TRANSPORT II
With air traffic levels likely to double by 2020 and European Air Traffic Management costing significantly more than similar systems around the world, how should the EU build on the two existing Single European Sky packages in order to accommodate increasing air traffic flows and to ensure safety, sustainability, and cost-efficiency in air traffic?
CULTURE AND EDUCATION
‘Tackling’ corruption- In the wake of the corruption scandals of football’s international governing body, FIFA, and the Commission’s call to reform the institution, how should the EU work together with sports’ main governing bodies and corporate sponsors to ensure that ‘fair play’ is a principle practiced both on and off the field?
CLIMATE CHANGE
The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21) is to be held in Paris this year, with the aim of reaching an international agreement to effectively combat climate change. What stance should the EU take during the COP21 negotiations and what long-term binding targets should be set within the EU in order to ensure a sustainable transition to a low-carbon energy sector?
TOURISM AND TRANSPORT I
A technology revolution is well underway with the introduction of driverless cars to our roads, expansion in 3D printing technology and drone deliveries all likely to enter the commercial market within the next decade. Given the possibilities of such innovation, how should the EU position itself within the global technological race given the economic possibilities, but also the dangers, that such technology brings?
INTERNATIONAL TRADE
Emerging economies: The EU’s joint free trade deal with multiple African countries has received both criticism and acclaim, how should the EU benefit from mutual trade and political cooperation whilst ensuring the development of human rights and enhancing environmental protection in the region?
CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS
An existential crisis: In light of the 2017 EU referendum in the United Kingdom and pressure from the UK’s corporate sector to renegotiate with other Member States in order to issue a ‘red-card’ to the Commission, how should the EU deal with the increased call for a ‘Europe a la carte’ and referenda that are potentially harmful to its own existence, whilst maintaining its democratic principles?
LEGAL AFFAIRS
Voting post-Schengen - With the ratification of the Schengen Agreement creating a generation of denizens in the EU, of which many are unable to vote in both their host country and native country’s general elections due to outdated national legislation, how should the EU ensure the democratic rights of denizens at a national level?