Day 3
The General Assembly
Day 3 means that the committees present the resolutions they've developed in the past days in the General Assembly. These are then discussed and voted on.
The venue for this is the local parliament building, which adds to the authentic parlamentary experience.
The resolution booklet
All the resolutions which were made by the committees this weekend and are debated by the General Assembly can be found in this booklet:
ECON
With Matthis and Tim as their chair persons the delegates made suggestions on how to support and assist the Ukraine during the war, by helping to rebuild their infrastructure. They also want to make the EU more attractive by increasing the GBT and lowering the taxes in several states of the EU, furthermore they suggest to invest more in schools for the education of upcomming generations. One major point of the delegates was that the EU is located between Russia and the USA and that the Ukraine needs even more support from the EU, because the new President of the USA, Donald Trump, decided to stop supporting the warzone.
The resolution did pass.
Approval: 30
Rejection: 23
Abstention: 3
Missing: 0
SEDE
The security and defence committee worked on their topics with their chair persons Simon and Tom stated that the EU has big problems because Europe is geographically located between the USA and
Russia. So, Europe must learn to protect itself and be more independent. The
security and defense (SeDe) committee has some ideas: They suggest a social or military year for all young people in the EU. They also want the armies in Europe to work better together. In addition, a cyber group should be implemented to stop online attacks. The spending for safety and defense should also be increased to 2.5% of the GDP by the year 2028. With these measures, Europe should be strong, safe, and ready
to act. However there were questions. Other committees say 2.5% of the GDP is too much money for security and defense. Some countries do not have enough money for that. Instead, it is said, that the money should go to schools, hospitals and social projects. Others say that
more military cannot fix all problems. Many problems need political solutions and teamwork. However, most agreed that Europe should be ready to defend itself.
The resolution did pass.
Approval: 46
Rejection: 9
Abstention: 1
Missing: 0
INTA
Together with Pauline and Niklas as their chairpersons, the INTA Committee primarily deals with the challenges arising from the trade policies of the Trump administration. Particular attention is given to the possible 25% tariffs on EU goods, as well as the strained relations with Russia regarding the sanctions. They propose measures such as ensuring stable trade relations with the USA through a united EU stance in negotiations and the avoidance of a trade war. Additionally, they focus on strengthening trade agreements by increasing investments in trade deals and fostering long-term partnerships. The members of the other committees were particularly concerned about the risk of, for example, provoking the USA.
The resolution did not pass.
Approval: 14
Rejection: 34
Abstention: 5
Missing: 0
AFET
The AFET team (Committee on Foreign Affairs), chaired by Riccardo and Martina, has addressed one of Europe’s biggest challenges: responding to Russia’s aggression while maintaining diplomatic relations and protecting EU values. A united stance is crucial, as internal divisions weaken Europe’s influence in negotiations. While sanctions against Russia are seen as necessary to limit its war efforts, concerns remain about Europe’s dependence on Russian resources, highlighting the need for renewable energy and stronger military coordination. Diplomatic efforts with both Russia and the USA remain a priority, but delegates debated whether peace with Russia is possible without damaging relations with Ukraine. Fake news and human rights violations were also major concerns, with calls for stricter regulations. Despite disagreements, one thing was clear: Europe must stand together to ensure stability and prevent future conflicts.
The resolution did not pass.
Approval: 20
Rejection: 33
Abstention: 3
Missing: 0
AFCO
AFCO focuses on strengthening democracy, improving the economy, and reforming governance in the EU. It aims to make voting easier through automatic voter registration and allowing all residents to vote, regardless of nationality. It also supports direct democracy, giving people a bigger role in decision-making, though anonymous voting was debated. Economically, it proposes lowering trade taxes within the EU to boost competitiveness and to reduce dependence on nuclear energy by focusing on renewable energy sources. However, there were questions: Key concerns of the other committees included the decision to set the voting age at 18 instead of 16, how to protect smaller EU countries, and whether alternative energy sources would be effective.
The resolution did pass.
Approval: 35
Rejection: 19
Abstention: 0
Missing: 0
ITRE
The ITRE Committee with their chair persons Jasper and Jasper focused on how the EU can have enough affordable energy while transitioning to renewables and battling political tensions. Their solution is to achieve energy independence and sustainability by enhancing infrastructure, promoting fair resource distribution, and enforcing investment and renewable energy targets across EU-Member States. In their debate the main discussion was the Implementation of their solution ideas, because there could be inequality between the countries in the EU.
The resolution did pass.
Approval: 25
Rejection: 21
Abstention: 9
Missing: 3
Speech from Bettina Hagedorn
Today we got to meet a very special person. Member of the Social Democratic Party, Bettina Hagedorn, who held a very warming speech for this years EYP. In the speech, she talked about the European Union and it’s many strengths, such as: Solidarity, Unity and hope. In addition, she emphasised on the future of the EU by saying: “The EU is your future and the future of my grandchildren“.
Make sure to watch the speech.
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Video message from Delara Burkhardt
Delara Burkhardt has personally sent us a short and motivating video message! She is a member of the European Parliament, where she also recorded the video. Unfortunately she can’t be here in person this weekend, but we are still very thankful for her inspiring words.
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The opening ceremony
After making our way to the county hall, we were greeted warm-heartedly by the presidents of this year’s EYP and then we listened to the European anthem. Following that, Elgin Lohse, the representative of the city of Eutin, expressed her gratefulness for our project. “We have to work together and we have to want to work together again“, she said, and emphasised the importance of being united and working together for a better future.
