Resolution on renewable energy

The World and the European Union are facing a historically challenging moment. On the one hand, there is the difficult task of bringing the health emergency under control. On the other hand, there is the need to continue stimulating the economy and introducing major recovery measures. For that, two main pillars have been chosen by the EU, the green and digital transitions. Both will help creating a more sustainable, inclusive and resilient economy.

 

It is very important to align hand in hand short-term recovery efforts with the medium-and long-term objectives, such as the Paris Agreement, the UN Sustainable Development Agenda or the EU Climate targets. Besides the governments and the political parties, there is a growing willingness shown by society to transform our economy into a more sustainable and environmentally friendly wealth. There is a decarbonization desire that we need to deal with.

 

 

  • A widespread technology that aims to reach our carbon neutrality goal

 

Renewable energy presents a golden opportunity because it ticks in all the boxes. Renewable energy is directly linked to the green and digital transitions. The benefits of renewable energy in terms of releasing lower or no carbon emissions and reduced air pollution are widely known. This is directly linked to society´s health. Having good air quality in our towns and cities ensures our wellbeing. Nevertheless, it is to point out that renewable energy is much more than saving CO2 emissions.

 

Renewable energy is also about economy. Unfortunately, its numerous socio-economic benefits have only become apparent specially in the last decade when the deployment of renewable energy technologies has become more widespread. Every year, renewable energy creates a significant and growing number of jobs worldwide due to rising investments. Moreover, the sector is constantly improving and innovating, and this has led to technological upgrades which resulted in falling costs. The whole Manufacturing Industry is developing in all its manufacturing base, innovating continuously their products.

 

Apart from the cost decline, infrastructure development has allowed the integration of variable energy sources in safe and feasible way. Moreover, renewable energy provides the needed resilience making it less prone to large-scale failure since some renewable energy technologies are installed in a distributed, modular fashion. At the same time, renewable energy gives more independence in terms of not depending on the oil or gas imported usually from countries outside Europe.

 

 

  • Europe, a fertile ground for the deployment of renewable energy

 

Needless to say, in order to install and benefit from renewable energy natural resources such as wind, water, sun, biomass etc. are needed and after a proper cost-benefit analysis the right technology should be chosen for each location, in order to make best of it. Europe is affluent in the mentioned resources and it has become a leader in driving the deployment of renewable technologies and there is the goal to become the world number one in renewables.

 

The industry is thoroughly working on technological developments such as floating wind turbines, wind-hydrogen hybrid projects etc. Governments and politicians from our side would need to push an innovation on the market legislation to follow up with the speed of integration of renewable energy. There is a lot of money willing to invest into renewable energy and the governments should establish regulatory frameworks which give investors confidence to go in. And last but not least, we need more projects.

 

Costs have come down dramatically and the field of application has really broadened, renewable energy innovation is really changing. This is a moment of opportunity, alignment of all stakeholders will define the success of the green and digital transitions. Let’s make the best of it.

 

This is the reason why we, the Young Democrats for Europe, call for a consultation of all the stakeholders in order to quickly increase renewable energy in our energy mix. Green transition won’t go with the consent of the people. If economic inputs are already foreseen, we need to get the European citizens on board with a transition that will change their way of consuming as well as their landscape.

 

In order to so and relying on the leading European companies, we also encourage the launch of an “Airbus” of renewable energy. Cooperation and integration are at the root of the European process ongoing for 70 years. We want to strengthen it with the goal of the XXIth century: achieving the quicker that we can carbon neutrality.

 

Resolution for a true European citizenship

At nearly 30 years old, European citizenship is still being sought. The political union that was to come into being with the European Union is constantly being called into question by the difficulties of coordination between member states. The financial crisis, the reception of migrants or the management of the COVID-19 epidemic have shown that behind the concept of union lie many realities.

This is why we Young Democrats for Europe are working to make European citizenship a reality for the 450 million European citizens.

The Maastricht Treaty provides that “Every national of a Member State shall be a citizen of the Union”, which we interpret it in a broad sense: as the quality of a citizen, belonging to a community greater than the sum of the States that constitute it and representing a set of values and rights that provide access to participation in a transnational public space.

More than a definition, we believe that European citizenship must now become a reality.

 

● Making effective the rights granted to European citizens

We, Young Democrats for Europe, welcome all the rights acquired by European citizens since 1992. However, although they are numerous, we regret the fact that European citizens have very little knowledge of them.

As a political party, we believe that it is essential that the right to vote in European and municipal elections, the right of petition and the right to launch an European Citizens’ Initiative become more widely exercised.

This is why we will strengthen our communication and training actions on these rights. With the aim to ensure that the modalities for exercising these rights are clearly accessible and that citizens can effectively make use of them.

More than pedagogy, we will work, in collaboration with the other European political parties, to implement tools that citizens can use to raise awareness about these rights, which are essential to European democratic life.

Finally, we do not forget all the other rights given by European citizenship. Freedom of movement, consular protection or access to European documents and to the European Ombudsman are real advances for all citizens of the Union.

We therefore keep in mind that it is all these rights that must be known by European citizens in order to make them effective. To deprive oneself of them is to renounce to one of the foundations of the European Union, and therefore the exercise of one’s full and complete freedom within a State governed by the rule of law.

 

● Giving primacy to the values of the EU over its policies

The values of the European Union are multiple and subject to many political interpretations. This is why we will rely on those which are at the heart of the ideological corpus of our member parties as enshrined in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU), i.e. “human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities”.

Because we are democrats, we cannot tolerate any violation of the rule of law. Freedom of opinion, freedom of the press, independence of the judiciary or government control are the foundations of our society. Aware that promoting them around the world is essential, we must first ensure that these principles are guaranteed within the 27 member states. This is no longer the case.

This is why we, the Young Democrats for Europe, are in favour of making European funds conditional on respect for the rule of law. Indeed, legal measures as vigorous as those provided for in Article 7 of the TEU cannot remain without effect. Although it is true that the financial argument does not solve everything in itself, it will act as a new tool to ensure respect for democracy in Europe.

 

● Ensuring the legitimacy of the EU through the participation of citizens in its functioning

The 2019 European elections saw an increase in citizen participation, especially among young people, for the first time since they were held. This is a first victory and we celebrate it. However, we must continue to invigorate European democracy with all the means at our disposal.

To do this, we will set up exchange times for young people with the ten MEPs who represent us in the European Parliament. They are our strength and our legitimacy; we will be able to rely on their skills to strengthen a European democratic system that is often far from its citizens.

In addition to relying on our elected representatives, we will provide position papers for each current European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) in order to make them more accessible and to democratize their functioning. Debating them means making them exist. And on the basis of the many petitions posted online, we want European youth to take ownership of the ECI, which allows us to mobilize all European citizens.

Finally, and because a democracy cannot be envisaged without the confrontation and debate of ideas, we want the next Conference on the Future of Europe to be open to as many people as possible. The agoras envisaged will have to cover all the subjects for which the European Union is competent, including those for which it shares competence with the States. These agoras will have to be physically distributed in each Member State in order to reach all citizens and not just an already informed public.

As a youth organisation and because we are the future actors of Europe, we also insist on the need to dedicate an agora to youth. This would be held both online and it would travel throughout the Member States to diversify the audiences that can be reached.

4th Summit of Young Elected Local and Regional Leaders

Following on from the success of the previous Summits of Young Elected Local and Regional Leaders that took place in 2017, 2018 and 2019, Renew Europe CoR group have yet again teamed up with European Liberal Youth (LYMEC) and Young Democrats for Europe (YDE) to organise a fourth in 2020. Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the event will take place online.

When?

25 September 2020

Where?

Online

Why?

To provide an opportunity for young liberal democrat local and regional elected leaders to meet and share ideas and best practice amongst themselves.

Who?

You are encouraged to apply if: 1) you are between 18 and 35; 2) you hold an elected mandate at local or regional level; and 3) you hold a position of responsibility either in government or in opposition.

How?

Apply by filling an online form.

3rd Summit of Young Elected Local and Regional Leaders

Last year, twenty young elected local democrat and liberal leaders from twelve different countries debated how to address the issue of climate change at local and regional level and also how can leadership be shown to achieve climate action. You can see the highlights from the 2nd summit which took place in 2018 here.

Therefore following on from the success of its Liberal Mayors Summits, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe in the European Committee of the Regions (ALDE-CoR) together with LYMEC and YDE yet again teamed up to organise a 3rd Summit of Young Elected Local and Regional Leaders in 2019: in Brussels on the 20th of September.

 

When?

20 September 2019

Where?

Brussels, European Committee of the Regions

Why?

To provide an opportunity for young democrat and liberal local and regional politicians to meet and share ideas and best practice amongst themselves, and afterwards to meet with experienced local and regional politicians in a joint meeting with ALDE-CoR.

Who?

Young (18-35) local and regional politicians with an elected mandate and having a responsibility either in government or in opposition are encouraged to apply.

How?

Apply by filling an online form. When applying please indicate your elected mandate, your current position of responsibility in government or opposition, the dates these began, and your policy interests under comments. Places are limited and selection will be carried out by ALDE-CoR based on experience, and with a view to ensuring geographical, policy and gender balance. The full agenda and confirmations will be sent in August.
Deadline for applications is 19 July.
Travel arrangements and accommodation will be organized by ALDE-CoR.

Centenary of 11 November

A hundred years ago, the bugles called on the front and the bells rang in the rear to announce the armistice. The European youth had paid the highest price in its history. Of the 9 million dead and more than 6 million injured, most were under 35 year-old. Let us salute those who understood early that only the friendship between our two peoples, based on a common organisation of States, would bring lasting peace to the European continent. The 1925 Locarno Treaties, under the leadership of Gustav Stresemann and Aristide Briand, were an almost unique attempt to allow French-German reconciliation, before the rise of nationalist dictatorships. It was not until the end of the Second World War, the creation of the European community and the signing of the Elysée Treaty in 1963 that the German and French youths finally recognised themselves as brothers.

A hundred years after the end of the First World War, our generation bears an immense responsibility. Knowing the value of the union between our two peoples, we will do everything we can to strengthen it instead of letting it weaken. As a tribute to the young Europeans who died on the battlefield, we commit ourselves to keep fighting so that the friendship between our two nations will never be extinguished.

This op-ed was co-signed by our French and German members – Jeunes Démocrates and Junge Freie Wähler.

 

Picture: VISITFLANDERS

Young Democrats for Europe (YDE)
Jeunes Democrates Europeens (JDE)
YDE is the youth wing of the European Party.We embrace the key role of democratic principles, underlined in the Lisbon Treaty and shrined in our political belief: democracy, freedom, equality, participation, sustainability and solidarity.

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