Stand Up for Europe Our Proposals 2017 FINAL

Stand Up for Europe Our Proposals 2017

Review process
Democracy and accountability

The European Federation must be established through a democratic process to formulate a

European Constitution which would build on and go beyond the existing Treaties among, and allow a
united Europe to effectively tackle the key challenges we face, while also upholding the subsidiarity
principle.

The new European Government, as the European Federations executive branch, must be directly
democratically accountable to European citizens through elections. A reformed European
Parliament, with power of legislative initiative and competence across all policy fields must be at the
heart of the democratic constitution. An upper legislative chamber representing Member States
must be fully transparent, effective and accountable. We propose the introduction of new tools for
direct citizens participation for all European citizens irrespective of country of origin to be able to
express themselves directly on policy issues to be referred to them by the reformed European
Parliament or the Executive, or following a request of a minimum number of citizens from across
Europe. Any tool of direct participation will be accompanied by thorough, high-quality, inclusive pan-
European public political debate.

Public finances

The European Federation should have a European Treasury. This Treasury should manage a federal
budget financed through resources and revenues collected by the Federal Government, including
through European Federal bonds, and federal public debt. The Federations currency should be the
Euro. At the federal level, a more effective taxation system should be put in place to finance federal
expenditure. This system should avoid tax duplication and favour economies of scale, thus reducing
the overall tax burden on the average European citizen. A fiscal policy that gives the European
government the financial resources to implement the key policies outlined in this statement and
manage a higher proportion of Europes wealth creation, at levels similar to the public sectors of
advanced industrialised states, and allow more significant and effective public investment, as
opposed to the minuscule 1% of European GDP that the EU manages at present. European
macroeconomic policies must aim to rectify the economic imbalances within the Federation.

Fiscal harmonization

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We support tax harmonisation to reduce social dumping and tax evasion and avoidance within the
Federation and internationally. Tax related bureaucratic and administrative procedures must be
harminised so that they are made easier for companies and individuals moving across Europe.

European Central Bank

The European Central Bank should be kept independent, but must be given a broader mandate of
ensuring price stability, high employment and sustainable economic growth together. The ECB
should act as a lender of last resort.

Employment

Ensuring a high level of employment and quality decent work in a rapidly changing world must be an
economic priority for the European federation. A more integrated Europe will allow us to build on
our strengths and skills and improve the functioning and productivity of our economy. This will in
turn create more job opportunities, particularly for young people. Increased integration will also
help us ensure full mobility of the workforce within the Federation and to preserve the European
social model. We must adapt to the challenges of automatization and digitalisation, encouraging the
integration of emerging technologies. Every citizen should have enough income to ensure a decent
standard of living, with no one left behind, and every citizen enabled to access and participate in
labour markets. This must include a gender perspective, be inclusive of vulnerable and marginalised
groups.

Employment strategies must include investment in education and training, research and
development, including life-long learning and training, with European schemes to provide
opportunities, mobility and exchanges in all sectors.

European social model

The European Federation must protect and strengthen the European social model, meaning that it
ensures that its citizens are able to exercise their civil, political, and economic and cultural rights,
with high levels of welfare, ensuring fair standards, and a high quality provision of public services
throughout the Federation. The Federation must ensure that social and economic policies put the
well-being of citizens first, working towards greater social mobility and inclusion.

The European Federations provision of social welfare and services must be complementary to
Member States. There must be a Europe-wide convergence of protections of social rights, and
ensuring that public services meet a common high minimum standard.

Solidarity

The principle of solidarity between the peoples of Europe must continue to be a core value of the
European Federation. We must reinforce European cohesion policy, focus on key Europe-wide
infrastructure networks and set up some complementary European welfare systems in order to
improve territorial and social cohesion across and within Member States. The principle of solidarity

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must apply to an effective and sustainable social model, as well as in addressing the needs of the
most vulnerable, such as refugees and asylum seekers, or those facing discrimination and exclusion.

Industrial policy

The European Federation should support European businesses and civil society operating in Europe
and abroad with an effective federal industrial policy aimed at boosting innovation, increasing
harmonisation of industrial rules and conditions across Europe, improving market access, quality and
productivity, high quality employment and ensuring sustainable use of resources. Significant
investment must be made in research and development, and adaptation to emerging technologies,
while responding to their socio-economic impact.

Energy policy

The European Federation needs an energy policy that is sustainable and that effectively secures
energy access throughout Europe, and as such it must prioritise an urgent transition to renewable
carbon-free economy, in order to tackle climate change, and remain a global leader in the field of
sustainability. This requires an ambitious coordinated European approach. An energy transition will
not only provide a significant economic boost, it will also improve Europes energy security and
independence.

Environment

We believe that sustainable development is the basis for the future of European economic growth
and consider environment as a common public good. The European Federation needs a complete
and ambitious sustainability strategy, which connects environmental policy to economic and social
policy.

Europe must be a global leader in an economic transition towards sustainability and in the fight
against climate change. As such there must ambitious Europe-wide transition programmes in
various sectors, from energy to agriculture, transport and manufacturing, making use of the latest
emerging technologies to transform Europe into the cleanest, most resource-productive and
competitive economy.

Research and Innovation

Research is a primary source of economic and social development, and should receive stronger
support by the European Federation, with direct connection to the economy and society for large-
scale implementation.

Education

Education is an essential priority for a democratic society, for innovation and social cohesion, and
there must be investment in the highest attainable quality of education for all. It is key for people to
be active, participating European citizens, as well as creating social mobility and inclusion, and

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therefore requires serious investment. There must be a European strategy on education from the
earliest age, up to life-long adult learning, in coordination with every level of government.

The European Federation must ensure investment in citizenship education, in schools and outside
the classroom, and for all ages, which addresses the core values and principles of a democratic
society, the functioning of each level of government, and how citizens can and should participate.
There must also be an emphasis on education for diversity, promoting understanding of multiple
cultures and identities, human rights and fundamental values.

The European Federation must also prioritise language education and multilingualism, as laying a
foundation for mobility and intercultural dialogue across Europe.

The European Federation must encourage innovation and research, and promote European mobility
through strengthening such initiatives such as the Erasmus+ exchange programme for people in all
walks of life and economic sectors.

Culture

European culture consists of a rich and dynamic multitude of local expressions that must be
preserved and promoted as a unique treasure and as the common ground of our shared identity.
Our perception of culture must include the co-existence of multiple identities at the same time.
Citizens may relate equally and simultaneously to their local, ethnic, national and European
identities, and such diversity can be facilitated and encouraged in a changing interconnected and
interdependent world.

Intercultural dialogue and cultural policy must promote and protect diversity and tolerance, and
facilitate the social inclusion of all, combating prejudice and discrimination through positively
fostering understanding. Europe must also come to terms with its complex histories with a colonial
past, a give a voice to a diversity of historical narratives.

Language

English can be established as the vehicular language of the European Federation, to facilitate
administrative and commercial transactions, without replacing our national and regional languages
and cultures, which are precious elements of our collective richness. The European Federation must
invest in promoting and developing multilingualism across Europe.

Foreign and defence policy

The European Federation should be have full competence on foreign and defence policy. It should
have one single army with a single central command, one single diplomatic corps, and a single seat
at the United Nations Security Council, representing a common European foreign policy. The Europe
Union should be a progressive force in the world, at the forefront of initiatives to advance respect
for human rights, the reduction of inequalities, the peaceful resolution of disputes and the
sustainable functioning of the global economy.

The European military would be placed under democratic control with a specific mandate as defined
in the federal constitution. European defence policy must increase efficiency of spending and bring

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Europeans together in training and service, and be compatible with existing security and defence
structures.

Security

A federal police force and a European Intelligence Agency should be put in place to deal with federal
crimes such as terrorism, organized crime, human trafficking and federal tax evasion. The European
Federation should be entitled to manage asylum policy and the control of external borders through
an EU border police and guard corps.

Europe must live up to its humanitarian obligations in welcoming refugees and asylum seekers, and
it need to connect its security policy to social cohesion and inclusion at home, and sustainable
development abroad. The European Federations security and defence policies must always be
informed by principles of human rights, the rule of law, and international solidarity.

European security policies must take into account ongoing technological developments, and their
implications. European citizens have the right of privacy, and the European Federation must ensure
that the highest standards of data protection are adopted by states and companies.

Fundamental Rights

The European Federation must guarantee the universal human rights of all people within it, and
advance peace, tolerance, understanding, and human dignity. Violations of human rights and
democratic rule of law by Member States cannot be tolerated, and must always be redressed.

The Federation must promote and advance gender equality, and combat all forms of gender-based,
ethnic or racial discrimination through ambitious programmes to advance a positive equal and
tolerant vision of European society.

The European Federation must also strive to safeguard the fundamental rights of those who are
most vulnerable, including refugees and undocumented migrants, and those facing multiple forms of
discrimination.

European integration has always aimed to promote peace, democracy and human rights, and the
European Federation must always seek to advance these values and continually develop the quality
of its democratic governance and public life.

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