With the beginning of the war in Ukraine and the delivery of material, it has become evident how countries like Germany lacks equipment and preparedness to deal with an open conflict with a third country. Joint armed EU forces could help to respond more strongly to real threats to our security such as terrorism or the Russian threat. In addition, I believe that the appropriate regulations and the creation of solid institutions could boost these bodies by equipping them with the appropriate material for their ordinary actions. This will be a big step in the history of the European Union, but I believe that the European jewels that share this idea need to do everything possible to advance this idea as a reality.

Create an EU Digital Wallet with Driver’s License and National ID always available

Government subsidies should be given to citizens to encourage using non-motorized vehicles as means of transport: for example, cycling to work.

With the 2024 elections close to the European Parliament, the debate on the right to vote, democracy and politics becomes even more intense and much more intense among today’s youth, a significant part of the population who is aware of the problems they face and who is active in a society that often lacks common sense, cohabiteism, etc. We therefore believe that the right to vote should be reduced to 16 years, following the example of some of the countries that are already implementing it. The reasons why this change would be beneficial to European society would be because the elections would have a better view of the interests of the population, bearing in mind that the young population is the largest and the most affected by the political choices made without taking into account their interests or benefits. Finally, another of the main reasons why voting at 16 would be an improvement for Europe as a society and an important step forward for European democracy is because by participating in elections, while their preferences and ideas can be taken into account, political participation as an additional citizen would allow them to understand what belonging to Europe means, the importance of elections and the role of democracy in a state like Europe.

The world has experienced many wars, including the devastating first and second world wars in Europe. These wars were caused by a terrible disregard for human rights and a lack of respect for the Rule of Law and European democracies. Despite the laws and declarations of rights that have been put in place since then, we still see ongoing debates about issues that should be considered settled, such as equality, human rights, gender, racism, immigration, and more. To build a better Europe, we need a more open-minded culture that is willing to welcome people without prejudice. It is essential that we work towards a society where people of all backgrounds can live and thrive without fear of discrimination or hatred. This requires ongoing efforts to promote open-mindedness, respect for diversity, and a commitment to upholding human rights for all. By embracing an open-minded culture, we can create a better Europe that is more inclusive and welcoming to all, regardless of their background or identity. We have the opportunity to learn from our past mistakes and build a brighter future together.

Whenever someone enters a news site, there should be a warning to be careful what you believe when reading on the website. This should apply to all news sites that do not explicitly state all their sources of information. If a news site does not provide all of their sources, it will automatically be considered as "not reliable".  That way, the news sites will have the incitement to share all of their sources of information, thus combatting disinformation.

Freedom of speech is very important, but the news sites, pages, conglomerates (with more than thousands and millions of followers) have to be more responsible to follow the rules and not spread misinformation.

The production of asphalt, and that of the cement industry in general, is truly polluting. Disregarding the problem of sand, which is used to produce these compounds, the indiscriminate consumption of which is leading to global environmental imbalances. It would therefore be important to limit the production of new asphalt to what is indispensable, preferring the quality that makes it longer lasting and by establishing more controls at local, national and European level.

The EU should work for a common framework for the recognition and actual promotion of digital rights as human rights; this should include equal Internet access in all European regions and for all European citizens in order to close the digital divide.

More safety and education regarding harassment and violence, especially when travelling from one European country to another. For example, a person in Erasmus must know who to contact and how to move in these cases without being judged. We need to educate on these issues in the best possible way before sending people to Erasmus or other programmes/traineeships.

The European network of student athletes could foster exchange over nations and make problems visible for the relevant institutions.

Create a common education policy in public universities. There should be free access or reduced tuition fees at universities in the European Union for all future students with job opportunities in the future. There should also be increased opportunities to develop and find a job after graduation in one of the EU countries

With the failure of the german energy policy, Europe saw that renewable energy is not sufficient enough to stop the use of fossil fuel, especially coal that Germany is still actively using and destroying entire villages to do so. Despite having a huge part of their electricity produced by renewable energy, Germany have one of the dirtyest electricity in Europe. Nuclear power is the best solution right now to have a clean and reliable way to produce electricity and reduce our dependancy to oil and gas. The EU should actively finance nuclear power to ensure our energetical sovereignty and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. It should also stop financing gas powerplants that are beeing financed only because of german blackmail.

It is important that the EU maintains its diplomatic and strategic indepence. Because as the war in Ukraine has progressed, it is my opinion that the EU has not maintained it. The EU has shamefully just followed the political agenda of the United States and has curbed its own interests. During the sabotage of Nord Stream, a strategic infrastructure for the entire EU, the Union did not react strongly enough, even though it was one of the most vital sources of energy for the EU. Rather than taking a neutral stance in the Ukrainian conflict, the EU is currently taking a position of co-belligerence that is very dangerous for the EU's interests. Everything has been done to separate us as far as possible from Russia, which has served only the interests of the United States and China. The EU should be able to act more independently from the interests of other countries – especially in a time of crisis like now.

One of the biggest challenges facing Europe today is the climate crisis. To address this challenge, we need to build a network of innovative solutions that can be scaled across the continent. At EYE 2023, we can bring together young people, activists, scientists, entrepreneurs, and policymakers to share ideas and collaborate on innovative solutions. The network could start by identifying key areas where innovative solutions are needed, such as renewable energy, sustainable transportation, waste reduction, and sustainable agriculture. Participants could then work together to develop innovative solutions and technologies that can be scaled across Europe. To encourage collaboration and networking, the network could host workshops, talks, and panel discussions on topics related to sustainability and innovation. Participants could also have the opportunity to showcase their ideas and projects, and connect with potential partners and investors. In addition to building a network of solutions, the network could also advocate for policy changes that support sustainability and innovation. This could include lobbying for increased funding for research and development, as well as supporting policies that promote sustainable practices and technologies. By building a network of solutions and advocating for policy change, we can work towards a more sustainable and prosperous Europe for future generations.

The EU could create an economic transformation fund to finance the transition to a green and sustainable economy, as well as to support the digital transformation. The fund would be financed by a carbon tax and a tax on digital giants, which would make it possible to charge the biggest polluters and big tech companies that have benefited from globalisation and have often escaped taxation.  The Economic Transformation Fund could finance investments in clean and renewable technologies, green infrastructure projects and initiatives to help companies adopt more sustainable practices. It could also provide financial incentives to encourage companies to invest in clean technologies and reduce their carbon footprint.  In addition to boosting the transition to a greener and sustainable economy, the Economic Transformation Fund could also help the regions of the EU that have been most affected by globalisation and deindustrialisation. It could finance training programmes to help workers acquire new skills and initiatives to help SMEs grow and adapt to new economic realities.    To sum up, the creation of an EU economic transformation fund could be an innovative solution to boost the transition to a greener and sustainable economy while supporting the digital transformation and helping the EU regions that have been most affected by globalisation.

Endometriosis is a debilitating disease that affects over 190 million people worldwide. This condition causes severe cramps, chronic pain, and infertility, and patients often wait for a decade before receiving a proper diagnosis. Despite its prevalence, the disease's cause remains unknown, and treatments primarily focus on managing symptoms. The lack of political action on this issue in the EU is unacceptable. Millions of people in Europe are suffering from the disease, impacting their well-being, job prospects, and educational opportunities. We cannot allow this situation to continue. We must take immediate action to create a European Endometriosis Strategy to improve the lives of millions of patients in Europe. By collaborating on awareness campaigns, supporting joint research projects between member states, and establishing a joint endometriosis data warehouse, we can work towards a brighter future for endometriosis patients throughout Europe. The suffering of these patients should not be ignored any longer. It is time for the EU to prioritize endometriosis research and support those who are affected by this disease. Together, we can make a difference and create a better future for all those impacted by endometriosis in Europe.

The EU should be committed to reducing food waste. The TooGoodToGo app shows how to do it. Products close to the expiry date are placed online at a reduced price and could be saved from the bin.

I want to make all the opportunities offered by the European Union and its institutions easily accessible for young people and students in Cyprus. It is very much a hidden topic in my country and all of these bright young people are missing out on opportunities that are so unique and useful for their future. We are not taught about how to have a presentable CV and profile and how to attract employers and achieve our dreams and make our ideas a reality. I want to start my own initiative in supporting and making all these opportunities visible for people and encourage them to act and make their voices heard on a political and not only level.

One of the major dangers of spreading fake news is that they manipulate public opinion and lead to a distortion of reality. Social media hashtags or tags, for example, based on unreliable or false information often mislead people, since they affect their way of thinking. Fake news and tags have excessively been used as a tool in political conflicts, among others in the occupation of territories. More specifically, the hashtag #CrimeaIsRussia, which has been used as a tool of Russia's disinformation campaign, can be seen as a means of hybrid warfare. The problem is that if the above tag remains online for many years, the next generations that will click on it may form a false sense of reality about the political situation in the Crimean region.

As a next step, the EU must work on limiting fake and misleading social media tags and hashtags. It is necessary for Europe to find the appropriate tools in this direction in order to protect its values, the rule of law, and human rights. 

 

We should provide free Interrail passes to every young European upon turning 18. This would give them the possibility to experience Europe and European travel, themselves. It would extend the opportunity to disadvantaged young people who cannot afford to travel abroad.

Europe needs to invest more in developing its own data centers and companies, in order to be independent of respective US companies and their interests. 

Every Member State must explicitly vow to respect the Paris Agreement. In case of infringement, the country will be judged and forced to pay an economic compensation, as well as repairing the damages caused. Additionally, every monthly delay on meeting the objectives of the pact should lead to a fine. The money from that penalty will be destined to the environmental cause.

Bringing manufacturing back to Europe would help reduce unemployment rates and would allow for a "quality control" on the emissions of companies. We should make sure that each EU Member State has its own production line according to what its potentials and strong points are.

Many young people are given space to develop in their family and schools, but this is not always the case. Young people also want a place where they can experience some independence. 

Young people need the opportunity to interact with each other and to be able to make direct changes to their environment, in sync with their vision for a better future and more importantly a peaceful future.

Different elements are important here. First, spaces refer to places where people can meet and interact with other peers. Second, for some young people this call for more youth spaces is also related to issues of safety and care, to have more youth spaces in Eastern Europe, and some of them to be open 24/7 if needed. For others, however, youth spaces are more linked to issues of creativity, political engagement, and empowerment.

Security at the EU's borders is of course vital. In the Southern Mediterranean, in particular, the situation at the borders is unacceptably unstable.

However, migrants and asylum seekers are not the EU's enemy. They are simply desperate people trying to obtain a better life. Instead, more needs to be done to combat the success of smuggling mafias in the EU's southern neighbours.

This can be done through a strengthened diplomatic and military presence in these areas, but this will only go so far. Far better would be to incentivize migrants' entry into the EU through regular channels. The EU should make it easier for migrants to access member states through means other than smuggling.

The asylum process is currently long and opaque. It should be sped up and made more transparent. Access to legal migration could be improved by the creation of more migration centres in countries of origin, allowing migration pathways to begin without the need for dangerous irregular journeys.

Migrants should be able to apply for visas for the right to work, and to obtain housing and employment contracts from their countries of origin, and then move safely to the EU. Offering regular migration is the answer to heart-breaking images from the Mediterranean.

For those already in host countries, conditions while waiting for confirmation of asylum status should be optimized. The asylum process should also be made more accessible, less bureaucratic, and less intimidating. Any discrimination in these processes should be eliminated.

Europe has earned the reputation of being a lighthouse of knowledge for the world. Today, however, the only free providers of quality educational content on the internet are large private universities, mostly from those in the United States.

We should appoint a committee to search for Europe's most impactful, world-class scientists, artists and thought leaders, and provide funding for them to create online workshops, taught by the best, similar to the MasterClass online classes.

These courses should be free for everyone - European or not - and available on a single platform. The platform could feature two types of content:

• workshops/seminars and interviews for the general public to keep citizens informed on basic knowledge in each industry
• courses which delve deeper into a subject and are longer in duration, much like e-learning platforms such as Coursera or Udemy

All content should be have high standards of videography and art. An elite university is not needed; just great, free educational content curated and funded by the EU. This could restore Europe's reputation as a leading study destination.

Mass migration creates chaos: Europe cannot accept everyone. The EU and its Member States have their own problems, and should fix these before attempting to mitigate the fallout of foreign disasters.

NGOs running humanitarian operations in the Mediterranean undermine efforts to reduce immigration. By rescuing smuggled migrants abandoned at sea, their activities break EU border policies and help smuggling mafias to continue their illegal activities. They thus act as smugglers themselves.

The EU should recognize this and treat them more harshly. Their boats should be confiscated or destroyed, to send a clear signal.

Don't neglect the African Union: With the oftentimes shameful European involvement on the continent in mind, the European Union shall try to make some amends for its past actions. While the African Union struggles to exert its authority and unite its members, it has shown significant potential and growth in recent years. Therefore, it is now high time that the EU lends its expertise and influence to the success of the African Union. 

As Africa is experiencing somewhat of a technological renaissance and rapid growth of its population – estimated to reach 2.5 billion by 2050 – the Union needs to acknowledge the potential of the African continent and act upon it by promoting economic investment and closer cultural ties between the two continents. 

The EU should consider making insured investments. This has the potential of kickstarting a chain reaction of growth while simultaneously improving stability in the region. Further, it would allow the region to improve its infrastructure, e.g., making educational facilities more accessible which may lead to more domestic innovation. In addition, investments would allow the African Union to move away from being heavily reliant on export goods and develop its own domestic markets. 

There are people who intentionally or unintentionally create hate speech. While there are many people who are against hate speech and those who seek justice, we still need a global online platform to help. In one part of this platform, citizens will report all form of hate speech in this entirety; information will then be verified by a member of the central team and action should be taken by formal investigation in local or EU court. It could function as a way of sending a warning to offenders.

Watching global events unfold in 2021, it becomes clear that the European Union needs to stand together: it is important to be prepared for future threats and retain independence from non-EU nations. This could be achieved by establishing a common foreign policy that would help maintain peace on the continent. It could be seen as a key step to reach a status of a full political union.

A common foreign policy would allow the EU to display strength and determination when meeting nations on diplomatic missions. It would also help to improve external and internal efficiency; administrative costs for consulates or embassies could be cut and decisions could be made in a timely and effective manner.

Furthermore, it would help safeguard the interests of the EU and its citizens around the world, while continuously promoting peace and freedom.