24. 1. 2018 | PR, V4, Youth
Centre for European Perspective (CEP), Slovenia is organising a public debate in Brussels in March 2018 titled Back on the Agenda: EU Enlargement and Western Balkans. Event will address the EU enlargement fatigue on one side and Western Balkans’ lack of reform on the other. We would like to trigger new debate on EU – Western Balkans relations and hear clear messages from both sides.
As we would like to actively engage young people from the Western Balkan countries in a public debate with EU policy-makers we invite you to respond to our call for application. Write an essay and get a chance to shape your future in Brussels. We will select one essay author per country to join us in Brussels (CEP will cover him/her travel and accommodation expenses). Deadline for applications is 12 February 2018, by midnight CET.
Access the application form here:
List of selected authors will be published on 19 February 2018. Winning authors will be selected based on the quality of the essay written and their previous engagement in the field. All selected authors will sign a statement of commitment and purpose.
Event is done in cooperation with Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade (IFAT) (Hungary), EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy (Czech Republic), Slovak Foreign Affairs Association (SFPA)and Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM) and supported by International Visegrad fund.
22. 1. 2018 | Danube, PR
For victims of trafficking in human beings, the Danube Region is not only a destination for exploitation. A significant amount of victims of human trafficking in Europe is recruited from within the Danube Region, in particular within Romania and Bulgaria. Cities and municipalities can play a crucial role in identifying and assisting victims as well as preventing trafficking in human beings as local actors are closest to both victims and traffickers. Effectively combatting trafficking in human beings requires cooperation between different local stakeholders from public authorities and law enforcement, civil society and further actors involved in the field as well as a coordinated transnational approach. However, cities and municipalities often lack the capacities and know-how to act accordingly and need to establish cooperation ties between the various stakeholders.
Priority Area 10 “Institutional Capacity and Cooperation” of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) organized the Round Table on “Preventing & Combating Human Trafficking and Exploitation at Local Level” in Vienna on 24th of November 2017. Experts and newcomers from public administration, civil society, international organizations and academia shared their experience in the fight against trafficking in human beings (THB). Slovene experiences were presented by Society Ključ (Društvo Ključ) and Slovenian Karitas, supported by CEP representative.
The participants emphasized the important role of local actors in fighting trafficking in human beings as they are the closest to both victims and traffickers and can therefore more easily detect them. However, there are severe gaps and training needs among frontline responders. Claudia Singer (EUSDR Priority Area 10) presented the recent “Guidelines for Municipalities” in the Danube Region that provides some guidance for identifying and assisting victims of human trafficking as well as mapping and preventing human trafficking at local level.
In a current study, the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) analyses the risks of exploitation, training needs as well as good practices in victim protection. Enrico Ragaglia (ICMPD) pointed out that one of the challenges is that victims might not be aware what crime they are victim of, which makes the detection of victims more difficult for official bodies. Additionally, the status of victims can be challenged through the transnationality of the crime, meaning that victims of human trafficking might not be classified as victims in the legal sense in the country of destination as the crime of human trafficking took place in a different country. Thus, victims are not part of a legal procedure and are not granted victim rights.
Against this background, the experts shared examples of proven measures to support victims such as toll-free helplines, setting up crisis units with stakeholders from different sectors that assist victims and evaluate the state of play on a regular basis, drafting a set of tasks for collaboration or envisaging protection programmes. Experts from city administrations and civil society presents some good practices addressing better coordination through standing working groups (Vienna, AT), cooperation between civil society and law enforcement (Ljubljana, SI), comprehensive assistance for victims (Barcelona, ES) and awareness raising (Moscow, RU).
The next D-CAHT seminar will take place in the first half of 2018 in Ljubljana, Slovenia.
The Round Table on “Preventing & Combating Human Trafficking and Exploitation at Local Level” is part of the initiative Danube Cities Against Human Trafficking (D-CAHT) of Priority Area 10 “Institutional Capacity and Cooperation” of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR). The initiative aims at raising awareness of trafficking in human beings among local actors, providing local actors, administration, representatives of NGOs with information and know-how by highlighting good practices in cities and municipalities and identifying common challenges and provide practical tools for the work of local actors.
The Round Table on “Preventing & Combating Human Trafficking and Exploitation at Local Level” was co-financed by the Interreg Danube Transnational Programme/European Union and the city of Vienna.
Documents:
Guidelines for Municipalities: Stepping up local action against human trafficking in the EU Strategy for the Danube Region
Danube Cities against Human Trafficking: Round Table on Preventing and Combating Human Trafficking and Exploitation at Local Level
18. 1. 2018 | PR
Na gradu Jable se je 18. januarja odvil drugi dialog v seriji razprav o prihodnosti Evropske unije, tokrat na temo evropske socialne razsežnosti, ki ga je organiziralo Ministrstvo za zunanje zadeve RS, udeležili pa so se ga tudi predstavniki Centra za evropsko prihodnost. Med ključnimi sogovorniki na razpravi so bili predstavniki zunanjega ministrstva ter ministrstva za delo, aktivno pa je sodelovalo preko 20 udeležencev iz državne uprave, izobraževalnih institucij, nevladnih organizacij in medijev.
V središču razprave je bil razmislek o prihodnjem evropskem socialnem modelu in odzivanju na spremembe, ki se odvijajo v evropski družbi. Evropska unija priznava močan pomen skupne evropske socialne razsežnosti, hkrati pa opozarja na različnost nacionalnih sistemov v državah članicah. Za dolgoročno stabilnost mora Evropska unija socialno kohezijo nujno okrepiti, so se strinjali udeleženci, je pa pomembno razumeti, da se le-ta v državah članicah razume in izvaja različno.
V luči rastoče neenakosti v evropski družbi, ki se kaže tudi v vzponu radikalnih idej in protievropskega duha, se odpirajo novi pogledi na vprašanja družbene kohezivnosti, kot so prekariat, novi družbeni razred ter izginjanje srednjega razreda. Med ključnimi besedami se v kontekstu razprave o socialnih modelih pojavlja koncept subsidiarnosti. Države namreč imajo možnost, da izbirajo različne odzive na socialne izzive in socialno kohezijo, naloga Evropske unije pa je uravnotežiti odgovornost držav članic.
Razprava je izhajala tudi iz zaključkov Socialnega vrha držav članic Evropske unije, ki je potekal novembra 2017 v Goetheburgu na Švedskem, poimenovanega “Za pravična delovna mesta in rast”. Na socialnem vrhu so Evropski parlament, Svet in Evropska komisija skupaj razglasili evropski steber socialnih pravic, ki ga je predsednik Evropske komisije Juncker napovedal že v svojem govoru o stanju v uniji leta 2015. Gre za skupno zavezo voditeljev EU k varovanju in podpiranju 20 načel in pravic, zapisanih v stebru. Voditelji so decembra lani na Evropskem svetu opozorili predvsem na pomen postavljanja človeka na prvo mesto ter na konvergenco med državami članicami.
Med problematikami, ki so se jih govorci dotaknili, je bila tudi dvojna narava inkluzivne rasti preko odvisnosti prosperitete držav od gospodarske rasti ob poskusu vključevanja državljanov, tako ekonomskega kot političnega. Kot ena izmed konkretnih posledic, je bila izpostavljena prihodnost mladih, ki so dandanes prva generacija, ki v velikem deležu ne bo dosegla standarda svojih prednikov. Med potencialnimi ključnimi instrumenti za prihodnost socialnih modelov so bili navedeni izobraževanje, progresivna globalna obdavčitev kapitala, sheme solastništva, socialni programi proti neenakosti, spodbujanje novih oblik socialne organizacije, ki bo omogočala vzdržnostni razvoj, prihodnost dela in z njo skrajšanje delovnega časa.
Ob izzivih demografije in staranja prebivalstva se sočasno odpirajo potrebe po vseživljenjskem učenju, ob digitalizaciji, ustvarjanju novih delovnih mest ter potrebah po novih veščinah pa poglobljeno izobraževanje in usposabljanje, hkrati pa tudi ureditev mobilnosti delavcev, regulacija čezmejnega delovanja z uporabo digitalnih platform, poglobljena koordinacija sistemov socialne varnosti.
V evropski sliki obstajajo številni kontrasti, medtem ko vzhod ob visoki zaposlenosti ohranja nižji standard in nizke plače, zahod povečuje divergenco med bogatimi in revnimi, mnoge države pa se še vedno soočajo s posledicami finančne krize. Prav zato mora Evropska unija nadaljevati z iskanjem konvergenc, iskati in vzpostaviti razmerje med solidarnostjo in subsidiarnostjo ter biti pripravljena na prihajajoče krize. Temelj Evrope mora ostati na ljudeh. Slovenija mora pri tem biti v svojih ciljih jasna ter ostati v središču širših evropskih integracij in razmislekov o prihodnosti.
