NATO

LYMEC recognises the NATO military alliance's invaluable role in securing Europe's security. Given the alliance's security benefits, LYMEC supports expanding the security cooperation to include new Eastern members.

Neighbourhood Policy

LYMEC considers that the European Neighbourhood Policy has been largely unsuccessful in promoting democratic development in ENP countries, and that there has been a failure on the level of the European Council to liberalise visa arrangement and promote free trade. We are strongly in favour of a revitalised Neighbourhood Policy, including sufficient funding for student and cultural exchanges; building links between European and Neighbourhood Countries’ infrastructure; removal of trade barriers; and renewed focus on the promotion of democracy and the rule of law.

Nord Stream 2

LYMEC is concerned by the construction of Nord Stream 2 for a number of reasons. Significantly, increased European dependence on Russian gas gives the Russian Government a heightened degree of influence in European affairs. Additionally, European economies should be decarbonising and reducing their reliance on fuels such as natural gas. We call for the Nord Stream 2 project to be abandoned, and for European governments to invest in solutions which allow Europe to minimise its involvement with the Russian Government, especially as the war in Ukraine continues.

Nuclear Energy

As the global population continues to rise, so too will the demand for affordable and reliable energy. Even if fossil fuels could meet this rising demand, continuing to rely on them will have catastrophic impacts on the environment and must be ruled out. Although LYMEC supports the transition to renewable energy sources such as solar and hydropower, it is important to be realistic. These sources are less reliable, and unaffordable for many people. Nuclear power offers the means to cheaply and efficiently meet energy demands, while carrying minimal environmental risk. Nuclear technology is constantly improving and becoming safer. We call for greater investment in nuclear energy in Europe and for European governments to recognise the necessity of urgently moving away from fossil fuels.