29 Amendments of Dietmar KÖSTER related to 2020/2201(INI)
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
A a. whereas people between 0 and 25 years old represent one third of Europeans; whereas their voice is exceptionally important and the future of Europe is theirs;
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
A b. whereas Articles 12 until 17 of the UNCRC include the civil and political rights of children and form important components of ensuring that children will be able to participate effectively in public decision-making processes;
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion
Recital A c (new)
Recital A c (new)
A c. whereas Article 24 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights prescribes that children may express their views freely and that such views shall be taken into consideration on matters which concern them in accordance with their age and maturity;
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion
Recital A d (new)
Recital A d (new)
A d. whereas the 2019 elections to the European Parliament showed that there is still progress to be made to increase participation of people with a racial or ethnic minority background in European elections and their representation as elected members and staff of the European parliament;
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion
Recital A e (new)
Recital A e (new)
A e. whereas political rights – including the acquisition of citizenship – are a major driver for migrant inclusion.1a _________________ 1aFundamental Rights Agency, Together in the EU - Promoting the participation of migrants and their descendants, 2017.
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion
Recital A f (new)
Recital A f (new)
A f. whereas the EU recognised the need to support initiatives that seek to remove institutional and structural barriers to equality, inclusion and participation of underrepresented and disadvantaged groups in society, including by promoting their role and contribution in society and demystifying the legacy of colonialism2a; _________________ 2a Some of the recognised reasons are lack of political will to facilitate and include underrepresented voters, systemic and institutionalised discrimination and polarisation, socio-economic challenges as a preliminary obstacle to political participation and insufficient financial support. https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/eu -citzen_-_type_a_report_-_infographics_- _a4_full.pdf
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion
Recital A g (new)
Recital A g (new)
A g. whereas the EU highlighted the specific challenges faced by racialised communities, including migrants and refugees, with the COVID-19 crisis, notably that the risk of rising racism and xenophobia may represent additional obstacles tot heir participation in the labour market and in society at large3a; _________________ 3a Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: A Union of equality : EU anti- racism action plan 2020-2025.
Amendment 35 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses the need for supportive measures aimed at increasing civic literacy and building civic capacity to encourage citizens’ understanding of the policymaking process and to promote civic engagement in the actions of the Union; considers to that end that stronger action by Member States and the Commission in fostering EU citizenship education is necessary; calls on the Commission to provide support to complement educational programmes and training in all Member States, notably by supporting the development of a common curriculum on European citizenship education; invites the Commission and the Member States to develop a comprehensive European strategy on civic and citizenship education accompanied by supporting platforms to promote its implementation;
Amendment 39 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Considers that citizens’ trust in the EU institutions is fundamental for democracy, good governance and effective policy-making, believes that the EU institutions must strive for the highest possible standards of transparency, accountability and integrity; calls in particular on the Council to increase transparency as regards to its decision making process and access to documentation;
Amendment 42 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Encourages EU Member States to include children’s rights and the functioning of the EU as part of national curricula and promote engagement by young people in EU decision-making processes;
Amendment 44 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Welcomes the inclusion in the Rights and Values Programme of a citizens’ engagement and participation strand designed to promote citizens’ engagement and participation in the democratic life of the Union; stresses the importance of ensuring continuity and increased resources for this strand; calls for the swift establishment of the ‘Civil Dialogue Group’, included in said programme;
Amendment 52 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. RegreHighlights the limited political and legal follow-up given by the Commission to successfulportance of established channels for citizens’ participation, such as the European citizens’ initiative; considers that this important tool lacks visibility, accessibility and follow-up; encourages the Commission and Member States to raise awareness on such tool; believes that the European Citizens’s Initiatives; strongly regrets the Commission’s dismissal of the Minority SafePack should be evaluated with a view to identify how its impact and effectiveness can be improved; point out that a successful European Citizens’s Initiative, which addresses basic values and objectives enshrined in the Tre should not automatically lead to the introduction of new legislatieson;
Amendment 66 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Highlights the importance of Equality Bodies, National Human Rights institutions and Ombudspersons to address concerns of citizen’s on issues covered by EU competences or violations of EU rights and values; stresses that the independence of such structures from governing authorities is a prerequisite to enable and protect meaningful citizen’s engagement; calls therefore for the Commission to closely monitor this area in forthcoming Rule of Law reports;
Amendment 70 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to develop accessible, innovative and inclusive tools for citizens’ participation and dialogues, and to offer them a non-bureaucratic and comprehensive website or other medium, easily accessible to everyone and providing citizens with all European participatory initiatives; underlines that social media plays a crucial role, especially for children, as it is currently, even more than ever, their common place;
Amendment 72 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to develop innovative and inclusive tools for citizens’ participation and dialogues; recalls that such tools should be adapted to ensure full access for people with disabilities and different age groups;
Amendment 74 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Believes that participation could be enhanced by ensuring predictable, flexible, adapted and multilingual process and tools of consultation; considers important to foster participation of people belonging to minorities in all public consultations in order to share their experiences and be able to promote further diversity in all policies;
Amendment 75 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Calls on the EU Institutions and Member States to ensure participation by a diverse range of people and to introduce necessary measures to reduce discrimination or exclusion on the basis of gender, ethnicity, race, social status, sexual orientation, religion or disability;
Amendment 81 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7 b. Calls on the European Commission and the Member States to proactively address the under- representation of racial and ethnic minorities in public institutions and political and policy processes, including by supporting their capacity-building and empowerment, and by enhancing their representation in decision-making positions at national and European level;
Amendment 83 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7 b. Supports the establishment of a permanent structured dialogue with citizens to ensure that their views directly inform EU decision-making and public policy as proposed in December 2018 by the Committee of the Regions and the European Economic and Social Committee;
Amendment 85 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 c (new)
Paragraph 7 c (new)
7 c. Calls on the European Commission to work with European political parties, the European Cooperation Network on Elections and civil society to improve political participation; calls on the Commission to commit to this work under the European democracy action plan and the Commission’s forthcoming report on EU citizenship;
Amendment 88 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 d (new)
Paragraph 7 d (new)
7 d. Calls for the EU to support studies on increasing participation of minorities in public and political life;
Amendment 91 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to encourage the active participation of EU citizens in EU matters, notably young people, in order to support their involvement in shaping society and politics; considers that the voices and demands of young Europeans should have special consideration during the Conference on the future of Europe; calls on the Commission to devote sufficient resources to promote a wide participation of young people through appropriate tools;
Amendment 95 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Considers that EU Member States should expressly recognise the rights of children to engage in civic action, including the rights to assemble peacefully, to associate and to express themselves; notes that information required by children to exercise these rights should be provided in a form that is easily accessible and understandable and that any barrier to the exercise of these rights should be removed;
Amendment 96 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Notes that migrants and people in need of international protection should have the possibility to express their views, in particular, on asylum and migration policies; invites the Commission to proactively engage them in the design of such policies;
Amendment 101 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8 b. Calls on the EU Institutions and Member States to enact laws which guarantee the rights of children to participate in all matters affecting them, including public decision-making processes; considers that law and policy should be specific and provide guidance on the format, structure, operation and evaluation of all child participatory mechanisms; stresses that sufficient financial and other resources must be made available to ensure sustainable and effective mechanisms are introduced and maintained;
Amendment 104 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 c (new)
Paragraph 8 c (new)
8 c. Calls on the EU Institutions and Member States to facilitate direct contact between children and decision-makers and provide adequate training and support to adults engaging with children; notes that the benefits of child participation should be shared with the wider community in order to generate widespread acceptance of the practice and to transition societies to the systemic use of child participation mechanisms;
Amendment 107 #
8 d. Urges the EU Institutions and Member States to make provision for dedicated spaces for children to come together to participate indecision-making processes; underlines that children’s involvement should be voluntary and they should always be treated with respect; recalls that all processes should be fully transparent and clearly explained to all involved and that processes and spaces should be child-friendly, safe and sensitive to risk;
Amendment 109 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 e (new)
Paragraph 8 e (new)
8 e. Commends child-specific consultations conducted by the European Commission and supports the set up of an EU Children’s Participation Platform in the future; welcomes the inclusion of young people in the Digital Platform and Citizens’ Panels of the Conference on the Future of Europe; urges the EU institutions to create structural ways to ensure similar engagement with children and young people in the future on a structural basis;
Amendment 111 #
8 f. Stresses that the EU Commission and Member States should include mechanisms for feedback, evaluation and monitoring in all official child participation mechanisms; considers that feedback should be provided directly to children in a timely manner and in a format that is easily accessible by children; advises that the evaluation of participation mechanisms should be undertaken by independent monitoring bodies and that recommendations made by such bodies and other international oversight committees should be accepted, considered and actioned where necessary;