Activities of Ulrike MÜLLER related to 2021/2019(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Deliberations of the Committee on Petitions in 2020 (debate)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the deliberations of the Committee on Petitions in 2020
Amendments (13)
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas Parliament has long been at the forefront of the development of the petitions process internationally and has the most open and transparent petitions process in Europe, allowing petitioners to participate fully in its activities;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Reiterates the importance of a continuous public debate on the Union’s fields of activity in order to ensure that citizens are correctly informed about the scope of the Union’s competences and the different levels of decision-making; calls, in this regard, for broader awareness raising campaigns, through; stresses theat active involvement of the press and communications services, to and more active social media would facilitate the responsiveness of the work of PETI more to public concerns and would help to increase citizens’ knowledge about their right to petition, as well as the scope and limits of the Union’s responsibilities, with a view to reducing the number of inadmissible petitions; stresses, in this regard, the importance of multilingual communication policy of the EU in order to better connect with citizens from all Member States;
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Emphasises that the Conference on the Future of Europe should be used as an opportunity to explain to EU citizens the role of the Committee on Petitions, in order to raise awareness of the right to petition and to encourage them to actively participate and voice their concerns and ideas to their elected representatives;
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Points out that petitions constitute a unique opportunity for Parliament and the other EU institutions to directly connect with EU citizens and legal residents and maintain a regular dialogue with them, particularly in cases where they are affected by the misapplication or breach of EU law; stresses the need for enhanced cooperation between the Committee on Petitions and lead committees, the EU institutions and national, regional and local authorities on inquiries and proposals regarding the implementation of and compliance with EU law; believes that such cooperation is crucial to address and resolve citizens’ concerns over the application of EU law and contributes to strengthening the democratic legitimacy and accountability of the Union; calls, therefore, for the more active participation of Member States’ representatives in committee meetings and for swifter responses to the requests for clarification or information sent by the Committee on Petitions to the national authorities; urges the Commission to take steps to ensure that the interpretation of the scope of Article 51 is as coherent and wide as possible; reminds that the expectations of most petitioners in relation to the rights conferred on them by the Charter are high and go beyond their current scope of application;
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Recalls that petitions contribute considerably to the Commission’s role as guardian of the Treaties; stresses that reinforced cooperation between the Committee on Petitions and the Commission and timely answers from the Commission are essential to ensure the successful treatment of petitionis essential to ensure the successful treatment of petitions; urges the Commission to refrain from general replies and to provide timely, specific and targeted responses to efficiently answer concrete petitioners’ requests; reiterates its call on the Commission for regular updates on developments in infringement proceedings and for access to relevant Commission documents on infringements and EU pilot procedures which have been closed;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Believes that the petitions network is a useful tool for raising awareness of the issues brought up in petitions and to facilitate the treatment of petitions in other committees to which they are sent for opinion and for information; notes that there is a need for facilitating the follow- up of petitions in parliamentary and legislative work; trusts that regular meetings of the petitions network are crucial in order to strengthen cooperation between parliamentary committees through the exchange of information and sharing of best practices among the network’s members; calls on the Parliament to draft a mechanism that enables the Committee of Petition to be directly involved in the legislative process;
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Underlines that despite the reduced timeslots for committee meetings in 2020 owing to Parliament’s precautionary measures to avoid the spread of COVID-19 within its premises and the consequent reduced interpretation facilities, the Committee on Petitions has expressed its opinion on important issues raised in petitions by contributing to a significant number of parliamentary reports, notably on the conclusion of the Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community2 , on Monitoring the Application of EU Law 2017 and 20183 , on the Recommendations on the negotiations for a new partnership with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland4 , on the Situation of Fundamental Rights in the European Union - Annual Report for the years 2018-20195 , on Reducing inequalities with a special focus on in-work poverty6 , on Turkey – Annual progress report 20197 , and on the implementation of Council Directive 2000/78/EC establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation in light of the UNCRPD8 ; appreciates the activity of the Secretariat of the Committee on Petitions in general and, in particular, during the pandemic, as the working conditions became more complex; stresses the need to reflect on the challenges faced during the pandemic and look at ways to improve the work, especially during crisis times; _________________ 2 Opinion adopted on 21 January 2020. 3 Opinion adopted on 19 February 2020. 4 Opinion adopted on 30 April 2020. 5 Opinion adopted on 7 September 2020. 6 Opinion adopted on 7 September 2020. 7 Opinion adopted on 29 October 2020. 8 Opinion adopted on 3 December 2020.
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Draws attention to the large number of petitions on COVID-19 that the Committee on Petitions examined and replied to in 2020, mostly by using its urgency procedure; stresses that most of these petitions called for the protection of citizens’ health against the spread of the virus, including questions on treatments, protective equipment and on the acquisition and distribution of vaccines, as well as for the assessment of the management of the health crisis in the Member States; recalls, also, that many petitioners raised concerns over the impact of national emergency measures, including lockdowns, on democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights, calling into question travel and work restrictions, obstacles to the freedom of movement within the Schengen area, as well as the management of cancelled flights and trips during the pandemic; recalls that all the restrictive measures must be necessary, proportional and temporary; stresses that ensuring the effective, equal and uniform application of EU law is crucial for upholding the rule of law, which is one of the founding values of the Union and its Member States, pursuant to Article 2 of the TEU, even in the crisis such as Covid- 19 pandemic;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Welcomes the specific role of protection played by the Committee on Petitions within the EU in the framework of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; points to the committee’s important ongoing work in connection with petitions concerning issues on disabilities; notes that the number of petitions on disability almost doubled in 2020 in comparison with the previous year; stresses that discrimination and access to education and employment remain among the main challenges faced by persons with disabilities; calls for implementation of concrete proposals to foster inclusiveness and facilitate the recognition and portability of skills within the EU;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Considers it essential that citizens are able to be involved directly in the initiation of legislative proposals; stresses that the ECI is an important instrument for active citizenship and public participation and therefore must be approached openly and responsively; calls on the Commission to initiate a legislative proposal on the basis of the content of any successful ECI;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 b (new)
Paragraph 18 b (new)
18b. Stresses that transparency and public access to the documents of the EU institutions are vital in order to ensure the highest levels of protection of the democratic rights of citizens and their trust in EU institutions; points out that current Regulation 1049/2001 does not reflect the actual situation anymore; deeply regrets that the revision of Regulation 1049/2021 is stalled for years with no progress; calls on the Commission to submit a proposal for are cast of the 2001 Regulation with a view to enhance transparency and accountability by promoting good administrative practice, in line with Lisbon Treaty requirements;
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 c (new)
Paragraph 18 c (new)
18c. Requests the Commission to ensure transparency and access to documents and information in the framework of the EU Pilot procedures in relation to petitions received, and of the EU Pilot and infringement procedures that have already been concluded;
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Underlines that the Petitions Web Portal is an essential tool for ensuring a smooth, efficient and transparent petitions process; welcomes, in this regard, the improvements on data protection and on the security features which have made the portal more user-friendly and secure for citizens; stresses that efforts must be continued to make the portal more accessibleeasier to navigate and accessible to all citizens, especially to persons with disabilities, including by enabling the tabling of petitions in national sign languages; calls to assess how to prevent the use of stolen or fake identities; calls for more information to be published on the Petitions Web Portal, including the progress of petitions and inquiries with other institutions;