26 Amendments of Jude KIRTON-DARLING related to 2017/2222(INI)
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the number of petitions received is modest compared to the EU’s total population; whereas the number nevertheless indicates that a portion of EU citizens are aware, and make use, of the right to petition, and expect to draw the attention of the EU institutions to matters which they are concerned about, through the petition procedure; whereas, however, more needs to be done to promote the right to petition the European Parliament;
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas the European Parliament has long been at the forefront of the development of the petitions process internationally and it still has the most open and transparent system in Europe, which allows in particular, full participation of petitioners in its activities;
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D b (new)
Recital D b (new)
Db. whereas the role of the committee in empowering European citizens is one of the essential characteristics that contributes to a reinforcement of the image and authority of the Parliament in the eyes of the electorate, by allowing the institution to bring to account and better scrutinise the way in which EU law is implemented by the Member States and the other EU institutions;
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas active participation is only possible on the basis of a democratic and transparent process allowing Parliament and the Committee of Petitions to render its work citizen-friendly and comprehensiblemeaningful;
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas it is noted that citizens often turn to the Petitions Committee as a last resort when other bodies and institutions at regional and national levels are unable to resolve their concerns;
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas each petition is carefully assessed and dealt with, and whereas each petitioner has the right to receive a reply from the Committee of Petitions that addresses their issue fully within a reasonable period of time;
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital M
Recital M
M. whereas the main subjects of concern raised in petitions in 2016 pertained to the internal market (in particular the provision of services and the free movement of people), fundamental rights (especially the rights of the child and of people with disabilities), social affairs (working conditions) and, environmental issues (waste management, pollution and environmental protection) and the specific issue of Brexit (loss of acquired rights and the mandate of the referendum);
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital O
Recital O
O. whereas the European Citizen’s Initiative is potentially an important tool for strengthening citizens’ participation in the EU political decision-making process and should be exploited fully;
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Highlights the vital role that the Committee on Petitions has to play as a contact point where EU citizens and residents can submit their grievances, and where the requests of citizens are examined, investigated and resolved wherever possible and within a reasonable timeframe;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Highlights the vital role that the Committee on Petitions has to plays as a contact point where EU citizens and residents can submit their grievances, and where the requests of citizens are examined and resolved wherever possible and within a reasonable timeframe;
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Recalls that petitions allow Parliament and other EU institutions to reconnect with EU citizens who are affected by the application of EU law at different administrative levels; considers enhanced cooperation of EU institutions and other EU bodies with national, regional and local authorities on matters linked to the application of EU law to be a vital means of strengthening the democratic legitimacy and accountability of the Union’s decision-making process; calls therefore for a strong commitment from all the authorities involved at national and European levels in handling and resolving petitions as a matter of priority;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Recalls that petitions allow Parliament and other EU institutions to reconnect with EU citizens who are affected by the application of EU law at different administrative levels; considerurges enhanced cooperation of EU institutions and other EU bodies with national, regional and local authorities on matters linked to the application of EU law to be a vital means of strengthening the democratic legitimacy and accountability of the Union’s decision-making process;
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Reminds the Commission that petitions offer a unique means to refer situations where EU law is not respected and to investigate with the help of political scrutiny of the European Parliament; reminds the Commission that requests for assistance from the Committee on Petitions should be followed up properly, and reiterates its call on the Commission to improve the quality of its replies, in substance as well as depth, to ensure that the concerns of European citizens are addressed properly; insists that the Commission identifies the means for enhancing cooperation with Member States’ authorities when it comes to responding to inquiries regarding the implementation of, and compliance with, EU law;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Reminds the Commission that requests for assistance from the Committee on Petitions should be followed up properly, and reiterates its call on the Commission to improve the quality of its replies, in substance as well as depth, to ensure that the concerns of European citizens are addressed properly and transparently; insists that the Commission identifies the means for enhancing cooperation with Member States’ authorities when it comes to responding to inquiries regarding the implementation of, and compliance with, EU law;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Asks the Commission to inform the Committee on Petitions regularly on developments with regard to ongoing infringement proceedings, and to guarantee its timely access to relevant Commission documents on infringements, and to EU pilot procedures pertaining to petitions in this regard; asks to receive, on a systematic basis, the documents exchanged in the course of EU pilot and infringement procedures once these are closed in application of the jurisprudence of the European Court of Justice;
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Urges the Commission to use properly its powers stemming from its role as Guardian of the Treaties as such a role is of utmost importance in the functioning of the EU with regards to the citizens and to the European legislators; calls for a timely handling of the infringement procedures in order to put an end without delay to situations where EU law is not respected;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Calls for enquiries to be made as to the possibility of the use of teleconferencing services to allow more petitioners to present their petition to the committee;
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Considers cooperation with other parliamentary committees essential; refers, in this regard, to the adoption of the Committee on Petitions guidelines, which spell out the principle of establishing a petitions network with the other committees; notes that guidelines for such a network have been adopted; draws attention to the questionnaire submitted to all committees with a view to understanding better their procedures for dealing with petitions submitted for opinion or information; notes with satisfaction that the first network meeting at staff level took place in 2016 and at Members’ level in early 2017; recommends that staff of the Members of the European Parliament should be offered specific guidance on the right to petition to enable them to better assist constituents interested in pursuing the process;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Notes the anxiety of petitioners concerned about their future rights following the referendum in the United Kingdom on withdrawal from the European Union; notes the unresolved concerns about voting rights and disenfranchisement of UK citizens living elsewhere in the EU for over 15 years; supports the Commission’s commitment to fully guarantee the rights of European citizens residing in the United Kingdom during the Brexit negotiations and following its exit from the EU and calls on the Commission to guarantee the full acquired rights for UK citizens residing in the rest of the European Union to ensure that citizens are not used as bargaining chips or see their rights eroded as a result of the negotiations;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Points to the important ongoing work carried out by the Committee on Petitions in connection with petitions pertaining to issues on disabilities, and underlines the willingness of the committee to continue its support to efforts to strengthen the rights of persons with disabilities; calls on the European institutions to lead by example on this subject and to ensure that national authorities are correctly implementing without delay the legislation adopted in this field;
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Points to the committee’s support of the European Citizens’ Initiative; notes the Commission’s proposal for a revision of the regulation with a view to maintaining its relevance as a tool for democratic participation; inviturges the Commission to consider Parliament’s substantive input, in particular the opinion of the Committee on Petitions on the European Citizens’ initiative;
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Stresses the wide range of subjects raised in the petitions filed, from the internal market, justice, energy and transport to fundamental rights, health, environmental law, disability and animal welfare; and on the various implications of Brexit on citizens;
Amendment 107 #
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Stresses the important role of the SOLVIT network, which provides a means for citizens and enterprises to address concerns about possible breaches of EU law by public authorities in other Member States; calls on the Commission, and on the Member States themselves, to promote SOLVIT in order to make it more helpful and visible to citizens; welcomes, in this regard, the Action Plan to reinforce the SOLVIT network published by the Commission in May 2017; calls on the Commission for a swift implementation of this Action Plan and to report back to the European Parliament on its results;
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Recognises that there has been an unacceptable delay in the expansion of the secretariat of the committee; calls for the recruitment of experienced officials to enhance the working capacity of the committee;
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 b (new)
Paragraph 18 b (new)
18b. Calls for a more focused and active press and communications service and a more active social media presence, making the work of the Committee more responsive to public concerns;