Activities of Rainer WIELAND related to 2021/0375(COD)
Plenary speeches (3)
Statute and funding of European political parties and European political foundations (debate)
Statute and funding of European political parties and European political foundations (debate)
Statute and funding of European political parties and European political foundations (debate)
Reports (1)
REPORT on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the statute and funding of European political parties and European political foundations (recast)
Amendments (36)
Amendment 111 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 37
Recital 37
(37) In order to enhance cooperation with long-standing members sharing EU values, contributions from member parties or organisations having their seat in a country outside the Union but in the Council of Europe or a candidate country, should be allowed. However, such contributions should be subject to a cap in relation to total contribution, to limit the risk of foreign interference.
Amendment 114 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 38
Recital 38
(38) Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1141/2014 acknowledges only two categories of revenues for European political parties and foundations apart from contributions from the budget of the European Union, namely contributions from members and donations. A number of revenue sources generated from own economic activities (such as sales of publications or conference fees) fall outside the scope of these two categories, creating accounting and transparency problems. A third category of revenues (‘ancillary own resources’) should therefore be created. The proportion of own resources in the total budget of a European political party or foundations should be capped at 510% to avoid that it becomes overdimensioned in relation to the overall budget of these entities.
Amendment 120 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 41
Recital 41
(41) European political parties should not fund, directly or indirectly, other political parties and, in particular, national partiesand foundations should not use the funding received from the general budget of the European Union for the direct or caindidates. European political foundations should not fund, directly or indirectly, European or national politicalrect funding of other political parties and, in particular, national, parties or candidates. The prohibition of indirect funding should however not prevent European political parties or political foundations from publicly supporting and engaging with their member parties or member organisations in the Union on issues of relevance for the Union, or tofrom supporting political activities in the common interest, or from engaging in educational activities, in order to be able to fulfil their mission under Article 10(4) TEU and act to reinforce the existence of the European demos. The prohibition of indirect funding should not prevent the participation of either representatives and staffers of political parties, nor of potentially politically active persons in events of European political foundations. However, European political foundations may not engage in training of political candidates in the 6 months before national or European elections. Moreover, European political parties and their affiliated European political foundations should only finance activities in the context of national referendum campaigns when they concern the implementation of the TEU and the TFEU issues directly related to the European Union. These principles reflect Declaration No 11 on Article 191 of the Treaty establishing the European Community annexed to the Final Act of the Treaty of Nice.
Amendment 126 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 45
Recital 45
(45) It is necessary to provide for a clear, dissuasive and proportionate system of sanctions in order to ensure effective, proportionate and uniform compliance with the obligations regarding the activities of European political parties and European political foundations. Such a system should also respect the ne bis in idem principle whereby sanctions cannot be imposed twice for the same offence. It is also necessary to define the respective roles of the Authority and of the Authorising Officer of the European Parliament in controlling and verifying compliance with this Regulation as well as the mechanisms for cooperation between them and the Member States' authorities. It is also necessary to define a structured appeal process that enables European political parties and political foundations to appeal any sanctions or decisions taken by the Authority that they may feel is unjust.
Amendment 142 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 7
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 7
(7) 'donation' means any cash offering or by bank transfer, any offering in kind, the provision below market value of any goods, services (including loans) or works, and any other transaction which constitutes an economic advantage for the European political party or the European political foundation concerned, with the exception of contributions from members, association fees, ancillary own resources and usual political activities carried out on a voluntary basis by individuals;
Amendment 143 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 8 – point i (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 8 – point i (new)
i) "association fees" means payments by bank transfer, when provided to the European political party or to the European political foundation by a party or organisation associated to it and having its seat outside the EU but within the limits set out in this regulation
Amendment 144 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 9
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 9
(9) ‘ancillary own resources’ means income generated by own economic activities, such as conference fees and sales of publicatributions from joint activities, sales of publications, participation fees for conferences or workshops or other activities directly linked to political actions;
Amendment 147 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 10
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 10
(10) ‘indirect funding’ means funding from which the member party derives a financial advantage, even where no funds are directly transferred; this should include cases which allow the member party to avoid expenditure which it would otherwise have had to incur for activities, other than political activities injoint events co-financed to the extent they common interestncern issues of relevance for the Union´s fields of activities, organised for its own and sole benefit;
Amendment 152 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point c
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) its member parties are not members of another European political party;, and their political programme and activities are consistent with the provisions of the political alliance’s political programme as included in its statutes in accordance with Article 4 (1) (c)
Amendment 157 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point e
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point e
(e) it also ensures that its member parties having their seat in the Union observe the values expressed in Article 2 TEU and that its members well as that parties having their seat outside the Union and that pay association fees observe equivalent values. It provides a written declaration using the template in Annex I;
Amendment 161 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point d
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point d
(d) it also ensures that its member organisations having their seat in the Union observe the values expressed in Article 2 TEU and that its members well as that organisations having their seat outside the Union and that pay association fees observe equivalent values. It provides a written declaration using the template in Annex I;
Amendment 164 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point i
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point i
(i) a requirement that member parties display the European political party’s logo in a clearly visible and user-friendly manner, specifying that it is to be located in the top section of the front page of the member party’s website and in an equally visible manner as the member party’s own logo;
Amendment 171 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 2
Article 5 – paragraph 2
2. Each European political party shall transmit within five working days of the first dissemination to the Authority information concerning each political advertisement that it sponsors or publishes directly to enable the wider context of the political advertisement and its aims to be understood by citizens. That information shall include at least the information listed in point 1 of Annex II. The information shall be provided to the Authority in a form which is easily accessible and using plain language.
Amendment 173 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 3
Article 5 – paragraph 3
3. The Authority shall immediately publish the information referred to in paragraph 2 in the repository provided for in Article 8. The information shall be presented in a form which is easily accessible, clearly visible and user friendly, and using plain language without undue delay.
Amendment 185 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 3 – introductory part
Article 11 – paragraph 3 – introductory part
3. 1 The European Parliament, acting on its own initiative or following a reasoned request from a group of citizens, submitted in accordance with the relevant provisions of its Rules of Procedure, or the Council or the Commission may lodge with the Authority a request for verification of compliance by a specific European political party or European political foundation with the conditions laid down in Article 3(1), point (d), and Article 3(2), point (c) . In such cases, and in the casIn case of non-compliance with Article 3(1), points (a) to (g), Article 3(2), points (a), (b) to (g) or the governance provisions mentioned in paragraph 1, the Authority shall give the European political party or European political foundation concerned the opportunity to introduce the measures referquired to in Article 19(3), point (a), the Authority shall ask the committee of independent eminent persons referred to in Article 14 for an opinion on the subject. The committee shall give its opinion within two monthsremedy the situation within the time limit provided for by paragraph 2.
Amendment 194 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 12 – paragraph 2
Article 12 – paragraph 2
2. If tThe Authority ishall be informed of any decision of a national supervisory authority within the meaning of Article 4, point (21), of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 finding that a natural or legal person has infringed applicable rules on the protection of personal data, and i. If it follows from that decision, or if there are otherwise reasonable grounds to believe, that the infringement is linked to political activities by a European political party or a European political foundation in the context of elections to the European Parliament, the Authority shall refer this matter to the committee of independent eminent persons referred to in Article 14 of this Regulation. The Authority may, if necessary, liaise with the national supervisory authority concerned.
Amendment 196 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 1
Article 13 – paragraph 1
The Authority shall annually prepare and publish a report on the political advertising activity of European political parties. This report shall include a factual summary of the reports for the relevant reporting year published by European political parties according to Article 5(4), as well as any decisions of the national regulatory authorities designated under Article 5(6) or of the supervisory authorities referred to in Article 5(7) finding that a European political party has violated Article 5 of this Regulation.
Amendment 208 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 4
Article 19 – paragraph 4
4. The Authority shall fix the date of the publication refdecision on the removal shall be addressed and notified to the European political party or European political foundation concerrned to in paragraph 1 after consultation with the Member State in which the European polit. The decision shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union. It shall take effect upon notification and in any event at the latest by the time of its publication in the Official party or European political foundation has its seatJournal of the European Union.
Amendment 225 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 23 – paragraph 3
Article 23 – paragraph 3
3. Donations received by European political parties and European political foundations and expenditure funded from those donations within six months prior to elections to the European Parliament shall be reported on a weekly basis to the Authority in writing and in accordance with paragraph 2.
Amendment 231 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 23 – paragraph 6 – point c
Article 23 – paragraph 6 – point c
(c) donations from any public authority from a Member State or a third countryfrom outside the Union, or from any undertaking over which such a public authority may exercise, directly or indirectly, a dominant influence by virtue of its ownership of it, its financial participation therein, or the rules which govern it; or
Amendment 233 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 23 – paragraph 6 – point d
Article 23 – paragraph 6 – point d
(d) donations from any private entities based in a third countryoutside the Union or from individuals from a third countryoutside the Union who are not entitled to vote in elections to the European Parliament.
Amendment 234 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 23 – paragraph 8
Article 23 – paragraph 8
8. The Authority shall carry out verificationcontrols where it has grounds to believe that any donation has been granted in breach of this Regulation. It may for that purpose request additional information from the European political party or European political foundation and its donors.
Amendment 236 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 23 – paragraph 9
Article 23 – paragraph 9
9. Contributions from members of a European political party that have their seat in, or are citizens of, a Member State or from member parties that have their seat in a country belonging to the Council of Europe shall be permitted. The total value of contributions from members shall not exceed 40 % of the annual budget of a European political party. The value of contributions from member parties that have their seat in a country outside the Union shall not exceed 10% of the total contributions from membersshall be permitted. The total value of contributions from members shall not exceed 40 % of the annual budget of a European political party.
Amendment 242 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 23 – paragraph 9 a (new)
Article 23 – paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Association fees from political parties that have their seat outside the Union but in a country belonging to the Council of Europe shall be permitted, under condition that the respective country has full voting rights in the Council of Europe. The value of association fees from such parties that have their seat in a country outside the Union shall not exceed 20% of the total contributions from members.
Amendment 248 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 23 – paragraph 13
Article 23 – paragraph 13
13. The value of ancillary own resources of a European political party or of a European political foundation generated from own economic activities shall not exceed 510% of the annual budget of that European political party or European political foundation.
Amendment 259 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 25 – paragraph 2
Article 25 – paragraph 2
2. The funding of European political foundations from the general budget of the European Union or from any other source shall not be used for any other purpose than for financing their tasks as listed in Article 2, point (4), and to meet expenditure directly linked to the objectives set out in their statutes in accordance with Article 6. It shall in particular not be used for the direct or indirect funding of elections, political parties, or candidates in the six months before national or European elections or other foundations.
Amendment 262 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 26 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Article 26 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
1. At the latest within six months following the end of the financial year, European political parties and European political foundations shall submit to the Authority, with a copy to the Authorising Officer of the European Parliament with a copy to the Authority and to the competent National Contact Point of the Member State of their seat in an open, machine readable format:
Amendment 264 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 27 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Article 27 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
The Authorising Officer of the European Parliament shall control compliance by European political parties and European political foundations with the obligations relating to Union funding under this Regulation in accordance withand under Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 . In carrying out such controls, the European Parliament shall take the necessary measures in the fields of the prevention of and the fight against fraud affecting the financial interests of the Union.
Amendment 270 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 32 – paragraph 4
Article 32 – paragraph 4
4. The Authorising Officer of the European Parliament shall inform the Authority of any findings which might give rise to the imposition of sanctions under Article 30(2) to (4), with a view to allowing the Authority to take appropriate measures. The Authority shall make a decision on the imposition of sanctions within [6 months].
Amendment 271 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 33 – paragraph 1
Article 33 – paragraph 1
1. With a view to fully comply with the obligations referred to in Article 38, bBefore the Authority’s final decision relating to any of the sanctions referred to in Article 30, the Authority or the Authorising Officer of the European Parliament shall give the European political party or the European political foundation concerned an opportunity to introduce the measures required to remedy the situation within a reasonable period of time, which shall not normally exceed one month. In particular, the Authority or the Authorising Officer of the European Parliament shall allow the possibility of correcting clerical and arithmetical errors, providing additional documents or information where necessary or correcting minor mistakes.
Amendment 273 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 33 – paragraph 2
Article 33 – paragraph 2
2. Where a European political party or a European political foundation has failed to take sufficient corrective measures within the period of time referred to in paragraph 1, the appropriate sanctions referred to in Article 30 shall be decided.
Amendment 274 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 33 – paragraph 2
Article 33 – paragraph 2
2. Where a European political party or a European political foundation has failed to take sufficient corrective measures within the period of time referred to in paragraph 1, the appropriate sanctions referred to in Article 30 shall be decided.
Amendment 279 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 36 – paragraph 1 – point g – point i (new)
Article 36 – paragraph 1 – point g – point i (new)
i) the ancillary own resources referred to in Article 23(13) and reported by European political parties and European political foundations in accordance with Article 23(2), including the identity of the person or entity which made those payments
Amendment 280 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 36 – paragraph 1 – point g – point ii (new)
Article 36 – paragraph 1 – point g – point ii (new)
ii) the association fees referred to in Article 23(9a) and (10a) and reported by European political parties and European political foundations in accordance with Article 23 (2), including the identity of the parties or organisations which made those payments;
Amendment 281 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 37 – paragraph 3
Article 37 – paragraph 3
3. The Authority, the European Parliament and the committee of independent eminent persons referred to in Article 14 shall ensure that personal data collected by them pursuant to this Regulation are not used for any purpose other than to ensure the legality, regularity and transparency of the funding of European political parties and European political foundations and the membership of European political parties. They shall erase all personal data collected for that purpose at the latest 24 months after the publication of the relevant parts in accordance with Article 36 has ceased.
Amendment 288 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 45 – paragraph 1
Article 45 – paragraph 1
Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1141/2014 is repealed. Any procedural steps and decisions previously taken by an Institution, the Authorising Officer of the European Parliament or the Authority in accordance with, or on the basis of, Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1141/2014 shall remain applicable and be construed in light of this Regulation.