14 Amendments of Simon BUSUTTIL related to 2010/0074(COD)
Amendment 65 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) These procedures and conditions should be clear, simple, user-friendly and proportionate to the nature of the citizens' initiative, so as to encourage participation by citizens and to make the Union more accessible. They should strike a judicious balance between rights and obligations.
Amendment 66 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3 a (new)
Recital 3 a (new)
(3a) It is important that information campaigns concerning citizens' initiatives be organised, in order to raise citizens' awareness and to provide accurate information on this new instrument. The Commission and the European Parliament, via their respective representations and offices in the Member States, should upon request provide citizens with information and informal advice about citizens' initiatives, notably as regards the registration criteria, the values and competencies of the Union and the European Treaties. A user's guide to the citizens' initiatives should be prepared in every official language of the Union and should be available online.
Amendment 73 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 12a (new)
Recital 12a (new)
(12a) It is crucial that transparency be maintained throughout the whole process. Therefore, any financial or political support received should be indicated in the statement of support form relating to each citizens' initiative. Funding by political parties and European political groups should not be permitted.
Amendment 75 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 17
Recital 17
(17) The Commission should examine a citizens' initiative and set out its conclusions and the actions it envisages to take in response to it, within a period ofrespond to it in a clear, comprehensible and detailed manner and within a time frame corresponding to its handling of legislative initiatives of the European Parliament under Article 225 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. Thus, as a first step, the Commission should after three months inform the organisers of a successful initiative how it intends to act on the initiative. As a second step, citizens should have the assurance that a successful citizens' initiative will be the subject of an official public hearing at European Union level. The Commission, as the addressee of an initiative, should ensure that such a hearing takes place and that it will be represented at an appropriate level. The European Parliament, through its committee responsible, should always be invited to participate in the organising of such hearings. The Petitions Committee of the European Parliament should, in view of its long experience in dealing with citizens' petitions, be a privileged contact in this matter. As a third step, the Commission should come forward with its final response to the initiative after one year, either by proposing legislation accordingly or by explaining in a detailed manner its reasons four monthsnot acting on the initiative. The Commission should also give a thorough explanation in the event that the legislative proposal diverges significantly from the citizens' initiative.
Amendment 83 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1
Article 4 – paragraph 1
1. Prior to initiating the collection of statements of support from signatories for a proposed citizens' initiative, the organisers shall be required to register it with the Commission, providing the information set out in Annex II, in particular on the subject-matter and objectives as well as on the sources of funding and support for the proposed citizens' initiative. of the proposed citizens' initiative. The organisers shall provide, for the register defined in the third subparagraph and where appropriate on their website, regularly updated information on all sources of support and funding for the initiative. Funding by political parties and European political groups shall not be permitted. This information shall be provided in one of thr more official languages of the Union, in an online register made available for that purpose by the Commission (hereafter "the register"). Information in an official language other the language(s) in which it was originally provided may be provided subsequently for entry in the register. The translation of the initiative into other official languages of the Union shall be the responsibility of the organisers.
Amendment 90 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 1 a (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 1 a (new)
At the end of that period, the register shall indicate that the period has expired and, where appropriate, that the Commission has ascertained that the necessary statements of support have not been submitted.
Amendment 92 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 2
Article 6 – paragraph 2
2. Prior to initiating the collection of statements of support from signatories, the organisers shall ensure that the online collection system used for that purpose complies with the provisions of paragraph 4. The organisers may, at any time, ask the relevant competent authority of the Member State in which the data collected is or will be stored, to certify that the online collection system complies with those provisions. The organisers shall, in any case, request that certification prior to submitting statements of support for verification in accordance with Article 9initiating the collection of statements of support. The organisers shall make a copy of the certificate issued in that regard publicly available on the website used for the online collection system. Within six months following the entry into force of this Regulation, the Commission shall make available an open-source software incorporating some of the technical and security features necessary for compliance with the provisions of this Regulation regarding the online collection systems. The software shall be freely made available to organisers. The Commission shall inform the European Parliament of the state of progress in the creation of the open- source software by no later than three months after the entry into force of this Regulation.
Amendment 98 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 3
Article 7 – paragraph 3
3. Signatories shall be considered as coming from the Member State which issued the identification document indicated in theiere they have their permanent residence. A signatory who is not a national of the Member State in which he or she permanently resides may choose to be considered as coming either from the Member State in which he or she permanently resides or from the Member State of which he or she is a national. A signatory permanently resident in a third country shall be considered as coming from the Member sStatement of support of which he or she is a national.
Amendment 99 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Article 9 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
The organiser shall submit statements of support to the Member State that issued the identification document indicated thereinwhere the signatories have their permanent residence. A signatory who is not a national of the Member State in which he or she permanently resides may choose to be considered as coming either from the Member State in which he or she permanently resides or from the Member State of which he or she is a national. In cases where signatories have their permanent residence in a third country, the organiser shall submit statements of support to the Member State of which they are nationals.
Amendment 101 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 1
Article 10 – paragraph 1
After having obtained the certificates provided for in Article 9(2), and provided that all relevant procedures and conditions set out in this Regulation have been complied with, the organisers may submit the citizens’ initiative to the Commission. When doing so, the organisers shall provide the Commission with precise and detailed information concerning all the sources of support and funding received for the citizens' initiative. Funding by political parties and European political groups shall not be permitted.
Amendment 104 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 1
Article 11 – paragraph 1
1. Where the Commission receives a citizens’ initiative in accordance with Article 10 it shall: a. publish the citizens' initiative without delay on its website; b. examine the citizens' initiative and, within 4three months, set out in a communication its initial conclusions on the initiative, the action it intends to take, if any, and its reasons for doing so; ba. organise a public hearing, if appropriate jointly with the European Parliament, notably its Petitions Committee, at which the organisers shall have the opportunity to explain in detail the matters raised by the initiative; bb. present a legislative proposal within one year or include that proposal in its next year's Work Programme. If the Commission does not present such a proposal it shall give the organisers as well as the European Parliament and the Council detailed explanations of its reasons for not acting on the initiative.
Amendment 107 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15
Article 15
The Commission may adopt, by means of delegated acts in accordance with Articles 16, 17 and 18,: – technical specifications for online collection systems pursuant to Article 6(5); – amendments to the Annexes tof this Regulation.
Amendment 109 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 21
Article 21
Amendment 114 #
Proposal for a regulation
Annex III – box 2 – point 5 a (new)
Annex III – box 2 – point 5 a (new)
5a. all sources of support and funding received in respect of the proposed citizens' initiative.