Activities of Gerald HÄFNER related to 2010/2201(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Political parties at European level and rules regarding their funding (debate)
Amendments (12)
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas Article 10(4) of the Treaty on European Union states that ‘'political parties at European level contribute to forming European political awareness and to expressing the will of citizens of the Union’', while Parliament and the Council, in accordance with Article 224 of the Treaty on the functioning of the European Union, lay down the regulations governing these parties and their affiliated European political foundations and in particular the rules regarding their funding,
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital N a (new)
Recital N a (new)
Na. whereas the regulation on political parties at the European level does not make a difference between the recognition and the funding of political parties,
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital N b (new)
Recital N b (new)
Nb. whereas the Bureau note of 10 January 2011 recommended tightening the criteria for the funding of European political parties; whereas this amounts to a restriction of party competition at the European level as long as the criteria for the legal recognition and funding of political parties are identical,
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital N c (new)
Recital N c (new)
Nc. whereas a common legal statute for European political parties allows separating the recognition of parties from their funding and counterbalancing the aforementioned restriction of party competition; whereas this makes the European political space more accessible to new parties,
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital R
Recital R
R. whereas experience with the funding of European political parties and their affiliated European political foundations has shown that they need more flexibility and similar conditions with regard to the carry-over of funds to the following financial year and to building up reserves from own resources in excess of the prescribed minimum of their expenditure to be financed from their own funds,
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Underlines the need for a European political party to be made up of national or regional parties that respect and implement internal democracy (in the democratic election of party bodies, and democratic decision- making including the selection of candidates);
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes that the same internal democracy shouldmust be respected by the European party itself;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Emphasises the need to separate the legal recognition of European political parties from their funding; underlines that the proposed tightening of the criteria for the funding of political parties must be supplemented by less restrictive criteria of their legal recognition in order to keep the European political space accessible to new parties and parties not yet represented in Parliament;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8b. Points out that a legal statute should reflect the outstanding role of political parties for democratic decision-making and for the mediation of interests between citizens and their representatives; stresses that political parties therefore should be granted special rights and obligations; notes that internal democratic structures and respect for democratic values are a sine qua non for the recognition as a political party; notes further that political parties which fulfil those criteria should be granted full political independence; their funding must not be made dependent on their work programmes or any other criteria as regards the substance of their activities;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Recalls a demand made long ago, namely to give the European political parties and foundations a legal statute, enabling them to acquire legal personality under EU law rather than the law of the State where they are established or recognised; considers that such a statute could at the same time lay down minimum requirements as to their functioning and structure; invites the Committee on Constitutional Affairs to draw up a legislative proposal with this aim at earliest convenience, to be submitted to the Commission in accordance with Article 225 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Notes that what is needed on a more short- term basis is to improve the regulatory environment of the European political parties and foundations, taking as a first step the adoption of the European legal statute; invites the Commission to take the steps necessary for amending Regulation 2004/2003 on the regulations governing political parties at the European level and the rules regarding their funding accordingly;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Emphasises, however, that the funding regime would have to be counterbalanced by providing for sanctions in the Funding Regulation where they are at present missing; considers that such sanctions could take the form of financial penalties in the case of infringement of the rules concerning, for example, the transparency of donations; underlines the necessity of providing the same conditions for building reserves and carry-over funds for both European political parties and their affiliated European political foundations;