Activities of Loránt VINCZE related to 2021/0372(CNS)
Plenary speeches (1)
Electoral rights of mobile Union citizens in European Parliament elections - Electoral rights of mobile Union citizens in municipal elections (debate)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the proposal for a Council directive laying down detailed arrangements for the exercise of the right to vote and stand as a candidate in elections to the European Parliament for Union citizens residing in a Member State of which they are not nationals (recast)
Amendments (33)
Amendment 55 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) The 1992 Treaty on the European Union introduced the legal concept of EU citizenship with the aim to strengthen the protection of the rights and interests of the nationals of its Member States by adding to existing EU entitlements a number of new political and electoral rights. Article 20(2), point (b) and Article 22(2) of the of the Treaty on the functioning of the European Union (TFEU) confers on Union citizens residing in a Member State of which they are not nationals the right to vote and to stand as a candidate in elections to the European Parliament in their Member State of residence under the same conditions as nationals of the host Member State. The right, which is also affirmed in Article 39 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (Charter) gives specific expression to the principle of equality and non-discrimination on grounds of nationality set out in Article 21. It is also a corollary of the right to move and reside freely enshrined in Article 20(2) point (a) and Article 21 TFEU and Article 45 of the Charter. The right also allows citizens to effectively participate in the democratic life of the Union and to have a stake in the European Union as a political entity.
Amendment 57 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) Article 20 (2) TFEU is concerned only with the possibility of exercising the right of vote and stand as a candidate in elections to the European Parliament and is without prejudice to Article 223(1) TFEU , which provides for the establishment of a uniform procedure for elections to the European Parliament in all Member States in accordance with principles common to all Member States for those elections.
Amendment 60 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 6 a (new)
Recital 6 a (new)
(6 a) Non-national Union citizens should receive information about the possibility of voting or standing as a candidate at the moment they register as residents of a Member State of which they are not nationals.
Amendment 61 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) The freedom of Union citizens to choose the Member State in which to take part in elections to the European Parliament must be respected, while the appropriate measures to ensure that no one may vote more than once or stand as a candidate in more than one country. Given that most Member States allow mobile European citizens to retain under national law their right to vote for a home country list, the possibility to choose between two or more countries to vote in requires that clear information be provided to mobile citizens and Member States coordinate among themselves to reduce the risk of multiple voting. Therefore, the freedom of Union citizens to choose the Member State in which to take part in elections to the European Parliament must be respected, while the appropriate measures to ensure that no one may vote more than once or stand as a candidate in more than one country. When receiving information about the possibility of voting or standing as a candidate in their Member State of residence, non- national Union citizens should be duly informed that they may vote or stand as candidate either in their home country or in their country of residence, dependent on their choice and the applicable national provisions.
Amendment 64 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 8
Recital 8
(8) In line with International and European standards, including, the requirements of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the law of the European Convention on Human Rights, Member States should not only recognize and respect the right of Union citizens to vote and to stand as a candidate but also ensure easythat access to their electoral rights by removing as manis as easy as possible by removing any unnecessary obstacles to participation in elections as possible.
Amendment 67 #
(9) In order to facilitate the exercise by Union citizens of their right to vote and to stand as a candidate in their country of residence, such citizens should be entered on the electoral roll in sufficient time in advance of polling day. The formalities applicable to their registration should be as simple as possible. When they register as residents of a Member State of which they are not nationals, non-national Union citizens should be offered the possibility to express their decision to register to vote in the country of residence and should be informed about the possibility to stand as a candidate and submit an application in that regard. If they do not wish to do so at the moment of registration as residents, they should have the right to express their decision later. It should be sufficient for the Union citizens concerned to produce a valid identity card and, in duly justified cases, a formal declaration that includes elements evidencing their entitlement to participate in the elections. Once registered, non- national Union citizens should remain on the electoral roll under the same conditions as Union citizens who are nationals of the Member State concerned, for as long as they satisfy the conditions for exercising the right to vote. Additionally, Union citizens should provide the competent authorities with contact information, enabling those authorities to keep them informed on a regular basis.
Amendment 73 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) In order to ensure equal treatment of non-national Union citizens seeking to exercise the right to stand as candidates for election in their Member State of residence, such citizens should be required to produce the same supporting documents as those required from candidates who are nationals of the Member State concerned. However, in order to establish that such citizens are beneficiaries of the right laid down in Article 20(2)(b) and Article 22(2) TFEU, in duly justified cases, Member States should be able to require the production of a formal declaration that includes elements necessary to evidence their entitlement to stand in the elections in question.
Amendment 74 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 13
Recital 13
(13) Union citizens who have been deprived of their right to vote and to stand as candidates, on the basis of an individual civil law or criminal law decision taken by the competent authority, should be precluded from exercising that right in the Member State of residence in elections to the European Parliament. When receiving an application for registration as a voter, Member States may require from the citizen concerned a formal declaration confirming that they have not been deprived of their right to vote. When standing as candidates in their country of residence, Union citizens should beit should be possible for the country of residence to required tohat Union citizens produce a statement confirming that they have not been deprived of the right to stand in the elections to the European Parliament. Those requirements should apply only when they are also applicable to the nationals of the Member State of residence.
Amendment 77 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 17
Recital 17
(17) The information exchange between Member States to prevent multiple voting or instances where the same person would stand as a candidate more than once at the same election should not prevent their nationals from voting or standing as candidates in other types of elections. To facilitate communication between national authorities, Member States should be required to designate one contact point for that information exchange. A secure tool was developed in the past by the Commission to be used by the Member States under their responsibility to exchange the necessary data. That secure tool should be incorporated in this Directive, to further support exchanges between Member States’ competent authorities. Member States will act as separate controllers for their processing of personal data in this regard.
Amendment 79 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 20
Recital 20
(20) The lack of adequate information, in the context of electoral procedures, affects citizens in the exercise of their electoral rights as part of their rights as Union citizens. It also affects the capacity of competent authorities to exercise their rights and to deliver on their obligations. Member States should be required to designate authorities with special responsibilities for providing appropriate information to Union citizens on their rights under Article 20(2), point (b), and Article 22(2) TFEU and the national rules and procedures regarding participation in and the organization of elections to the European Parliament. In turn, designated authorities should be able to cooperate with relevant civil society organisations in disseminating information on electoral procedures. In order to ensure the effectiveness of communications, information should be provided in clear and comprehensible terms.
Amendment 81 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 20 a (new)
Recital 20 a (new)
(20 a) In order to increase the electoral participation of non-national Union citizens, Member States should provide appropriate information to Union citizens on the right to vote and on the administrative steps to exercise that right. Such information should be provided when the residence of non-national Union citizens is registered, later on, upon request, and sufficiently in advance of European elections.
Amendment 85 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 21
Recital 21
(21) In order to improve the accessibility of electoral information, suchessential information on electoral rights should be made available in at least one otherll official languages of the Union than that or those of the host Member State, broadly understood by the largest possible number of Union citizens residing on its territory. Member States may use different official languages of the Union in specific parts of their territory or their regions depending on the language understood by the largest group of Union citizens residing therein. The Commission should complement such measures by providing information to EU citizens about electoral rights and electoral procedures via a dedicated information portal available in all languages of the Union and through outreach communication actions via the SOLVIT service.
Amendment 87 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 22
Recital 22
Amendment 91 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 23
Recital 23
Amendment 94 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 24
Recital 24
Amendment 97 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 27
Recital 27
(27) It is necessary that the Commission conduct its own evaluation of the application of this Directive within a reasonable timeframe after at least twono later than 18 months after each elections to the European Parliament.
Amendment 101 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 6 – paragraph 5
Article 6 – paragraph 5
5. Member States shall designate a contact point to receive and transmit the information necessary for the application of paragraph 3. They shall communicate to the Commission the name and contact details of the contact point and any updated information orshould there be changes concerning it. The Commission shall keep a list of contact points and make it available to the Member States.
Amendment 102 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 8 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 8 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. When registering non-national EU citizens as residents, Member States shall offer them the possibility to express their option to register to vote in the country of residence and shall inform them about the possibility to stand as a candidate and submit an application in this regard. Should they not wish to do so at the moment of registration as residents, they shall maintain the right to express this option afterwards. When offering information about the possibility of voting or standing as a candidate, Member States of residence shall duly inform non- national Union citizens that they have the right to choose to vote or stand as candidate either in their home country or in their country of residence.
Amendment 106 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 9 – paragraph 3 – point a
Article 9 – paragraph 3 – point a
(a) state in their declaration under paragraph 2 that they have not been deprived of the right to vote in their home Member State, if such requirement also applies to nationals of the Member State of residence;
Amendment 107 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 9 – paragraph 4
Article 9 – paragraph 4
4. Union voters who have been entered on the electoral roll shall remain thereon, under the same conditions as voters who are nationals, until they request to be removed or until they are removed because they no longer satisfy the requirements for exercising the right to vote. Where provisions are in place to notify nationals of such a removal from the electoral roll, these provisions shall apply to Union voters in the same wayas well.
Amendment 109 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 11 – paragraph 1
Article 11 – paragraph 1
1. The Member State of residence shall inform the persons concerned in good time and in clear and plain language of the decision taken on their application for entry on the electoral roll or of the decision concerning the admissibility of their application to stand as a candidate, including the possibilities available to appeal the decision.
Amendment 111 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 11 – paragraph 3
Article 11 – paragraph 3
3. In case of errors in the electoral rolls or in the lists of candidates to the European Parliament, the persons concerned shall be entitled to legal remedies on similar terms as the laws of the Member State of residence prescribe for voters and persons entitled to stand as candidates who are its nationals.
Amendment 112 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 11 – paragraph 4
Article 11 – paragraph 4
4. Member States shall inform clearly and in a timely manner, the persons concerned of the decision referred to in paragraph 1 and of the legal remedies referred to in paragraphs 2 and 3.
Amendment 113 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 12 – paragraph 1
Article 12 – paragraph 1
1. Member States shall provide appropriate information to non-national Union citizens on the right to vote and on the administrative steps to exercise that right. Such information shall be provided when the residence of non-national Union citizens is registered, later on, upon request, and sufficiently in advance of European elections. Member States shall designate a national authority with responsibility for taking the necessary measures to ensure that non-national Union citizens are informed in a timely manner of the conditions and detailed rules for registration as a voter or candidate in elections to the European Parliament. Designated authorities shall be endowed with the capacity to cooperate with relevant civil society organisations in disseminating information on electoral procedures.
Amendment 115 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 12 – paragraph 2 – point d
Article 12 – paragraph 2 – point d
(d) means of obtaining further information relating to the organisation of the election including the list of candidates or special measures for persons with disabilities.
Amendment 117 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 12 – paragraph 3 – introductory part
Article 12 – paragraph 3 – introductory part
3. The information on conditions and detailed rules for registration as a voter or candidate in elections to the European Parliament and the information referred to in paragraph 2 shall be provided in clear and plain language. in accordance with the quality requirements of Article 9 of Regulation (EU)2018/1724 of the European Parliament and of the Council1a. _________________ 1a Regulation (EU) 2018/1724 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 2 October 2018 establishing a single digital gateway to provide access to information, to procedures and to assistance and problem-solving services and amending Regulation (EU) No 1024/2012 (OJ L 295, 21.11.2018, p. 1).
Amendment 118 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 12 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1
Article 12 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1
Amendment 119 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 12 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1 a (new)
Article 12 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1 a (new)
The Commission shall complement such measures with information services to EU citizens about electoral rights and electoral procedures via a dedicated information portal available in all languages of the Union and through outreach communication actions via the SOLVIT service.
Amendment 125 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 14 – paragraph 1
Article 14 – paragraph 1
Member States that provide for the possibilities of advance voting, postal voting, and electronic and internet voting, in elections to the European Parliament shall ensure the availability of those voting methods to Union voters under similarthe same conditions as the onesose applicable to their own nationals.
Amendment 126 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 15 – paragraph 1
Article 15 – paragraph 1
Member States shall designate an authority with responsibility for collecting and providing relevant statistical data based on common indicators to the public and the Commission, on the participation of Union citizens who are not nationals in elections to the European Parliament.
Amendment 127 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 16
Article 16
Amendment 132 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 17 – paragraph 1
Article 17 – paragraph 1
1. Within six months after each election to the European Parliament Member States shall send information to the Commission on the application of this Directive in their territory. In addition to general observations, the report shall contain statistical data on the participation in elections to the European Parliament of Union voters and Union citizens entitled to stand as candidates and a summary of the measures taken to support it. Member States shall also provide information on the efficiency of exchanges to prevent double voting with other Member States.
Amendment 137 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 18 – paragraph 1
Article 18 – paragraph 1
Within two years after the 202918 months after each elections to the European Parliament, the Commission shall assess its application and produce an evaluation report on the progress towards achievement of the objectives contained herein. The evaluation shall also include a review on the functioning of Article 13.