BETA


2002/0807(AVC) Election of the representatives of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage, amending the Act annexed to the Decision 76/787/ECSC, EEC, Euratom

Progress: Procedure completed

RoleCommitteeRapporteurShadows
Lead AFCO GIL-ROBLES GIL-DELGADO José María (icon: PPE-DE PPE-DE)
Lead committee dossier:
Legal Basis:
EC Treaty (after Amsterdam) EC 190-p4, Euratom Treaty A 108-p3/4

Events

2010/10/27
   EC - Follow-up document
Details

The Commission presented a report on the election of Members of the European Parliament (1976 Act as amended by Decision 2002/772/EC, Euratom) and on the participation of European Union citizens

in elections for the European Parliament in the Member State of residence (Directive 93/109/EC).

Context : European elections are regulated by the 1976 Act on the election of the members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage, as amended by Council Decision 2002/772/EC, Euratom which lays down some common principles for all Member States, such as the obligation to use proportional representation and to ensure that polling day falls within the same period starting on a Thursday and ending on the following Sunday. Detailed arrangements for allowing EU citizens to participate in European elections in the Member State where they choose to live are laid down in Directive 93/109/EC. Besides rules concerning registration on electoral rolls and checks to prevent double voting and candidacy, the Directive provides for a derogation to be granted to Member States where the number of residents who are nationals of other Member States exceeds 20% of the total number of EU citizens residing there who are of voting age.

The most recent European elections were held in June 2009 when the number of seats in the European Parliament was set by provisions of the Nice Treaty at 736. Accordingly, in the 2009 elections 736 Members were elected to the European Parliament. With the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty on 1 December 2009, the number of seats will increase to 751. The necessary preparatory measures to implement these provisions were taken by the Council on 23 June 2010.

This report on the 2009 European Parliament elections accompanies and feeds into the ‘EU Citizenship Report 2010: Dismantling the obstacles to EU citizens’ rights’, focusing on the problems citizens still face, especially when trying to source goods and services across internal borders, and ways to tackle them. It aims at assessing the enforcement of EU citizens’ electoral rights in the 2009 European Parliament elections. Firstly, it assesses the level of awareness about the elections and the associated rights, the measures taken by the Member States and by the EU institutions in this respect and the actual participation in the elections. Secondly, it looks into how the Member States have transposed and implemented EU law in this field. Finally, the report outlines the measures to be taken to improve participation and guarantee enforcement of EU citizens’ electoral rights.

Main conclusions : more and more EU citizens are exercising their right to free movement, and may wish also to make use of their voting rights in their Member State of residence. However, it seems that the number of citizens who register to vote in European elections in the Member State where they live is lower than the potential electorate , i.e. the number of EU citizens of voting age who live in a Member State other than their own. This indicates that there is scope for making citizens more aware of their electoral rights and encouraging them to participate in the democratic life of the Union.

Properly informed EU citizens are much more likely to get involved in political life. In the aftermath of the European Parliament elections, the Commission identified best practices that should be pursued with a view to the 2014 elections. The Commission will propose to designate 2013 as the European Year of Citizens also in view of raising awareness on European Parliament elections. This is expected to lead to a better mobilization of the electorate in 2014.

The Commission also intends to continue offering funding for activities of NGOs and other organisations to ensure that citizens know their electoral rights and are encouraged to make use of them.

Besides informing citizens of their electoral rights, proper legal conditions are an important prerequisite for the exercise of these rights. The Commission is looking carefully at the way the Member States have transposed and implemented relevant EU law, and will where necessary take steps to remedy shortcomings.

Difficulties with the current mechanism for prohibiting voting in two Member States in the same European elections , already identified by the Commission in previous elections and addressed in 2006 by a proposal for amending it, persisted in 2009. The Commission is examining the need to replace the 2006 proposal with a further amendment to Directive 93/109/EC. A more efficient mechanism seems to require further common rules. At the same time, any new arrangement should be proportionate to the problem and extent of double voting.

The Commission is also following and, within the limits of its powers, contributing to the ongoing reflection in the European Parliament on how to generate greater interest among citizens. The Commission will support efforts to enhance the European dimension of the elections and to reform the way in which the Members of the European Parliament are elected so that to bring political parties and the decision-making process closer to the citizens and to strengthen the democratic basis of its functioning.

2002/06/25
   EP/CSL - Act adopted by Council after consultation of Parliament
2002/06/25
   EP - End of procedure in Parliament
2002/06/25
   CSL - Council Meeting
2002/06/12
   EP - Text adopted by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
2002/06/12
   EP - Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
Documents
2002/06/11
   EP - Debate in Parliament
2002/05/29
   EP - Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
2002/05/28
   EP - Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading
Documents
2002/05/28
   EP - Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
2002/05/28
   EP - Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading
Documents
2002/05/27
   EP - Amendments tabled in committee
Documents
2002/05/24
   EP - Amendments tabled in committee
Documents
2002/05/23
   CSL - Council Meeting
2002/05/21
   EC - Legislative proposal published
Documents
2002/05/16
   CSL - Document attached to the procedure
Documents
2002/04/12
   EP - Committee draft report
Documents
2002/03/26
   EP - Responsible Committee

Documents

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)

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docs/5/docs/0/url
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docs/6/docs/0/url
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events/5/docs/0/url
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activities
  • date: 2002-05-21T00:00:00 docs: url: http://register.consilium.europa.eu/content/out?lang=EN&typ=SET&i=ADV&RESULTSET=1&DOC_ID=8964%2F02&DOC_LANCD=EN&ROWSPP=25&NRROWS=500&ORDERBY=DOC_DATE+DESC type: Legislative proposal published title: 08964/2002 body: EC commission: type: Legislative proposal published
  • date: 2002-05-23T00:00:00 body: CSL type: Council Meeting council: Culture meeting_id: 2427
  • body: EP committees: body: EP responsible: True committee: AFCO date: 2002-03-26T00:00:00 committee_full: Constitutional Affairs rapporteur: group: PPE-DE name: GIL-ROBLES GIL-DELGADO José María docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&mode=XML&reference=A5-2002-212&language=EN type: Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading title: A5-0212/2002 date: 2002-05-28T00:00:00 type: Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
  • date: 2002-05-29T00:00:00 body: EP type: Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading committees: body: EP responsible: True committee: AFCO date: 2002-03-26T00:00:00 committee_full: Constitutional Affairs rapporteur: group: PPE-DE name: GIL-ROBLES GIL-DELGADO José María
  • date: 2002-06-11T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20020611&type=CRE type: Debate in Parliament title: Debate in Parliament body: EP type: Debate in Parliament
  • date: 2002-06-12T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P5-TA-2002-301 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading title: T5-0301/2002 body: EP type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
  • date: 2002-06-25T00:00:00 body: CSL type: Council Meeting council: Environment meeting_id: 2439
  • date: 2002-06-25T00:00:00 body: EP type: End of procedure in Parliament
  • date: 2002-06-25T00:00:00 body: EP/CSL type: Act adopted by Council after consultation of Parliament
  • date: 2002-10-21T00:00:00 docs: url: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexplus!prod!CELEXnumdoc&lg=EN&numdoc=32002D0772 title: Decision 2002/772 url: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/JOHtml.do?uri=OJ:L:2002:283:SOM:EN:HTML title: OJ L 283 21.10.2002, p. 0001 url: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexapi!prod!CELEXnumdoc&lg=EN&model=guicheti&numdoc=32002D0772R(01) title: Corrigendum to final act 32002D0772R(01) url: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/JOHtml.do?uri=OJ:L:2009:126:SOM:EN:HTML title: OJ L 126 21.05.2009, p. 0023 type: Final act published in Official Journal
committees/0
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AFCO
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2002-03-26T00:00:00
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  • body: CSL type: Council Meeting council: Culture meeting_id: 2427 url: http://register.consilium.europa.eu/content/out?lang=EN&typ=SET&i=SMPL&ROWSPP=25&RESULTSET=1&NRROWS=500&DOC_LANCD=EN&ORDERBY=DOC_DATE+DESC&CONTENTS=2427*&MEET_DATE=23/05/2002 date: 2002-05-23T00:00:00
docs
  • date: 2002-04-12T00:00:00 docs: title: PE313.380 type: Committee draft report body: EP
  • date: 2002-05-16T00:00:00 docs: url: http://register.consilium.europa.eu/content/out?lang=EN&typ=SET&i=ADV&RESULTSET=1&DOC_ID=8955%2F02&DOC_LANCD=EN&ROWSPP=25&NRROWS=500&ORDERBY=DOC_DATE+DESC title: 08955/2002 type: Document attached to the procedure body: CSL
  • date: 2002-05-24T00:00:00 docs: title: PE313.380/AM type: Amendments tabled in committee body: EP
  • date: 2002-05-27T00:00:00 docs: title: PE313.380/AMC type: Amendments tabled in committee body: EP
  • date: 2002-05-28T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&mode=XML&reference=A5-2002-212&language=EN title: A5-0212/2002 type: Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading body: EP
  • date: 2002-06-12T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P5-TA-2002-301 title: T5-0301/2002 url: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/JOHtml.do?uri=OJ:C:2003:261E:SOM:EN:HTML title: OJ C 261 30.10.2003, p. 0150-0306 E summary: type: Text adopted by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading body: EP
  • date: 2010-10-27T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/docs_autres_institutions/commission_europeenne/com/2010/0605/COM_COM(2010)0605_EN.pdf title: COM(2010)0605 url: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexplus!prod!DocNumber&lg=EN&type_doc=COMfinal&an_doc=2010&nu_doc=605 title: EUR-Lex summary: The Commission presented a report on the election of Members of the European Parliament (1976 Act as amended by Decision 2002/772/EC, Euratom) and on the participation of European Union citizens in elections for the European Parliament in the Member State of residence (Directive 93/109/EC). Context : European elections are regulated by the 1976 Act on the election of the members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage, as amended by Council Decision 2002/772/EC, Euratom which lays down some common principles for all Member States, such as the obligation to use proportional representation and to ensure that polling day falls within the same period starting on a Thursday and ending on the following Sunday. Detailed arrangements for allowing EU citizens to participate in European elections in the Member State where they choose to live are laid down in Directive 93/109/EC. Besides rules concerning registration on electoral rolls and checks to prevent double voting and candidacy, the Directive provides for a derogation to be granted to Member States where the number of residents who are nationals of other Member States exceeds 20% of the total number of EU citizens residing there who are of voting age. The most recent European elections were held in June 2009 when the number of seats in the European Parliament was set by provisions of the Nice Treaty at 736. Accordingly, in the 2009 elections 736 Members were elected to the European Parliament. With the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty on 1 December 2009, the number of seats will increase to 751. The necessary preparatory measures to implement these provisions were taken by the Council on 23 June 2010. This report on the 2009 European Parliament elections accompanies and feeds into the ‘EU Citizenship Report 2010: Dismantling the obstacles to EU citizens’ rights’, focusing on the problems citizens still face, especially when trying to source goods and services across internal borders, and ways to tackle them. It aims at assessing the enforcement of EU citizens’ electoral rights in the 2009 European Parliament elections. Firstly, it assesses the level of awareness about the elections and the associated rights, the measures taken by the Member States and by the EU institutions in this respect and the actual participation in the elections. Secondly, it looks into how the Member States have transposed and implemented EU law in this field. Finally, the report outlines the measures to be taken to improve participation and guarantee enforcement of EU citizens’ electoral rights. Main conclusions : more and more EU citizens are exercising their right to free movement, and may wish also to make use of their voting rights in their Member State of residence. However, it seems that the number of citizens who register to vote in European elections in the Member State where they live is lower than the potential electorate , i.e. the number of EU citizens of voting age who live in a Member State other than their own. This indicates that there is scope for making citizens more aware of their electoral rights and encouraging them to participate in the democratic life of the Union. Properly informed EU citizens are much more likely to get involved in political life. In the aftermath of the European Parliament elections, the Commission identified best practices that should be pursued with a view to the 2014 elections. The Commission will propose to designate 2013 as the European Year of Citizens also in view of raising awareness on European Parliament elections. This is expected to lead to a better mobilization of the electorate in 2014. The Commission also intends to continue offering funding for activities of NGOs and other organisations to ensure that citizens know their electoral rights and are encouraged to make use of them. Besides informing citizens of their electoral rights, proper legal conditions are an important prerequisite for the exercise of these rights. The Commission is looking carefully at the way the Member States have transposed and implemented relevant EU law, and will where necessary take steps to remedy shortcomings. Difficulties with the current mechanism for prohibiting voting in two Member States in the same European elections , already identified by the Commission in previous elections and addressed in 2006 by a proposal for amending it, persisted in 2009. The Commission is examining the need to replace the 2006 proposal with a further amendment to Directive 93/109/EC. A more efficient mechanism seems to require further common rules. At the same time, any new arrangement should be proportionate to the problem and extent of double voting. The Commission is also following and, within the limits of its powers, contributing to the ongoing reflection in the European Parliament on how to generate greater interest among citizens. The Commission will support efforts to enhance the European dimension of the elections and to reform the way in which the Members of the European Parliament are elected so that to bring political parties and the decision-making process closer to the citizens and to strengthen the democratic basis of its functioning. type: Follow-up document body: EC
events
  • date: 2002-05-21T00:00:00 type: Legislative proposal published body: EC docs: url: http://register.consilium.europa.eu/content/out?lang=EN&typ=SET&i=ADV&RESULTSET=1&DOC_ID=8964%2F02&DOC_LANCD=EN&ROWSPP=25&NRROWS=500&ORDERBY=DOC_DATE+DESC title: 08964/2002 summary:
  • date: 2002-05-28T00:00:00 type: Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading body: EP summary:
  • date: 2002-05-28T00:00:00 type: Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&mode=XML&reference=A5-2002-212&language=EN title: A5-0212/2002
  • date: 2002-05-29T00:00:00 type: Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading body: EP
  • date: 2002-06-11T00:00:00 type: Debate in Parliament body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20020611&type=CRE title: Debate in Parliament
  • date: 2002-06-12T00:00:00 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P5-TA-2002-301 title: T5-0301/2002 summary:
  • date: 2002-06-25T00:00:00 type: Act adopted by Council after consultation of Parliament body: EP/CSL
  • date: 2002-06-25T00:00:00 type: End of procedure in Parliament body: EP
  • date: 2002-10-21T00:00:00 type: Final act published in Official Journal docs: title: Decision 2002/772 url: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexplus!prod!CELEXnumdoc&lg=EN&numdoc=32002D0772 title: OJ L 283 21.10.2002, p. 0001 url: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:L:2002:283:TOC title: Corrigendum to final act 32002D0772R(01) url: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexapi!prod!CELEXnumdoc&lg=EN&model=guicheti&numdoc=32002D0772R(01) title: OJ L 126 21.05.2009, p. 0023 url: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:L:2009:126:TOC
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  • date: 2002-05-21T00:00:00 docs: url: http://register.consilium.europa.eu/content/out?lang=EN&typ=SET&i=ADV&RESULTSET=1&DOC_ID=8964%2F02&DOC_LANCD=EN&ROWSPP=25&NRROWS=500&ORDERBY=DOC_DATE+DESC type: Legislative proposal published title: 08964/2002 type: Legislative proposal published body: EC commission:
  • date: 2002-05-23T00:00:00 body: CSL type: Council Meeting council: Culture meeting_id: 2427
  • body: EP committees: body: EP responsible: True committee: AFCO date: 2002-03-26T00:00:00 committee_full: Constitutional Affairs rapporteur: group: PPE-DE name: GIL-ROBLES GIL-DELGADO José María docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&mode=XML&reference=A5-2002-212&language=EN type: Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading title: A5-0212/2002 date: 2002-05-28T00:00:00 type: Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
  • date: 2002-05-29T00:00:00 body: EP type: Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading committees: body: EP responsible: True committee: AFCO date: 2002-03-26T00:00:00 committee_full: Constitutional Affairs rapporteur: group: PPE-DE name: GIL-ROBLES GIL-DELGADO José María
  • date: 2002-06-11T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20020611&type=CRE type: Debate in Parliament title: Debate in Parliament body: EP type: Debate in Parliament
  • date: 2002-06-12T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P5-TA-2002-301 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading title: T5-0301/2002 body: EP type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
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  • date: 2002-10-21T00:00:00 docs: url: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexplus!prod!CELEXnumdoc&lg=EN&numdoc=32002D0772 title: Decision 2002/772 url: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/JOHtml.do?uri=OJ:L:2002:283:SOM:EN:HTML title: OJ L 283 21.10.2002, p. 0001 url: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexapi!prod!CELEXnumdoc&lg=EN&model=guicheti&numdoc=32002D0772R(01) title: Corrigendum to final act 32002D0772R(01) url: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:L:2009:126:TOC title: OJ L 126 21.05.2009, p. 0023 type: Final act published in Official Journal
committees
  • body: EP responsible: True committee: AFCO date: 2002-03-26T00:00:00 committee_full: Constitutional Affairs rapporteur: group: PPE-DE name: GIL-ROBLES GIL-DELGADO José María
links
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  • body: CSL type: Council Meeting council: Former Council configuration
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reference
2002/0807(AVC)
title
Election of the representatives of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage, amending the Act annexed to the Decision 76/787/ECSC, EEC, Euratom
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