BETA


2005/2243(INI) Special Report from the European Ombudsman following the draft recommendation to the Council of the Union concerning the publicity of the Council's meetings in its legislative capacity, complaint 2395/2003/GG

Progress: Procedure completed

RoleCommitteeRapporteurShadows
Lead PETI HAMMERSTEIN David (icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE)
Lead committee dossier:
Legal Basis:
RoP 220-p2

Events

2006/06/30
   Commission response to text adopted in plenary
Documents
2006/05/11
   Commission response to text adopted in plenary
Documents
2006/04/04
   EP - Results of vote in Parliament
2006/04/04
   EP - Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
Details

The European Parliament adopted the own-initiative report drawn up by David HAMMERSTEIN MINTZ (Greens/EFA, ES) in response to the Special Report from the European Ombudsman on the openness of meetings of the Council when it is acting in its legislative capacity. (Please refer to the summary dated 23/02/2006). The report was adopted by 595 votes for, 9 against and 12 abstentions.

Documents
2006/04/04
   EP - End of procedure in Parliament
2006/04/03
   EP - Debate in Parliament
2006/03/03
   EP - Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading
Documents
2006/03/03
   EP - Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading
Documents
2006/02/23
   EP - Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
Details

The committee adopted the own-initiative report drawn up by David HAMMERSTEIN MINTZ (Greens/EFA, ES) in response to the Special Report from the European Ombudsman on the openness of meetings of the Council when it is acting in its legislative capacity. MEPs endorsed the Ombudsman's recommendation that the Council should review its refusal to meet publicly, and said that it was "unacceptable that the EU's most important law-making body still meets behind closed doors when acting as legislator". The report pointed out that meetings of European Parliament committees were held in public and stated that there was "no logical justification" for the continued disparities between Parliament and Council regarding standards of transparency, particularly in codecision procedures. MEPs added that these transparency rules should also apply to COREPER (the body of ambassadors permanently representing the Member States at the EU, which prepares Council negotiations), given that the latter's meetings are an essential part of the legislative deliberations of the Council.

The report said that good governance in the European Union required "participation, transparency, accountability, efficiency and cohesion". It stressed that holding meetings of legislative bodies in public was also of direct relevance to the efforts of the European Parliament and national parliaments, as representatives of EU citizens, to fulfil their scrutiny role. It was "of the utmost importance" for national parliaments to be able to hold their governments and ministers to account. Holding meetings in public would enhance the legitimacy of the Council's decisions in the eyes of the people and also promote and intensify public debate on European issues.

The committee therefore asked the Council to amend its Rules of Procedure and change its working methods so that meetings in which it acts in its legislative capacity would be open and accessible to the public. The Council should also broadcast its public meetings (including on the internet), provide dates and agendas of those meetings in good time and issue official transcripts "in all official languages" of the EU. Moreover, the Council was urged to adopt a common approach regarding the implementation of the EU Code of Good Administrative Behaviour adopted by Parliament. Lastly, the report called on the Council Presidency to place this issue on the agenda of the European Council as a matter of priority and to make "a solemn commitment" on 9 May 2006 (Europe Day) to amend the Council's Rules of Procedure immediately and review the regulation on access to documents by the end of 2006 in agreement with Parliament.

2006/02/08
   EP - Amendments tabled in committee
Documents
2006/01/18
   EP - Committee draft report
Documents
2005/12/15
   EP - Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
2005/10/11
   EP - Responsible Committee

Documents

Votes

Rapport Hammerstein Mintz A6-0056/2006 - par. 20 #

2006/04/04 Outcome: +: 476, -: 121, 0: 16
DE ES FR IT NL HU BE PT PL AT EL LT SK FI CZ DK SI IE SE EE LV LU MT CY ?? GB
Total
92
43
65
35
24
18
22
19
53
16
23
11
13
11
22
13
7
9
18
6
8
6
5
5
1
68
icon: PPE-DE PPE-DE
223
2

Denmark PPE-DE

For (1)

1

Ireland PPE-DE

3

Estonia PPE-DE

For (1)

1

Latvia PPE-DE

2

Luxembourg PPE-DE

3

Malta PPE-DE

2

Cyprus PPE-DE

2
icon: PSE PSE
176

Lithuania PSE

2

Finland PSE

2

Czechia PSE

2

Slovenia PSE

For (1)

1

Ireland PSE

1

Luxembourg PSE

Abstain (1)

1
icon: ALDE ALDE
70

Spain ALDE

1

Austria ALDE

1

Slovenia ALDE

2

Ireland ALDE

For (1)

1

Sweden ALDE

3

Estonia ALDE

2

Latvia ALDE

1

Luxembourg ALDE

For (1)

1

Cyprus ALDE

For (1)

1
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
37

Spain Verts/ALE

Abstain (1)

3

Italy Verts/ALE

2

Belgium Verts/ALE

2

Austria Verts/ALE

2

Finland Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Denmark Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Sweden Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1

Latvia Verts/ALE

1

Luxembourg Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

United Kingdom Verts/ALE

Against (2)

4
icon: UEN UEN
21

Italy UEN

2

Lithuania UEN

1

Denmark UEN

Against (1)

1

Ireland UEN

3
icon: NI NI
26

Belgium NI

3

Austria NI

Against (1)

1

Slovakia NI

3

Czechia NI

Against (1)

1

United Kingdom NI

3
icon: IND/DEM IND/DEM
26

Italy IND/DEM

Against (1)

1

Netherlands IND/DEM

2

Greece IND/DEM

Abstain (1)

1

Denmark IND/DEM

Against (1)

1

Ireland IND/DEM

Against (1)

1

Sweden IND/DEM

2

IND/DEM

1
icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL
34

France GUE/NGL

3

Netherlands GUE/NGL

Against (1)

1

Portugal GUE/NGL

2

Finland GUE/NGL

Against (1)

1

Denmark GUE/NGL

Against (1)

1

Sweden GUE/NGL

2

Cyprus GUE/NGL

2

United Kingdom GUE/NGL

Against (1)

1

Rapport Hammerstein Mintz A6-0056/2006 - résolution #

2006/04/04 Outcome: +: 595, 0: 12, -: 9
DE GB FR PL ES IT NL BE CZ EL PT HU SE AT DK FI LT SK IE LV SI CY EE LU MT ??
Total
91
69
68
53
42
36
24
22
22
23
19
18
17
17
13
12
11
13
9
8
7
5
5
6
5
1
icon: PPE-DE PPE-DE
224

Denmark PPE-DE

For (1)

1
2

Ireland PPE-DE

3

Latvia PPE-DE

2

Cyprus PPE-DE

2

Estonia PPE-DE

For (1)

1

Luxembourg PPE-DE

3

Malta PPE-DE

2
icon: PSE PSE
179

Czechia PSE

2

Finland PSE

2

Lithuania PSE

2

Ireland PSE

1

Slovenia PSE

For (1)

1

Luxembourg PSE

Abstain (1)

1
icon: ALDE ALDE
70

Spain ALDE

1

Sweden ALDE

2

Austria ALDE

1

Ireland ALDE

For (1)

1

Latvia ALDE

1

Slovenia ALDE

2

Cyprus ALDE

For (1)

1

Estonia ALDE

For (1)

1

Luxembourg ALDE

For (1)

1
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
36

United Kingdom Verts/ALE

4

Italy Verts/ALE

2

Belgium Verts/ALE

2

Sweden Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Austria Verts/ALE

2

Denmark Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Finland Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Latvia Verts/ALE

1

Luxembourg Verts/ALE

For (1)

1
icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL
33

United Kingdom GUE/NGL

1

France GUE/NGL

3

Netherlands GUE/NGL

For (1)

1

Portugal GUE/NGL

For (1)

1

Sweden GUE/NGL

2

Denmark GUE/NGL

For (1)

1

Finland GUE/NGL

For (1)

1

Cyprus GUE/NGL

2
icon: IND/DEM IND/DEM
26

Italy IND/DEM

Against (1)

1

Netherlands IND/DEM

2

Greece IND/DEM

1

Sweden IND/DEM

2

Denmark IND/DEM

1

Ireland IND/DEM

For (1)

1

IND/DEM

1
icon: NI NI
27

United Kingdom NI

For (1)

Against (2)

3

Czechia NI

1

Austria NI

For (1)

Against (1)

2

Slovakia NI

3
icon: UEN UEN
21

Italy UEN

2

Denmark UEN

For (1)

1

Lithuania UEN

1

Ireland UEN

3

History

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

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Old
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activities
  • date: 2005-12-15T00:00:00 body: EP type: Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading committees: body: EP responsible: True committee: PETI date: 2005-10-11T00:00:00 committee_full: Petitions rapporteur: group: Verts/ALE name: HAMMERSTEIN David
  • date: 2006-02-23T00:00:00 body: EP committees: body: EP responsible: True committee: PETI date: 2005-10-11T00:00:00 committee_full: Petitions rapporteur: group: Verts/ALE name: HAMMERSTEIN David type: Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
  • date: 2006-03-03T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&mode=XML&reference=A6-2006-56&language=EN type: Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading title: A6-0056/2006 body: EP type: Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading
  • date: 2006-04-03T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20060403&type=CRE type: Debate in Parliament title: Debate in Parliament body: EP type: Debate in Parliament
  • date: 2006-04-04T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=4559&l=en type: Results of vote in Parliament title: Results of vote in Parliament url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P6-TA-2006-121 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading title: T6-0121/2006 body: EP type: Results of vote in Parliament
commission
  • body: EC dg: Legal Service commissioner: --
committees/0
type
Responsible Committee
body
EP
associated
False
committee_full
Petitions
committee
PETI
date
2005-10-11T00:00:00
rapporteur
name: HAMMERSTEIN David group: Greens/European Free Alliance abbr: Verts/ALE
committees/0
body
EP
responsible
True
committee
PETI
date
2005-10-11T00:00:00
committee_full
Petitions
rapporteur
group: Verts/ALE name: HAMMERSTEIN David
docs
  • date: 2006-01-18T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=COMPARL&mode=XML&language=EN&reference=PE367.904 title: PE367.904 type: Committee draft report body: EP
  • date: 2006-02-08T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=COMPARL&mode=XML&language=EN&reference=PE369.885 title: PE369.885 type: Amendments tabled in committee body: EP
  • date: 2006-03-03T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&mode=XML&reference=A6-2006-56&language=EN title: A6-0056/2006 type: Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading body: EP
  • date: 2006-05-11T00:00:00 docs: url: /oeil/spdoc.do?i=4559&j=1&l=en title: SP(2006)2095 type: Commission response to text adopted in plenary
  • date: 2006-06-30T00:00:00 docs: url: /oeil/spdoc.do?i=4559&j=0&l=en title: SP(2006)2311 type: Commission response to text adopted in plenary
events
  • date: 2005-12-15T00:00:00 type: Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading body: EP
  • date: 2006-02-23T00:00:00 type: Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading body: EP summary: The committee adopted the own-initiative report drawn up by David HAMMERSTEIN MINTZ (Greens/EFA, ES) in response to the Special Report from the European Ombudsman on the openness of meetings of the Council when it is acting in its legislative capacity. MEPs endorsed the Ombudsman's recommendation that the Council should review its refusal to meet publicly, and said that it was "unacceptable that the EU's most important law-making body still meets behind closed doors when acting as legislator". The report pointed out that meetings of European Parliament committees were held in public and stated that there was "no logical justification" for the continued disparities between Parliament and Council regarding standards of transparency, particularly in codecision procedures. MEPs added that these transparency rules should also apply to COREPER (the body of ambassadors permanently representing the Member States at the EU, which prepares Council negotiations), given that the latter's meetings are an essential part of the legislative deliberations of the Council. The report said that good governance in the European Union required "participation, transparency, accountability, efficiency and cohesion". It stressed that holding meetings of legislative bodies in public was also of direct relevance to the efforts of the European Parliament and national parliaments, as representatives of EU citizens, to fulfil their scrutiny role. It was "of the utmost importance" for national parliaments to be able to hold their governments and ministers to account. Holding meetings in public would enhance the legitimacy of the Council's decisions in the eyes of the people and also promote and intensify public debate on European issues. The committee therefore asked the Council to amend its Rules of Procedure and change its working methods so that meetings in which it acts in its legislative capacity would be open and accessible to the public. The Council should also broadcast its public meetings (including on the internet), provide dates and agendas of those meetings in good time and issue official transcripts "in all official languages" of the EU. Moreover, the Council was urged to adopt a common approach regarding the implementation of the EU Code of Good Administrative Behaviour adopted by Parliament. Lastly, the report called on the Council Presidency to place this issue on the agenda of the European Council as a matter of priority and to make "a solemn commitment" on 9 May 2006 (Europe Day) to amend the Council's Rules of Procedure immediately and review the regulation on access to documents by the end of 2006 in agreement with Parliament.
  • date: 2006-03-03T00:00:00 type: Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&mode=XML&reference=A6-2006-56&language=EN title: A6-0056/2006
  • date: 2006-04-03T00:00:00 type: Debate in Parliament body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20060403&type=CRE title: Debate in Parliament
  • date: 2006-04-04T00:00:00 type: Results of vote in Parliament body: EP docs: url: https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=4559&l=en title: Results of vote in Parliament
  • date: 2006-04-04T00:00:00 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=P6-TA-2006-121 title: T6-0121/2006 summary: The European Parliament adopted the own-initiative report drawn up by David HAMMERSTEIN MINTZ (Greens/EFA, ES) in response to the Special Report from the European Ombudsman on the openness of meetings of the Council when it is acting in its legislative capacity. (Please refer to the summary dated 23/02/2006). The report was adopted by 595 votes for, 9 against and 12 abstentions.
  • date: 2006-04-04T00:00:00 type: End of procedure in Parliament body: EP
links
other
  • body: EC dg: url: http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/legal_service/ title: Legal Service
procedure/dossier_of_the_committee
Old
PETI/6/32441
New
  • PETI/6/32441
procedure/legal_basis/0
Rules of Procedure EP 220-p2
procedure/legal_basis/0
Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament EP 220-p2-a2
procedure/subject
Old
  • 1.20.05 Public access to information and documents, administrative practice
  • 8.40.02 Council of the Union
New
1.20.05
Public access to information and documents, administrative practice
8.40.02
Council of the Union
activities
  • date: 2005-12-15T00:00:00 body: EP type: Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading committees: body: EP responsible: True committee: PETI date: 2005-10-11T00:00:00 committee_full: Petitions rapporteur: group: Verts/ALE name: HAMMERSTEIN David
  • date: 2006-02-23T00:00:00 body: EP committees: body: EP responsible: True committee: PETI date: 2005-10-11T00:00:00 committee_full: Petitions rapporteur: group: Verts/ALE name: HAMMERSTEIN David type: Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
  • date: 2006-03-03T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&mode=XML&reference=A6-2006-56&language=EN type: Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading title: A6-0056/2006 body: EP type: Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading
  • date: 2006-04-03T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20060403&type=CRE type: Debate in Parliament title: Debate in Parliament body: EP type: Debate in Parliament
  • date: 2006-04-04T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=4559&l=en type: Results of vote in Parliament title: Results of vote in Parliament url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P6-TA-2006-121 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading title: T6-0121/2006 body: EP type: Results of vote in Parliament
committees
  • body: EP responsible: True committee: PETI date: 2005-10-11T00:00:00 committee_full: Petitions rapporteur: group: Verts/ALE name: HAMMERSTEIN David
links
other
  • body: EC dg: url: http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/legal_service/ title: Legal Service
procedure
dossier_of_the_committee
PETI/6/32441
reference
2005/2243(INI)
title
Special Report from the European Ombudsman following the draft recommendation to the Council of the Union concerning the publicity of the Council's meetings in its legislative capacity, complaint 2395/2003/GG
legal_basis
Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament EP 220-p2-a2
stage_reached
Procedure completed
subtype
Initiative
type
INI - Own-initiative procedure
subject