{"change_dates":[],"dossier":{"amendments":[{"authors":"Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou","changes":{},"committee":["PETI"],"date":"2008-09-18T00:00:00","id":"PE412.239-1","location":[["Motion for a resolution","Citation 5a (new)"]],"meps":[28571],"meta":{"created":"2020-01-20T00:12:50"},"new":["- having regard to Article 3(5) of the","Statute of the Ombudsman that directs the","Ombudsman to seek, as far as possible, a","solution with the institution concerned in","order to eliminate the instance of","maladministration and satisfy the","complainant,"],"orig_lang":"en","peid":"PE412.239v01-00","reference":"2008/2072(INI)","seq":"1","src":"http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//NONSGML+COMPARL+PE-412.239+01+DOC+PDF+V0//EN&language=EN"},{"authors":"Rainer Wieland","changes":{},"committee":["PETI"],"date":"2008-09-18T00:00:00","id":"PE412.239-2","location":[["Motion for a resolution","Citation 5a (new)"]],"meps":[2323],"meta":{"created":"2020-01-20T00:12:51"},"new":["- whereas Written Declaration 48/2008 by","Anna Z\u00e1borsk\u00e1, Bernd Posselt, Francis","Wurtz, Zita Gurmai and Marian Harkin","on multilingualism has so far gathered","237 signatories,"],"orig_lang":"de","peid":"PE412.239v01-00","reference":"2008/2072(INI)","seq":"2","src":"http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//NONSGML+COMPARL+PE-412.239+01+DOC+PDF+V0//EN&language=EN"},{"authors":"Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou","changes":{},"committee":["PETI"],"date":"2008-09-18T00:00:00","id":"PE412.239-3","location":[["Motion for a resolution","Recital A"]],"meps":[28571],"meta":{"created":"2020-01-20T00:12:51"},"new":["A. whereas improved transparency, the","promotion of multilingualism and","informing accurately the public are","objectives which are given the highest","priority by the EU and its institutions,"],"old":["A. whereas improved transparency and","informing the public are objectives which","","are given the highest priority by the EU","and its institutions,"],"orig_lang":"en","peid":"PE412.239v01-00","reference":"2008/2072(INI)","seq":"3","src":"http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//NONSGML+COMPARL+PE-412.239+01+DOC+PDF+V0//EN&language=EN"},{"authors":" Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou","changes":{},"committee":["PETI"],"date":"2008-09-18T00:00:00","id":"PE412.239-4","location":[[" Motion for a resolution","Recital B"]],"meps":[28571],"meta":{"created":"2020-01-20T00:12:51"},"new":["B. whereas ease of access to information","for all the citizens of the EU is an","important prerequisite for, and a basic","element of, the general principle of","democratic legitimacy and of","transparency,"],"old":["B. whereas ease of access to information","for as many citizens as possible is an","important prerequisite for, and a basic","element of, the general principle of","democratic legitimacy,"],"orig_lang":"en","peid":"PE412.239v01-00","reference":"2008/2072(INI)","seq":"4","src":"http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//NONSGML+COMPARL+PE-412.239+01+DOC+PDF+V0//EN&language=EN"},{"authors":" Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou","changes":{},"committee":["PETI"],"date":"2008-09-18T00:00:00","id":"PE412.239-5","location":[[" Motion for a resolution","Paragraph 1 \u2212 point iii"]],"meps":[28571],"meta":{"created":"2020-01-20T00:12:51"},"new":["iii. the information on these websites","should, ideally, be available on time in all","official languages of the Community,"],"old":["iii. the information on these websites","should, ideally, be available in all official","languages of the Community,"],"orig_lang":"en","peid":"PE412.239v01-00","reference":"2008/2072(INI)","seq":"5","src":"http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//NONSGML+COMPARL+PE-412.239+01+DOC+PDF+V0//EN&language=EN"},{"authors":"Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou","changes":{},"committee":["PETI"],"date":"2008-09-18T00:00:00","id":"PE412.239-6","location":[["Motion for a resolution","Paragraph 1 \u2212 point iv"]],"meps":[28571],"meta":{"created":"2020-01-20T00:12:51"},"new":["iv. the number of available languages","should be reduced only if technical","inconveniences and objective criteria","dictate it,"],"old":["iv. the number of available languages","should, as far as is necessary, and","certainly based only on criteria of","objectivity, transparency and","manageability, be reduced,"],"orig_lang":"en","peid":"PE412.239v01-00","reference":"2008/2072(INI)","seq":"6","src":"http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//NONSGML+COMPARL+PE-412.239+01+DOC+PDF+V0//EN&language=EN"},{"authors":"In\u00e9s Ayala Sender","changes":{},"committee":["PETI"],"date":"2008-09-18T00:00:00","id":"PE412.239-7","location":[["Motion for a resolution","Paragraph 3"]],"meps":[28292],"meta":{"created":"2020-01-20T00:12:51"},"new":["3. Notes with regret that the Council,","unlike other institutions such as the","Commission and Parliament, which have","significantly improved the number of","languages available in their","communication with citizens, has so far","completely avoided addressing in a","substantive way the question of the","language options of the websites of its","presidencies;"],"old":["3. Notes with regret that the Council has so","far completely avoided addressing in a","substantive way the question of the","language options of the websites of its","presidencies;"],"orig_lang":"es","peid":"PE412.239v01-00","reference":"2008/2072(INI)","seq":"7","src":"http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//NONSGML+COMPARL+PE-412.239+01+DOC+PDF+V0//EN&language=EN"},{"authors":"Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou","changes":{},"committee":["PETI"],"date":"2008-09-18T00:00:00","id":"PE412.239-8","location":[["Motion for a resolution","Paragraph 4"]],"meps":[28571],"meta":{"created":"2020-01-20T00:12:51"},"new":["4. Invites the Council to avail itself of the","opportunity to conduct a comprehensive","review of the language options of the","websites of its presidencies, in order to","ensure that the entire population of the","European Union has easy access to","information on its activities;"],"old":["4. Invites the Council to avail itself of the","opportunity to conduct a comprehensive","review of the language options of the","websites of its presidencies, in order to","ensure that as large a section of the","population as possible has easy access to","information on its activities;"],"orig_lang":"en","peid":"PE412.239v01-00","reference":"2008/2072(INI)","seq":"8","src":"http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//NONSGML+COMPARL+PE-412.239+01+DOC+PDF+V0//EN&language=EN"},{"authors":" In\u00e9s Ayala Sender","changes":{},"committee":["PETI"],"date":"2008-09-18T00:00:00","id":"PE412.239-9","location":[[" Motion for a resolution","Paragraph 4"]],"meps":[28292],"meta":{"created":"2020-01-20T00:12:51"},"new":["4. Invites the Council to avail itself of the","opportunity to conduct a review of the","question of expanding the language","options of the websites of its presidencies,","in order to ensure that as large a section of","the population as possible has easy and","direct access to information on its","activities;"],"old":["4. Invites the Council to avail itself of the","opportunity to conduct a comprehensive","review of the language options of the","websites of its presidencies, in order to","ensure that as large a section of the","population as possible has easy access to","information on its activities;"],"orig_lang":"es","peid":"PE412.239v01-00","reference":"2008/2072(INI)","seq":"9","src":"http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//NONSGML+COMPARL+PE-412.239+01+DOC+PDF+V0//EN&language=EN"},{"authors":" Alexandra Dobolyi","changes":{},"committee":["PETI"],"date":"2008-09-18T00:00:00","id":"PE412.239-10","location":[[" Motion for a resolution","Paragraph 5"]],"meps":[28637],"meta":{"created":"2020-01-20T00:12:51"},"new":["5. Stresses that any reduction of the","language options which may prove","necessary must be undertaken on the basis","of objective criteria, and it must be","announced in public, and that only the","language of the incumbent presidency may","have priority until the end of such","presidency;"],"old":["5. Stresses that any reduction of the","language options which may prove","necessary must be undertaken on the basis","","of objective criteria, and that only the","language of the incumbent presidency may","have priority until the end of such","presidency;"],"orig_lang":"en","peid":"PE412.239v01-00","reference":"2008/2072(INI)","seq":"10","src":"http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//NONSGML+COMPARL+PE-412.239+01+DOC+PDF+V0//EN&language=EN"},{"authors":"In\u00e9s Ayala Sender","changes":{},"committee":["PETI"],"date":"2008-09-18T00:00:00","id":"PE412.239-11","location":[["Motion for a resolution","Paragraph 5"]],"meps":[28292],"meta":{"created":"2020-01-20T00:12:52"},"new":["5. Stresses that any reduction of the","language options which may prove","necessary must be undertaken on the basis","of objective and sufficiently justified","criteria, and that only the language of the","incumbent presidency may have priority","until the end of such presidency;"],"old":["5. Stresses that any reduction of the","language options which may prove","necessary must be undertaken on the basis","of objective criteria, and that only the","language of the incumbent presidency may","have priority until the end of such","presidency;"],"orig_lang":"es","peid":"PE412.239v01-00","reference":"2008/2072(INI)","seq":"11","src":"http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//NONSGML+COMPARL+PE-412.239+01+DOC+PDF+V0//EN&language=EN"},{"authors":"Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou","changes":{},"committee":["PETI"],"date":"2008-09-18T00:00:00","id":"PE412.239-12","location":[["Motion for a resolution","Paragraph 5"]],"meps":[28571],"meta":{"created":"2020-01-20T00:12:52"},"new":["5. Stresses that any reduction of the","language options which may temporarily","prove necessary must be undertaken on the","basis of objective criteria, and that the","language of the incumbent presidency may","have priority until the end of such","presidency;"],"old":["5. Stresses that any reduction of the","language options which may prove","necessary must be undertaken on the basis","of objective criteria, and that only the","language of the incumbent presidency may","have priority until the end of such","presidency;"],"orig_lang":"en","peid":"PE412.239v01-00","reference":"2008/2072(INI)","seq":"12","src":"http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//NONSGML+COMPARL+PE-412.239+01+DOC+PDF+V0//EN&language=EN"},{"authors":" In\u00e9s Ayala Sender","changes":{},"committee":["PETI"],"date":"2008-09-18T00:00:00","id":"PE412.239-13","location":[[" Motion for a resolution","Paragraph 6"]],"meps":[28292],"meta":{"created":"2020-01-20T00:12:52"},"new":["6. Calls on the Council to examine the","question of expanding the language","options of the website of its presidencies,","irrespective of the question of","responsibility or authority for the websites","of its presidencies, and to inform the","European Parliament of the results of its","deliberations;"],"old":["6. Calls on the Council to examine the","question of the language options of the","website of its presidencies, irrespective of","the question of responsibility or authority","for the websites of its presidencies, and to","inform the European Parliament of the","results of its deliberations;"],"orig_lang":"es","peid":"PE412.239v01-00","reference":"2008/2072(INI)","seq":"13","src":"http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//NONSGML+COMPARL+PE-412.239+01+DOC+PDF+V0//EN&language=EN"},{"authors":" In\u00e9s Ayala Sender","changes":{},"committee":["PETI"],"date":"2008-09-18T00:00:00","id":"PE412.239-14","location":[[" Motion for a resolution","Paragraph 7"]],"meps":[28292],"meta":{"created":"2020-01-20T00:12:52"},"new":["7. Supports the recommendation of the","Ombudsman to the Council to examine the","complainant\u2019s request that the websites of","the Council presidencies be available both","in the language of the complainant and in","the other official languages of the Union,","taking account of the petitions and","complaints on the subject;"],"old":["7. Supports the recommendation of the","Ombudsman to the Council to examine the","complainant\u2019s request that the websites of","the Council presidencies also be available","in German;"],"orig_lang":"es","peid":"PE412.239v01-00","reference":"2008/2072(INI)","seq":"14","src":"http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//NONSGML+COMPARL+PE-412.239+01+DOC+PDF+V0//EN&language=EN"},{"authors":" Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou","changes":{},"committee":["PETI"],"date":"2008-09-18T00:00:00","id":"PE412.239-15","location":[[" Motion for a resolution","Paragraph 7"]],"meps":[28571],"meta":{"created":"2020-01-20T00:12:52"},"new":["7. Supports the recommendation of the","Ombudsman to the Council to examine the","complainant\u2019s request that the websites of","the Council presidencies also be available","in German and suggests that all EU","citizens should have the right to request","the official documents in their native","language;"],"old":["7. Supports the recommendation of the","Ombudsman to the Council to examine the","complainant\u2019s request that the websites of","the Council presidencies also be available","in German;"],"orig_lang":"en","peid":"PE412.239v01-00","reference":"2008/2072(INI)","seq":"15","src":"http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//NONSGML+COMPARL+PE-412.239+01+DOC+PDF+V0//EN&language=EN"},{"authors":"In\u00e9s Ayala Sender","changes":{},"committee":["PETI"],"date":"2008-09-18T00:00:00","id":"PE412.239-16","location":[["Motion for a resolution","Paragraph 8"]],"meps":[28292],"meta":{"created":"2020-01-20T00:12:52"},"new":["8. Welcomes the fact that, in contrast to the","practice of past presidencies, whereby","websites were only available in English,","French and the language of the incumbent","presidency, the French Council Presidency","publishes its official website at least in the","most widely spoken languages of the","European Union (English, German, French,","Italian, Spanish and Polish);"],"old":["8. Welcomes the fact that, in contrast to the","practice of past presidencies, whereby","websites were only available in English,","French and the language of the incumbent","presidency, the French Council Presidency","publishes its official website in the most","widely spoken languages of the European","Union (English, German, French, Italian,","Spanish);"],"orig_lang":"es","peid":"PE412.239v01-00","reference":"2008/2072(INI)","seq":"16","src":"http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//NONSGML+COMPARL+PE-412.239+01+DOC+PDF+V0//EN&language=EN"},{"authors":"Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou","changes":{},"committee":["PETI"],"date":"2008-09-18T00:00:00","id":"PE412.239-17","location":[["Motion for a resolution","Paragraph 9"]],"meps":[28571],"meta":{"created":"2020-01-20T00:12:52"},"new":["9. Addresses itself to all future Council","presidencies, in the hope that they will","make their websites progressively available","in all the official languages of the","European Union;"],"old":["9. Addresses itself to all future Council","presidencies, in the hope that they will","","","make their websites available in as many","languages as possible and, in the event of","a restriction on the number of languages,","will use the most widely spoken official","languages according to an order of","priority;"],"orig_lang":"en","peid":"PE412.239v01-00","reference":"2008/2072(INI)","seq":"17","src":"http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//NONSGML+COMPARL+PE-412.239+01+DOC+PDF+V0//EN&language=EN"},{"authors":" Alexandra Dobolyi","changes":{},"committee":["PETI"],"date":"2008-09-18T00:00:00","id":"PE412.239-18","location":[[" Motion for a resolution","Paragraph 9"]],"meps":[28637],"meta":{"created":"2020-01-20T00:12:52"},"new":["9. Addresses itself to all future Council","presidencies, in the hope that they will","make their websites available in all the","official languages of the European Union","and, in the event of a necessary and","exceptional restriction on the number of","languages, will use the most widely spoken","official languages according to an order of","priority;"],"old":["9. Addresses itself to all future Council","presidencies, in the hope that they will","make their websites available in as many","languages as possible and, in the event of a","restriction on the number of languages, will","use the most widely spoken official","languages according to an order of priority,"],"orig_lang":"en","peid":"PE412.239v01-00","reference":"2008/2072(INI)","seq":"18","src":"http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//NONSGML+COMPARL+PE-412.239+01+DOC+PDF+V0//EN&language=EN"},{"authors":" In\u00e9s Ayala Sender","changes":{},"committee":["PETI"],"date":"2008-09-18T00:00:00","id":"PE412.239-19","location":[[" Motion for a resolution","Paragraph 9"]],"meps":[28292],"meta":{"created":"2020-01-20T00:12:52"},"new":["9. Addresses itself to the Council and all","future Council presidencies, in the hope","that they will as soon as possible make","their websites available in as many","languages as possible and, in the event of a","duly justified restriction on the number of","languages, will use the official languages","that are most widely spoken in the","European Union;"],"old":["9. Addresses itself to all future Council","presidencies, in the hope that they will","make their websites available in as many","languages as possible and, in the event of a","restriction on the number of languages, will","use the most widely spoken official","languages according to an order of","","priority;"],"orig_lang":"es","peid":"PE412.239v01-00","reference":"2008/2072(INI)","seq":"19","src":"http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//NONSGML+COMPARL+PE-412.239+01+DOC+PDF+V0//EN&language=EN"}],"changes":{"2014-11-10T00:59:44":[{"data":[{"body":"EP","committees":[{"body":"EP","committee":"PETI","committee_full":"Petitions","date":"2008-04-01T00:00:00","rapporteur":[{"group":"PPE-DE","mepref":"4f1adc96b819f207b3000127","name":"WIELAND Rainer"}],"responsible":true}],"date":"2008-03-13T00:00:00","type":"Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading"},{"body":"EP","committees":[{"body":"EP","committee":"PETI","committee_full":"Petitions","date":"2008-04-01T00:00:00","rapporteur":[{"group":"PPE-DE","mepref":"4f1adc96b819f207b3000127","name":"WIELAND Rainer"}],"responsible":true}],"date":"2008-10-06T00:00:00","text":["
The Committee\n on Petitions adopted unanimously the own-initiative report drafted by Rainer\n WIELAND (EPP-ED, DE) approving the Special Report by the European\n Ombudsman following the draft recommendations to the Council of the European\n Union in relation to complaint 1487/2005/GG.
Background: in 2004, the complainant (an association for the defence of the\n German language wrote to the Dutch and the Luxembourg governments in order to\n ask them to offer the internet presentations they were to provide when\n holding the Presidency not only in English and French, but also in German.\n The complainant pointed out that more EU citizens had German as their\n mother-tongue than any other language and that, after the accession of the\n new Member States, German ranked second if one added together the number of\n EU citizens speaking a language as their mother-tongue or as a foreign\n language.
In his\n investigating of the complaint the Ombudsman pointed out, among other things,\n that it is essential that documents directed to persons outside the Community\n institutions should be available in as many languages as possible. and that\n one of the most important means of providing information to the public in\n modern times is the internet. Given that the Presidency is part of the\n Council, the same standards should in principle apply to any public websites\n maintained by the Presidency.
The\n Ombudsman's conclusion was that the Council's failure to consider the\n substance of the complainant's request that the websites of the Presidency should\n also be offered in German, constitutes maladministration.
Position of\n the Committee on Petitions: Members gave their\n full support to the Ombudsman's conclusions which included:
Members\n consider, furthermore, that transparency and informing the public are\n objectives which should be given the highest priority by the EU and its\n institutions and that access to information for as many citizens as possible\n is an important prerequisite for, and a basic element of, the general\n principle of democratic legitimacy.
Members note\n with regret that the Council, unlike other institutions, such as the\n Commission and Parliament, which have significantly improved the number of\n languages available in their communication with citizens, has so far\n completely avoided addressing in a substantive way the question of the\n language options of the websites of its presidencies
They therefore\n invite the Council to conduct a comprehensive review of the question of\n expanding the language options of the websites of its presidencies,\n (irrespective of the question of responsibility or authority for these\n websites), so as to ensure that the entire population of the European Union\n has easy and direct access to information on its activities. They call on the\n Council to inform Parliament of the results of its deliberations.
A change in\n approach for future presidencies: supporting the\n Ombudsman's recommendation, Members welcome the fact that the current French\n Council Presidency publishes its official website in the most widely spoken\n languages of the European Union (English, German, French, Italian and\n Spanish).
Members also\n stress that any reduction of the language options which may prove necessary\n must be undertaken on the basis of objective and sufficiently justified\n criteria, that it must be announced publicly and that only the language of\n the incumbent presidency may have priority until the end of such presidency.
Lastly,\n Members call on all future Council presidencies, in the hope that they will\n make their websites available in as many languages as possible and, in the\n event of a restriction on the number of languages, to use the most widely\n spoken official languages according to an order of priority.
\nThe European\n Parliament adopted, by 509 votes to 2 with 10 abstentions, a resolution on\n the Special Report by the European Ombudsman following the draft\n recommendations to the Council of the European Union in relation to complaint\n 1487/2005/GG.
The\n own-initiative report had been tabled for consideration in plenary by Rainer WIELAND\n (EPP-ED, DE) on behalf of the Committee on Petitions.
Background: in 2004, the complainant (an association for the defence of the\n German language wrote to the Dutch and the Luxembourg governments in order to\n ask them to offer the internet presentations they were to provide when\n holding the Presidency not only in English and French, but also in German.\n The complainant pointed out that more EU citizens had German as their\n mother-tongue than any other language and that, after the accession of the\n new Member States, German ranked second if one added together the number of\n EU citizens speaking a language as their mother-tongue or as a foreign\n language.
In his\n investigating of the complaint the Ombudsman pointed out, among other things,\n that it is essential that documents directed to persons outside the Community\n institutions should be available in as many languages as possible and that\n one of the most important means of providing information to the public in\n modern times is the internet. Given that the Presidency is part of the\n Council, the same standards should in principle apply to any public websites\n maintained by the Presidency.
The\n Ombudsman's conclusion was that the Council's failure to consider the\n substance of the complainant's request that the websites of the Presidency\n should also be offered in German, constitutes maladministration.
Position of\n the European Parliament: Parliament gave its full\n support to the Ombudsman's conclusions which included:
MEPs consider,\n furthermore, that transparency and informing the public are objectives which\n should be given the highest priority by the EU and its institutions and that\n access to information for as many citizens as possible is an important\n prerequisite for, and a basic element of, the general principle of democratic\n legitimacy.
Parliament\n notes with regret that the Council, unlike other institutions, such as the\n Commission and Parliament, which have significantly improved the number of\n languages available in their communication with citizens, has so far\n completely avoided addressing in a substantive way the question of the\n language options of the websites of its presidencies. It therefore invites\n the Council to conduct a comprehensive review of the question of expanding\n the language options of the websites of its presidencies, (irrespective of\n the question of responsibility or authority for these websites), so as to\n ensure that the entire population of the European Union has easy and direct\n access to information on its activities. It calls on the Council to inform\n Parliament of the results of its deliberations.
A change in\n approach for future presidencies: supporting the\n Ombudsman's recommendation, Members welcome the fact that the current French\n Council Presidency publishes its official website in the most widely spoken\n languages of the European Union (English, German, French, Italian and\n Spanish). Parliament stresses that any reduction of the language options\n which may prove necessary must be undertaken on the basis of objective and\n sufficiently justified criteria. Parliament also calls on all future Council\n presidencies, in the hope that they will make their websites available in as\n many languages as possible and, in the event of a restriction on the number\n of languages, to use the most widely spoken official languages according to\n an order of priority.
Lastly,\n Parliament supports the recommendation of the Ombudsman to the Council that\n it examine the complainant's request that the websites of the Council\n presidencies be also made available in German.
\nThe Committee\n on Petitions adopted unanimously the own-initiative report drafted by Rainer\n WIELAND (EPP-ED, DE) approving the Special Report by the European\n Ombudsman following the draft recommendations to the Council of the European\n Union in relation to complaint 1487/2005/GG.
Background: in 2004, the complainant (an association for the defence of the\n German language wrote to the Dutch and the Luxembourg governments in order to\n ask them to offer the internet presentations they were to provide when\n holding the Presidency not only in English and French, but also in German.\n The complainant pointed out that more EU citizens had German as their\n mother-tongue than any other language and that, after the accession of the\n new Member States, German ranked second if one added together the number of\n EU citizens speaking a language as their mother-tongue or as a foreign\n language.
In his\n investigating of the complaint the Ombudsman pointed out, among other things,\n that it is essential that documents directed to persons outside the Community\n institutions should be available in as many languages as possible. and that\n one of the most important means of providing information to the public in\n modern times is the internet. Given that the Presidency is part of the\n Council, the same standards should in principle apply to any public websites\n maintained by the Presidency.
The\n Ombudsman's conclusion was that the Council's failure to consider the\n substance of the complainant's request that the websites of the Presidency should\n also be offered in German, constitutes maladministration.
Position of\n the Committee on Petitions: Members gave their\n full support to the Ombudsman's conclusions which included:
Members\n consider, furthermore, that transparency and informing the public are\n objectives which should be given the highest priority by the EU and its\n institutions and that access to information for as many citizens as possible\n is an important prerequisite for, and a basic element of, the general\n principle of democratic legitimacy.
Members note\n with regret that the Council, unlike other institutions, such as the\n Commission and Parliament, which have significantly improved the number of\n languages available in their communication with citizens, has so far\n completely avoided addressing in a substantive way the question of the\n language options of the websites of its presidencies
They therefore\n invite the Council to conduct a comprehensive review of the question of\n expanding the language options of the websites of its presidencies,\n (irrespective of the question of responsibility or authority for these\n websites), so as to ensure that the entire population of the European Union\n has easy and direct access to information on its activities. They call on the\n Council to inform Parliament of the results of its deliberations.
A change in\n approach for future presidencies: supporting the\n Ombudsman's recommendation, Members welcome the fact that the current French\n Council Presidency publishes its official website in the most widely spoken\n languages of the European Union (English, German, French, Italian and\n Spanish).
Members also\n stress that any reduction of the language options which may prove necessary\n must be undertaken on the basis of objective and sufficiently justified\n criteria, that it must be announced publicly and that only the language of\n the incumbent presidency may have priority until the end of such presidency.
Lastly,\n Members call on all future Council presidencies, in the hope that they will\n make their websites available in as many languages as possible and, in the\n event of a restriction on the number of languages, to use the most widely\n spoken official languages according to an order of priority.
\nThe European\n Parliament adopted, by 509 votes to 2 with 10 abstentions, a resolution on\n the Special Report by the European Ombudsman following the draft\n recommendations to the Council of the European Union in relation to complaint\n 1487/2005/GG.
The\n own-initiative report had been tabled for consideration in plenary by Rainer WIELAND\n (EPP-ED, DE) on behalf of the Committee on Petitions.
Background: in 2004, the complainant (an association for the defence of the\n German language wrote to the Dutch and the Luxembourg governments in order to\n ask them to offer the internet presentations they were to provide when\n holding the Presidency not only in English and French, but also in German.\n The complainant pointed out that more EU citizens had German as their\n mother-tongue than any other language and that, after the accession of the\n new Member States, German ranked second if one added together the number of\n EU citizens speaking a language as their mother-tongue or as a foreign\n language.
In his\n investigating of the complaint the Ombudsman pointed out, among other things,\n that it is essential that documents directed to persons outside the Community\n institutions should be available in as many languages as possible and that\n one of the most important means of providing information to the public in\n modern times is the internet. Given that the Presidency is part of the\n Council, the same standards should in principle apply to any public websites\n maintained by the Presidency.
The\n Ombudsman's conclusion was that the Council's failure to consider the\n substance of the complainant's request that the websites of the Presidency\n should also be offered in German, constitutes maladministration.
Position of\n the European Parliament: Parliament gave its full\n support to the Ombudsman's conclusions which included:
MEPs consider,\n furthermore, that transparency and informing the public are objectives which\n should be given the highest priority by the EU and its institutions and that\n access to information for as many citizens as possible is an important\n prerequisite for, and a basic element of, the general principle of democratic\n legitimacy.
Parliament\n notes with regret that the Council, unlike other institutions, such as the\n Commission and Parliament, which have significantly improved the number of\n languages available in their communication with citizens, has so far\n completely avoided addressing in a substantive way the question of the\n language options of the websites of its presidencies. It therefore invites\n the Council to conduct a comprehensive review of the question of expanding\n the language options of the websites of its presidencies, (irrespective of\n the question of responsibility or authority for these websites), so as to\n ensure that the entire population of the European Union has easy and direct\n access to information on its activities. It calls on the Council to inform\n Parliament of the results of its deliberations.
A change in\n approach for future presidencies: supporting the\n Ombudsman's recommendation, Members welcome the fact that the current French\n Council Presidency publishes its official website in the most widely spoken\n languages of the European Union (English, German, French, Italian and\n Spanish). Parliament stresses that any reduction of the language options\n which may prove necessary must be undertaken on the basis of objective and\n sufficiently justified criteria. Parliament also calls on all future Council\n presidencies, in the hope that they will make their websites available in as\n many languages as possible and, in the event of a restriction on the number\n of languages, to use the most widely spoken official languages according to\n an order of priority.
Lastly,\n Parliament supports the recommendation of the Ombudsman to the Council that\n it examine the complainant's request that the websites of the Council\n presidencies be also made available in German.
\n