Procedure completed
2010/2201(INI) Application of Regulation (EC) No 2004/2003 on the regulations governing political parties at European level and the rules regarding their funding
Lead committee dossier: AFCO/7/03795
Legal Basis RoP 225-p6
| Role | Committee | Rapporteur | Shadows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead | AFCO | GIANNAKOU Marietta (PPE) | GUERRERO SALOM Enrique (S&D), FOX Ashley (ECR), SCHOLZ Helmut (GUE/NGL), MESSERSCHMIDT Morten (EFD) |
Legal Basis RoP 225-p6
Activites
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2011/04/06
Results of vote in Parliament
- Results of vote in Parliament
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T7-0143/2011
summary
The European Parliament adopted by 560 votes to 93, with 22 abstentions, a resolution on the application of Regulation (EC) No 2004/2003 on the regulations governing political parties at European level and the rules regarding their funding.The resolution recalls that the Treaty on European Union states that ‘political parties at European level contribute to forming European political awareness and to expressing the will of citizens of the Union’. The Treaty of Lisbon provides for this role of the political parties and their foundations with a view to creating a European polis, a political space at EU level, and a European democracy. However, European political parties, as they stand, are not in a position to play this role to the full because they are merely umbrella organisations for national parties and not directly in touch with the electorate in the Member States.In this context, Parliament points out that political parties have rights, obligations and responsibilities and should therefore follow converging general organisational patterns. It is convinced that authentic legal status for the European political parties and a legal personality of their own, based directly on the law of the European Union, will enable the European political parties and their political foundations to act as representative agents of the European public interest. The European political parties should interact and compete on matters relating to common European challenges and the European Union and its development at three levels: regionally, nationally and at European level.Members consider that it is of the utmost importance for European political parties to be efficient and productive at EU and national level and beyond.The Parliament should therefore, requests the Commission to propose a draft statute for European political parties in accordance with Article 225 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.Members point out that the award of funding and the closure of the accounts of the European political parties and foundations are bureaucratic and cumbersome procedures. They consider that this stems to a great extent from the fact that funding payments are regarded as ‘grants’ within the meaning of the Financial Regulation, which is appropriate for the funding of projects or associations, but not for parties.In addition, the committee presents a series of additional reform proposals:the Commission should propose the creation of a new title in the Financial Regulation devoted solely and tailored specifically to the funding of European parties and foundations; self-financing of parties and foundations should be encouraged by raising the present limit of EUR 12 000 per year for donations to EUR 25 000 per year/per donor, combined, however, with a requirement to disclose the donor’s identity at the time of receipt;as an exception to the implementing rules for the Financial Regulation, for the funding to be made available at the beginning of the financial year at 100 %, not 80 %; the independent resources that the European political parties are required to demonstrate could be reduced to 10 % of their total budget, in order to further enhance their development; their own resources in the form of physical resources should not exceed 7.5% of their total budget;in the case of European political foundations the revision of the legal instrument should be taken as an opportunity to abolish the requirement to demonstrate that they have resources of their own; in the context of this revision the limitation imposed on European political foundations requiring them to use their funds within the European Union should be removed;relaxing the funding regime would have to be counterbalanced by providing for sanctions in the Funding Regulation where they are currently lacking.Lastly, the resolution underlines that it is prohibited for European political to use the sums received for financing ‘referendum campaigns’. Members note that European political parties should have the right to participate in referendum campaigns as long as the subject of the referendum has a direct link with issues concerning the European Union.
- 2011/04/05 Debate in Parliament
- 2011/03/18 Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading
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2011/03/15
Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
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2010/09/23
Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
Documents
- Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading: A7-0062/2011
- Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
- Results of vote in Parliament: Results of vote in Parliament
- Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T7-0143/2011
| Amendments | Dossier |
| 99 |
2010/2201(INI)
2011/03/03
AFCO
99 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 3 – having regard to Regulation (EC) No 2004/2003 of the European Parliament and the Council of 4 November 2003 on the regulations governing political parties at European level (European political parties and their affiliated European political foundations) and the rules regarding their funding1 (the Funding Regulation), particularly Article 12 thereof,
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution Recital N N. whereas organisational and functional convergence and improving the funding process can be accomplished only by adopting a uniform and common legal European statute for all the European political parties and their political foundations based on the law of the European Union,
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution Recital N N. whereas organisational and functional convergence and improving the funding process can be accomplished only by adopting a uniform and common legal European statute for all
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution Recital N N. whereas organisational and functional convergence and improving the funding process
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution Recital N a (new) Na. whereas the regulation on political parties at the European level does not make a difference between the recognition and the funding of political parties,
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution Recital N b (new) Nb. whereas the Bureau note of 10 January 2011 recommended tightening the criteria for the funding of European political parties; whereas this amounts to a restriction of party competition at the European level as long as the criteria for the legal recognition and funding of political parties are identical,
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution Recital N c (new) Nc. whereas a common legal statute for European political parties allows separating the recognition of parties from their funding and counterbalancing the aforementioned restriction of party competition; whereas this makes the European political space more accessible to new parties,
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution Recital R R. whereas experience with the funding of European political parties and their affiliated European political foundations has shown that they need more flexibility
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution Recital R R. whereas experience with the funding of European political parties and their affiliated European political foundations has shown that they need more flexibility and similar conditions with regard to the carry-over of funds to the following financial year and to building up reserves from own resources in excess of the prescribed minimum of their expenditure to be financed from their own funds,
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution Recital R R. whereas experience with the funding of European political parties and their European political foundations has shown that they need more flexibility with regard to the carry-over of funds to the following financial year and to building up reserves from own resources in excess of the prescribed minimum of their expenditure to be financed from their own funds,
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution Recital AA Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas pursuant to Article 10(4) of the Treaty on European Union
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution Recital AA Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution Recital AA Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Notes that political parties – and their linked political foundations
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Notes that political parties – and their linked political foundations and political institutions – work in a parliamentary democracy as ‘conveyer belts’, helping to shape the political will of citizens, participating in the management of political and social relations, drawing up political programmes, training and selecting candidates, maintaining the dialogue with citizens and enabling citizens to express their views;
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Stresses that the Treaty of Lisbon provides for this role of the political parties and their foundations with a view to creating a
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Notes that the European political parties, as they stand, are
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Notes that the European political parties, as they stand, are not yet in a position to fully play this role because they are
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Notes that the European political parties, as they stand, are not in a position to fully play this role in the context of the European Parliament because they are merely the umbrella organisations of national parties
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Notes, however, with satisfaction that the European political parties and political foundations
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas Article 10(4) of the Treaty on European Union states that
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Underlines the need for all European political part
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Underlines the need for a European
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Underlines the need for a European political party to be made up of national or regional parties that respect and implement internal democracy (in the democratic election of party bodies, and democratic decision
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Notes that
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Notes that the same internal democracy
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Welcomes the experience that European political parties have gained with forms of individual membership; stresses that individual members must have the same democratic rights of participation as members of national or regional member parties; encourages the European political parties in this connection to find a constructive solution to the existing conflict between collective and individual membership;
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7.
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B a (new) Ba. whereas the European Union shall function according to the principle of "representative democracy" as stated in Article 10(4) of the Treaty on European Union,
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7.
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Points out that political parties have rights and responsibilities and should therefore have organisational uniformity; considers that this organisational convergence can be achieved
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Points out that political parties have rights and responsibilities and should therefore
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Points out that political parties have rights and responsibilities and should therefore have organisational uniformity; considers that this organisational convergence can be achieved only by establishing a common political, legal and fiscal status for the European political parties and their political foundations;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Points out that political parties have rights, obligations and responsibilities and should therefore have organisational uniformity; considers that this organisational convergence can be achieved only by establishing a common political, legal and fiscal status for the European political parties;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 a (new) 8a. Emphasises the need to separate the legal recognition of European political parties from their funding; underlines that the proposed tightening of the criteria for the funding of political parties must be supplemented by less restrictive criteria of their legal recognition in order to keep the European political space accessible to new parties and parties not yet represented in Parliament;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 b (new) 8b. Points out that a legal statute should reflect the outstanding role of political parties for democratic decision-making and for the mediation of interests between citizens and their representatives; stresses that political parties therefore should be granted special rights and obligations; notes that internal democratic structures and respect for democratic values are a sine qua non for the recognition as a political party; notes further that political parties which fulfil those criteria should be granted full political independence; their funding must not be made dependent on their work programmes or any other criteria as regards the substance of their activities;
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E E. whereas the amending Regulation of 20071 is targeted on improving the integration process of the European political parties by favouring better structuring and organising of the political parties within the Union,
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Is convinced that
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Is convinced that authentic legal status for the European political parties and a legal personality of their own, based directly on the law of the European Union, will enable the European political parties and their political foundations to act as representative agents of the European public interest;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Notes that creating a clearer and less burdensome fiscal regime for the
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Takes the view that the European political parties should interact and compete on matters relating to common European challenges and the European Union and its development in a three-level approach:
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Takes the view that the European political parties should interact
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution Subtitle 1 a (new) (to be introduced just before paragraph 12) Statute and legal personality of the European parties and foundations – dimensions and prospects
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution Recital K K. whereas the amending Regulation of 2007 is aimed at the organisational convergence of political parties and their foundations at European level, while at the same time recognising the different tasks pursued by, respectively, political parties and political foundations,
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Stresses th
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Underlines the importance of forming cross-country synergies among candidates standing on genuinely European issues and policy platforms
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Underlines the importance, for some, of forming cross-country synergies among candidates standing on genuinely European issues and policy platforms;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Is of the opinion that the creation of an additional constituency for elections to the European Parliament
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution Recital L L. whereas this organisational convergence can be achieved only by establishing a common political, legal and fiscal status for the European political parties, whereby this does not also entail an organisational standardisation of European political parties and their foundations, for which the European political parties and their foundations have sole competence,
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Considers that this would be a first step towards changing the character of the European elections
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Considers that this
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18.
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18. Recalls a demand made long ago, namely to give the European political parties and foundations a legal statute, enabling them to acquire legal personality under EU law rather than the law of the State where they are established or recognised; considers that such a statute
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18. Recalls a demand made long ago, namely to give the European political parties and foundations a legal statute, enabling them to acquire legal personality under EU law rather than the law of the State where they are established or recognised; considers that such a statute could at the same time lay down minimum requirements as to their functioning and structure; invites the Committee on Constitutional Affairs to draw up a legislative proposal with this aim at earliest convenience, to be submitted to the Commission in accordance with Article 225 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union;
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 a (new) 18a. Notes that the statute will be adapted to reforms that may be made to the European electoral system;
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution Recital L L. whereas this organisational convergence can be achieved only by establishing a common political, legal and fiscal status for the European political parties and their affiliated European political foundations,
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 19. Notes that what is needed on a
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 a (new) 20a. Takes the view that European political parties should draw at least 50% of their resources from individual persons' membership fees and donations in order to guarantee that they will not gather only national and regional parties but be truly European;
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 21. Points out that the award of funding and settlement of the accounts of the European political parties and foundations are bureaucratic and cumbersome procedures; considers that this stems to a great extent from the fact that the funding falls under the regime of ‘grants’ within the meaning of the Financial Regulation, which is appropriate for the funding of projects or associations but not for parties;
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 22. Is therefore of the opinion that
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 23. Stresses that the self-financing of parties and foundations is a sign of vitality; believes that it should be encouraged by putting up the present limit of EUR 12 000 per year for donations to EUR 25 000 per year/per donator, combined however with a requirement to disclose the donors of a donation at the time of its receipt in accordance with the legislation in force and in the interests of transparency;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 24.
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 26 Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 27 27. Points out that
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 27 27. Points out that the independent resources that the European political parties are required to demonstrate could be reduced to
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution Recital M M. whereas the requirement of adoption of a legal statute for the European political parties and their political foundations based on the law of the European Union is a clear and substantial step towards enhancing democracy within the
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 28 a (new) 28a. Points out that in the context of this revision the limitation imposed on European political foundations to use their funds within the European Union should be removed; thereby enabling these Foundations to play a role within as well as beyond Europe focusing primarily on candidate and ENP countries;
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 28 a (new) 28a. Points out that in the context of this revision the limitation imposed on European political foundations to use their funds within the European Union should be removed; thereby enabling these Foundations to play a role within as well as beyond European borders;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 29 29. Emphasises, however, that making the funding regime would have to be counterbalanced by providing for sanctions in the Funding Regulation where they are
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 29 29. Emphasises, however, that the funding regime would have to be counterbalanced by providing for sanctions in the Funding Regulation where they are at present missing; considers that such sanctions could take the form of financial penalties in the case of infringement of the rules concerning, for example, the transparency of donations; underlines the necessity of providing the same conditions for building reserves and carry-over funds for both European political parties and their European political foundations;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 29 29. Emphasises, however, that the funding regime would have to be counterbalanced by providing for sanctions in the Funding Regulation where they are at present missing; considers that such sanctions could take the form of financial penalties in the case of infringement of the rules concerning, for example, the transparency of donations; underlines the necessity of providing the same conditions for building reserves and carry-over funds for both European political parties and their affiliated European political foundations;
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 30 30. Points out that since 2008 European political parties have been entitled to use sums received as grants for ‘financing campaigns conducted ... in the context of the elections to the European Parliament ...’ (Article 8, third paragraph, of the Funding Regulation); further points out, however, that they are prohibited from using these sums for financing ‘referenda campaigns’;
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 31 Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 31 31.
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 31 31. Invites the European political parties to begin now, without being required to do so by the legislator, on the following reforms: the
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 31 a (new) 31a. Takes the view that it is for the corresponding European political party to determine the conditions for membership of that party, which may be individual or through affiliation to one of the national political parties belonging to the European political party;
source: PE-460.695
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