2011/2317(INI) | [ParlTrack]

Motion for a resolution
Citation 3

– having regard to Articles 24, 227, 228, 258 and 260 of TFEU,

Amendment 10 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas the Committee on Petitions has the duty to constantly review and, where possible, to enhance its role, notably with regard to the development of democratic principles,; increased citizen participation in the EU decision-making process, improving transparency and accountability and whereas in its regular activity the Committee works closely with the Commission acting as the ‘Guardian of the Treaty’ which defines the Commission's role and prevents it from intervening in matters not covered by EU legislation;

Amendment 100 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

~~16. Emphasises the need to close the gaps in legislation which prevent citizens from enjoying full rights in the internal market;~~Deleted

Amendment 101 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Emphasises the need to close the gaps in legislation or failure in its implementation which prevent citizens from enjoying full rights in the internal market;

Amendment 102 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

~~17. Reiterates its undertaking that Parliament will answer all citizens' submissions, provided they do not contain offensive language or lack relevance;~~Deleted

Amendment 103 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

~~17. Reiterates its undertaking that Parliament will answer all citizens’ submissions, provided they do not contain offensive language or lack relevance;~~Deleted

Amendment 104 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 – point a (new)

(a) Is determined to make the petition procedure more efficient, transparent, and impartial, while preserving the participatory rights of the Members of the Committee on Petitions, so that the handling of petitions will stand up to judicial review even at a procedural level;

Amendment 105 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 – point b (new)

(b) Emphasises the need for continuity in processing petitions, despite changes in legislative periods and the resulting changes in personnel;

Amendment 106 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 – point c (new)

(c) Regards the participation of Members of Parliament in fact-finding missions not just as a participatory parliamentary right, but also as an obligation in relation to petitioners;

Amendment 107 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 – point d (new)

(d) As part of the efforts to improve the work of the Committee, calls for a procedure involving fact-finding missions that on the one hand ensures the right of all members of a fact-finding mission to present the facts from their point of view, while also guaranteeing all Committee Members the opportunity to participate in the decision-making process in regard to the conclusions to be drawn by the Committee on Petitions;

Amendment 108 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 – point e (new)

(e) Emphasises that the Committee on Petitions, along with other institutions and bodies, such as the committees of inquiry, the European Citizens’ Initiative and the European Ombudsman, play an independent and clearly defined role as points of contact for each individual citizen;

Amendment 109 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 – point f (new)

(f) Calls on the Conference of Presidents to examine the extent to which an amendment to the Rules of Procedure would seem appropriate for the implementation of these formal requirements in relation to the petitioning procedure;

Amendment 11 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas the Committee on Petitions has the duty to constantly review and, where possible, to enhance its role, notably with regard to the development of democratic principles, and whereas in its regular activity the Committee works closely with the Commission acting as the ‘Guardian of the Treaty’ ~~which defines the Commission’s role and prevents it from intervening in matters not covered by EU legislation~~;

Amendment 110 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 α (new)

17a. Stresses the need to guarantee transparency in handling petitions, internally by allowing MEPs direct access to petition files via e-petition, and externally by supporting the Internet portal for petitioners;

Amendment 12 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)

Da. expresses its satisfaction concerning the creation of a single service for citizens looking for information or wanting to lodge an appeal or lawsuit via the ‘Your Rights in the European Union’ portal;

Amendment 13 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)

Da. welcomes the case law of the European Court of Justice on the interpretation of Article 51 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, which emphasises in respect of the Equal Rights Trust that the institutions of the Member States shall be bound by the overriding fundamental rights of the Union even if they wish to use national measures to restrict the fundamental freedoms guaranteed by the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU);

Amendment 14 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas European citizens and residents have legitimate expectations that the issues they raise with the Committee on Petitions may find a solution within the legal framework of the European Union, which they look upon to defend their natural environment, health, freedom of movement, dignity and fundamental rights and freedoms;

Amendment 15 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas European citizens and residents have legitimate expectations that the issues they raise with the Committee on Petitions may find a solution within the legal framework of the European Union and within a reasonable timeframe, which they look upon to defend their natural environment, health, freedom of movement, dignity and fundamental rights;

Amendment 16 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas European citizens and residents have legitimate expectations that the issues they raise with the Committee on Petitions may find a solution within the legal framework of the European Union, which they look upon to uphold their rights as citizens of the Union, in particular to defend their natural environment, health, freedom of movement, dignity and fundamental rights;

Amendment 17 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital Ε a (new)

Ea. whereas the European institutions ought to supply more information and be more transparent with regard to EU citizens;

Amendment 18 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F

F. whereas ~~the number of submissions by citizens to the European Parliament continues to increase, and~~998 petitions were declared admissible, and of those 649 whereas forwarded to the Commi~~ttee on Petitions should remain the main point of contact within the European Parliament regarding allegations of infringement of individual and collective rights~~ssion for further investigation pursuant to Articles 258 and 260 of the Treaty, 416 petitions were declared inadmissible;

Amendment 19 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F

F. whereas the number of submissions of petitions by citizens to the European Parliament continues to increase, and whereas the Committee on Petitions should remain the main point of contact within the European Parliament regarding allegations by citizens of infringement of individual and collective rights, or failure to apply and implement properly the EU legislation;

Amendment 2 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital -A (new)

A. whereas the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union has acquired legally binding force through the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon;

Amendment 20 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F

F. whereas the number of submissions by citizens to the European Parliament continues to increase, 998 petitions were declared admissible and 416 inadmissible, and whereas the Committee on Petitions should remain the main point of contact within the European Parliament regarding allegations of infringement of individual and collective rights;

Amendment 21 #

Willy MEYER

Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)

Fa. whereas the petitions process can be complementary to other European instruments available to citizens, such as the option to address complaints to the European Ombudsman or to the European Commission;

Amendment 22 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

G. whereas the number of inadmissible petitions continued to be significant in 2011 which again indicates that Parliament should increase its effort to inform citizens on the limits of Parliament's field of action with regard to the right to petition, considering that individuals and local communities, as well as voluntary associations and businesses, are well placed to assess the effectiveness of European legislation as it applies to them, and to signal possible loopholes that need to be analysed in order to ensure better and comparable implementation of EU law in all the Member States;

Amendment 23 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

G. considering that individuals and local communities, as well as NGOs, voluntary associations, professional associations and businesses, are well placed to assess the effectiveness of European legislation as it applies to them, and to signal possible loopholes that need to be analysed in order to ensure better and comparable implementation of EU law in all the Member States;

Amendment 24 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

G. considering that, despite the increasing number of petitions, individuals and local communities, as well as voluntary ~~associ~~non- governmental organisations and businesses, are still not sufficiently well placed to assess the actual effectiveness of European legislation ~~as it applies to them, and to signal~~despite the fact that it applies to them; whereas further information measures on the impact of European legislation on the daily lives of citizens are necessary, so as to be able to signal to citizens possible loopholes that need to be analysed in order to ensure better and comparable implementation of EU law in all the Member States;

Amendment 25 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

G. considering that individuals and local communities, as well as voluntary associations and businesses, are well placed to assess the effectiveness of European legislation as it applies to them, and to signal possible loopholes that need to be analysed in order to ensure better, more uniform and comparable implementation of EU law in all the Member States;

Amendment 26 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H

H. whereas, regarding the statistical analysis contained in this report, German citizens continue to submit the highest number of petitions, though decreasing proportionally, followed by Spanish and Italian petitioners~~, and whereas petitions concerning the EU as such outnumber those concerning individual Member States~~;

Amendment 27 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital I

I. whereas ~~peti~~the field of actions alleging a breach of fundamental rights lead the petitions league table, ahead of the environment and the internal market, and whereas it is noteworthy that petitions regarding economic and monetary affairs have seen a sharp increase, which correlates with the similar increase in petitions expressing the acute concern of citizens generally with the present economic and financial crisisnd the modus operandi of the right to petition granted to all EU citizens and residents under the terms of the Treaty differs from other remedies available to citizens, as for instance the submission of complaints to the Commission or to the Ombudsman;

Amendment 28 #

Margrete AUKEN, Sandrine BÉLIER, Gerald HÄFNER, Keith TAYLOR

Motion for a resolution
Recital I

I. whereas petitions alleging a breach of fundamental rights lead the petitions league table, athe~~ad of the environment and the internal market, and whereas it is noteworthy that~~se rights being an important concern for European citizens as, using the crisis as a pretext, such rights are being increasingly neglected by the Member States, and whereas petitions regarding economic and monetary affairs have seen a sharp increase, which correlates with ~~the~~a similar increase in petitions ~~expressing the acute concern of citizens generally with the present economic and financial crisis;~~ concerning the present economic and financial crisis; the environment and the internal market remain key concerns;

Amendment 29 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital J

J. whereas ~~the~~ main concerns relating to the general theme of the environment are the poor and often misguided application by Member States and their sub-national entities of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive4 and the Waste Framework Directive5 ; whereas petitions alleging breaches of the Birds and Habitats Directives often raise concerns of serious biodiversity loss as a result of major projects planned in Natura 2000 sites and petitions on water management have revealed grave cases of pollution as well as raised concerns over possible impacts of projects on the sustainability and quality of aquatic resources;

Amendment 3 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital Α

A. whereas the right of citizens to petition the European Parliament has been enshrined in the Treaty since the entry into force of the Maastricht Treaty on 1 November 1993, in order to afford them’ protection;

Amendment 30 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital K

K. bearing in mind that the EIA Directive is presently under review and that the report by the Committee on Petitions on waste issues exposes serious shortcomings in several Member States; however, the implementation of this Directive remains insufficient and this problem will not be solved by the review but by more effective control by the European Commission;

Amendment 31 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital L

L. whereas the right of European citizens and residents to their legitimately acquired property continues to be an issue of grave significance for many thousands of people, as demonstrated by the petitions which are still being received on this subject~~, notably as regards perceived abuses of this right in Spain, on which the European Parliament has previously adopted a clear position~~; and whereas without a resolution of this problem by the competent authorities there is no likelihood of confidence in the housing market or the banking system being restored;

Amendment 32 #

Michael CASHMAN

Motion for a resolution
Recital L

L. whereas the right of European citizens and residents to their legitimately acquired property continues to be an issue of grave significance for many thousands of people, as demonstrated by the petitions which are still being received on this subject, notably as regards perceived abuses of this right in Spain, on which the European Parliament has previously adopted a clear position7 ; and whereas without a resolution of this problem by the competent authorities there is no likelihood of legal certainty or trust in Spain's property rights, and economic confidence in the housing market ~~or the banking system~~ being restored;

Amendment 33 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital M

M. whereas in 2011 there were 70 petitions outstanding relating to the Spanish Ley de Costas; and whereas petitions relating to the Ley de Costas concerned specific regions of Spain as follows: Valencia 23, Andalusia 11, Catalonia 10, Balearic and Canary Islands 9 each, Asturias and Cantabria 3 each, Galicia and Basque Country 2 each, and Murcia 1, with 51 identifiable as coming from Spanish citizens or groups of Spanish citizens; while 19 came from other nationalities as follows: 3 from miscellaneous nationalities, 11 from German citizens, 3 from French citizens, 2 from British citizens;

Amendment 34 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital M

Amendment 35 #

Margrete AUKEN, Sandrine BÉLIER, Gerald HÄFNER, Keith TAYLOR

Motion for a resolution
Recital N

N. whereas in ~~2011~~its previous Annual Report the Committee on Petitions h~~eld meetings at which 47 of these petitions were considered and which 7 petitioners attend~~ighly appreciated the cooperation with the Commission and the European Ombudsman with regard to the treatment of petitions and complaints; whereas the Committee on Petitions repeatedly requested to be kept informed by the Commission of developments in pending infringement proceedings, the subject of which is also covered inby perstitions;

Amendment 36 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital N a (new)

N a. whereas many petitions have claimed that EU funds have been misused or misappropriated and others allege malfunctioning in the EU administration including conflicts of interest within influential agencies or call for changes in EU policies such as the authorisation of GMOs or the use of nuclear energy;

Amendment 37 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital O

O. whereas the shortcomings and problems faced by people as a result of the malfunctioning of the internal market, as illustrated by petitions, are confirmed by the Commission's European Citizenship Report 20108 , in particular as regards free movement of EU citizens and their family members, access to social security entitlements, mutual recognition of qualifications, obstacles faced by the disabled, family law issues and mass expulsions on the basis of ethnic or national origin such as those affecting the Roma, including also double-taxation issues;

Amendment 38 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital O

O. whereas the shortcomings and problems faced by people as a result of the malfunctioning of the internal market, as illustrated by petitions, are confirmed by the European Citizenship Report 20108 , in particular as regards free movement of EU citizens and their family members, access to social security entitlements, mutual recognition of qualifications, obstacles faced by the disabled, family law issues including same-sex couples and their children and mass expulsions on the basis of ethnic or national origin such as those affecting the Roma, including also double- taxation issues;

Amendment 39 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital O

O. whereas the shortcomings and problems faced by people as a result of the malfunctioning of the internal market, as illustrated by petitions, are confirmed by the European Citizenship Report 2010, in particular as regards free movement of EU citizens and their family members, provided they are completely legitimate, access to social security entitlements, mutual recognition of qualifications, obstacles faced by the disabled, family law issues and mass expulsions on the basis of ethnic or national origin such as those affecting the Roma, including also double- taxation issues;

Amendment 4 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas the right of citizens to petition the European Parliament has already been enshrined in the Treaty since the entry into force of the Maastricht Treaty on 1 November 1993;

Amendment 40 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital O a (new)

O a. whereas also in 2011 a significant number of petitions were submitted by citizens pointing to the importance of preventing irreparable losses in biodiversity, with regard to Natura 2000 sites, as well as of ensuring the protection of areas defined under the Habitats Directive;

Amendment 41 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital P

P. bearing in mind, as regards the scope of the Committee's action, that the legal service of the European Parliament9 has confirmed that its ‘...field of activity can be considered to be even wider than the mere sum of the competencies exercised by the Union’;Deleted

Amendment 42 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital P

P. bearing in mind, as regards the scope of the Committee’s action, that the legal service of the European Parliament has confirmed that its ‘...field of activity can be considered to be even wider than the mere sum of the competencies exercised by the Union’;Deleted

Amendment 43 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital Q

Q. whereas the judgment of the EU Tribunal of 14 September 2011 in case T- 308/07 upheld the petitioner’s (0095/2007) complaint against the Committee’s decision to declare his petition ~~inadmissible and in so doing laid down clear parameters for dealing with petitions which are declared~~ inadmissible;

Amendment 44 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital Q

Q. whereas the judgment of the EU Tribunal of 14 September 2011 in case T- 308/07 upheld the petitioner's (0095/2007) complaint against the Committee's decision to declare his petition inadmissible and in so doing laid down ~~clear parameters for dealing with petit~~the obligation to motivate Parliament's decisions wh~~ich are~~en it declareds a petition inadmissible;

Amendment 45 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital Q

Q. whereas the judgment of the EU Tribunal of 14 September 2011 in case T- 308/07 upheld the petitioner’s (0095/2007) complaint against the Committee’s decision to declare his petition inadmissible and in so doing laid down clear parameters for dealing with petitions which are declared inadmissiblemade it clear that procedural decisions by Parliament in relation to petitions are also subject to legal review;

Amendment 46 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital Q a (new)

Qa. whereas the efficiency of the Committee’s work is largely characterised by swiftness and thoroughness and could be further improved in particular by optimising the time taken to process petitions and by systematising the procedure for their assessment;

Amendment 47 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Confirms the key role of the Committee on Petitions in identifying non-judicial remedies for citizens, in providing a reality check on the way in which the European Union is seen by the people of Europe, and as aNotes that petitions received in 2011 continued to focus on alleged breaches of EU law in the fields of the environment, justice and the internal market, as well as the Charter of Fundamental Rights which reflect~~ion of~~s citizens' views regarding whether European legislation as implemented by the Member States actually delivers the expected result and responds to ~~what people expect of the Union~~EU law;

Amendment 48 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Confirms the key role of the Committee on Petitions in identifying non-judicial remedies for citizens, in providing a reality check on the way in which the European Union is seen by the people of Europe, and as a reflection of citizens' views regarding whether European legislation is properly implemented and actually delivers the expected result and responds to what people expect of the Union;

Amendment 49 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Confirms the key role of the Committee on Petitions in identifying non-judicial remedies for citizens, in providing a reality check on the way in which EU legislation is transposed by the Member States and the way in which the European Union is seen by the people of Europe, and as a reflection of citizens’ views regarding whether European legislation actually delivers the expected result and responds to what people expect of the Union;

Amendment 5 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas – subject to Protocol 30 of the Treaty – the Charter of Fundamental Rights has become legally binding since the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty on 1 December 2009; whereas the Lisbon Treaty also establishes the legal basis for the EU to accede to the European Convention on Human Rights, as well as establishing an instrument for direct democracy for the first time on a European level through the European Citizens’ Initiative;

Amendment 50 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Confirms the key role of the Committee on Petitions in identifying non-judicial remedies for citizens, inby providing a reality check on the way in which the European Union is seen by the people of Europe, ~~and as a reflection of citizens’ views~~enabling conclusions to be drawn regarding whether European legislation actually delivers the expected result and responds to what people expect of the Union;

Amendment 51 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. Notes the increasing number of petitions and other submissions from citizens seeking legal and financial redress on issues that fall outside the EU's area of competence pursuant to Article 227 of the Treaty as well as Article 51 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, such as, for example, requests to review the calculation of national pensions, to overrule decisions by national courts, proposals to re-draw Europe's frontiers, to force a bank to grant a personal loan, etc.; fully supports the action taken by Parliament's responsible Directorates- General to find a solution for dealing with these submissions from citizens while taking into account Parliament's obligations with regard to its correspondence with citizens;

Amendment 52 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

Amendment 53 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Believes, therefore, that this role and responsibility should lead Parliament to consider ways of revitalising this fundamental part of parliamentary work ~~both~~ in terms of its visibility, accountability and transparency and in terms of improving its ability to raise issues of importance to European citizens in plenary, as well as by reinforcing its competence to call witnesses and investigate more independently issues raised by citizens;

Amendment 54 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Believes, therefore, that this role and responsibility should lead Parliament to consider ways of revitalising this fundamental part of parliamentary work ~~both~~ in terms of its visibility, of its efficiency and in terms of improving its ability to raise issues of importance to European citizens in plenary, as well as by reinforcing its competence to call witnesses and investigate more independently issues raised by citizens;

Amendment 55 #

Margrete AUKEN, Sandrine BÉLIER, Gerald HÄFNER, Keith TAYLOR

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Believes, therefore, that this role and responsibility should lead Parliament to consider ways of revitalising this fundamental part of parliamentary work both in terms of its visibility and in terms of improving its ability to raise issues of importance to European citizens in plenary, as well as by reinforcing its competence to call witnesses and investigate more independently issues raised by citizens; with regard to the visibility of the petition procedure, calls on the Commission to more actively advertise the right of petition through its offices in the Member States and its decentralised information networks (e.g. Europe Direct);

Amendment 56 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Believes, therefore, that this role and responsibility should lead Parliament to consider ways of revitalising this fundamental part of parliamentary work both in terms of its visibility and in terms of improving its ability to raise issues of importance to European citizens in plenary, as well as by reinforcing its competence to call witnesses and investigate more independently issues raised by citizens; invites its Bureau to consider measures to this effect, including the possibility of organising on-site field hearings on important petitions;

Amendment 57 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Believes, therefore, that this role and responsibility should lead Parliament to consider ways of revitalising this fundamental part of parliamentary work both in terms of its visibility and in terms of improving its ability to raise issues of importance to European citizens in plenary~~, as well as by reinforcing its competence to call witnesses and investigate more independently issues raised by citizens~~; welcomes the increased opportunities available to Parliament to take a more independent approach in relation to issues raised by citizens through the instrument of the committees of inquiry;

Amendment 58 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Recalls, in the context of the European Citizens’ Initiative, that organising the public hearings relating to successful initiatives as set down in Article 11 of Regulation (EC) 211/2011 on the Citizens’ Initiative requires the direct and automatic inclusion of the Committee on Petitions as the body with the greatest procedural expertise in the area of direct contact with the public and the holding of public hearings, as well as ensuring a uniform procedure for all successful citizens’ initiatives; emphasises at the same time that the difference between a normal petition according to Article 227 TFEU and a citizens’ initiative must nonetheless be clearly apparent to the public, even in internal parliamentary matters of procedure;

Amendment 59 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Welcomes Parliament's decision to develop a much more practical and visible petitions portal on its website, which will facilitate, within the limits of Article 227 of the Treaty and Article 202 of Parliament's Rules of Procedure and Article 51 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, access for citizens to the petitions process, provide them with information and allow them to submit petitions in a more user-friendly environment; considers that this portal should also provide practical links to other forms of redress which are available at European and national or regional level;

Amendment 6 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. ~~whereas – subject to Protocol 30 of the Treaty – the Charter of Fundamental Rights has become legally binding since the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty on 1 December 2009;~~ whereas the Lisbon Treaty also establishes the legal basis for the EU to accede to the European Convention on Human Rights, as well as the European Citizens’ Initiative;

Amendment 60 #

Jarosław WAŁĘSA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Welcomes Parliament’s decision to develop a much more practical and visible petitions portal on its website, which will facilitate access for citizens to the petitions process, provide them with information and allow them to submit petitions in a more user-friendly environment; considers that this portal should also provide practical links to other forms of redress which are available at European and national or regional level and at the same time set a framework of practices for public administrations based on the CURIA portal, the official portal of ECJ judgments;

Amendment 61 #

Margrete AUKEN, Sandrine BÉLIER, Gerald HÄFNER, Keith TAYLOR

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Welcomes Parliament's decision to develop a much more practical and visible petitions portal on its website, which will facilitate access for citizens to the petitions process, provide them with information and allow them to submit petitions in a more user-friendly environment; considers that this portal should also provide practical links to other forms of redress which are available at European and national or regional level as well as a comprehensive overview of the competence of the Petitions Committee;

Amendment 62 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Welcomes Parliament's decision to develop a much more practical and visible petitions portal on its website, which will facilitate access for citizens to the petitions process, provide them with information and allow them to submit petitions in a more user-friendly environment and sign electronically in support of petitions; considers that this portal should also provide practical links to other forms of redress which are available at European and national or regional level;

Amendment 63 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Confirms its determination to continue to promote and defend citizens' fundamental rights and freedoms by making use of its political influence regarding such admissible cases as may be raised with the committee, in cooperation with the Commission and the relevant authorities within the Member States of the Union;

Amendment 64 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Confirms its determination to continue to promote and defend citizens’ fundamental rights by making use of its political influence regarding such admissible cases as may be raised with the committee, in close cooperation with the relevant authorities within the Member States of the Union and with the European Commission;

Amendment 65 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 – point a (new)

(a) Calls on the Committee on Petitions to examine the effects of the Equal Rights Trust case law on the reliability of petitions and to investigate the question of what actual obstacles exist for citizens of the Union in obtaining a reliable interpretation of central issues under European legislation in cases before the national courts by applying for a preliminary ruling from the European Court of Justice;

Amendment 66 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Considers it important to enhance cooperation with Member States' parliaments and governments, ~~while ensuring that such cooperation is~~based on reciprocality, and, where necessary, to encourage Member States' authorities to transpose and apply EU legislation in full transparency;

Amendment 67 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Stresses the importance of the Commission cooperating with the Member States and deplores the negligence of some Member States with regard to transposing and enforcing European environmental legislation;

Amendment 68 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 а (new)

5а. Considers that the petitions procedure should not be exploited and used to achieve objectives on the political agenda in Member States, but should be carried out objectively, reflecting the position of the European Parliament.

Amendment 69 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Welcomes the constructive cooperation between the Petitions Committee and the services of the European ~~Commission, but urges the Commission to ensure that the integrity of the petitions procedures are respected and not confused with the Commission's own complaints procedure~~Ombudsman and reaffirms its determination to support the Ombudsman in identifying maladministration by and acting against EU institutions;

Amendment 7 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas the Regulation on the European Citizens' Initiative3 entersed into force on 1 April 2012 and whereas Parliament has the responsibility for the organisation of public hearings for successful initiatives which have secured more than one million signatures from a minimum of seven Member States;

Amendment 70 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8a. Considers that more precise, written procedural rules in relation to the preparation, implementation and evaluation of delegation visits within the Committee could lead to greater efficiency and consistency in the work of the Committee on Petitions;

Amendment 71 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Considers ~~that~~ the correct implementation of the Waste Framework Directive in all Member States~~, down to the municipal level, is~~ to be of the utmost importance~~; in particular, urge~~, and therefore asks Member States with waste management trouble spots to act decisively and swiftly;

Amendment 72 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9 a. Reiterates its numerous calls on the Member States to comply with their obligations under the Free Movement Directive 2004/38/EC on the right of citizens of the Union and their family members to move and reside freely within the EU; reminds Member States of their obligation to facilitate entry and residence without any discrimination including for same-sex couples and their children, Roma and other minority groups;

Amendment 73 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Supports wholeheartedly the underlying objective of the Ley de Costas, namely that the environment of the Spanish coast be protected from overdevelopment so as to preserve it for wildlife and for future generations;deleted

Amendment 74 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Supports wholeheartedly the underlying objective of the Ley de Costas, namely that the environment of the Spanish coast ~~be protected from overdevelopment~~and broadly the environmental pressures on the Mediterranean Sea Coast which is threatening coastal ecosystems be protected from overdevelopment and environmental aggression and speculation so as to preserve it for wildlife and for future generations;

Amendment 75 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Nevertheless notes with concern that the issue of the Spanish Ley de Costas continues to be a major problem for European citizens, and for Spanish citizens in particular, and that no satisfactory solution has yet been offered to ensure that property owners within the reach of the jurisdiction of the Ley de Costas can safely assume proper title to homes which they have acquired through the correct legal process;deleted

Amendment 76 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

Amendment 77 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Nevertheless notes with concern that the issue of the Spanish Ley de Costas continues to be a ~~major~~ problem for European citizens, and for Spanish citizens in particular, and that no satisfactory solution has yet been offered to ensure that property owners within the reach of the jurisdiction of the Ley de Costas can safely assume proper title to homes which they have acquired through the correct legal process;

Amendment 78 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Nevertheless notes with great concern that the issue of the Spanish Ley de Costas continues to be a major problem for European citizens, and for Spanish citizens in particular, and that no satisfactory solution has yet been offered to ensure that property owners within the reach of the jurisdiction of the Ley de Costas can safely assume proper title to homes which they have acquired through the correct legal process;

Amendment 79 #

Willy MEYER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)

11a. Stresses the need to regulate coastal protection effectively, but notes that the Ley de Costas is not consistent with the objectives sought, since it is affecting historic heritage and traditional communities, punishing the inhabitants of coastal villages who have always shared a sustainable coexistence with the sea and its ecosystems;

Amendment 8 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas the Committee on Petitions has the duty to constantly review and, where possible, to enhance its role, notably with regard to the development of democratic principles, and whereas in its regular activity the Committee works closely with the Commission ~~acting as the ‘Guardian of the Treaty’ which defines the Commission's role and prevents~~whose task is to make sure that the EU law both in letter and spirit, its f~~rom intervening in matters not covered by EU legislation~~ully respected by the Member States;

Amendment 80 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Continues to support the efforts of petitioners to put pressure on the Spanish Government and local authorities to resolve the problems surrounding the Ley de Costas and its application; to this end supports the decision of the Petitions Committee to establish a working group at political level to consider the issue;Deleted

Amendment 81 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. ~~Continues to s~~Supports the efforts of petitioners to ~~put pressure on the Spanish Government and local authorities to~~ resolve the problems surrounding the Ley de Costas and its application; to this end supports the decision of the Petitions Committee to establish a working group ~~at political level~~ to consider the issue in more depth;

Amendment 82 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Continues to support the efforts of petitioners to put pressure on the Spanish Government, and on cooperation with the Ministry of Environment and Agriculture and with the Ministry of Justice and local authorities to resolve the problems surrounding the Ley de Costas and its application and to reach an agreement to find common ground with the property owners in coastal areas; to this end supports the decision of the Petitions Committee to establish a working group at political level to consider the issue;

Amendment 83 #

Michael CASHMAN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Continues to support the efforts of petitioners to put pressure on the Spanish Government and local authorities to resolve the problems surrounding the Ley de Costas and its retrospective application; to this end supports the decision of the Petitions Committee to establish a working group at political level to consider the issue;

Amendment 84 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Continues to support the efforts of petitioners to ~~put pressure on the Spanish Government and local authorities to~~ resolve the problems surrounding the ~~Ley de Costas and its application~~application of the Ley de Costas; to this end supports the decision of the Petitions Committee to establish a working group at political level to consider the issue;

Amendment 85 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Reiterates its belief that in the current economic circumstances it is in the interests of everyone to ensure the resolution of the legal uncertainty which surrounds properties potentially affected by the Ley de Costas;Deleted

Amendment 86 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

Amendment 87 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. ~~Reiterates its belief~~Believes that in the current economic circumstances it is in the interests of everyone to ensure the resolution of the legal uncertainty which surrounds properties potentially affected by the Ley de Costas;

Amendment 88 #