BETA


2015/0907(APP) Election of the members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage: reform

Progress: Procedure completed

RoleCommitteeRapporteurShadows
Lead AFCO HÜBNER Danuta Maria (icon: PPE PPE), LEINEN Jo (icon: S&D S&D) MESSERSCHMIDT Morten (icon: ECR ECR), VERHOFSTADT Guy (icon: ALDE ALDE), TERRICABRAS Josep-Maria (icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE), CASTALDO Fabio Massimo (icon: EFDD EFDD), ANNEMANS Gerolf (icon: ENF ENF)
Lead committee dossier:
Legal Basis:
TFEU 223-p1

Events

2018/07/16
   Final act published in Official Journal
Details

PURPOSE: to make amendments to the Act concerning the election of the Members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage (electoral act).

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Council Decision (EU, Euratom) 2018/994 amending the Act concerning the election of the members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage, annexed to Council Decision 76/787/ECSC, EEC, Euratom of 20 September 1976.

CONTENT: the Council adopted a series of amendments to the 1976 electoral act which lays down a number of common rules concerning the elections to the European Parliament.

The main changes concern:

the introduction of a mandatory minimum threshold, between 2 and 5%, for constituencies with more than 35 seats for elections to the European Parliament. This rule will also apply to Member States constituting a single constituency; the establishment of a minimum deadline for the establishment of electoral lists (at least three weeks before the date fixed by the relevant Member State for the holding the elections to the European Parliament); the possibility for Member States to allow for the display, on ballot papers, of the name or logo of the European political party to which the national political party or individual candidate is affiliated; the possibility of voting more easily in the European elections, thanks to the introduction of electronic voting and postal voting ; the introduction of measures against double voting; the possibility for Member States to take the necessary measures to allow those of their citizens residing in third countries to vote in elections to the European Parliament; the designation in each Member State of a contact authority responsible for exchanging data on voters and candidates with its counterparts in other Member States.

This Decision shall be subject to approval by the Member States in accordance with their respective constitutional requirements. Member States shall notify the General Secretariat of the Council of the completion of the procedures necessary for that purpose.

This Decision shall enter into force on the first day after the last notification has been received.

2018/07/13
   EP/CSL - Act adopted by Council after consultation of Parliament
2018/07/04
   EP - Results of vote in Parliament
2018/07/04
   EP - Decision by Parliament
Details

The European Parliament adopted by 397 votes to 202, with 62 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the draft Council decision amending the Act concerning the election of the members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage annexed to Decision 76/787/ECSC, EEC, Euratom of 20 September 1976.

The European Parliament has given its consent to the draft Council decision.

Documents
2018/07/04
   EP - End of procedure in Parliament
2018/07/02
   EP - Committee referral announced in Parliament
2018/07/02
   EP - Vote in committee
2018/07/02
   EP - Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading
Details

The Committee on Constitutional Affairs adopted the report by Danuta Maria HÜBNER (EPP, PL) and Jo LEINEN (S&D, DE) on the draft Council decision amending the Act concerning the election of the members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage, annexed to Council Decision 76/787/ECSC, EEC, Euratom of 20 September 1976.

The committee recommended that the European Parliament give its consent to the draft Council decision.

In the explanatory memorandum accompanying the draft legislative resolution, Members recalled that in November 2015, Parliament adopted a proposal for the reform of EU electoral law that aimed to encourage citizens’ participation, to reinforce the European dimension of elections, to make Parliament’s own functioning more efficient, and to improve the conduct of elections.

The draft Council decision - which represents the maximum that could be achieved in the current political context and in view of the constraints of the procedure - contains several positive elements that will significantly improve the character and conduct of the European elections in the future:

full respect for the constitutional and electoral traditions of the Member States; new rules to make European citizens more aware of the link between national parties and candidates and their affiliation to a European political party; the possibility of voting more easily in European elections, through the introduction of electronic and postal voting, which should result in a higher electoral turnout; the right to vote granted to citizens of the Union residing in third countries; the establishment of a minimum deadline for the establishment of electoral lists; measures against double voting; the designation of a contact authority to exchange data on voters and candidates; a mandatory minimum threshold for the allocation of seats, between 2 and 5 %, for constituencies with more than 35 seats for EP elections, which will make the electoral conditions more equal for political parties in all Member States.

Documents
2018/06/26
   EP - Amendments tabled in committee
Documents
2018/06/19
   EP - Committee draft report
Documents
2018/06/14
   CSL - Legislative proposal
Details

PURPOSE: to make amendments to the Act concerning the election of the Members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage (electoral act).

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: Council may adopt the act only if Parliament has given its consent to the act.

CONTENT: the Council proposes to amend the 1976 Electoral Act which lays down a number of common rules concerning elections to the European Parliament (EP).

The main change concerns the introduction of an obligatory minimum threshold of between 2% and 5% for constituencies with more than 35 seats in the EP elections . This rule would also apply to single-constituency member states.

Member States shall:

allow for the display, on ballot papers, of the name or logo of the European political party to which the national political party or individual candidate is affiliate; provide for the possibilities of advance voting, postal voting, and electronic and internet voting, in elections to the European Parliament while ensuring in particular the reliability of the result, the secrecy of the vote, and the protection of personal data; take the measures necessary to allow those of their citizens residing in third countries to vote in elections to the European Parliament.

Member States shall also be required to take measures necessary to ensure that double voting in elections to the European Parliament is subject to effective, proportionate and dissuasive penalties. They shall designate a contact authority responsible for exchanging data on voters and candidates with its counterparts in the other Member States.

Documents
2018/06/13
   EC - Legislative proposal published
Details

PURPOSE: to make amendments to the Act concerning the election of the Members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage (electoral act).

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: Council may adopt the act only if Parliament has given its consent to the act.

CONTENT: the Council proposes to amend the 1976 Electoral Act which lays down a number of common rules concerning elections to the European Parliament (EP).

The main change concerns the introduction of an obligatory minimum threshold of between 2% and 5% for constituencies with more than 35 seats in the EP elections . This rule would also apply to single-constituency member states.

Member States shall:

allow for the display, on ballot papers, of the name or logo of the European political party to which the national political party or individual candidate is affiliate; provide for the possibilities of advance voting, postal voting, and electronic and internet voting, in elections to the European Parliament while ensuring in particular the reliability of the result, the secrecy of the vote, and the protection of personal data; take the measures necessary to allow those of their citizens residing in third countries to vote in elections to the European Parliament.

Member States shall also be required to take measures necessary to ensure that double voting in elections to the European Parliament is subject to effective, proportionate and dissuasive penalties. They shall designate a contact authority responsible for exchanging data on voters and candidates with its counterparts in the other Member States.

Documents
2018/04/17
   CSL - Debate in Council
Documents
2018/04/17
   CSL - Council Meeting
2015/11/11
   EP - For information
Documents
2015/02/26
   EP - HÜBNER Danuta Maria (PPE) appointed as rapporteur in AFCO
2015/02/26
   EP - LEINEN Jo (S&D) appointed as rapporteur in AFCO

Documents

Votes

A8-0248/2018 - Jo Leinen et Danuta Maria Hübner - approbation 04/07/2018 11:50:41.000 #

2018/07/04 Outcome: +: 397, -: 207, 0: 62
DE IT PL RO HU ES CZ PT MT HR SK EL BG LT SI AT IE EE LU BE SE LV ?? DK CY NL FI GB FR
Total
90
59
46
29
17
45
18
20
6
10
12
17
17
9
8
17
10
6
5
20
16
6
1
13
5
24
12
58
69
icon: PPE PPE
196

Lithuania PPE

1

Estonia PPE

For (1)

1

Luxembourg PPE

2

Sweden PPE

2

Denmark PPE

For (1)

1

United Kingdom PPE

2
icon: S&D S&D
174

Malta S&D

3

Croatia S&D

For (1)

1

Slovakia S&D

Against (1)

4

Slovenia S&D

For (1)

1

Ireland S&D

For (1)

1

Estonia S&D

For (1)

1

Luxembourg S&D

For (1)

1

Cyprus S&D

2

Netherlands S&D

3

Finland S&D

1
icon: NI NI
13

Germany NI

2

Poland NI

Against (1)

Abstain (1)

3
3

NI

Abstain (1)

1

Denmark NI

1

United Kingdom NI

Against (2)

Abstain (1)

3
icon: ALDE ALDE
61

Germany ALDE

For (1)

Against (1)

2

Romania ALDE

Against (1)

1

Czechia ALDE

4

Portugal ALDE

1

Croatia ALDE

For (1)

Against (1)

2

Bulgaria ALDE

Abstain (1)

4

Lithuania ALDE

Against (1)

3

Slovenia ALDE

Against (1)

1

Ireland ALDE

For (1)

1

Estonia ALDE

Against (1)

3

Luxembourg ALDE

Against (1)

1

Sweden ALDE

3

Latvia ALDE

1

Denmark ALDE

For (1)

3

United Kingdom ALDE

Against (1)

1
icon: EFDD EFDD
35

Germany EFDD

Against (1)

1

Czechia EFDD

Against (1)

1

Lithuania EFDD

For (1)

1
icon: ECR ECR
64

Italy ECR

Against (1)

2

Romania ECR

For (1)

Against (1)

2

Czechia ECR

Against (1)

1

Croatia ECR

Abstain (1)

1

Slovakia ECR

3

Greece ECR

Against (1)

1

Bulgaria ECR

2

Lithuania ECR

Abstain (1)

1

Sweden ECR

2

Latvia ECR

Against (1)

1

Cyprus ECR

Against (1)

1

Netherlands ECR

Against (1)

1

Finland ECR

2
icon: ENF ENF
32

Germany ENF

Against (1)

1
2

Belgium ENF

Against (1)

1

Netherlands ENF

4
icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL
44

Italy GUE/NGL

2

Czechia GUE/NGL

1
4

Sweden GUE/NGL

Against (1)

1

Denmark GUE/NGL

Against (1)

1

Cyprus GUE/NGL

2

Netherlands GUE/NGL

3

Finland GUE/NGL

Against (1)

1

United Kingdom GUE/NGL

Against (1)

1
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
46

Italy Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1

Hungary Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1
3

Croatia Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1

Lithuania Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1

Slovenia Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1

Austria Verts/ALE

3

Estonia Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1

Luxembourg Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1

Belgium Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1

Sweden Verts/ALE

3

Latvia Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1

Denmark Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1

Netherlands Verts/ALE

2

Finland Verts/ALE

Against (1)

1

United Kingdom Verts/ALE

5
AmendmentsDossier
4 2015/0907(APP)
2018/06/26 AFCO 4 amendments...
source: 623.898

History

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

docs/1
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Treaty on the Functioning of the EU TFEU 223-p1
procedure/legal_basis/0
Treaty on the Functioning of the EU TFEU 223-p1-a2
procedure/subtype/1
See also 2015/2035(INL)
procedure/subtype/1
Amending Act annexed to Council Decision 76/787/ECSC, EEC, Euratom See also 2015/2035(INL)
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  • date: 2018-07-02T00:00:00 body: EP type: Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading committees: body: EP shadows: group: ECR name: MESSERSCHMIDT Morten group: ALDE name: VERHOFSTADT Guy group: GUE/NGL name: SCHOLZ Helmut group: Verts/ALE name: TERRICABRAS Josep-Maria group: EFD name: CASTALDO Fabio Massimo group: ENF name: ANNEMANS Gerolf responsible: True committee: AFCO date: 2015-02-26T00:00:00 2015-02-26T00:00:00 committee_full: Constitutional Affairs rapporteur: group: EPP name: HÜBNER Danuta Maria group: S&D name: LEINEN Jo docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&mode=XML&reference=A8-2018-0248&language=EN type: Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading title: A8-0248/2018
  • date: 2018-07-04T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P8-TA-2018-0282 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading title: T8-0282/2018 body: EP type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
  • date: 2018-07-13T00:00:00 body: EP/CSL type: Act adopted by Council after consultation of Parliament
  • date: 2018-07-16T00:00:00 type: Final act published in Official Journal
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  • date: 2016-05-17T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/docs_autres_institutions/parlements_nationaux/com/2015/00395/FR_SENATE_AVIS-CONS(2015)00395_EN.pdf title: PE582.228 type: Reasoned opinion body: FR_SENATE
  • date: 2016-05-17T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/docs_autres_institutions/parlements_nationaux/com/2015/00395/NL_CHAMBER_AVIS-CONS(2015)00395_EN.pdf title: PE582.329 type: Reasoned opinion body: NL_CHAMBER
  • date: 2016-05-17T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/docs_autres_institutions/parlements_nationaux/com/2015/00395/UK_HOUSE-OF-LORDS_AVIS-CONS(2015)00395_EN.pdf title: PE582.330 type: Reasoned opinion body: UK_HOUSE-OF-LORDS
  • date: 2016-05-17T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/docs_autres_institutions/parlements_nationaux/com/2015/00395/UK_HOUSE-OF-COMMONS_AVIS-CONS(2015)00395_EN.pdf title: PE582.331 type: Reasoned opinion body: UK_HOUSE-OF-COMMONS
  • date: 2016-05-17T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/docs_autres_institutions/parlements_nationaux/com/2015/00395/SE_PARLIAMENT_AVIS-CONS(2015)00395_EN.pdf title: PE582.332 type: Reasoned opinion body: SE_PARLIAMENT
  • date: 2016-05-17T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/docs_autres_institutions/parlements_nationaux/com/2015/00395/NL_SENATE_AVIS-CONS(2015)00395_EN.pdf title: PE582.333 type: Reasoned opinion body: NL_SENATE
  • date: 2016-05-17T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/docs_autres_institutions/parlements_nationaux/com/2015/00395/LU_CHAMBER_AVIS-CONS(2015)00395_EN.pdf title: PE582.335 type: Reasoned opinion body: LU_CHAMBER
  • date: 2018-06-19T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=COMPARL&mode=XML&language=EN&reference=PE623.806 title: PE623.806 type: Committee draft report body: EP
  • date: 2018-06-26T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=COMPARL&mode=XML&language=EN&reference=PE623.898 title: PE623.898 type: Amendments tabled in committee body: EP
events
  • date: 2018-04-17T00:00:00 type: Debate in Council body: CSL docs: url: http://register.consilium.europa.eu/content/out?lang=EN&typ=SET&i=SMPL&ROWSPP=25&RESULTSET=1&NRROWS=500&DOC_LANCD=EN&ORDERBY=DOC_DATE+DESC&CONTENTS=3614*&MEET_DATE=17/04/2018 title: 3614
  • date: 2018-06-14T00:00:00 type: Legislative proposal published body: EC docs: url: http://register.consilium.europa.eu/content/out?lang=EN&typ=SET&i=ADV&RESULTSET=1&DOC_ID=9425%2F18&DOC_LANCD=EN&ROWSPP=25&NRROWS=500&ORDERBY=DOC_DATE+DESC title: 09425/2018 summary: PURPOSE: to make amendments to the Act concerning the election of the Members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage (electoral act). PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision. ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: Council may adopt the act only if Parliament has given its consent to the act. CONTENT: the Council proposes to amend the 1976 Electoral Act which lays down a number of common rules concerning elections to the European Parliament (EP). The main change concerns the introduction of an obligatory minimum threshold of between 2% and 5% for constituencies with more than 35 seats in the EP elections . This rule would also apply to single-constituency member states. Member States shall: allow for the display, on ballot papers, of the name or logo of the European political party to which the national political party or individual candidate is affiliate; provide for the possibilities of advance voting, postal voting, and electronic and internet voting, in elections to the European Parliament while ensuring in particular the reliability of the result, the secrecy of the vote, and the protection of personal data; take the measures necessary to allow those of their citizens residing in third countries to vote in elections to the European Parliament. Member States shall also be required to take measures necessary to ensure that double voting in elections to the European Parliament is subject to effective, proportionate and dissuasive penalties. They shall designate a contact authority responsible for exchanging data on voters and candidates with its counterparts in the other Member States.
  • date: 2018-07-02T00:00:00 type: Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading body: EP
  • date: 2018-07-02T00:00:00 type: Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading body: EP
  • date: 2018-07-02T00:00:00 type: Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&mode=XML&reference=A8-2018-0248&language=EN title: A8-0248/2018 summary: The Committee on Constitutional Affairs adopted the report by Danuta Maria HÜBNER (EPP, PL) and Jo LEINEN (S&D, DE) on the draft Council decision amending the Act concerning the election of the members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage, annexed to Council Decision 76/787/ECSC, EEC, Euratom of 20 September 1976. The committee recommended that the European Parliament give its consent to the draft Council decision. In the explanatory memorandum accompanying the draft legislative resolution, Members recalled that in November 2015, Parliament adopted a proposal for the reform of EU electoral law that aimed to encourage citizens’ participation, to reinforce the European dimension of elections, to make Parliament’s own functioning more efficient, and to improve the conduct of elections. The draft Council decision - which represents the maximum that could be achieved in the current political context and in view of the constraints of the procedure - contains several positive elements that will significantly improve the character and conduct of the European elections in the future: full respect for the constitutional and electoral traditions of the Member States; new rules to make European citizens more aware of the link between national parties and candidates and their affiliation to a European political party; the possibility of voting more easily in European elections, through the introduction of electronic and postal voting, which should result in a higher electoral turnout; the right to vote granted to citizens of the Union residing in third countries; the establishment of a minimum deadline for the establishment of electoral lists; measures against double voting; the designation of a contact authority to exchange data on voters and candidates; a mandatory minimum threshold for the allocation of seats, between 2 and 5 %, for constituencies with more than 35 seats for EP elections, which will make the electoral conditions more equal for political parties in all Member States.
  • date: 2018-07-04T00:00:00 type: Results of vote in Parliament body: EP docs: url: https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=31371&l=en title: Results of vote in Parliament
  • date: 2018-07-04T00:00:00 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P8-TA-2018-0282 title: T8-0282/2018 summary: The European Parliament adopted by 397 votes to 202, with 62 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the draft Council decision amending the Act concerning the election of the members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage annexed to Decision 76/787/ECSC, EEC, Euratom of 20 September 1976. The European Parliament has given its consent to the draft Council decision.
  • date: 2018-07-04T00:00:00 type: End of procedure in Parliament body: EP
  • date: 2018-07-13T00:00:00 type: Act adopted by Council after consultation of Parliament body: EP/CSL
  • date: 2018-07-16T00:00:00 type: Final act published in Official Journal summary: PURPOSE: to make amendments to the Act concerning the election of the Members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage (electoral act). LEGISLATIVE ACT: Council Decision (EU, Euratom) 2018/994 amending the Act concerning the election of the members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage, annexed to Council Decision 76/787/ECSC, EEC, Euratom of 20 September 1976. CONTENT: the Council adopted a series of amendments to the 1976 electoral act which lays down a number of common rules concerning the elections to the European Parliament. The main changes concern: the introduction of a mandatory minimum threshold, between 2 and 5%, for constituencies with more than 35 seats for elections to the European Parliament. This rule will also apply to Member States constituting a single constituency; the establishment of a minimum deadline for the establishment of electoral lists (at least three weeks before the date fixed by the relevant Member State for the holding the elections to the European Parliament); the possibility for Member States to allow for the display, on ballot papers, of the name or logo of the European political party to which the national political party or individual candidate is affiliated; the possibility of voting more easily in the European elections, thanks to the introduction of electronic voting and postal voting ; the introduction of measures against double voting; the possibility for Member States to take the necessary measures to allow those of their citizens residing in third countries to vote in elections to the European Parliament; the designation in each Member State of a contact authority responsible for exchanging data on voters and candidates with its counterparts in other Member States. This Decision shall be subject to approval by the Member States in accordance with their respective constitutional requirements. Member States shall notify the General Secretariat of the Council of the completion of the procedures necessary for that purpose. This Decision shall enter into force on the first day after the last notification has been received. docs: title: Decision 2018/994 url: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexplus!prod!CELEXnumdoc&lg=EN&numdoc=32018D0994 title: OJ L 178 16.07.2018, p. 0001 url: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:L:2018:178:TOC
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