Procedure completed
2017/2069(INI) Strengthening citizens’ rights in a Union of democratic change. EU citizenship report 2017
Lead committee dossier: PETI/8/09412
Legal Basis RoP 052
| Role | Committee | Rapporteur | Shadows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opinion | AFCO | PREDA Cristian Dan (EPP) | |
| Opinion | CULT | ŁYBACKA Krystyna (S&D) | |
| Opinion | FEMM | VALLINA Ángela (GUE/NGL) | |
| Opinion | LIBE | SÓGOR Csaba (EPP) | |
| Lead | PETI | BECERRA BASTERRECHEA Beatriz (ALDE) | CSÁKY Pál (EPP), PAPADAKIS Demetris (S&D), MARIAS Notis (ECR), ALBIOL GUZMÁN Marina (GUE/NGL), ŽDANOKA Tatjana (Verts/ALE), EVI Eleonora (EFD) |
Legal Basis RoP 052
Subjects
Activites
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2017/12/12
Results of vote in Parliament
- Results of vote in Parliament
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T8-0487/2017
summary
The European Parliament adopted by 430 votes to 169 with 48 abstentions a resolution on the EU Citizenship Report 2017: Strengthening Citizens’ Rights in a Union of Democratic Change. It began by recalling that EU citizenship and its related rights were initially introduced in 1992 by the Treaty of Maastricht and were further enhanced by the Treaty of Lisbon, which entered into force in December 2009, as well as by the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. It took note of the Commission’s 2017 EU Citizenship Report, which contains an enumeration of new priorities by field of activity for the years ahead, while urging the Commission to speed up its work on the implementation policy of Union law using all available tools and mechanisms. Challenges: Members remarked that the prospect of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU (Brexit) has highlighted the importance of EU citizenship rights and their crucial role in the everyday lives of millions of EU citizens, and has raised awareness in the EU about the potential loss of rights entailed by Brexit on both sides, with special regard to the 3 million EU citizens resident in the UK and the 1.2 million UK citizens resident in the EU. They acknowledged that on the heels of events in the United Kingdom, the refugee humanitarian crisis, the devastating social and economic impact of austerity policies, the high levels of unemployment and poverty, and the rise in xenophobia and racism in the EU have undermined confidence in the EU system and the European project as a whole. Information on rights: Parliament called on Member States to better inform EU citizens as to their rights and duties and to facilitate equal access to and equal respect for these rights both in their country of origin and in other Member States. It emphasised the existence of exemption clauses granted to certain Member States that give rise to de facto differences in the rights of citizens. It acknowledged the Commission’s efforts to make multiple information and assistance outlets about the EU and the rights it confers on its citizens, such as the Europe Direct network, the Your Europe portal and the e-justice portal, and the proposed Single Digital Gateway available and more accessible, in order to better inform individuals exercising their rights as EU citizens. Members supported the Commission’s commitment to organising an EU-wide awareness and information campaign on the rights of EU citizens. Parliament called for a clear definition of a European policy against anti-European propaganda and false information and proposed that a minimum time in public broadcast media in all Member States be dedicated to content related to EU affairs. It also encouraged Member States to give more space to civic education with a particular focus on EU citizenship and European issues in their school curricula and to adapt teacher training accordingly. Anti-discrimination: Parliament expressed strong regret that for almost a decade now no significant progress has been made in the adoption of the EU-wide Anti-Discrimination Directive. It was of the view that the negotiations should recommence and the effectiveness of EU policies in the field of anti-discrimination should be increased and remaining obstacles removed. It stressed that discrimination due to sex, nationality, sexual orientation, age, language, ethnic origin must be eliminated. It also highlighted the topics of gender equality and protection of minority rights. Participatory democracy: stressing the importance of encouraging participation in the European elections by giving greater prominence to European political parties, Members believed that the reform of the Electoral Act could be an opportunity for the Union to become more democratic, noting that this view is shared by thousands of Europeans. They asked the Commission to act on complaints regarding the exercise of the right to vote in European and municipal elections, to devise a concrete action plan for the introduction of electronic voting in the European Parliament elections 2019 starting at the earliest feasible date, and to make that system more widely available to all EU citizens. EU citizens who move to and reside in another Member State should have the possibility to exercise their right to vote in the national elections of their country of origin. Members called for changes to the conditions of legal admissibility, registration requirements and procedures for examining a European Citizens' Initiative. They also proposed, with the aim of strengthening Union citizenship and the exercise of that citizenship, that the Commission should encourage local authorities to designate councillors responsible for European affairs, since this is the level that is closest to the citizens. Free movement: Parliament called for specific measures for removing obstacles to free movement. It asked the Commission to regularly monitor the application of Directive 2004/38/EC and to take appropriate measures to remove potential obstacles to freedom of movement. Member States were urged to guarantee that their national legislation is sufficiently clear and detailed to ensure that the right of free movement of citizens and their families is respected, to proceed with the proper training of the competent national authorities in this respect.
- 2017/12/11 Debate in Parliament
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2017/11/30
Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading
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A8-0385/2017
summary
The Committee on Petitions adopted the own-initiative report by Beatriz BECERRA BASTERRECHEA (ALDE, ES) on the EU Citizenship Report 2017: Strengthening Citizens’ Rights in a Union of Democratic Change. It began by recalling that EU citizenship and its related rights were initially introduced in 1992 by the Treaty of Maastricht and were further enhanced by the Treaty of Lisbon, which entered into force in December 2009, as well as by the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. It took note of the Commission’s 2017 EU Citizenship Report, which contains an enumeration of new priorities by field of activity for the years ahead. Challenges: Members remarked that the prospect of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU (Brexit) has highlighted the importance of EU citizenship rights and their crucial role in the everyday lives of millions of EU citizens, and has raised awareness in the EU about the potential loss of rights entailed by Brexit on both sides, with special regard to the 3 million EU citizens resident in the UK and the 1.2 million UK citizens resident in the EU. They acknowledged that on the heels of events in the United Kingdom, the refugee humanitarian crisis, the devastating social and economic impact of austerity policies, the high levels of unemployment and poverty, and the rise in xenophobia and racism in the EU have undermined confidence in the EU system and the European project as a whole. Information on rights: the report called on Member States to better inform EU citizens as to their rights and duties and to facilitate equal access to and equal respect for these rights both in their country of origin and in other Member States. It acknowledged the Commission’s efforts to make multiple information and assistance outlets about the EU and the rights it confers on its citizens, such as the Europe Direct network, the Your Europe portal and the e-justice portal, and the proposed Single Digital Gateway available and more accessible, in order to better inform individuals exercising their rights as EU citizens. Anti-discrimination: the committee expressed strong regret that for almost a decade now no significant progress has been made in the adoption of the EU-wide Anti-Discrimination Directive. It was of the view that the effectiveness of EU policies in the field of anti-discrimination should be increased and remaining obstacles removed. It stressed that discrimination due to sex, nationality, sexual orientation, age, language, ethnic origin must be eliminated. It also highlighted the topics of gender equality and protection of minority rights. Participatory democracy: Members believed that the reform of the Electoral Act could be an opportunity for the Union to become more democratic, noting that this view is shared by thousands of Europeans. They asked the Commission to act on complaints regarding the exercise of the right to vote in European and municipal elections, to devise a concrete action plan for the introduction of electronic voting in the European Parliament elections starting at the earliest feasible date, and to make that system more widely available to all EU citizens. EU citizens who move to and reside in another Member State should have the possibility to exercise their right to vote in the national elections of their country of origin. The report went on to call on European political parties to effectively tackle the problem of falling voter turnout and the widening gap between citizens and the EU institutions, and suggested that the introduction of transnational lists to fill a proportion of the seats in the European Parliament would be a positive contribution to fostering the notion of EU citizenship. Members also proposed, with the aim of strengthening Union citizenship and the exercise of that citizenship, that the Commission should encourage local authorities to designate councillors responsible for European affairs, since this is the level that is closest to the citizens. Free movement: Members called for specific measures for removing obstacles to free movement. They asked the Commission to regularly monitor the application of Directive 2004/38/EC and to take appropriate measures to remove potential obstacles to freedom of movement. Member States were urged to guarantee that their national legislation is sufficiently clear and detailed to ensure that the right of free movement of citizens and their families is respected, to proceed with the proper training of the competent national authorities in this respect.
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A8-0385/2017
summary
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2017/11/22
Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
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2017/05/18
Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
Documents
- Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading: A8-0385/2017
- Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
- Results of vote in Parliament: Results of vote in Parliament
- Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T8-0487/2017
| Amendments | Dossier |
| 407 |
2017/2069(INI)
2017/07/14
CULT
45 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1.
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Is of the opinion that in order to ensure that all EU
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3 a. Recalls the need to support teachers and educational practitioners to integrate into their teaching information about EU rights and citizenship;stresses, in this context, the need to further promote and develop online platforms such as School Education Gateway, Teacher Academy, and Open Educational Europe in order that education professionals can access innovative multi- lingual teaching materials, including those adapted for students with special needs, which help them to inspire and motivate students in EU-learning;
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 b (new) 3 b. Underlines the role of mobility in the personal development of young people by enhancing learning and cultural exchange, thereby improving understanding of active citizenship and its practise;encourages the Member States to support EU programmes promoting mobility;
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Values the importance of culture and art as integral aspects of the identity of European peoples and of active
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Values the importance of culture
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Values the importance of culture and art as integral aspects of active EU citizenship; stresses their role in strengthening citizens
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4 a. Encourages raising awareness of European values and Citizens' rights in the EU among learners of all ages through education (formal, non-formal, informal) in order to enhance intercultural understanding and solidarity in Europe;
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 b (new) 4 b. Believes it important to promote an understanding of European culture and values among migrants, in order to make it easier for them to integrate, and to foster intercultural dialogue by promoting migrants' cultures of origin and enhancing their core citizenship skills;
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5.
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Welcomes the Commission’s intention to enhance citizens’ political engagement in the democratic life of the EU; encourages the promotion of democratic participation by intensifying citizens’ dialogue, enhancing citizens’ understanding of the role of EU legislation in their daily lives, and underlining their active and passive right to vote in local and European elections wherever they live within the EU;
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Emphasises the role of education, training, culture and sport in promoting EU citizenship rights, active citizenship and solidarity, as well as in strengthening
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Welcomes the Commission’s intention to enhance citizens’ political engagement in the democratic life of the EU; encourages the promotion of democratic participation by intensifying citizens’ dialogue, enhancing citizens’ understanding of the role of EU legislation in their daily lives, and underlining their right to vote in local and European elections; calls for the development and implementation of e-Democracy tools, such as online platforms, to more directly involve citizens in the EU democratic life, thus fostering their engagement;
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Welcomes the Commission’s intention to enhance citizens’ political engagement in the democratic life of the EU; encourages the promotion of democratic participation by intensifying citizens’ dialogue, enhancing citizens’ understanding of the role of EU legislation in their daily lives, and underlining their right to vote in local and European elections; invites the Commission to exploit, in this regard, social media and digital tools with a special emphasis on increasing participation of young people and persons with disabilities;
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Welcomes the Commission’s intention to enhance citizens’ political engagement in the democratic life of the EU; encourages the promotion of democratic participation by intensifying citizens’ dialogue, enhancing citizens’ understanding of the role of EU legislation in their daily lives, and underlining their right to vote in local and European elections; invites the Commission to exploit, in this regard, social media and digital tools with a special emphasis on increasing participation of young people and under-represented groups;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5 a. Recalls the importance of extending and deepening structured dialogue with Citizens concerning their rights, thereby identifying the obstacles citizens encounter in exercising these rights, and improving the monitoring and effectiveness of EU programmes and initiatives in this area;
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5 a. Recalls the importance of extending and deepening structured dialogue with Citizens concerning their rights, thereby identifying the obstacles citizens encounter in exercising these rights, and improving the monitoring of EU programmes and initiatives in this area;
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Stresses the importance of the role played by the media and information society services, and therefore calls on the Commission and the Member States to create a legal framework promoting the plurality and independence of the media and accessibility of objective information for citizens;
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5 a. Calls on the Commission to develop specific criteria, with particular regard to educational aspects, to evaluate the implementation and performance of the European programmes promoting active citizenship;
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Emphasises the need to ensure that citizens with disabilities and vulnerable citizens can fully enjoy the rights and opportunities granted by EU citizenship; encourages all EU
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Emphasises the need to ensure that citizens with disabilities and vulnerable citizens can fully enjoy the rights and opportunities granted by EU citizenship; encourages all EU countries to implement an EU Disability Card in order to facilitate the mobility of persons with disabilities in the EU; stresses the need to improve the accessibility of EU websites for persons with disabilities;
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 7. Supports the revision of the European Citizens Initiative (ECI), with a view to improving its accessibility and ease of use; highlights the need to enhance the functioning and public awareness of the ECI in order to reach its full potential to foster citizen participation and democratic debate;
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Emphasises the role of education, training, culture and sport in promoting EU citizenship rights, active citizenship and solidarity, as well as in strengthening EU values; calls on the Member States, accordingly, to take appropriate measures to ensure that European civics is effectively included on school curricula; acknowledges that through transnational and intercultural cooperation and exchange, EU programmes such as Erasmus+, the Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme, Europe for Citizens and Creative Europe contribute to the above objectives;
Amendment 30 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 7. Supports the revision of the European Citizens Initiative (ECI), with a view to improving its accessibility and ease of use; highlights the need to enhance the functioning and public awareness of the ECI; points out that, since the the first ECI was launched in 2012, no initiative has led to the presentation of a legislative proposal by the Commission, and that so far only three of the 51 citizens' initiatives submitted since 2012 have met all the conditions set by the Commission; points out that the complexity of the procedures linked to the ECI could serve as another reason to bring the democratic nature of the EU into question;
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 8.
Amendment 32 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 a (new) 8 a. Underlines the fact that the high youth unemployment rate and uncertain opportunities for the future remain a source of major concern for Europe's youth;recalls, in this context, the objectives set out in the Bratislava Declaration and Roadmap to « create a promising economic future for all, safeguard our way of life and provide better opportunities for youth »;calls on the Commission to continue its efforts to support young people by providing them with new opportunities in the field of education, training and employment;
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 b (new) 8 b. Stresses the role of traineeships and apprenticeships in helping students and graduates to acquire practical knowledge and professional experience;supports, in this context, the creation of a unique and centralised platform for cross-border traineeships and apprenticeships as suggested in public consultation;
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 9 9. Stresses the importance of volunteering as an essential component of programmes which foster active citizenship; encourages the development of curricula encompassing educational content and civic involvement as well as the recognition of volunteering as a credit - bearing activity;
Amendment 35 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 9 9. Stresses the importance of volunteering as an essential component of programmes which foster active citizenship; encourages the development of curricula encompassing educational content and civic involvement; suggests that Member States should, if they wish to do so, introduce mechanisms to reward young people for serving their country, whether through civic service, military service, care for the elderly or any other voluntary work;
Amendment 36 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 9 a (new) 9 a. Underlines that volunteering cannot substitute remunerated employment as well as the basic idea that remunerated jobs ensure a sense of belonging to a community, involvement and participation in public life and ultimately civic engagement;
Amendment 37 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 10 10. Highlights the role of sport, particularly at grassroots level, in contributing to active citizenship by promoting mutual understanding and respect, while fostering
Amendment 38 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 10 10. Highlights the role of sport, particularly at grassroots level, in contributing to active citizenship by promoting mutual understanding and respect, while fostering EU values and principles; encourages the Commission to continue supporting sporting initiatives which uphold the practice of active citizenship and civic values, and thus develop a common sense of
Amendment 39 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 10 a (new) 10 a. Supports the production and dissemination of press and multimedia productions in all official EU languages, and where necessary and appropriate in the respective minority languages, with a focus on enhancing EU Citizens' awareness of their rights and strengthening their ability to enforce these rights effectively;
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Points out, accordingly, the importance of civic education as a means of passing on European and national identity, cultures and traditions;points out, in addition, that cooperative programmes such as Erasmus+ or Creative Europe can help to achieve these objectives, in particular by giving value to Member States' cultural heritage, supporting the creative and cultural industriesand facilitating the exchange of best practices and the pursuit of a shared civilisation;
Amendment 40 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 10 a (new) 10 a. Encourages the Commission to continue its support for action and initiatives which promote citizens' rights and active citizenship;highlights the fact that new initiatives in this field should be complementary to the existing ones and not affect current programme budgets;
Amendment 41 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 10 b (new) 10 b. Welcomes the Commission initiative to launch an e-learning tool to facilitate a better understanding and appropriate implementation of free movement rules for the use of local and regional authorities, and to create a 'Single Digital Gateway' to provide online information for citizens and businesses in the EU Single Market;notes that these tools should provide consistent and user- friendly information regarding Citizens' rights in the EU and their practical implementation;points out these tools should be connected with existing tools in this field such as Europe Direct and Your Europe;
Amendment 42 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 10 c (new) 10 c. Underlines the importance of exchange and dissemination of best practices to foster knowledge of EU citizens' rights and their involvement in civic and political life across the EU;
Amendment 43 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 10 d (new) 10 d. Underlines the importance of raising awareness about EU Citizens' rights, especially among youth, by MEPs, and other prominent European figures;
Amendment 44 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 10 e (new) 10 e. Supports the production and dissemination of press and multimedia productions in all official EU languages, with a focus on enhancing EU Citizens' awareness of their rights and strengthening their ability to enforce these rights effectively;
Amendment 45 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 10 f (new) 10 f. Identifies the notion that EU citizenship contributes to creating a more cohesive European society, thereby fostering mutual understanding, intercultural dialogue, and transnational cooperation;
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1 a. Highlights that the Europe for Citizens programme promotes a better understanding of citizens' rights and duties in the EU;recommends therefore that the next generation of the programme should be adopted with a legal base enabling the Parliament to be involved as a co-legislator on equal footing with the Council, and to be equipped with more human and financial resources to increase the number of projects supported;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1 a. Emphasises the importance of promoting the development of transferable skills through the Erasmus+ programme that enhance intercultural understanding and active participation in diverse societies;
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Recalls that continuous efforts are needed to increase EU citizens’ awareness of the
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Recalls that continuous efforts are needed to increase EU citizens’ awareness of their rights and to ensure that those rights are uniformly enforced across the entire EU, highlighting the opportunities brought about by belonging to the EU; underlines the role of educational institutions in raising awareness among young people of their EU rights and in endorsing active citizenship; calls on the Commission, in this context, to provide a common framework for learning about the EU at school; shares the Commission’s view, moreover, that promoting awareness of EU citizenship rights requires cooperation at European, national, regional and local levels;
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Recalls that continuous efforts are needed to increase EU citizens’ awareness of their rights and to ensure that those rights are uniformly enforced across the entire EU; underlines the role of educational institutions in raising awareness among young people of their EU rights and in endorsing active citizenship; calls on the Commission, in this context, to provide a common framework for learning about the EU at school; shares the Commission’s view, moreover, that promoting awareness of EU citizenship rights requires cooperation at European, national, regional and local levels; underlines, to this end, that each level, in particular the regional and local ones, should be adequately and specifically trained;
source: 608.063
2017/09/08
AFCO
42 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1.
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Is engaged in enhancing the democratic dimension of the European elections by reforming current European electoral law with a view to increasing citizens’ participation and confidence in the EU democratic system, thanks to increased transparency and awareness and
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Is engaged in enhancing the democratic dimension of the European elections by reforming current European electoral law with a view to increasing citizens’ participation and confidence in the EU democratic system, thanks to increased transparency and awareness
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Is engaged in enhancing the democratic dimension of the European elections by reforming current European electoral law with a view to increasing citizens’ participation and confidence in the EU democratic system, thanks to increased transparency and awareness and new voting systems, including e- democracy tools; is convinced that better and more focused information on European politics and the impact of EU legislation on citizens' daily lives would improve the turnout in these elections; recalls that promoting the participation in European elections is a shared responsibility between the EU and its Member States;
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Is engaged in enhancing the democratic dimension of the European elections by reforming current European
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Emphasises that involving citizens in the political process of their country of residence helps to build European democracy, and calls for the electoral rights of citizens residing in a Member State of which they are not nationals, as set out in Article 22 TFEU, to be extended to include all remaining elections;
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Urges the European institutions and the Member States to prioritise the fight against social, economic and political exclusion as a precondition for favouring the effective participation of EU citizens in the democratic processes and enabling them to concretely exercise their citizenship’s rights;
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 b (new) 2b. Calls on the Commission to start negotiations with the Council of Europe in order to launch the process for the accession of the EU to the European Social Charter; in the meantime, asks the Commission to use the Charter as guiding standard for the impact assessments carried out on the basis of article 12 of the Interinstitutional Agreement on Better Law-Making and for drafting the explanatory memoranda foreseen in article 25 of the same, having regard to the fifth recital of the Preamble to the Treaties;
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 c (new) 2c. Welcomes the adoption of its Resolution of 25 October 2016 proposing the conclusion of a Union Pact for democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights, as an additional tool able to improve the protection and promotion of human rights –including citizenship’s rights – and to increase citizens’ trust towards the EU institutions; asks the Commission to swiftly submit a proposal giving effect to the Parliament’s Resolution;
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Warns against possible legal uncertainty over the rights of EU citizens living in the UK and those of UK citizens living in the EU arising as a result of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU; believes that
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Warns against possible legal
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Welcomes the Commission’s continuous efforts to ensure that EU citizenship rights are upheld; reminds that, in accordance with Article 9 TEU and Article 20 TFEU, a person of the nationality of a Member State shall be a citizen of the Union; is convinced that EU citizens will only be able to exercise their rights fully if the Member States make a firm commitment to protecting them;
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Warns against possible legal uncertainty over the rights of EU citizens living in the UK and those of UK citizens living in the EU arising as a result of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU; believes that
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Warns against possible legal uncertainty over the rights of EU citizens living in the UK and those of UK citizens living in the EU arising as a result of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU; believes that
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Warns against possible legal uncertainty over the rights of EU citizens living in the UK and those of UK citizens living in the EU arising as a result of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU; believes that an agreement on the core rights should be
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Warns against possible legal
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Stresses that any definitive agreement on citizens’ rights has to be clearly ring-fenced from the rest of the Article 50 negotiations on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union;
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 b (new) 3b. Recalls that in the period 1 January 2013 to 30 June 2016 the majority of complaints received by the European Ombudsman concerned an alleged lack of transparency, as highlighted by the Commission in its Report of 24.1.2017 “On progress towards effective EU citizenship 2013-2016”; is convinced that full transparency and integrity of the EU Institutions is an essential condition to build trust and confidence vis-à-vis EU citizens and to allow them to fully enjoy and exercise their citizenship’s rights; asks all the EU institutions and bodies to address the still existing shortcomings in line with the provisions, amongst others, of articles 9 and 10(3) TEU, 15 TFEU and 41-42 of the Charter of fundamental rights of the European Union;
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4.
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4.
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Welcomes the Commission’s plan to revise the European Citizens’ Initiative
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Points out that, given the increasing impact of the online universe and social media on the lives of citizens, the European institutions should continue to develop new mechanisms and public policies designed to protect the fundamental rights of individuals in the digital environment, focusing on their freedom of expression, their right to privacy and protection of their good name, personal data and personal image, particularly in the case of minors.
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Welcomes the Commission’s continuous efforts to ensure that EU citizenship rights are upheld; is convinced that EU citizens will only be able to exercise their rights fully if they are aware of them and if the Member States make a firm commitment to protecting them;
Amendment 30 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Stresses that the protection of fundamental rights is a key dimension to enable EU citizens to fully participate in the democratic life of the Union; calls therefore on the EU institutions to implement a binding mechanism for the protection of fundamental rights in line with its resolution of 25 October 2016 with recommendations to the Commission on the establishment of an EU mechanism on democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights;
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Considers that the security of EU citizens and the fight against terrorism should be a top priority for the EU; welcomes the steps taken by the EU to reinforce the Security Union; calls for the speedy implementation of the interoperability of EU information systems for security, migration and border management; emphasises that
Amendment 32 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Considers that the security of EU citizens and the fight against terrorism should be a top priority for the EU; welcomes the steps taken by the EU to reinforce the Security Union; calls for the speedy implementation of the interoperability of EU information systems for security, migration and border
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Considers that the security of EU citizens and the fight against terrorism should be a top priority for the EU; welcomes the steps taken by the EU to reinforce the Security Union; calls for the speedy implementation of the interoperability of EU information systems for security, migration and border management; emphasises that the coordination of internal and external EU action in the field of security is essential for the efficient protection of EU citizens
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Considers that the security of EU citizens and the fight against terrorism should be a top priority for the EU; welcomes the steps taken by the EU to reinforce the Security Union; calls for the speedy implementation of the interoperability of EU information systems for security, migration and border management, which should all comply with EU data protection principles; emphasises that the coordination of internal and external EU action in the field of security is essential for the efficient protection of EU citizens.
Amendment 35 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 Amendment 36 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 Amendment 37 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 Amendment 38 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Reiterates its call to the European Commission to relaunch the accession process of the EU to the European Convention on Human Rights by exploring solutions to address the objections of the European Court of Justice opinion of 18 December 2014; believes that the EU accession to the Convention would be a significant improvement for the protection of EU citizens' fundamental rights and would achieve a coherent system for the protection of Human Rights in Europe;
Amendment 39 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Warns that, in carrying out its essential task of ensuring greater public safety in the face of the terrorist threat, the Commission must make every effort to strike the right balance between security and freedom and to safeguard fundamental rights, given that failure to do so would be to neglect the core values of the European Union and strike at its very heart, thereby helping international terrorism to achieve one of its aims;
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1.
Amendment 40 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Is convinced that participation to the democratic processes is founded, first of all, on the effective and non- discriminatory access to information and knowledge, online and offline; asks the Commission to further promote policies and public campaigns aimed at informing citizens about the full range of rights deriving from the Treaties and the EU Charter of fundamental rights and about the tools available to exercise and enforce those rights;
Amendment 41 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 b (new) 5b. Is concerned at the danger of linking terrorism to a particular religion or community; stresses, therefore, the need to strengthen peaceful coexistence, respect, tolerance and solidarity between individuals, groups and communities within in our societies and actively seek to eradicate hostile and xenophobic messages and behaviour targeting certain groups or communities;
Amendment 42 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Calls on the Commission to carry out activities aiming at raising awareness about citizenship rights among EU citizens.
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Welcomes the Commission’s continuous efforts to ensure that EU citizenship rights are upheld; is convinced that EU citizens will only be able to exercise their rights fully if the Member States and the EU institutions make a firm commitment to protecting them;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Reiterates its call upon to the Commission to present as soon as possible a new draft agreement for the accession of the Union to the European Convention on Human Rights in line with the obligations deriving from article 6 TEU, providing positive solutions to the objections raised by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in its Opinion 2/13 of 18 December 2014;
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Is of the opinion that European citizenship should be granted by the EU, and no longer be a derivative of the national citizenship;
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2.
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Is engaged in enhancing the democratic dimension of the European elections by reforming current European electoral law with a view to increasing citizens’ participation and confidence in the EU democratic system, thanks to increased transparency and awareness
source: 610.566
2017/09/19
LIBE
118 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion Citation 1 (new) – having regard to the European Commission Communication of 31 January 2017 entitled “EU Citizenship Report 2017 – Strengthening Citizens’ Rights in a Union of Democratic Change1a _________________ 1a Report from the Commission to the European parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions “Strengthening Citizens' Rights in a Union of Democratic Change: EU Citizenship Report 2017” [COM(2017)30 final/2]
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion Citation 7 (new) – having regard to the studies commissioned by the Policy Department C of the European Parliament at the request of the LIBE and PETI committees in 2016 and 2017 entitled “Obstacles to the right of free movement and residence for European Union citizens and their families”,
Amendment 100 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Expresses its deep concern about the number of Roma people in Europe, who are victims of discriminatory birth registration, have therefore no identity documents, are denied access to essential basic services in their countries of residence, which also lead to their denial of access to any rights in the EU; calls on Member States to take immediate corrective measures in this regard to safeguard the enjoyment of their fundamental human rights and all the rights provided by EU citizenship; calls on the Commission to assess and monitor the situation in Member States and initiate legally binding legislation on the identification and protection of people whose citizenship have not been recognised and have no access to identity documents;
Amendment 101 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Is of the opinion that, in order to fill with substance the reference made to minorities in article 2 of the TEU, and to the equality of all EU citizens in article 9 TEU, the aim of the EU should be to lay down high standards of minority protection, starting from those codified in international law instruments, such as those of the Council of Europe. Such standards should be strongly embedded in a legal framework guaranteeing democracy, rule of law and fundamental rights across the EU;
Amendment 102 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Regrets that for almost a decade now little progress has been made in the adoption of the EU-wide Anti- Discrimination Directive; calls upon all EU institutions and especially the Council to conclude the relevant negotiations as soon as possible;
Amendment 103 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Notes that EU citizens have a right to address the European Ombudsman, which is one of the main rights conferred by the European citizenship.
Amendment 104 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 b (new) 6b. Believes that observation by the EU of the TEU requirement to respect, safeguard and enhance Europe’s cultural and linguistic diversity in the EU both among and within Member States would greatly reinforce the links between citizens and the European project;
Amendment 105 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 b (new) 6b. Maintains that transparency is a key tool for bringing citizens closer to the EU and involving them in its activities; Points out that citizens should have access to all the necessary information, which should be presented in the most clear and comprehensible way.
Amendment 106 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 b (new) 6b. Notes that EU Regulation on establishing a Right, Equality and Citizenship Programme for the period 2014 to 2020 declares, that to achieve the objective set out in Article 3(3) TEU, the Programme shall promote and protect the rights of the child;
Amendment 107 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 c (new) 6c. Welcomes that the Commissions 2017 Citizenship Report is highlighting increasing and improving citizen's participation as a priority; but notes with regret that the Report makes no reference to the right to petition, to the right to refer to the European Ombudsman or to the right to access documents and how to strengthen the rights.
Amendment 108 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 c (new) 6c. Condemns any discrimination or violence against European citizens on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity;
Amendment 109 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 d (new) 6d. Believes that the systematic discrimination of Roma citizens in their home countries, as well as their evictions and expulsions when they exercise their right to free movement to and residence in another member state are in contradiction with the fundamental right of non- discrimination on the basis of ethnic origin and the right move to and reside in another member state and put the foundations of EU citizenship rights to the test;
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion Citation 8 (new) – having regard to the conclusions of the Council of the European Union Nos. 9166/3/11 and 9167/3/11 of 9 June 2011 on the conclusion of the evaluation process and the technical readiness of Bulgaria and Romania to accede to the Schengen area,
Amendment 110 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 d (new) 6d. Expresses that free media and free access to an open Internet are crucial part of democracy;
Amendment 111 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 e (new) 6e. Calls on the Commission to adopt its Strategic engagement for gender equality 2016-2019 as a Communication; recalls that the EU is based on the principle of equality between women and men, and that such a principle can only be achieved through a strategic mainstreaming in all EU policies;
Amendment 112 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 e (new) 6e. Calls on the Commission to mainstream accessibility, participation, non-discrimination and equality concerns in EU legislation in order for European citizens with disabilities to enjoy their fundamental rights on an equal basis with their peers;
Amendment 113 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 f (new) 6f. Welcomes the signing of the EU’s accession to the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence on 13 June 2017; Calls on those Member States, which have already ratified the Convention to ensure its swift and efficient enforcement; strongly encourages Member States, which have not yet ratified it, to do so; stresses that in order to be more effective, measures combating violence against women should be accompanied by actions promoting the financial independence of women; calls on the Commission to further address gender-based economic inequalities and the issue of work-life balance;
Amendment 114 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 f (new) 6f. Welcomes the signing of the EU’s accession to the Istanbul Convention on 13 June 2017; regrets, however, that the Limitation to two areas, i.e. matters related to judicial cooperation in criminal matters and asylum and non-refoulement; urge the Member States to speed up negotiations on the ratification and implementation of the Istanbul Convention;
Amendment 115 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 g (new) 6g. Calls on the Commission and Member States to use all available financial, legislative and supporting tools to promote an age-friendly society and healthy ageing for European citizens among others through inclusive labour markets, innovative and flexible work schemes, access to training, the availability of good quality healthcare and the deployment of e-health products and services;
Amendment 116 #
6h. Notes the longstanding lack of progress on the Horizontal Anti- Discrimination Directive because of the deadlock in the Council;
Amendment 117 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 i (new) 6i. Considers that citizens who move to and reside in another EU Member State should have the possibility to exercise their right to vote in the national elections of their country of origin; recommends Member States that disenfranchise their own nationals who choose to live in another Member State for an extended period of time to ease the conditions for them to preserve their right to vote in national elections.
Amendment 118 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 j (new) 6j. Reiterates its position that the safeguarding of the rights and interests of EU-27 citizens living or having lived in the United Kingdom and of United Kingdom citizens living or having lived in the EU-27 must be treated as an absolute priority in the negotiations on the Withdrawal Agreement; considers, furthermore, that the obligations for the UK and the EU in this respect should be based on reciprocity, equity, symmetry, non-discrimination, fair treatment, as well as full respect of the integrity of EU Law, including the Charter of Fundamental Rights and its enforcement framework.
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion Citation 9 (new) – having regard to the notification given by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to the European Council on 29 March 2017 in accordance with Article 50(2) of the Treaty on European Union,
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion Citation 10 (new) – having regard to the European Parliament resolution of 10 April 2017 on negotiations with the United Kingdom following its notification that it intends to withdraw from the European Union (2017/2593(RSP)),
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion Citation 11 (new) – having regard to the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages,
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion Citation 12 (new) – having regard to the study commissioned by the Policy Department C of the European Parliament at the request of the LIBE committees in 2016 entitled “Towards a Comprehensive EU Protection System for Minorities”,
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion Citation 13 (new) – having regard to the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention),
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion Citation 14 (new) – having regard to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which was adopted in New York on 13 December 2006 and ratified by the EU on 23 December 2010,
Amendment 18 #
– having regard to the Commission communication of 15 November2010 entitled ‘European Disability Strategy 2010-2020: A renewed commitment to a barrier-free Europe’ (COM(2010)0636),
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion Citation 16 (new) – having regard to the Commission Communications on Roma integration (COM(2010)0133, COM(2012)0226, COM(2013)0454, COM(2015)0299, COM(2016)0424), including the Communication on an EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies up to 2020 (COM(2011)0173),
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion Citation 1 (new) – having regard to the Charter on Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights Education,
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion Citation 17 (new) – having regard to the Commission communication of 20 April 2016 entitled “Delivering on the European Agenda on Security to fight against terrorism and pave the way towards an effective and genuine Security Union”,
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion Citation 18 (new) – having regard to Directive (EU) 2015/637 on the coordination and cooperation measures to facilitate consular protection for unrepresented citizens of the Union in third countries and repealing Decision 95/553/EC, OJ L106, 24.4.2015,
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion Recital -A (new) -A whereas the Treaty of Lisbon brought great advances for the citizens of the Union, by consolidating the rights and safeguards of EU citizenship, endowing the Charter of Fundamental Rights with legal value and by bringing the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice into the EU’s legislative field;
Amendment 23 #
A. whereas the Union
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion Recital A a (new) Aa. whereas according to article 21 of the European Charter of human rights, any discrimination based on any ground such as sex, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age or sexual orientation shall be prohibited.
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion Recital A a (new) Aa. whereas the principle of non- discrimination on the basis of nationality, sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation is the primary expression of EU citizenship;
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion Recital A a (new) Aa. whereas Article 20 TFEU provides that any person who holds the nationality of an EU country is also a citizen of the Union,
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion Recital A b (new) Ab. whereas in defining and implementing its policies and activities, the European Union aims to combat discrimination based on sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation;
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion Recital A b (new) Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion Recital A c (new) Ac. whereas the Proposal for a Council Directive on implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation has been blocked by the Member States for almost over a decade.
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion Citation 2 (new) – having regard to the results of the 2015 Public Consultation on EU citizenship conducted by the European Commission, as well as to the results of the 2015 Eurobarometer surveys on electoral rights and on citizenship,
Amendment 30 #
Draft opinion Recital A d (new) Ad. whereas the right to equal treatment is one of the founding principles of the European Union and a fundamental right of all people;
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion Recital A e (new) Ae. whereas approximately 8% of Union citizens belong to a national minority and approximately 10% speak a regional or minority language; whereas there is no Union legal framework to guarantee their rights as a minority; whereas the establishment of an effective mechanism to monitor their rights in the Union is of outmost importance; whereas there is a difference between the protection of minorities and anti- discrimination policies; whereas equal treatment is a basic right, not a privilege, of all citizens;
Amendment 32 #
Draft opinion Recital A f (new) Af. whereas equality bodies are key to combatting discrimination and ensuring the effective implementation of equal treatment legislation; whereas there is a lack of European standards for national equality bodies that ensure they have a sufficiently broad mandate and enjoy financial and organisational independence to perform their tasks.
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion Recital B a (new) Ba. whereas EU citizens may still experience a number of persisting or new barriers to exercising their free movement and residence rights, such as excessive documentation requirements, burdensome procedures for obtaining residence rights, difficulties in accessing health services, or lengthy procedures for obtaining access to work or having professional qualifications recognized;
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion Recital B a (new) Ba. whereas the establishment of an area without internal frontiers but without adequate and serious checks at external borders has caused the huge difficulties we are currently experiencing in Europe;
Amendment 35 #
Draft opinion Recital B a (new) Ba. whereas free movement has been repeatedly put at stake by different Member States due to expulsions and expulsion threats targeting European citizens;
Amendment 36 #
Draft opinion Recital B b (new) Bb. whereas the creation of the Schengen area and the integration of the Schengen acquis into the EU framework greatly enhances freedom of movement in the EU and is one of the greatest achievements of the European integration process; whereas the Council of the European Union in its conclusions no. 9166/3/11 and 9167/3/11 of 9 June 2011 confirmed the successful conclusion of the evaluation process and the technical readiness of Bulgaria and Romania to accede to the Schengen area;
Amendment 37 #
Draft opinion Recital C C. whereas the EU should make its citizens feel that their freedom is protected and their security ensured across its territory while ensuring that their freedoms, rights and privacy are equally respected and protected;
Amendment 38 #
Draft opinion Recital C C. whereas security is one of EU citizens’ greatest concerns; whereas the EU should make its citizens feel that their freedom is protected and their security ensured across its territory; whereas terrorism is a global threat, which needs the to be dealt with effectively at local, national and EU level in order to ensure the security of European citizens;
Amendment 39 #
Draft opinion Recital C a (new) Ca. whereas for an efficiently functioning common European asylum system (CEAS), by fully reviewing the Dublin system substantial progress should be made towards a radical change of the entire immigration policy; whereas, to that end, return policies should be strengthened to ensure that protection is only granted to those who are entitled to it;
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion Citation 2 (new) – having regard to the Articles 20 (2) (c), 24(3) and 23 TFEU
Amendment 40 #
Ca. whereas the right to free movement and its exercise is central to EU citizenship; whereas free movement ranks first among EU citizens in terms of recognition and popularity, as the EU’s most positive achievement;
Amendment 41 #
Draft opinion Recital C a (new) Ca. whereas a high level of personal freedom and rights, including, but not limited to, freedom of thought, of assembly and the right to privacy, are necessary in order to achieve a safe society;
Amendment 42 #
Draft opinion Recital D D. whereas according to the Commission’s impact assessment accompanying Directive (EU) 2015/637, almost 7 million EU citizens travel or live outside the EU in places where their own country does not have an embassy or consulate; whereas the number of unrepresented EU citizens is expected to increase to at least 10 million by 2020;
Amendment 43 #
Draft opinion Recital D a (new) Da. whereas the Lisbon Treaty enhanced EU citizenship including by introducing the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI), through which citizens have the possibility to ask for EU action; whereas the use of the ECI so far presented practical and legal challenges for organisers and did not meet expectations on legislative impact;
Amendment 44 #
Draft opinion Recital E E. whereas since 2012, a growing number of people have reported experiencing some form of discrimination
Amendment 45 #
Draft opinion Recital E E. whereas since 2012, a growing number of people have reported experiencing some form of discrimination
Amendment 46 #
Draft opinion Recital E a (new) Ea. whereas, when laying down the citizenship of the Union, article 9 of the TEU expressly mentions that the Union shall observe the principle of the equality of its citizens, who shall receive equal attention from its institutions, bodies, offices and agencies; whereas, despite the fact that equality and non-discrimination are key principles of the European legal framework, European citizens belonging to national and linguistic minority groups can be treated differently, depending on which EU Member State they live in and contingent on their country’s history, on national and international political contexts etc.;
Amendment 47 #
Ea. whereas experience shows that, pre-accession countries are more willing to respect the Copenhagen criteria on democracy, rule of law and fundamental rights and to advance the situation of minorities; whereas at present there is no adequate framework to guarantee the fulfilment of these criteria after accession and thus to protect EU citizens from the effects breaches of the Copenhagen criteria would entail;
Amendment 48 #
Draft opinion Recital E a (new) Ea. welcomes the e-learning tool on the right of free movement of Union citizens. The e-learning tool is available in 23 languages and it helps local administrations to better understand the rights and obligations that come with free movement.
Amendment 49 #
Draft opinion Recital E b (new) Eb. whereas, when laying down the citizenship of the Union, article 9 of the TEU expressly mentions that the Union shall observe the principle of the equality of its citizens, who shall receive equal attention from its institutions, bodies, offices and agencies; whereas, despite the fact that equality and non-discrimination are key principles of the European legal framework, European citizens belonging to minority groups can be treated differently, depending on which EU Member State they live in and contingent on their country’s history, on national and international political contexts etc.;
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion Citation 3 (new) – having regard to Articles 9 to 11 of the Treaty on European Union, 18 to 25 of the Treaty of Functioning of the European Union and 39 to 46 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights,
Amendment 50 #
Draft opinion Recital E b (new) Eb. whereas at present, except for infringement procedures, the EU has only tools of limited efficacy to respond to systematic and institutional manifestations of discrimination, racism and xenophobia against national and linguistic minorities across the EU Member States; whereas infringement proceedings do not cover threats falling outside the scope of EU secondary law;
Amendment 51 #
Ec. whereas at present, except for infringement procedures, the EU has only tools of limited efficacy to respond to systematic and institutional manifestations of discrimination, racism and xenophobia against minorities across the EU Member States; whereas infringement proceedings do not cover threats falling outside the scope of EU secondary law;
Amendment 52 #
Draft opinion Recital E d (new) Ed. whereas the Roma citizens of the EU make up the largest and most vulnerable minority group in the EU; whereas the Roma face multi-layered discrimination and social exclusion in Europe; Whereas EU soft law tools, such as the EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies (NRIS), have played only a limited role in ensuring that Member States respect their obligations to comply with fundamental human rights standards on minority protection and addressing institutional manifestations of discrimination;
Amendment 53 #
Draft opinion Recital E e (new) Ee. whereas European citizens with disabilities still face many obstacles in getting access to the labour market, to education and training, are at a higher risk of poverty and social exclusion than their peers without disability and have difficulty in participating fully in society and enjoying their rights;
Amendment 54 #
Draft opinion Recital E f (new) Ef. whereas violence against women still occurs widely in the EU; whereas the EU and its member States must take all necessary measures to promote and protect the rights of all women;
Amendment 55 #
Draft opinion Recital E g (new) Eg. whereas, according to article 25 of the Charter of fundamental rights of the EU, ‘the Union recognizes and respects the rights of the elderly to lead a life of dignity and independence and to participate in social and cultural life’;
Amendment 56 #
Draft opinion Recital E h (new) Eh. whereas the disenfranchisement in their countries of origin of EU citizens who move to another EU Member State may have the effect to inhibit them to exercise their right to move and reside in another member state;
Amendment 57 #
Draft opinion Recital E i (new) Ei. whereas each state has the sovereign power to decide who its nationals are, within the limits of international law; whereas stateless persons are often at risk of detention and destitution; whereas there is a strong link between citizenship of the EU and statelessness due to the possibility of access to or loss of EU citizenship by stateless persons living in member States, who are granted Member State nationality or whose Member State nationality is withdrawn;
Amendment 58 #
Draft opinion Recital E j (new) Ej. whereas some of the most important consequences of the expected withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union will concern the legal status, rights and duties of UK nationals living in the European Union and of EU citizens living in the United Kingdom from the moment the withdrawal takes effect;
Amendment 59 #
Draft opinion Recital E k (new) Ek. whereas millions of citizens, who have availed themselves of the right to live, establish a family, work, study and retire in the UK and in the EU 27, and have made defining life choices based on these rights, now face great uncertainties and anxiety regarding their future;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion Citation 3 (new) – having regard to EU Regulation No. 1381/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council on establishing a Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme for the period 2014to 2020,
Amendment 60 #
Draft opinion Paragraph -1 (new) -1. Calls on the Council of the EU and the European Council to allow all countries that fulfil the necessary technical criteria to become Members of the Schengen Area, so that all EU citizens can enjoy their freedom of movement unhindered by border-checks;
Amendment 61 #
Draft opinion Paragraph -1 a (new) -1a. Calls on the Commission to regularly monitor the application of Directive 2004/38/EC in Member States and to take appropriate measures to remove potential obstacles to the freedom of movement;
Amendment 62 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1.
Amendment 63 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Recalls that EU legislation on security should be up-to-date, effective and efficient in preventing, detecting and reacting to evolving security threats; calls for the urgent implementation of the European Agenda on Security, the finalisation of pending legislation, better enforcement of existing EU legal instruments in this field, and more efficient information exchange among Member States and with EU agencies; stresses that human rights have to be at the core of the counter terrorism and prevention of radicalisation policies of the Union to ensure public safety while respecting fundamental rights of individuals, including the right to security, privacy, freedom of expression, and association;
Amendment 64 #
1. Recalls that EU legislation on security should be up-to-date, effective and efficient in preventing, detecting and reacting to evolving security threats; calls for the urgent implementation of the European Agenda on Security, the finalisation of pending legislation, better enforcement of existing EU legal instruments in this field, and more efficient information exchange and coordination among Member States and with EU agencies; emphasises that the harmonisation of internal and external EU action in the field of security is essential for the efficient protection of EU citizens;
Amendment 65 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Recalls that EU legislation on security should be up-to-date, effective and efficient in preventing, detecting and reacting to evolving security threats; calls for
Amendment 66 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Recalls that in the period 1 January 2013 to 30 June 2016 the majority of complaints received by the European Ombudsman concerned an alleged lack of transparency, as highlighted by the Commission in its Report of 24.1.2017 “On progress towards effective EU citizenship 2013-2016”; is convinced that full transparency and integrity of the EU Institutions is an essential condition to build trust and confidence vis-à-vis EU citizens and to allow them to fully enjoy and exercise their citizenship’s rights; asks all the EU institutions and bodies to address the still existing shortcomings in line with the provisions, amongst others, of articles 9 and 10(3) TEU, 15 TFEU and 41-42 of the Charter of fundamental rights of the European Union;
Amendment 67 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Welcomes the European Solidarity Corps initiative which creates opportunities for young people to volunteer or to work in projects in their own country or abroad that benefit communities and all European people.
Amendment 68 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Calls on the EU institutions and Member States to intensify efforts to develop an effective and genuine Security Union that addresses all dimensions of the terrorist threat;
Amendment 69 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Points out that a very worrying phenomenon of radicalisation is taking place in many EU prisons;
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion Citation 4 (new) – having regard to the Copenhagen criteria, and the body of Union rules that a candidate country must fulfil if it wishes to join the Union (the acquis),
Amendment 70 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Recalls that thousands of people throughout the European Union are denied their status as citizens due to their administrative status; calls on the immediate recognition as citizens of all people residing in the EU;
Amendment 71 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 b (new) 1b. Stresses that the protection of fundamental rights is a key dimension to enable EU citizens to fully participate in the democratic life of the Union; calls therefore on the EU institutions to implement a binding mechanism for the protection of fundamental rights in line with its resolution of 25 October 2016 with recommendations to the Commission on the establishment of an EU mechanism on democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights;
Amendment 72 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 b (new) 1b. Calls on Member States to combat strenuously the growing phenomenon of radicaliation in prisons and provide for exemplary sentences for those who have soiled their hands with terrorist acts, or been involved in such acts;
Amendment 73 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 b (new) 1b. Welcomes the European Aid Volunteers initiative which enables Europeans to take part in humanitarian assistance programs worldwide.
Amendment 74 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 b (new) 1b. Recalls that, in order to fully access citizenship status, all the rights covered by the European Charter of Fundamental Rights including, but not limited to, housing, healthcare, employment, or education, must be guaranteed by the public institutions;
Amendment 75 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 c (new) 1c. Strongly deplores the fact that the Council has still not adopted the 2008 proposal for a directive on implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation; welcomes the prioritisation of this directive by the Commission; reiterates its call to the Council to adopt the proposal as soon as possible;
Amendment 76 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 c (new) 1c. Points out that, to date, in actual fact, the EU and many Member States have failed to comply with the criteria that define refugee status, since, in Europe, as empirically evidenced by the case of Italy, the vast majority of the people admitted are not refugees but economic migrants, who subsequently remain on EU territory and fuel social tensions;
Amendment 77 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 d (new) 1d. Calls on the European Commission to propose relevant legislation to guarantee the complete independence, effectiveness, sufficient powers and adequate resources of the national equality bodies, including EQUINET, to perform their role in terms of tackling discrimination and promoting equality of treatment. Recalls the importance of the Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme 2014-2020 to further provide practicable support for anti-discrimination at grassroots level.
Amendment 78 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 e (new) 1e. Recalls the European Parliament’s Resolution of 25 October 2016 proposing the conclusion of a Union Pact for democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights is an additional tool able to improve the protection and promotion of human rights –including citizenship’s rights – and to increase citizens’ trust towards the EU institutions; asks the Commission to swiftly submit a proposal giving effect to the Parliament’s Resolution;
Amendment 79 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 f (new) 1f. Notes the intersectionality between gender and other grounds of discrimination and the disproportionate impact of multiple discrimination on women; encourages Member States to work with regional and local authorities, law enforcement bodies, national equality bodies and civil society organisations to increase monitoring of the intersectionality between different grounds of discrimination and gender;
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion Citation 5 (new) – having regard to the hearings organised by the Committee on Petitions in 2016 and 2017, namely to the joint public hearing co-organised by LIBE, PETI and EMPL “The situation and rights of EU Citizens in the UK”, Committees on May 11, 2017; the public hearing “Obstacles to EU citizen’s freedom to move and work in the Internal Market” organised on October 11, 2016; the public hearing “Fighting against discrimination and protecting minorities” organised on May 4, 2017 and finally, the joint public hearing organised by the European Commission (DG Justice and Consumers) and the European Parliament (LIBE, PETI, AFCO and JURI Committees) on Union Citizenship in practice on March 15, 2016,
Amendment 80 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 g (new) 1g. Condemns all forms of discrimination and violence against lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual and intersex people (LGBTI), as fostered by laws and policies that restrict the fundamental rights of LGBTI people; calls on the Commission and Member States to adopt laws and policies to combat homophobia and transphobia; calls, in this regard, on the Commission to issue an action plan or strategy for equality on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity, as repeatedly called for by the Parliament; including in the EU Roadmap against homophobia and discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity.
Amendment 81 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 Amendment 82 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Considers de-radicalisation and the prevention of radicalisation an absolute priority for the EU and strongly advocates the strengthening of specific cross- sectorial program
Amendment 83 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Considers
Amendment 84 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Considers de-radicalisation and the prevention of radicalisation an absolute priority for the EU and strongly
Amendment 85 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Considers de-radicalisation and the prevention of radicalisation an absolute priority for the EU and strongly advocates the strengthening
Amendment 86 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Notes that civic education and intercultural dialogue improves citizens’ understanding of the importance of social and political participation, while human rights education raises their awareness of their rights and teaches them respect for the rights of others;
Amendment 87 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 b (new) 2b. Notes that Member States should include education for democratic citizenship and human rights education in the curricula at all school levels. Member States should also continue to support, review and update their education system for democratic citizenship and human rights education.
Amendment 88 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 c (new) 2c. Notes that one of the fundamental goals of all education for democratic citizenship and human rights education is not just equipping learners with knowledge, understanding and skills, but also empowering them with the readiness to take action in society in the defence and promotion of human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
Amendment 89 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Notes that EU citizens have the right to, in a territory of a non-EU country where their Member State of origin does not have representation, the protection of the diplomatic and consular authorities of any other Member State on the same conditions as that state’s nationals
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion Citation 6 (new) – having regard to Directive 2004/38/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on the right of citizens of the Union and their family members to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States,
Amendment 90 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 Amendment 91 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Calls on the Commission to
Amendment 92 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Stresses that the ECI is an innovative tool for participatory democracy in the European Union through which citizens have the opportunity to articulate their aspirations and shape the development of EU policies; points out, however, that there are significant deficits in the functioning of the ECI that need to be addressed in order to make the ECI more effective; Expresses concern over the Commission’s follow up of successful initiatives;
Amendment 93 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Stresses that victims of crime and terrorism must be guaranteed a
Amendment 94 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Stresses that victims of crime and terrorism must be guaranteed a minimum decent level of rights without discrimination across the EU, and that they should be treated with respect and dignity and receive appropriate support in accordance with their individual needs;
Amendment 95 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Calls on the Commission and the Council to break the deadlock and pass the so-called Anti-discrimination Directive;
Amendment 96 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 b (new) 5b. Calls on Member States, as signatories of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, to meet their obligation to guarantee the right to vote to people with disabilities;
Amendment 97 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 Amendment 98 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6.
Amendment 99 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Considers that, in order to better reach the potential of EU citizenship, the EU must step up its efforts to guarantee the protection of the founding values of the EU, including
source: 610.707
2017/10/06
PETI
202 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 1 a (new) - having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 5 a (new) - having regard to respect for the rule of law, enshrined in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union,
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Invites the Commission to take more active steps against LGBTI discrimination and to combat homophobia by defining concrete action to be taken at national level; calls at the same time for the EU institutions to monitor LGBTI rights closely and to promote the recognition of cross-border rights for LGBTI persons and their families in the EU;
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Invites the Commission to take more active steps against LGBTI discrimination and to combat homophobia by defining concrete action to be taken at national level; calls at the same time for the EU institutions to monitor LGBTI rights closely and to promote the recognition of cross-border rights for LGBTI persons and their families in the EU; calls on the Commission to take meaningful measures to eliminate discrimination against women in the EU, overcoming the pay gap and ensuring that their sexual and reproductive rights – particularly the right to abortion – are upheld throughout the Union; calls upon legislators to expedite their activities with regard to the adoption of a comprehensive directive on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States as regards the accessibility requirements for products and services;
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6.
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Invites the Commission to take more active steps against LGBTI discrimination and to combat homophobia by defining concrete action to be taken at national and European levels; calls at the same time for the
Amendment 104 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Invites the Commission to take more active steps against LGBTI discrimination and to combat homophobia
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Welcomes the Commission’s proposal to sign and conclude the EU’s accession to the Istanbul Convention and reaffirms its support for EU accession to the Istanbul Convention on a broad basis and without reservations; calls for improvement in the collection of disaggregated data on all forms of violence covered by the Convention, in cooperation with the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE),in order to devise a common methodology to compare databases and analysis; calls on all Member States which have not yet done so to swiftly ratify the Istanbul Convention; calls on the Commission to propose a directive on violence against women;
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 b (new) 6b. Calls on the Council to step up its efforts to unblock the Directive on Women on Boards;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 c (new) 6c. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to take specific measures to address the needs of vulnerable citizens facing intersectional multiple discrimination that prevents them from exercising their rights or participating fully in society, such as women with disabilities, ethnic minorities, immigrant and refugee women, or those facing poverty and social exclusion;
Amendment 108 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 d (new) 6d. Reiterates that ensuring the ability of those facing intersectional multiple discrimination, such as women and girls with disabilities, to exercise their citizenship rights requires a holistic approach involving targeted policies, from inter sectional data collection to educational programmes and social inclusion measures; invites the Commission and the Member States to formulate and publish strategies for tackling intersectional discrimination;
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 e (new) 6e. Emphasises the need to tackle gender-based violence faced by women and girls and LGBTI people in politics and in the wider public sphere, including online harassment and intimidation;
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 5 b (new) - having regard to Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU),
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 f (new) 6f. Reaffirms its call for the Commission to adopt its Strategic engagement for gender equality 2016- 2019 as a communication; recalls that the EU is based on the principle of equality between women and men, and that such a principle can only be achieved through strategic mainstreaming in all EU policies;
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 g (new) 6g. Welcomes the submission by the Commission of the work-life balance package and calls on all institutions to deliver on these measures as soon as possible;
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 h (new) 6h. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to promote further cooperation in situations where workers receive benefits and pay contributions in different EU Member States, by reinforcing the cross-border exchange of information between the different social security authorities, so that all of the contributions can be duly taken into account in calculating pension rights; draws attention to the persistent gender pay and pension gaps in the EU, which, combined with austerity measures and public sector cuts, undermine the possibility of genuine economic autonomy for millions of women;
Amendment 113 #
6i. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to actively make use of EU funds as tools for enhancing gender equality; calls, in particular, for the application of gender mainstreaming within the CAP and rural cohesion policies;
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 j (new) 6j. Urges the Commission to continue mainstreaming gender in all EU policies by paying particular attention to impact assessments and ex-post assessments of legislation and policies;
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Recognises that the protection of minority rights is mainly a national competence; recalls, however, that both the Treaties and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights make reference to the protection of national minorities and
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7.
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Recognises that the protection of
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7.
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Recognises that the protection of minority rights is mainly a national competence; recalls, however, that both the Treaties and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights make reference to the protection of national minorities and discrimination practised on the grounds of language; underlines the need for the Commission to play an active role in the protection of minorities, by employing every means available, for instance by promoting awareness-raising meetings, seminars and resolutions in order to encourage national governments to find durable solutions and to promote the culture of linguistic diversity in the Member States, this being a unique intangible heritage of the European continent;
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 5 c (new) - having regard to Article 3(2) of the Treaty on European Union enshrining the right of freedom of movement of persons,
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Expresses its deep concern about the number of Roma people in Europe, who are victims of discriminatory birth registration, have therefore no identity documents, are denied access to essential basic services in their countries of residence, which also lead to their denial of access to any rights in the EU; calls on Member States to take immediate corrective measures in this regard to safeguard the enjoyment of their fundamental human rights and all the rights provided by EU citizenship; calls on the Commission to assess and monitor the situation in Member States and initiate legally binding legislation on the identification and protection of people whose citizenship have not been recognised and have no access to identity documents
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 b (new) 7b. Notes the Commission’s latest communication (COM(2017) 482 final) regarding the European citizens’ initiative proposing the revision of the Regulation (EU) No 211/2011 on the citizens’ initiative of 16 February 2011;calls on the Commission to take note about the ongoing consideration of ECI revision within the Parliament; stresses the important role of the Parliament in the legislative procedure to make the ECI instrument more user-friendly while ensuring a real and democratic citizens’ participation in the European debate and agenda setting;
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 c (new) 7c. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to put forward specific actions for removing obstacles of free movement following the European Parliament resolution of 15 March 2017 on obstacles to EU citizens’ freedom to move and work in the internal market (2016/3042(RSP)) and the European Parliament resolution of 28 April 2016 on safeguarding the best interests of the child across the EU on the basis of petitions addressed to the European Parliament (2016/2575(RSP));
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Notes with appreciation the Commission’s efforts to make multiple
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Notes
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Notes with appreciation the Commission’s efforts to make multiple information and assistance outlets about the EU and Citizenship rights, such as the Europe Direct network, the Your Europe portal and the e-justice portal, available and more accessible;
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Notes
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8.
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Notes with appreciation the Commission’s efforts to make multiple information and assistance outlets about the EU and Citizenship rights, such as the Europe Direct network, the Your Europe portal and the e-justice portal, available and more accessible; urges the Commission to systematise the information and possibly plan for a single, EU-wide information window; at the same time, invites the Member States to promote the SOLVIT network and its services among EU citizens, as well as other redress mechanisms, both at EU level, such as the Committee on Petitions and the European Ombudsman and at national level, such as the regional or local ombudsman;
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 a (new) 8a. Calls on the Commission to reinforce the SOLVIT network by improving the interaction between its services and national centres in order to ensure a better follow-up of unresolved and repetitive cases as well as a greater articulation between the different EU law enforcement tools such as EU PILOT and CHAP ;at the same time, invites the Member States to promote the SOLVIT network and its services among EU citizens, as well as other redress mechanisms, both at EU level, such as the Committee on Petitions and the European Ombudsman and at national level, such as the local ombudsman;
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 5 c (new) - having regard to Article 165 of the Treaty on European Union,
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 b (new) 8b. Calls on Member States to better inform EU citizens as to their rights and duties, and to facilitate entitlement to these rights being respected equally both in their country of origin and in any other Member State
Amendment 131 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Points out that citizens should have access to all the necessary information, which should be presented in a clear and comprehensible way, in order to be able to make informed decisions on the exercise of their Treaty rights, and especially their right to free movement and residence within the EU and political participation; regrets, in this connection, the opacity and lack of transparency in negotiations on agreements that, like the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), affect basic aspects relating to the exercise of citizenship; recommends the promotion of transparency and proactive publishing as the most appropriate tools to that end;
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9.
Amendment 133 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Points out that citizens should have full access to all the necessary information, which should be presented in a clear and comprehensible way, in order to be able to make informed decisions on the exercise of their Treaty rights
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Points out that citizens should have access to all
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Points out that citizens should have access to all the necessary information, which should be presented in a clear and comprehensible way, in order to be able to make informed decisions on the exercise of their Treaty rights, and especially their right to free movement and residence within the EU; recommends the promotion of transparency and proactive
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Points out that citizens should have access to all the necessary information, which should be presented in a clear and comprehensible way, in order to be able to make informed decisions on the exercise of their Treaty rights, and especially their right to free movement, which is one of the key elements of EU citizenship, and residence within the EU; recommends the promotion of transparency and proactive publishing as the most appropriate tools to that end;
Amendment 137 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 a (new) 9a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to constantly promote women’s representation in leadership positions, particularly in political decision-making and at business board level, and to facilitate women’s entry into leadership by eliminating gender stereotypes and encouraging women’s participation in on-the-job training, together with other policy tools such as work-life balance, to enable them to fully exercise their rights of EU citizenship;
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 b (new) 9b. Recalls that the Committee on Petitions has been advocating the adoption of a binding treaty related to access by blind and visually impaired persons to published works since 2011;welcomes the inter-institutional agreement reached to implement the Marrakesh Treaty in EU copyright law, and reiterates its call for a swift ratification of the Marrakesh Treaty by the EU and its Member States
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 c (new) 9c. Recalls that access to health services, coordination of social security schemes and recognition of professional qualifications in other Member States are the areas where EU citizens are often facing difficulties and calls for a vigorous enforcement by the Commission in order to redress those situations ;
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 6 – having regard to Articles 2, 6 and 9-12 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU), to Articles 18-25 of the TFEU and to Articles 11 and 39-46 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights,
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 d (new) 9d. Emphasises that quality citizenship education for all ages, be it formal, informal or non-formal, is crucial for the confident exercise of democratic citizens’ rights and the functioning of a democratic society, and in order to overcome discrimination and prejudice, as well as gender inequality; reiterates the need for investment in citizenship and civic education and education for gender equality across Europe;
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 e (new) 9e. Urges the Commission to launch an Education for European Citizenship strategy incorporating a proposed guideline curriculum, in the form of a recommendation to the Council and which Member State education systems could adopt, on the basis of Article 165 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union;
Amendment 142 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 f (new) 9f. Encourages Member States to give more space to political education on EU affairs, inter alia on EU citizens’ rights, in their school curricula and to adapt teacher training accordingly; considers that Member States should promote school visits to EU institutions in their educational systems; emphasises that accessible education plays a vital role in informing future citizens
Amendment 143 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 g (new) 9g. Highlights the importance of the political participation of children and young people, particularly of women and girls; calls for more action on the part of the Commission and the Member States in guaranteeing children’s rights and stimulating their participation;
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Acknowledges that enhancing voter turnout in European elections is a shared responsibility between the EU and Member States; encourages the latter to promote participation in democratic life by better informing citizens of their right to stand and vote in local and European elections through various channels and in a comprehensible language, and by removing any barriers to their participation, such as linguistic discrimination, unfair practices or corruption; urges the Member States to remove accessibility obstacles for citizens with disabilities and to facilitate voting for
Amendment 145 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Acknowledges that enhancing voter turnout in European elections is a shared responsibility between the EU and Member States; encourages the latter to promote participation in democratic life by better informing citizens of their right to stand and vote in local and European elections through various channels and in a comprehensible language, and by removing any barriers to their participation, such as economic, social and linguistic discrimination, unfair practices or corruption; urges the Member States to remove accessibility obstacles for citizens with disabilities and to facilitate voting for their citizens residing abroad by embracing electronic identification and voting solutions;
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Acknowledges that enhancing voter turnout in European elections is a shared responsibility between the EU and Member States; encourages the latter to promote participation in democratic life by better informing citizens of their right to stand and vote in local and European elections
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 a (new) 10a. Calls on European political parties to effectively tackle the problem of decreasing levels of voters turnout and the widening gap between citizens and the EU institutions; considers the nomination of Europe wide candidates for Commission president by European political parties an important step towards building a genuine European public space, but is convinced that the prospect of a Europeanisation of the electoral campaign can only be achieved through pan-European activities and networks of local and national media, especially public ones in the fields of radio, TV, seminars and the internet
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 b (new) 10b. Expresses its concern at the increase in political disaffection among the public resulting from austerity policies and cuts to rights and freedoms; takes the view that it must be a priority to combat xenophobia, racism, discrimination and hate speech, the growth in which is a consequence, among other things, of these austerity policies and cuts to rights and freedoms;
Amendment 149 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 c (new) 10c. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to promote further measures to ensure women’s fair and equal access to all political, cultural and social spheres as a necessary condition for the effective exercise of citizenship rights in the EU;
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 6 – having regard to Articles 9-12 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU), to Articles 18-25 of the TFEU and to
Amendment 150 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Believes that the reform of the Electoral Act on the basis of Parliament’s legislative initiative is an unmissable opportunity for the Union to become more democratic; highlights the fact that thousands of Europeans share this view, as evidenced by the ‘Let me Vote’ European Citizens’ Initiative, which aims to allow citizens to vote in their place of residence;
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Believes that the reform of the Electoral Act on the basis of Parliament’s legislative initiative is an unmissable opportunity for the Union to become more democratic; highlights the fact that thousands of Europeans share this view, as evidenced by the ‘Let me Vote’ European Citizens’ Initiative, which aims to allow citizens to vote in their place of residence; commends the Commission for exploring the possibilities for non-national EU citizens who have exercised their right to free movement to vote in national elections in the country in which they reside;
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Believes that the reform of the Electoral Act
Amendment 153 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Believes that the reform of the Electoral Act on the basis of Parliament’s legislative initiative is an unmissable opportunity for the Union to become more democratic; highlights the fact that thousands of Europeans share this view, as evidenced by the ‘Let me Vote’ European Citizens’ Initiative, which aims to allow citizens to vote in their place of residence; believes that third country nationals with a legal bond with a Member States, such as permanent residence or possession of a travel document issued by that State, should be able to actively and passively take part in all the electoral processes therein; commends the Commission for exploring the possibilities for non-national EU citizens who have exercised their right to free movement to vote in national elections in the country in which they reside; urges the Commission to devise a concrete action plan for the introduction of electronic voting with a view to the 2019 European Parliament elections;
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Believes that the reform of the Electoral Act on the basis of Parliament’s legislative initiative is an unmissable opportunity for the Union to become more democratic; highlights the fact that thousands of Europeans share this view, as evidenced by the ‘Let me Vote’ European Citizens’ Initiative, which aims to allow citizens to vote in their place of residence; commends the Commission for exploring
Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Believes that the reform of the Electoral Act on the basis of Parliament’s legislative initiative is an unmissable opportunity for the Union to become more democratic; highlights the fact that thousands of Europeans share this view, as evidenced by the ‘Let me Vote’ European Citizens’ Initiative, which aims to allow citizens to vote in their place of residence; commends the Commission for exploring the possibilities for non-national EU citizens who have exercised their right to free movement to vote in national elections in the country in which they reside; suggests that the introduction of transnational lists to elect a part of the seats to the European Parliament would be a positive contribution to fostering the notion of EU citizenship; urges the Commission to devise a concrete action plan for the introduction of electronic voting with a view to the 2019 European Parliament elections;
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Believes that the reform of the Electoral Act on the basis of Parliament’s legislative initiative is an unmissable opportunity for the Union to become more democratic; highlights the fact that thousands of Europeans share this view, as evidenced by the ‘Let me Vote’ European Citizens’ Initiative, which aims to allow citizens to vote in their place of residence; on this regard welcomes the Commission’s announced actions to remove barriers to non-national EU citizens voting in local and European elections in their state of residence; and commends the Commission for exploring the possibilities for non-national EU citizens who have exercised their right to free movement to vote in national elections in the country in which they reside; urges the Commission to devise a concrete action plan for the introduction of electronic voting with a view to the 2019 European Parliament elections;
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Believes that the reform of the Electoral Act on the basis of Parliament’s legislative initiative is an unmissable opportunity for the Union to become more democratic; highlights the fact that thousands of Europeans share this view, as evidenced by the ‘Let me Vote’ European Citizens’ Initiative, which aims to allow citizens to vote in their place of residence; commends the Commission for exploring the possibilities for non-national EU citizens who have exercised their right to free movement to vote in national elections in the country in which they reside; urges the Commission to devise a concrete action plan for the introduction of electronic voting with a view to the 2019 European Parliament elections; urges the Member States to provide stateless people permanently legally resident in the Union with access to vote in local and European Parliament election;
Amendment 158 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Believes that the reform of the Electoral Act on the basis of Parliament’s legislative initiative is an unmissable opportunity for the Union to become more democratic; highlights the fact that thousands of Europeans share this view, as evidenced by the ‘Let me Vote’ European Citizens’ Initiative, which aims to allow citizens to vote in their place of residence; commends the Commission for exploring the possibilities for non-national EU citizens who have exercised their right to
Amendment 159 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Believes that the reform of the Electoral Act on the basis of Parliament’s legislative initiative is an unmissable opportunity for the Union to become more democratic; highlights the fact that thousands of Europeans share this view, as evidenced by the ‘Let me Vote’ European Citizens’ Initiative, which aims to allow citizens to vote in their place of residence; commends the Commission for exploring the possibilities for non-national EU citizens who have exercised their right to free movement to vote in national elections in the country in which they reside; urges the Commission to devise a concrete action plan for the introduction of electronic voting with a view to the 2019 European Parliament elections and to opening up that system more widely to all citizens, whatever their personal, family, or work situation;
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 6 – having regard to Articles 9-12 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU), to Articles 18-25 of the TFEU and to Articles 21, and 39-46 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights,
Amendment 160 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Believes that the reform of the Electoral Act on the basis of Parliament’s legislative initiative
Amendment 161 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 a (new) 11a. Calls on the Member States that have ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to meet their obligation to guarantee the right to vote to people with disabilities so as to enable them to exercise European citizenship without discrimination;
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 b (new) 11b. Recognises that knowledge and the full exercise of the rights linked to Union citizenship, including participation in European Parliament elections, requires not only information but also training campaigns;
Amendment 163 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 c (new) 11c. Encourages the ‘Europe for Citizens’ programme to finance more innovative projects with the potential to have a systemic impact, leaving behind the paradigm based on financing seminars and exchanges of best practice that are simply drops in the ocean, however much of a transnational component they may have;
Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 d (new) 11d. Proposes, with the aim of strengthening Union citizenship and the exercise of that citizenship, that the Commission should encourage local authorities to designate councillors responsible for European affairs, since this is the level that is closest to citizens;
Amendment 165 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 e (new) 11e. Takes the view that Union citizenship requires action by the Commission to strengthen the European cultural dimension; suggests creating the ‘Get to Know Europe’ programme in parallel with and as a complement to ‘Europe for Citizens’;
Amendment 166 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 Amendment 167 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Expresses its conviction that free media and access to a plurality of voices in society and in the media are an indispensable part of a healthy democracy; underlines the need for a defined EU policy to tackle anti-European propaganda and false information
Amendment 168 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12.
Amendment 169 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Expresses its conviction that free media and access to a plurality of voices in society and in the media are an indispensable part of a healthy democracy; underlines the need for a defined EU policy to tackle
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 6 a (new) – having regard to the Proposal for a Council Regulation on jurisdiction, the recognition and enforcement of decisions in matrimonial matters and the matters of parental responsibility, and on international child abduction (recast) (COM(2016)0411),
Amendment 170 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Expresses its conviction that
Amendment 171 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Expresses its conviction that free media and access to a plurality of voices in society and in the media are an indispensable part of a healthy democracy; underlines the need for a defined EU policy
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Expresses its conviction that free media and access to a plurality of voices in society and in the media are an indispensable part of a healthy democracy and that media literacy is crucial and should be developed at an early age; underlines the need for a defined EU policy to tackle anti-European propaganda and false information; proposes that EU institutions proceed with the creation of a European television channel broadcasting in all Member States;
Amendment 173 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Expresses its conviction that free media and access to a plurality of voices in society and in the media are an indispensable part of a healthy democracy; underlines the need for a defined EU policy to tackle anti-European propaganda and false information;
Amendment 174 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 a (new) 12a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to promote measures to combat discriminatory statements against women as well as gender stereotypes;
Amendment 175 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 b (new) 12b. Deplores any populist rhetoric that aims to create discriminatory practices based on grounds of nationality
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Maintains that full transparency is a key tool for bringing citizens closer to the EU and involving them in its activities; recommends
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Maintains that transparency is a key tool for bringing citizens closer to the EU and involving them in its activities; recommends the promotion of the right to
Amendment 178 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Maintains that transparency is a key tool for bringing citizens closer to the EU and involving them in its activities; notes that access to documents represents 30% of the inquiries closed by the European Ombudsman in 2016 and therefore recommends the promotion of the right to access documents and the translation of as many documents as possible into all EU languages; calls for an horizontal directive on whistle-blowing which sets out appropriate channels and procedures for reporting cases; supports the intensification of dialogue with citizens and the encouragement of public debates in order to improve EU citizens’ understanding of the impact of the EU on their daily lives and to allow them to take part in an exchange of views, through slots in television programmes for targeted audiences;
Amendment 179 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Maintains that transparency is a key tool for bringing citizens closer to the EU and involving them in its activities; recommends the promotion of the right to access documents and the translation of as many documents as possible into all EU languages, including co-official languages in the EU’s various regions; supports the intensification of dialogue with citizens and the encouragement of public debates in order to improve EU citizens’ understanding of the impact of the EU on their daily lives and to allow them to take part in an exchange of views, through slots in television programmes for targeted audiences;
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 6 a (new) – having regard to the under Article 25 TFEU Report on progress towards effective EU citizenship 2013-2016
Amendment 180 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Maintains that linguistic diversity and transparency
Amendment 181 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Maintains that transparency is a key tool for bringing citizens closer to the EU and involving them in its activities; recommends the promotion of the right to access documents and the translation of as many documents as possible into all
Amendment 182 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Maintains that transparency is a key tool for bringing citizens closer to the EU and involving them in its activities;
Amendment 183 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Supports the promotion of a culture of public service among EU and national institutions and considers that the EU should lead by example through the highest administrative and transparency standards, as envisaged elsewhere in Article 41 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights; proposes that local EU offices in the Member States be transformed into one- stop shops, offering comprehensive services for EU citizens, so as to reduce bureaucracy and the obstacles it poses to the exercise of EU citizenship rights; highlights the importance of the ‘once only’ project, which eliminates
Amendment 184 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Supports the promotion of a culture of service among EU and national institutions and considers that the EU should lead by example through the highest administrative and transparency standards,
Amendment 185 #
14a. Recognises that the UK withdrawal from the EU will be the first instance in the history of the EU that citizens will have their rights, that have been acquired through the treaties, removed, and highlights the impact this loss of rights will have on citizens on both sides;
Amendment 186 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 b (new) 14b. Recommends to both the European Union and the UK that the acquired rights of citizens to live, work, have recognition of qualifications, and to own a business are maintained to the fullest possible extent following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU;
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 c (new) 14c. Urges all Member States to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and to sign the Protocol; “In the context of the ratification of this Convention, urges the Commission to take the necessary measures to enable persons with disabilities to exercise their full right as a European citizen, without any form of discrimination
Amendment 188 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 d (new) 14d. Stresses the need to further develop, as an integral part of the Union´s citizenship, a European common conscience oriented towards the future, pluralistic, transcultural and open to migration flows and influences from the rest of the world;
Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 e (new) 14e. To establish a European public holiday on May 9 in order to reinforce a European feeling of belonging to the European family; and the creation of a single European identity card
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 7 – having regard to the hearings organised by the Committee on Petitions in 2016 and 2017, namely to the joint public hearing of 11 May 2017 co-organised by LIBE, PETI and EMPL entitled ‘The situation and rights of EU Citizens in the UK’; the public hearing of 11 October 2016 entitled ‘Obstacles to EU citizens’ freedom to move and work in the Internal Market’; the public hearing of 4 May 2017 entitled ‘Fighting against discrimination and protecting minorities’
Amendment 190 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 f (new) 14f. Stresses the need to resolve the Commission’s conflict of interest arising from the decision-making powers simultaneously vested in it with regard to decisions on the registration of a European citizens’ initiative and the exclusive power of decision on the legislative action to be taken on a successful European citizens’ initiative; considers that the legal assessment of the registration of a European citizens’ initiative must be entrusted to an independent body, and calls on the Commission to submit a legislative proposal for each successful European citizens’ initiative;
Amendment 191 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15.
Amendment 192 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Urges the Member States to guarantee that their national legislation is sufficiently clear and detailed to ensure that the right to free movement of citizens and their families is respected; to proceed with the proper training of competent national authorities in this respect
Amendment 193 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Urges the Member States to guarantee that their national legislation is sufficiently clear and detailed to ensure that the right to free movement of citizens and their families is respected; to proceed with the proper training of competent national authorities in this respect on the basis of an electronic learning tool and to disseminate accurate information to interested parties in a precise manner; to foster, furthermore, good cooperation and a swift exchange of information with other national administrations, especially where cross-border insurance and old age pensions are concerned; urges the Commission to submit a proposal for an act on the cross-border recognition of adoption orders;
Amendment 194 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 a (new) 15a. Considers that the revision of the European Citizens’ Initiative should include provisions to oblige the European Commission to come up with a legislative proposal after 12 months of the presentation of a successful initiative, whose compliance with the values of the EU should already be independently assessed before the beginning of the signature collection process:
Amendment 195 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 b (new) 15b. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to develop proper gender mainstreaming tools, to closely cooperate with local authorities and communities to prevent and investigate violations and to provide the necessary care and assistance to women who have been sexually exploited, discriminated again stand marginalised in the labour market;
Amendment 196 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 c (new) 15c. Regrets the existence of cross- border obstacles in civil or social matters, such as family law or pensions, that prevent many citizens from enjoying full EU citizenship
Amendment 197 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 d (new) 15d. Regrets that the options for redress open to parents and children in the event of separation or divorce are not the same in each Member State, with the result that hundreds of parents in Europe have contacted the Committee on Petitions to urge it to be more active despite it having very limited competences in this area
Amendment 198 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 e (new) 15e. Calls for reinforced cooperation between the Member States in order to ensure the protection of victims of gender- based violence and that the best interests of the child are taken into account in cases of cross-border family disputes;
Amendment 199 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 f (new) 15f. Welcomes the launch of the EU solidarity corps for young European citizens and asks for the initiative to be properly funded and that quality jobs are not replaced by unpaid volunteering;
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 2 a (new) - having regard to its resolution of 2 February 2017 on recommendations to the Commission on cross border aspects of adoptions
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 7 a (new) – having regard to the PETI hearing of 22 February 2016 entitled ‘Broadening the scope of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights (Article 51)?’, the hearing of 21 June 2016 on ‘Transparency and freedom of information within the EU institutions’ and the one of 22 June 2017 on ‘Restoring citizens’ confidence and trust in the European Project’, together with the previous ones in this legislative term on the ‘Right to Petition’ (23 June 2015) and on ‘The European Citizens’ Initiative’ (26 February 2015), and also the PETI-LIBE hearing on ‘Statelessness’ of 29th June 2017,
Amendment 200 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 g (new) 15g. Urges the Commission and Council to guarantee that refugees and migrants can enjoy all the rights linked to Union citizenship, and in particular the right to free movement and free movement of labour, as well as access to health, education, the labour market and culture;
Amendment 201 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 h (new) Amendment 202 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 i (new) 15i. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to adopt effective measures to increase the opportunities for women and girls to participate in EU programmes involving cross-border mobility as students, teachers and researchers;
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 8 a (new) – having regard of the PETI report of the activities of its ‘Working Group on Child welfare issues’, and particularly its conclusions,
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 9 a (new) - having regard to its report on the activities of the Committee on Petitions 2015 (2016/2146(INI)),
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas EU citizenship and its related rights, which are complementary to rights in the Member States, were initially
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas EU citizenship and its related rights were initially introduced in 1992 by the Treaty of Maastricht and were further
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A a (new) Aa. whereas the exercise of citizenship calls for a prior guarantee and enjoyment of all human rights, and especially economic, social and cultural rights;
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A b (new) Ab. whereas strengthening citizens’ rights and democratic institutions includes combating discrimination and gender inequality in line with the Sustainable Development Goals;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas access to EU citizenship is gained through nationality of a Member State, which is regulated by national laws; whereas at the same time, rights and duties emerge from this institution which are laid down by EU law and do not depend on the Member States; whereas for the above reason it is equally true that these rights and obligations cannot be limited in an unjustified manner by the Member States; whereas in the context of access to national citizenship, Member States should be governed by the principles of the EU law, such as the principles of proportionality and non-discrimination, both well elaborated in the case law of the ECJ;
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas access to EU citizenship is gained through nationality of a Member State, which is regulated by national laws; whereas at the same time, rights and duties emerge from this institution which are laid down by EU law and do not depend on the Member States; whereas for the above reason it is equally true that these rights and obligations cannot be limited in an unjustified manner by the Member States; whereas as expected in several petitions received, once individuals currently enjoy EU citizenship they should not have it removed;
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas access to EU citizenship is gained through nationality of a Member State, which is regulated by national laws; whereas at the same time, rights and duties emerge from this institution which are laid down by EU law and do not depend on the Member States; whereas for the above reason it is equally true that these rights and obligations cannot be limited in an unjustified manner by the Member States; whereas according to the Treaties every EU citizen receives equal attention from the EU institutions;
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 2 b (new) Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas access to EU citizenship is gained through nationality of a Member State, which is regulated by national laws; whereas at the same time, rights and duties emerge from this institution which are laid down by EU law and do not depend on the Member States; whereas for the above reason it is equally true that these rights and obligations cannot be limited in an unjustified manner by the Member States, including by their sub-state authorities;
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B a (new) Ba. whereas EU citizens trust in the Member States, including their sub-state authorities, to apply both Community law and their national laws, which is a precondition for the effective exercise of rights deriving from the EU citizenship which they hold;
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B (new) Bb. whereas efforts to promote EU citizenship are linked to improvements in the quality of democracy within the Union, to the practical enjoyment of fundamental rights and freedoms and to the opportunity for every citizen to participate directly in the democratic life of the Union;
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B c (new) Bc. whereas any unilateral change in the borders of a Member State constitutes, at the very least, a violation of Articles 2, 3.2 and 4.2 of the Treaty on European Union, as well as jeopardising enjoyment of all the rights deriving from EU citizenship;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas the Treaty of Lisbon consolidated the inalienable rights and guarantees of EU citizenship, including, inter alia, the freedom to travel, work and study in other EU countries, to participate
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas the Treaty of Lisbon ought to have consolidated the inalienable rights and guarantees of EU citizenship, including, inter alia, the freedom to travel, work and study in other EU countries, to participate in European political life, to promote equality and respect for diversity
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas the Treaty of Lisbon con
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas the prospect of the UK’s
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D a (new) Da. whereas on the heels of events in the United Kingdom, the refugee humanitarian crisis, the devastating social and economic impact of austerity policies, the high levels of unemployment and poverty, and the rise in xenophobia and racism in the EU have undermined confidence in the EU system and the European project as a whole;
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 2 c (new) - having regard to the Council conclusions of 29 February2017 on the Single Market strategy1cand especially to the document on the Outcome of the informal meeting of SOLVIT Centres held in Lisbon on 18 September 20151d _________________ 1c Council document 6622/16 1d Council document 14268/15
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F F. whereas the right to free movement and its exercise is
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F F. whereas the
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F F. whereas the right to free movement and its exercise is central to EU citizenship and complements the other freedoms of the EU internal market; whereas young Europeans in particular consider free movement, which ranks first among EU citizens in terms of recognition and
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F a (new) Fa. whereas a holistic approach designed to pursue the objectives laid down in the EU Treaties, such as full employment and social progress, is vital in order to permit the genuine enjoyment of the rights and freedoms arising from EU citizenship;
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F b (new) Fb. whereas freedom of movement and the exercising thereof has been violated by various Member States, which have expelled EU citizens from their territory or threatened to do so, as reported in a number of petitions;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G G. whereas as petitions have shown, EU citizens face notable difficulties in exercising this right, owing to administrative burdens and bureaucracy in Member States, and to
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G G. whereas as petitions have shown, EU citizens face notable difficulties in exercising this right, owing to administrative burdens and bureaucracy in Member States, and to misinformation and/or a lack of cooperation by Member State authorities; whereas, unfortunately, as several petitions have pointed out, the right to freedom of movement has been and is being infringed by several Member States, such as Belgium, which has expelled hundreds of European citizens, specifically from Bulgaria, Romania and Spain; whereas citizens of other Member States sometimes avoid using healthcare services for fear of being expelled;
Amendment 47 #
G. whereas, as petitions have shown, EU citizens face notable difficulties in exercising
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G G. whereas as petitions and complaints addressed to the European Commission and to SOLVIT have shown, EU citizens face notable difficulties in exercising this right, owing to administrative burdens and bureaucracy in Member States, and to misinformation and/or a lack of cooperation by Member State authorities;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G G. whereas as petitions have shown, EU citizens and their families face notable difficulties in exercising this right in practice, owing to administrative burdens and bureaucracy in Member States, and to misinformation and/or a lack of cooperation by Member State authorities;
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 3 a (new) - having regard to its resolution of 2 February 2016 on ‘learning EU at school’,
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution Recital H H. whereas the principle of non- discrimination on the basis of nationality, sex, rac
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution Recital H H. whereas
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution Recital H H. whereas the principle of non- discrimination on the basis of nationality, sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation, language or membership of a national minority is the primary expression of EU citizenship; whereas it forms at the same time a crucial component of the successful exercise of the freedom of movement, as evidenced in petitions;
Amendment 53 #
H. whereas the principle of non- discrimination on the basis of nationality,
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution Recital H a (new) Ha. whereas the respect for the rights of persons belonging to minorities is one of the EU’s founding values enshrined in the Treaties; whereas approximately 8 % of EU citizens belong to a national minority and approximately 10 % speak a regional or minority language; whereas the effective protection of minorities needs to be strengthened;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution Recital H b (new) Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution Recital H c (new) Hc. whereas women’s participation and leadership in political decision- making is still affected by various obstacles, such as the persistence of gender-based stereotypes and the consequences of the recent economic crisis together with its negative repercussions on gender equality issues;
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution Recital H d (new) Hd. whereas significant gaps remain in protecting victims of gender-based violence and domestic violence across the EU in cases of cross-border family disputes;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution Recital I I. whereas the right to petition the European Parliament, as laid down in Articles 20 and 227 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and in Article 44 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, is one of the pillars of EU citizenship, ranks as the second best known of EU citizenship rights, and creates an interface between citizens and the European institutions through an open, democratic and transparent process;
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution Recital I I. whereas the right to petition the European Parliament is one of the pillars of EU citizenship, ranks as the second best known of EU citizenship rights, and must create
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 3 b (new) - having regard to its resolution of 2 March 2017 on the implementation of the Europe for Citizens Programme,
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution Recital I a (new) Ia. whereas the guarantee of fundamental rights of EU citizens could be accomplished with a new approach regarding the interpretation of Article 51 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights,
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution Recital J J. whereas citizens are directly represented in the European Parliament and have a democratic right to stand and vote in European elections, even when residing in another Member State; whereas the right of EU citizens who have exercised their right to freedom of movement to vote in European and local elections is not facilitated and promoted equally in all Member States; whereas some citizens are being hindered in the exercise of this democratic right, such as people with disabilities in Member States which have ratified the CRPD but not complied with their obligation to reform their electoral laws to enable them to exercise their right to vote;
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution Recital J J. whereas citizens are directly represented in the European Parliament and have a democratic right to stand and vote in European elections, even when residing in another Member State; whereas the right of EU citizens who have exercised their right to freedom of movement to vote in European and local elections is not facilitated and promoted equally in all Member States; whereas different petitions point out to the existence of bureaucratic hurdles and shortcomings of administrative nature or else, in the exercise of the right to vote in national or regional elections of their home Member State for those who reside in another Member State;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution Recital J a (new) Ja. whereas discrimination faced by women across the EU is an obstacle to equality; whereas women remain underrepresented as voters as well as in leading positions, whether in elected offices, the civil service, academia, the media or the private sector; whereas the widespread multiple discrimination faced by women and the disproportionate number of women facing poverty and social exclusion are obstacles to the full exercise of their citizenship rights;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution Recital K K. whereas citizens have the right to organise or support, together with other EU citizens from all Member States, a European Citizens’ Initiative, which enables them to set the legislative agenda of the EU; whereas the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) is an important direct democratic instrument enabling citizens to become actively involved in the framing of European policies and legislation, whereas the European Citizens’ Initiative should be transparent and effective, whereas the exercise of this right has not been satisfactory thus far;
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution Recital K K. whereas citizens have the right to organise or support, together with other EU citizens from all Member States, a European Citizens’ Initiative, which enables them to set the legislative agenda
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution Recital K K. whereas citizens have the right to organise or support, together with other EU citizens from all Member States, a European Citizens’ Initiative, which should enable
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Takes note of the Commission’s 2017 EU Citizenship Report, which contains an enumeration of priorities by field of activity; expresses its doubt as to whether these priorities will effectively answer citizens’ concerns; regrets the lack
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Takes note of the Commission’s 2017 EU Citizenship Report, which contains an enumeration of priorities by field of activity; e
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Takes note of the Commission’s 2017 EU Citizenship Report, which contains an enumeration of new priorities by field of activity
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 3 c (new) - having regard to its resolution of 6 October 2016 on the 2014 Annual report on monitoring the application of Union law,
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Takes note of the Commission’s 2017 EU Citizenship Report, which contains an enumeration of priorities by field of activity; expresses its doubt as to whether these priorities will effectively answer citizens’ concerns; regrets the lack of well-defined, concrete commitments for the next three years and the insufficient attention paid to gender equality;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Takes note of the Commission’s 2017 EU Citizenship Report, which contains an enumeration of priorities by field of activity; expresses its doubt as to whether these priorities will effectively answer citizens’ concerns; regrets the lack of well-defined, concrete commitments and actions for the next three years;
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Takes note of the Commission’s willingness to increase its efforts in order to inform the European citizens of their rights whereas strongly recalls the predominant importance of a timely and effective enforcement of them ;reminds that the correct application of EU law is a shared responsibility of the Member States and the European institutions; underlines in that respect the crucial role the Commission has to play as the Guardian of the Treaties in the implementation of the articles 258-260 TFEU;
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 b (new) 1b. Points out that for there to be full exercise of citizenship, the authorities must provide effective, prior guarantees that all the rights enshrined in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights will be upheld, including, among others, access to housing, healthcare, employment and education;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 c (new) 1c. Expresses concern at the discrimination suffered by a great many people without access to EU citizenship despite residing in a Member State, such as irregular migrants or stateless persons; calls on the European Commission to review the concept of EU citizenship to recognise all persons residing in the EU as citizens;
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 d (new) 1d. Urges the Commission to speed up its EU law enforcement policy by using all available tools mechanisms in order to bring a correct application of EU law closer to the citizens.
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Notes
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Notes with regret that the Commission’s 2017 EU Citizenship Report makes no reference to the right to petition, to the right to refer to the European Ombudsman
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Recommends that the Commission introduces an entry register at all of its headquarters, including at the representation offices in the Member States, to enable citizens to address any EU institution in writing or face-to-face with the proper guarantees;
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 b (new) 2b. Recommends that the Commission introduce, in cooperation with universal postal service providers, a messaging system with certification of content, date and sender, so that citizens can address the European institutions remotely in writing with the proper guarantees;
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 4 a (new) - having regard to the Protocol (No 1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) on the role of national parliaments in the European Union,
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Considers the right to petition to the European Parliament as a concrete tangible aspect linked to EU citizenship, which should be further promoted; Highlights the fact that the effective exercise of the right to petition has been facilitated thanks to the launch in late 2014 of the Committee on Petitions portal , which allows petitions to be submitted in an uncomplicated fashion and managed more efficiently, as illustrated elsewhere by the respective Annual Reports of the Committee on Petitions;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Highlights the fact that the effective exercise of the right to petition has been facilitated thanks to the launch in late 2014 of the Committee on Petitions portal , which allows petitions to be submitted in an uncomplicated fashion and managed more efficiently, as illustrated elsewhere by the respective Annual Reports of the Committee on Petitions; urges for the implementation of the foreseen next steps of the project, allowing a much more interactive follow-up of the petitions course by petitioners and supporters, to be concluded without delay;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Highlights the fact that the effective exercise of the right to petition has been facilitated thanks to the improved petitions processing in the European Parliament and the launch in late 2014 of the Committee on Petitions portal
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Considers that EU citizenship, with its associated rights and duties has become a tangible institution in itself, beyond the national citizenships; believes that third country nationals with a legal bond with the European Union Member States, such as permanent residence or possession of a travel document issued by those States, should be acknowledged as EU citizens;
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 b (new) 13b. Draws attention to the importance of immediately launching consultations at EU level among all Member States with a view to the adoption of guidelines addressed to the Member States to lay down uniform rules for the granting of national citizenship of a Member State to citizens from countries outside the EU, bearing in mind that anyone who possesses the citizenship of a Member State thereby in addition acquires citizenship of the EU;
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 c (new) 3c. Is firmly convinced that reinforcement of EU citizenship requires the adoption of democratic and participatory governance capable of ensuring the highest levels of social justice, the genuine enjoyment of fundamental rights and freedoms, full transparency and direct involvement of all citizens in decision-making processes;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 d (new) 3d. Suggests maintaining the rights citizens currently enjoy so that there is no material change in their position, in case of a democratic change of the status of the territory within the EU;
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4.
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Expresses strong regret that for almost a decade now little progress has been made in the adoption of the EU-wide Anti-
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Expresses regret that for almost a decade now little progress has been made in the adoption of the EU-wide Anti- Discrimination Directive; calls upon all EU institutions to conclude the relevant negotiations as soon as possible, paying due attention to the inclusion of the gender dimension;
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 4 b (new) - having regard to the Protocol (No 2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) on the application of the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality,
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Expresses regret that for almost a decade no
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Expresses regret that for almost a decade now little progress has been made
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Considers that the introduction of a citizens’ income in all EU Member States will make a significant contribution to reducing the economic and social inequalities which prevent the full exercise of the rights and freedoms arising from EU citizenship;
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 b (new) 4b. Calls for the adoption of an effective legislative framework and coordination measures at EU and Member State level to ensure high levels of social protection and stable, properly paid jobs; considers this approach to be vital in order to strengthen the fundamental rights and freedoms arising from EU citizenship;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 c (new) 4c. Stresses that the austerity measures adopted at EU and Member State level have aggravated economic and social inequalities, severely limiting the practical exercise of the fundamental rights and freedoms arising from EU citizenship;
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5.
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Recommends that the Commission
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Calls upon legislators to expedite their activities with regard to the adoption of a comprehensive directive on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States as regards the accessibility requirements for products and services for persons with functional limitations, including persons with disabilities;
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 b (new) Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 c (new) 5c. Regrets the existing opt-outs from parts of the EU treaties by some Member States which undermine and generate de facto differences in citizens’ rights that are intended to be equal under the EU Treaties
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