2018/2111(INI) | [ParlTrack]

Draft opinion
Paragraph –1 (new)

-1. Recalls that Union citizenship, as established by Article 20 TFEU, besides granting the rights mentioned therein to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States, the right to vote and to stand as candidates in elections to this Parliament and in municipal elections in their Member State of residence, the right to consular protection by another Member State, if necessary, and the right to petition and to turn to the European Ombudsman in any of the Treaty languages, has also extended implications and confers rights in the field of democratic participation, as derived from articles 11 TEU and 24 TFEU, and chapter V of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, among others;

Amendment 10 #

Urszula KRUPA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Considers that EU institutions should enhance efforts to ensure greater effectiveness of the enforcement of the electoral rights of Union citizens; highlights the fact that electoral laws in many Member States remain complex or discriminatory, and urges the Commission to call on the Member States to actively uphold best practices which help EU citizens to vote in and stand for EU elections to the European Parliament pursuant to Article 22(2) TFEU, including the publication of electoral laws at least one year before EU elections, the combating of fake news, education and the promotion of media pluralism;

Amendment 11 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Reminds that EU citizenship rights go beyond traditional civil and political rights, they include a wider set of social rights and their full enjoyment should be promoted by the EU institutions and the Member States as well; emphasizes that the principle of non-discrimination on the basis of 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, as enshrined in Article 21 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, is the primary expression of EU citizenship; emphasizes that freedom of movement is one of the greatest achievements of the union; urges the Commission and the Member States to find tangible solutions to remove obstacles regarding EU citizens’ freedom to move and work in the internal market; underlines that information and education on the Treaty provisions related to EU citizenship are important tools for helping citizens better understand their rights;

Amendment 12 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Recalls that the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has been contributing to the progressive development of the notion of citizenship to the point where certain aspects have been gaining a relative autonomy through the lens of the European constitutional setting; recalls that article 20 TFEU precludes national measures that have the effect of depriving citizens of the Union of the genuine enjoyment of the substance of the rights conferred by virtue of their status as citizens of the Union1b; _________________ 1b Judgement of the Court (Grand Chamber) of 9 March 2011, Gerardo Ruiz Zambrano v. Office national de l'emploi (ONEm), European Court Reports 2011 I- 01177.

Amendment 13 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Recalls that according to Article 17 TEU the appointment of the President of the Commission needs to take into account the result of the elections to the European Parliament; underlines the political importance and symbolism of this figure in terms of EU citizenship and considers that the President of the next Commission should be proposed by the European Council amongst the "Spitzenkandidaten" who can gather overall more support within the different groups of the European Parliament;

Amendment 14 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)

1b. Strongly supports the view citizenship has been developed as a fundamental status for nationals of the Member States without any discrimination whatsoever, that is enjoyed even in the absence of a cross-border element and can be therefore permissibly invoked against measures that have a restrictive or deprivatory nature 1c; conversely believes that individuals that fulfil the criteria for naturalisation under national laws should not be prevented from enjoying the rights emanating from the European citizenship due to administrative delays in the process of evaluation; recommends therefore for States to make publicly available the conditions and requirements in an accessible and understandable manners; _________________ 1c Judgement of the Court (Grand Chamber) of 2 March 2010, Janko Rottman v. Reistaat Bayern, Case C- 135/08.

Amendment 15 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 c (new)

1c. Strongly believes that the principle of non-discrimination is a cornerstone of the European citizenship and a general principle and a fundamental value of the EU Law according to Article 2 of the TEU; Stresses in particular that Article 10 of the TFEU prohibits discrimination based on sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation when defining and implementing policies and activities; Reminds that the Racial Equality Directive (2000/43/EC) which introduced prohibition of discrimination on the basis of race or ethnicity in the context of employment, the Gender Goods and Services Directive (2004/113/EC) and Gender Equality Directive (2006/54/EC) guarantees equal treatment only in relating to social security; regrets the fact that the Directives still are lacking in implementation more than ten years after the deadline for their transposition;

Amendment 16 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 d (new)

1d. Regrets the fact that the Anti- discrimination Directive implementing the principle of equal treatment outside the labour market, extending protection against discrimination with a horizontal approach still remains blocked by the Council, a decade after the Commission proposal; believes that the upcoming presidencies should strive to deliver a position on the Directive by the end of the mandate;

Amendment 17 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Reiterates the outcomes of the public hearing held by the Committee on Petitions in June 2017 on ‘Restoring Citizens’ Trust and Confidence in the European Project’, which underlined, inter alia, the need to render the EU ~~electoral proces~~decision- making process and institutions more open and transparent for all Union citizens as a way of strengthening EU public discourse and countering perceptions of a democratic deficit; insists that by credibly leading the fight against corruption the Union would make an crucial step, not only in ensuring a good administration in all Member States and protecting tax-payers general interest, but also in reinforcing its image as such in the eyes of EU citizens; considers that the EU should be exemplary and apply the highest standards to prevent any conflict of interests, also with regards to the appointments to relevant posts in the EU institutions and agencies; regrets recent episodes of revolving doors by commissioners that undermine the perception of the Union by the public opinion;

Amendment 18 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Reiterates the outcomes of the public hearing held by the Committee on Petitions in June 2017 on ‘Restoring Citizens’ Trust and Confidence in the European Project’, which underlined, inter alia, the need to render the EU electoral process more open and transparent for all Union citizens ~~as a way of strengthening EU public discour~~; believes that citizens' direct participation and full transparency at all stages of the EU decision-making processes a~~nd countering perceptions of a~~re essential to enhance citizens' democratic rights and counter the democratic deficit at EU level;

Amendment 19 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Refers to its resolution of 12 December 2017 on the EU Citizenship Report 2017:Strengthening Citizens’ Rights in a Union of Democratic Change (2017/2069(INI)),which underlines among others that these rights and obligations enshrined in the Treaty cannot be limited in an unjustified manner by the Member States; underlines that the successful exercise of citizenship rights presupposes that all rights and freedoms enshrined in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights are upheld by Member States;

Amendment 2 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph –1 a (new)

-1a. Considers that more determined steps should be taken to ensure the right to good administration for EU citizens, as established in Article 41 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, and particularly within the field of the right to access to documents granted by it Article 42; suggests a revision of Regulation 1049/2001 on access to documents in order to upgrade the enjoyment of this right by EU citizens and its civil society;

Amendment 20 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Reminds that the EU Charter of Fundamental reserves the following rights for the European citizens in Chapter 5 : the right to vote and to stand as a candidate at elections to the European Parliament, right to vote and to stand as a candidate at municipal elections, right to good administration, right to access to documents, the European Ombudsman, right to petition, freedom of movement and of residence, diplomatic and consular protection in third states;

Amendment 21 #

Jana TOOM

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Underlines the concerns raised during the Workshop on ‘Political and electoral rights of non-citizen residents in Latvia-Estonia’ of 24 April 2018 which was held in response to petition 0747/2016 signed by over 20 thousand signatures; notes that non-citizen residents of these countries are not permitted to vote in European Parliament elections while they are taken into account for the allocation of seats;

Amendment 22 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Invites all European institutions to fight against the "blame Brussels" phenomenon by which Member States put the responsibility on the European Union for decisions they have taken themselves as members of the Council, calls on the Council for greater transparency in the decision-making processes;

Amendment 23 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)

2b. Strongly believes that the citizenship, should not merely reflect a series of economic freedoms and this perception can be tackled only by raising the social dimension of citizenship by materializing the European Pillar of Social Rights by legislative proposals;

Amendment 24 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 c (new)

2c. Calls for gender mainstreaming and a gender perspective in all evaluation and assessment processes of current legislative texts and proposals in the future relating to citizenship;

Amendment 25 #

Jude KIRTON-DARLING, Demetris PAPADAKIS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 d (new)

2d. Recalls the contribution of political parties at European level to "forming European political awareness and to expressing the will of the citizens of the Union" (Art.10.4 TEU); calls therefore for the possibility of individual citizens of the EU to directly apply for membership in political parties at European level;

Amendment 26 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Considers the exercise, pursuant to Article 22(1) TFEU, by Union citizens of electoral rights at municipal level to be a crucial corollary to the right to free movement and Union citizenship, and holds that participatory democracy at EU level would be rendered more effective were citizens first convinced of the effectiveness of political involvement in local communities; urges the Commission, in that regard, to further best practices in promoting higher voter turnout in municipal and local elections across the Union; recognises that the current situation by which citizens of some Member States lose their right to vote in national elections in their country of origin, while also not being entitled to vote in the national elections of their country of residence, must be addressed; This disenfranchisement of EU citizens is incompatible with their treaty right to "fully participate in the democratic life of the Union".

Amendment 27 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Considers the exercise, pursuant to Article 22(1) TFEU, by Union citizens of electoral rights at municipal level to be a crucial corollary to the right to free movement and Union citizenship~~, and~~; holds that participatory democracy at EU level would be rendered more effective ~~were citizens first convinced of the effectiveness of~~by adopting a truly democratic governance able to guarantee full transparency, effective protection of fundamental rights, direct involvement of citizens' in the EU decision-making processes and the inclusion of EU citizens’ priorities on the EU political agenda; believes that participatory and direct democracy tools must be strengthened in order to increase also the political involvement of citizens in local communities; urges the Commission, in that regard, to further best practices inwith a view to also promoting higher voter turnout in municipal and local elections across the Union;

Amendment 28 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Considers the exercise, pursuant to Article 22(1) TFEU, by Union citizens of electoral rights at municipal level to be a crucial corollary to the right to free movement and Union citizenship, and holds that participatory democracy at EU level would be rendered more effective were citizens first convinced of the effectiveness of political involvement inat a local ~~communities~~level with a European perspective; urges the Commission, in that regard, to further best practices in promoting higher voter turnout in municipal and local elections across the Union for citizens of the Union residing in an EU Country pursuant to the Directive 94/80/EC; Further considers that the Directive should be updated providing for a further harmonization and diminishing of administrative burdens for European citizens;

Amendment 29 #

Urszula KRUPA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Considers the exercise, pursuant to Article 22(1) TFEU, by Union citizens of electoral rights at municipal level to be a crucial ~~corollary~~ly linked to the right to free movement and Union citizenship, and holds that participatory democracy at EU level would be rendered more effective were citizens first convinced of the effectiveness of political involvement in local and national communities; uUrges the Commission, in that regard, to further best practices in promoting higher voter turnout in municipal and local elections across the Union, in particular through education, awareness-raising of the importance of local elections, information on the rights of EU citizens in this area, and direct promotion of participation in such elections;

Amendment 3 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph –1 b (new)

-1b. Stresses the importance of the right to petition, as established by Articles 227 TFEU and 44 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, respectively, and the right to refer to the Ombudsman consigned in Articles 228 TFEU and 43 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights; commends the work of the EU Ombudsman in combating maladministration in the Union institutions, bodies and agencies, and particularly on the field of transparency; stresses the importance of transparency for an adequate democratic functioning and participation within the Union that generates trust among its citizens; endorses in this regard the recommendations by the Ombudsman in its recent Special Report on transparency of the Council legislative process;

Amendment 30 #

Demetris PAPADAKIS, Jude KIRTON-DARLING, Virginie ROZIÈRE, Andrea COZZOLINO, Miltiadis KYRKOS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Strongly believes transparency is an essential ingredient of the rule of law, while ensuring that it is observed throughout the legislative process affects the effective materialization of the right to vote and the right to stand in elections and a handful of rights, i.e. right of expressions and its particular aspect the freedom of speech and the right to receive information; Considers also that forging an active European citizenship necessitates margin for public scrutiny, review and evaluation of the process and the prospect to challenge the outcome; Underlines that this would contribute to the gradual familiarization with basic concepts of the legislative process and foster the participatory elements of the democratic life of the Union;

Amendment 31 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Recalls that freedom of movement for workers is one of the founding principles of the EU; calls on Member States to fully and effectively implement Regulation (EC) No 987/2009 laying down the procedure for implementing Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 on the coordination of social security systems in order to ensure the portability of social security benefits (e.g. state pensions, health insurance, unemployment benefits and family benefits) and consequently reduce barriers to labour mobility

Amendment 32 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Strongly recalls the predominant importance of a timely and effective enforcement of the rights of the European citizens deriving from the Treaties; 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 33 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Believes that, the EU being conceived as a union of Member States but also citizens as such, individuals having enjoyed EU citizenship by means of the membership in the Union of the Member State they were nationals of should not be automatically dispossessed from it, but be entitled to still enjoy the most substantial of its rights and benefits, on the basis of their residence;

Amendment 34 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)

3b. Is convinced that the full deployment of the different dimensions of the social pillar within the scope of the treaties is a priority in order to enhance the implications of EU citizenship within people's daily life; considers it essential in order to improve the perception of the added value of the Union for its citizens and residents and revert the current trend of disaffection; stresses that full accessibility of EU institutions and the content of their policies, also by digital means and for persons with disabilities, is imperative; recalls the Union commitment within the framework of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and underlines the clear link of its fulfilment with the full enjoyment of EU citizenship by every person.

Amendment 35 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)

3b. Reminds that the principles of publicity, openness and transparency are inherent to the EU Legislative process, in order to allow citizens to find out the considerations underpinning legislative actions and therefore ensures effective exercise of their democratic rights 1a; _________________ 1a Joined Cases C-39/05 and C-52/05 P, Kingdom of Sweden and Maurizio Turco v. Council of the European Union, European Court Reports 2008 I-04723

Amendment 36 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)

3b. Urges the Commission to faster 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 and reinforce their beliefs in the action of the European Union and its policies;

Amendment 37 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 c (new)

3c. Recalls that the exercise of the right of petition has been granted to any European Union resident and to any legal person having its registered office in a Member State, regardless of citizenship or nationality;

Amendment 38 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 d (new)

3d. Reminds that the petition is a way for citizens of the European union the application of EU Law a posteriori as well as a valuable source of information for detecting breaches of EU law, particularly in the areas of the environment, the internal market, in areas relating to the recognition of professional qualifications, the financial services sector and especially regarding the infringement of fundamental rights and might lead to the initiation of infringement proceedings by the European Commission;

Amendment 39 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 e (new)

3e. Strongly believes that the latest revision of the European Electoral Law, is a missed opportunity to truly harmonize the Member States electoral law and reinvigorate the European acquis by innovative changes to increase democratic legitimacy and integrity of the decision making process.

Amendment 4 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Considers that EU institutions should enhance efforts to ensure greater effectiveness of the electoral rights of Union citizens; highlights the fact that electoral laws in many Member States remain complex and in occasions put excessive hurdles to the exercise of the right to vote or directly prevent it, particularly in the case of EU citizens having exercised their right to free movement, which are estimated to amount 15 million people; urges the Commission to call on the Member States to actively uphold best practices which help citizens to vote in and stand for EU elections pursuant to Article 22(2) TFEU, including the publication of electoral laws one year before EU elections, the combating of fake news and the promotion of media pluralism;

Amendment 40 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 f (new)

3f. Highlights the importance of the right to lodge a complaint with the Ombudsperson on issues relating to the access to information, administrative delays, unfairness, discrimination or lack of transparency; Appreciates the contribution of the incumbent Ombudswoman in shedding light on issues of maladministration and insufficient transparency in the European institutions; strongly believes that the role of the European Ombudsperson should be upgraded in order to facilitate greater preparedness and effective response, as well as active contribution to the solution;

Amendment 41 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Recalls that the right to petition, pursuant to Article 227 TFEU, represents a formal channel for citizens to communicate directly with the EU institutions, to highlight the shortcomings and inconsistencies of EU law in respect of the goal of ensuring that economic, social and cultural rights are fully protected and to signal the incorrect application or transposition of Union law by national authorities; notes that while citizens across the Union are aware of the right to petition, there is a persisting lack of ~~clarity as to the proper delineation of competences between the Union and the Member States; calls on the Commission to increase communication efforts to clarify Union competenc~~effectiveness by the EU institutions in addressing and solving the problems brought to their attention by citizens through petitions; calls on the EU institutions to adopt an effective strategy aimed at ensuring the full protection of citizens' fundamental rights and to improve cooperation efforts with national, regional and local authorities, especially in the policy areas which garner the highest number of petitions, namely: the environment, fundamental rights (notably voting rights and rights of the child), the free movement of persons, social affairs and employment, discrimination and immigration;

Amendment 42 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Recalls that the right to petition, pursuant to Article 227 TFEU, represents a formal channel for citizens to communicate directly with the EU institutions and to signal the incorrect application or transposition of Union law by national authorities, as well as indicating possible loopholes within the acquis; notes that while citizens across the Union are aware of the right to petition, and there is a persisting ~~lack of clarity as to the proper delineation of competences between the Union and the Member States; calls on the Commission to increase communication efforts to clarify~~expectation of an added value of the Union by a thorough handling of their concerns, they often experience arbitrariness and lack of clarity as to the proper delineation of competences between the Union and the Member States, resulting in inaction from the Union institutions; considers that this is detrimental to the perception of Union citizenship and calls on the Commission to increase efforts to exercise its duty of guardian of the treaties and play a proactive role within the Union competences, especially in the policy areas which garner the highest number of petitions, namely: the environment, fundamental rights (notably voting rights and rights of the child), the free movement of persons, social affairs and employment, discrimination and immigration;

Amendment 43 #

Urszula KRUPA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Recalls that the right to petition, pursuant to Article 227 TFEU, represents a formal channel for citizens, other EU residents and legal persons established in the EU to communicate directly with the EU institutions and to signal the incorrect application or transposition of Union law by national authorities; notes that while ~~citize~~such persons across the Union are aware of the right to petition, the~~re is a persisting lack of~~y still do not have clarity as to the proper delineation of competences between the Union and the Member States; calls on the Commission to increase communication efforts to clarify Union competences, especially in the policy areas which garner the highest number of petitions, namely: the environment, fundamental rights (notably voting rights and rights of the child), the free movement of persons, social affairs and employment, discrimination and immigration;

Amendment 44 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. RHighlights that the right to petition and the right to refer cases to the European Ombudsman are essential elements of EU citizenship which help ensure proper implementation of EU law and equal protection of the rights of EU citizens; expresses its wish that these rights are better promoted; recalls that the right to petition, pursuant to Article 227 TFEU, represents a formal channel for citizens to communicate directly with the EU institutions and to signal the incorrect application or transposition of Union law by national authorities; notes that while citizens across the Union are aware of the right to petition, there is a persisting lack of clarity as to the proper delineation of competences between the Union and the Member States; considers that better information and education about the EU and the Treaty provisions in the Member States would help to improve the exercise of EU citizenship rights; calls on the Commission to increase communication efforts to clarify Union competences, especially in the policy areas which garner the highest number of petitions, namely: the environment, fundamental rights (notably voting rights and rights of the child), the free movement of persons, social affairs and employment, discrimination and immigration;

Amendment 45 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Reiterates that the right to petition should be further promoted as a channel for communication between the citizens and the European institutions; stresses out that the right to petition is an instrument for direct participation in the political functions exercises by the representatives of the peoples of the European Union; furthermore highlights that the right is a key tool for participation and democratic control by citizens and enhances the responsiveness of the European Parliament towards the citizens and residents of the European Union, while at the same time provides individuals with an open, democratic and transparent mechanism for obtaining a non-judicial remedy for their complaints which as such ought to offer solutions to issues admissibly presented before the institutions;

Amendment 46 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Considers that multilingualism within the institutions and in their interaction with citizens is an essential aspect to reinforce the notion of EU citizenship; calls for more efforts to be taken in ensuring as much as possible the availability of official documents beyond the three working languages; is convinced that expanding the communication of the Union with citizens to those languages that while not yet official at the Union level do enjoy recognition and are widely spoken in Member States would have a positive impact in the perception of EU citizenship; suggests that necessary provisions are adopted so that these languages can also be used by Members in plenary sittings, upon prior notification;

Amendment 47 #

Demetris PAPADAKIS, Jude KIRTON-DARLING, Marlene MIZZI, Virginie ROZIÈRE, Miltiadis KYRKOS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Stresses the need to abandon austerity measures and to adopt effective and consistent policies at EU level in order to guarantee full employment and adequate social protection, the highest levels of education and training and the highest protection of human health and of the environment;

Amendment 48 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. 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

Amendment 49 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Considers that the revision of the 5. legal framework governing the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) presents an opportunity to enhance citizen participation in EU policy making by rendering the instrument less bureaucratic ~~and~~, more accessible~~; calls on the Commission to develop more robust~~ and more effective; reminds that citizens' initiatives merit an adequate attention from the EU institutions as highlighted by the recent case law of the CJEU (Case T-646/13 Minority SafePack - one million signatures for diversity in Europe v Commission); stresses the need to develop more comprehensive rules and better practices as regards the political and legal follow-up given to ECIs.

Amendment 5 #

Notis MARIAS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Considers that EU institutions should enhance efforts to ensure greater effectiveness of the electoral rights of Union citizens; highlights the fact that electoral laws in many Member States remain complex and urges the Commission to call on the Member States to actively uphold best practices which help citizens to vote in and stand for EU elections pursuant to Article 22(2) TFEU, including the publication of electoral laws one year before EU elections, the combating of fake news and the promotion of media pluralism; the public and private media must air in their news bulletins and political information broadcasts the positions of the national parties represented in the European Parliament;

Amendment 50 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Considers that the revision of the legal framework governing the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) presents an opportunity to enhance citizen participation in EU policy making by rendering the instrument less bureaucratic and more accessible; calls on the Commission to develop more robust practices as regards the political and legal follow-up given to ECIs.; underlines that in order to increase the European Citizens’ Initiative’s effectiveness as a tool for democratic participation, all necessary measures must be adopted to ensure that legislative proposals are submitted for successful European Citizens’ Initiatives;

Amendment 51 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Considers that the revision of the legal framework governing the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) presentsed an opportunity to enhance citizen participation in EU policy making by rendering the instrument less bureaucratic and more accessible; calls on the Commission to develop more robust practices as regards the political and legal follow-up given to ECIs; Regrets that the role of the European Parliament, as the voice of the European peoples was not enhanced in the revision process vis-à-vis the follow-up of an initiative.

Amendment 52 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Considers that the revision of the legal framework governing the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) presents an opportunity to enhance citizen participation in EU policy making by rendering the instrument less bureaucratic and more accessible; underlines that enough infrastructure and support for the conduction of ECIs throughout its process have to be resourced from the Union; calls on the Commission to develop more robust practices as regards the political and legal follow-up given to successful ECIs.

Amendment 53 #

Jude KIRTON-DARLING

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Recognises that Brexit will be the first time EU citizens have been stripped of their EU citizenship and its associated rights, privileges and protections. Once EU citizenship has been granted we must ensure those who have utilised its privileges are not left in legal limbo when it is removed, particularly when against their own will, as we have witnessed during the UK´s withdrawal from the Union; Call for citizens’ rights to be secured in a separate agreement from the ongoing Brexit negotiations to remove them from the political process and ensure their protection even in a “no- deal” scenario; Consider the possibility of life long EU citizenship or a form of associate citizenship for those who have had EU citizenship removed from them

Amendment 54 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Believes that the SOLVIT service should be further mainstreamed and supplemented to become more efficient with issues related to free movement rights, including the right to entry and residence and discrimination before seeking any judicial or administrative remedy, saving time and recourses of the citizens and timely responding to their problems'

Amendment 55 #

Demetris PAPADAKIS, Jude KIRTON-DARLING, Marlene MIZZI, Virginie ROZIÈRE, Andrea COZZOLINO, Miltiadis KYRKOS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Believes that EU citizenship programmes as "Erasmus+" or "Europe for Citizens" together with other initiatives aimed at promoted democratic participation in the life of the Union, such as crowdsourcing, are crucial elements that need to be renewed and boosted within the upcoming Multiannual Financial Framework;

Amendment 56 #

Jana TOOM

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Highlights that the creation of Union citizenship has proven that a citizenship which is not determined by nationality can exist and that it forms the foundation of a political area from which rights and duties emerge, which are determined by the law of the European Union and not the State;

Amendment 57 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. 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

Amendment 58 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5b. Considers that the Charter of Fundamental Rights enclosed in the Lisbon Treaty is the most essential piece, both symbolically and in content, framing EU citizenship; regrets that its article 51, combined with a recurrent restrictive interpretation thereof, often renders it of void application, generating frustration and eventually disenchantment of concerned citizens towards the common project; considers that this fact ought to be corrected at the earliest possible stage, ultimately by suppressing this article from the Charter;

Amendment 59 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5b. Considers that despite the efforts of the European institutions, awareness raising about rights is still lacking in many member states, proving to be the most prominent barrier to the full enjoyment of the rights emanating from the status of the European citizen;

Amendment 6 #

Demetris PAPADAKIS, Jude KIRTON-DARLING, Marlene MIZZI, Virginie ROZIÈRE, Miltiadis KYRKOS, Andrea COZZOLINO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Considers that EU institutions should enhance efforts to ensure greater effectiveness of the electoral rights of Union citizens; highlights the fact that electoral laws in many Member States remain complex and urges the Commission to call on the Member States to actively uphold best practices which help citizens to vote in and stand for EU elections pursuant to Article 22(2) TFEU, including the publication of electoral laws one year before EU elections, the combating of fake news and the promotion of media pluralism, calls on the Commission to follow-up on the disenfranchisement of EU citizens living in another Member State and to propose concrete actions to protect their political rights;

Amendment 60 #

Jana TOOM

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5b. Stresses that the body of rights and obligations arising from Union citizenship cannot be limited in an unjustified manner, therefore the conditions for the acquisition and loss of nationality must be compatible with European Union law and its values;

Amendment 61 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5b. 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 62 #

Demetris PAPADAKIS, Jude KIRTON-DARLING, Marlene MIZZI, Virginie ROZIÈRE, Miltiadis KYRKOS, Andrea COZZOLINO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)

5c. Reminds that the Lisbon Treaty foresees in itself the procedure for its revision, as established in article 48 of the Treaty of the European Union; underlines that this is a valuable tool in order to further upgrade the possibilities of EU citizenship; notes that ten years have passed since the last treaty revision, one of the longest periods without reviews during the past decades; considers that the reality of Brexit represents a clear pretext and a unique trigger to undergo a new process of revision; invites to the launch of a new European Convention for this purpose;

Amendment 63 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)

5c. Recalls Article 1 of the TEU which provides that decisions should be taken as openly and as closely as possible to the citizen; democratic and transparent decision-making at European level is indispensable to increase citizens' trust in the European project and the EU institutions; fully endorses the European Ombudsman's recommendations on the transparency of the Council legislative process

Amendment 7 #

Notis MARIAS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Considers that EU institutions should enhance efforts to ensure greater effectiveness of the electoral rights of Union citizens; highlights the fact that electoral laws in many Member States remain complex and urges the Commission to call on the Member States to actively uphold best practices which help citizens to vote in and stand for EU elections pursuant to Article 22(2) TFEU, including the publication of electoral laws one year before EU elections, the combating of fake news and the promotion of media pluralism; notes the need for the media to air views on the basis of the principle of proportional equality between the political groups represented in the European Parliament;

Amendment 8 #

Notis MARIAS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Considers that EU institutions should enhance efforts to ensure greater effectiveness of the electoral rights of Union citizens; highlights the fact that electoral laws in many Member States remain complex and urges the Commission to call on the Member States to actively uphold best practices which help citizens to vote in and stand for EU elections pursuant to Article 22(2) TFEU, including the publication of electoral laws one year before EU elections, the combating of fake news and the promotion of media pluralism; the public and private media should air MEPs' views in a way that ensures objectivity and pluralism;

Amendment 9 #

Demetris PAPADAKIS, Jude KIRTON-DARLING, Marlene MIZZI, Virginie ROZIÈRE, Miltiadis KYRKOS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Considers that EU institutions should enhance efforts to ensure greater effectiveness of the electoral rights of Union citizens with the view to effectively tackle the problem of decreasing levels of voter turnout; highlights the fact that electoral laws in many Member States remain complex and urges the Commission to call on the Member States to actively uphold best practices which help citizens to vote in and stand for EU elections pursuant to Article 22(2) TFEU, including the publication of electoral laws one year before EU elections, the combating of fake news and any populist rhetoric, and the promotion of media pluralism;

source: 628.438

2018/11/16 LIBE 75 amendments...

Amendment 1 #

Draft opinion
Recital -A (new)

-A. having regard to the Commission communication of 31 January 2017 entitled ‘Strengthening Citizens’ Rights in a Union of Democratic Change – EU Citizenship Report 2017’(COM(2017)0030),

Amendment 10 #

Giancarlo SCOTTÀ, Gilles LEBRETON, Nicolas BAY

Draft opinion
Recital B

B. whereas European citizens are protected from discrimination by the Charter of Fundamental Rights that covers sex, race, colour, ethnicity, social origin, genetic features, language, religion, belief, opinion, membership of a minority, property, birth, disability, age and sexual orientation; whereas according to Article 18 TFUE any discrimination on grounds of nationality shall be prohibited;

Amendment 11 #

Draft opinion
Recital B

B. whereas European citizens are protected from discrimination by the Charter of Fundamental Rights that covers sex, race, colour, ethnic~~ity,~~ or social origin, genetic features, language, religion, or belief, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age ~~and~~or sexual orientation;

Amendment 12 #

Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)

Ba. whereas consolidating the rights of citizens and democratic institutions also entails combating all forms of discrimination and gender inequality;

Amendment 13 #

Draft opinion
Recital B b (new)

Bb. whereas the successful exercise of citizenship rights presupposes that Member States uphold all rights and freedoms enshrined in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights;

Amendment 14 #

Draft opinion
Recital C

C. whereas EU citizenship is gained through nationality of a Member State, and clearly supplements national citizenship in accordance with Article 9 of the TEU; whereas European citizenship does not, and cannot, supersede national citizenship; whereas northern Ireland is a special case whereby citizens are entitled to dual- citizenship, under the Good Friday Agreement, an internationally recognised Treaty lodged in the United Nations, and the Irish constitution recognises everyone born in the island of Ireland to be part of the Irish Nation, therefore Irish citizens in northern Ireland as per the EU/UK December Joint Agreement, should enjoy, access and exercise their European rights where they reside;

Amendment 15 #

Draft opinion
Recital C

C. whereas EU citizenship is gained through nationality of a Member State, and clearly supplements national citizenship in accordance with Article 9 of the TEU; whereas ~~Europea~~Union citizenship ~~does not, and cannot, supersede national citizenship~~is additional to and does not replace national citizenship; whereas Member States should make use of their prerogative to grant citizenship in a spirit of fair cooperation, in keeping with the Treaties; whereas Article 20 TFEU provides that any person who holds the nationality of a Member State is also a citizen of the Union, with the rights and obligations enshrined in the Treaties and the Charter;

Amendment 16 #

Draft opinion
Recital C

C. whereas EU citizenship of the Union is gained through nationality of a Member State~~, and clearly supplements national citizenship~~; whereas it ins a~~ccordance with Article 9 of the TEU; whereas European citizenship does not, and cannot, supersed~~dditional to and does not replace national citizenship;

Amendment 17 #

Draft opinion
Recital C

Amendment 18 #

Anders VISTISEN, Marek JUREK

Draft opinion
Recital C a (new)

C a. whereas EU case law permits member states to withhold EU citizenship from their nationals or to maintain a graduated system of EU citizenship rights whereby some of their nationals enjoy more of EU citizenship-related rights than others;

Amendment 19 #

Draft opinion
Recital C a (new)

C a. whereas EU citizenship is an abstract and artificial concept that should not be used as a tool to undermine the sovereignty of the Member States;

Amendment 2 #

Draft opinion
Recital –A a (new)

-A a. having regard to its resolution on the EU Citizenship Report 2017: Strengthening Citizens’ Rights in a Union of Democratic Change (2017/2069(INI)),

Amendment 20 #

Draft opinion
Recital C b (new)

C b. 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 bringing the area of freedom, security and justice into the EU’s legislative field;

Amendment 21 #

Draft opinion
Recital C c (new)

C c. whereas the right to equal treatment is one of the founding principles of the European Union and a fundamental right of all people; whereas, when laying down the citizenship of the Union, Article 9 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;

Amendment 22 #

Draft opinion
Recital C d (new)

C d. whereas approximately 8 % of EU citizens belong to a national minority and approximately 10 % speak a regional or minority language; whereas the EU has still not developed a common EU legal framework to guarantee their rights as members of a minority or to sanction the curtailing of their rights in Member States;

Amendment 23 #

Draft opinion
Recital C e (new)

C e. whereas, according to the Commission’s 2017 EU Citizenship Report, since 2012 a growing number of people have reported experiencing some form of discrimination;

Amendment 24 #

Draft opinion
Recital C f (new)

C f. whereas free movement is one of the four fundamental freedoms of the EU, a cornerstone of European integration, and one of the most valued rights of EU citizens; whereas the right to free movement and its exercise is central to EU citizenship; 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 recognised; whereas some European citizens have been subjected to expulsions or expulsion orders within the EU;

Amendment 25 #

Draft opinion
Recital C g (new)

C g. whereas the creation of the Schengen area and the integration of the Schengen acquis into the EU framework greatly enhances freedom of movement within the EU and is one of the greatest achievements of the European integration process; whereas the Council of the European Union, in its conclusions Nos. 9166/3/11 and9167/3/11 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 26 #

Draft opinion
Recital D

D. whereas the European ~~citiz~~Parliament is the only directly-elected EU institution; whereas it defends ~~are directly represented in the European Parliament and~~the interests of EU citizens in the EU decision-making process; whereas the principles of representative democracy, accountability and transparency are fundamental pillars of the European Parliament; whereas European citizens have a democratic right to stand and vote in European elections~~, even when residing in another territory~~;

Amendment 27 #

Draft opinion
Recital D

D. whereas European 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 territory; whereas EU rights holders must, in association with Article 22 TFEU and Article 10 TEU, have the right to vote and to stand as a candidate in elections to the European Parliament;

Amendment 28 #

Draft opinion
Recital D a (new)

Da. whereas the right of European 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;

Amendment 29 #

Draft opinion
Recital D a (new)

D a. whereas the introduction of the European citizenship is an achievement of the European project which has still to develop its full potential; underlines that this is a unique construction, not seen anywhere else is the world;

Amendment 3 #

Draft opinion
Recital –A b (new)

-A b. having regard to Directive 2004/38/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of29 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 30 #

Draft opinion
Recital D a (new)

D a. whereas the risk of disenfranchisement of nationals who move from their countries of origin to another Member State may inhibit EU citizens from exercising their right to move to and reside in another Member State;

Amendment 31 #

Draft opinion
Recital D b (new)

D b. whereas some of the most important consequences of the expected withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union concerns 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; 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 32 #

Draft opinion
Recital D b (new)

Db. whereas freedom of movement is one of the most important objectives of the European integration process and the exercise of that right is a key element of EU citizenship;

Amendment 33 #

Draft opinion
Recital D c (new)

D c. whereas Northern Ireland is the part of the UK most distinctly affected by Brexit; whereas the introduction of a ‘hard border’ with the Republic of Ireland is a particular concern affecting free movement and EU citizenship rights;

Amendment 34 #

Draft opinion
Recital D c (new)

Dc. whereas many EU citizens face a multitude of obstacles which prevent them from exercising to the full their right to freedom of movement;

Amendment 35 #

Draft opinion
Recital D d (new)

Dd. whereas one of the key aspects of European citizenship is being able to vote in local and European elections;

Amendment 36 #

Giancarlo SCOTTÀ, Nicolas BAY, Gilles LEBRETON, Auke ZIJLSTRA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Stresses that the EU has a duty to protect minorities and to guarantee their rights; notes that Article 2 of the TEU frames the protection of minorities as one of the fundamental values of the EU; further notes that Articles 21 (on non- discrimination) and 22 (on cultural, religious and linguistic diversity) of the Charter of Fundamental Rights acquired legally binding form in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU); Notes that all current rights available under the Charter of Fundamental Rights (CFR) and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), alongside the oversight and protections provided by the CJEU are fundamental to citizens in northern Ireland for the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement;

Amendment 37 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. ~~Stress~~Notes that Article 2 of the TEU ~~has a duty to protect minorities and to guarantee their rights; notes that Article 2 of~~frames the protection of the rights of persons belonging to minorities as one of the fundamental values of the EU; points out, however, that the TEU ~~frames~~Treaties, following the appro~~tection~~ach of min~~orities as one of the fundamental values of the EU~~ternational law, do not define the term ‘minorities’, which gives rise to legal ambiguity; further notes that Articles 21 (on non- discrimination) and 22 (on cultural, religious and linguistic diversity) of the Charter of Fundamental Rights acquired legally binding form in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU);

Amendment 38 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Stresses that the EU has a duty to protect minorities and to guarantee their rights to the same degree as for the majority; notes that Article 2 of the TEU frames the protection of minorities as one of the fundamental values of the EU; further notes that Articles 21 (on non- discrimination) and 22 (on cultural, religious and linguistic diversity) of the Charter of Fundamental Rights acquired legally binding form in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU);

Amendment 39 #

Giancarlo SCOTTÀ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

Amendment 4 #

Draft opinion
Recital –A c (new)

-A c. 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 40 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. Emphasizes that autochthonous national, ethnic or linguistic minority communities represent a special contribution to European diversity and culture; reminds that preserving and promoting cultural and linguistic diversity within and between Member States is a fundamental value and at the same time a major task of the European Union;

Amendment 41 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to promote citizens' participation in democratic life by keeping them better informed about their voting rights and removing barriers to their participation;

Amendment 42 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)

1 b. Points out that Union citizens are not sufficiently aware of their rights deriving from citizenship of the Union, including the right to vote in European and local elections or to receive consular protection from other Member States’ embassies; Considers that the EU should raise awareness to these rights and should promote the participation of citizens exercising their rights to freedom of movement in local and Union elections;

Amendment 43 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)

1b. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to address the issues of accessibility, participation, non- discrimination and equality by adopting laws at Union level so that all EU citizens with a disability can exercise their fundamental rights in the same way as other citizens;

Amendment 44 #

Anders VISTISEN, Marek JUREK

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Notes with concern that there are Member States which do not extend voting rights in European Parliament elections to their nationals, who are European citizens; points out that this limits the diversity of views in the Parliament and mitigates the accountability of the European institutions to European citizens; Member States must ensure that their nationals receive the protection of all economic, social, political, environmental and democratic rights associated with EU citizenship;

Amendment 45 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Notes with concern that there are Member States which do not extend voting rights in European Parliament elections to their nationals, who are European citizens; points out that this limits the diversity of views in the ParliamentRecalls that Member States are fully sovereign to define voting rights and, m~~itigates the accountability of the European institutions to Europe~~ore generally, electoral law and citizenship;

Amendment 46 #

Giancarlo SCOTTÀ, Nicolas BAY, Gilles LEBRETON

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Notes with concern that there are Member States which do not extend voting rights in European Parliament elections to their nationals, who are European citizens; points out that th~~is limits the diversity of views in the Parliament and mitigates the accountability of the European institutions to European citizen~~e interpretation of the extent of the right enshrined in 20(2) TFEU is applied with a large margin of discretion; encourage the Member States to extend the voting franchise in the realm of their constitutional possibilities;

Amendment 47 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

Amendment 48 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

Amendment 49 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2 a. Considers that Member States should also consider the situation of a number of EU citizens who are eventually deprived of their right to vote for any national government, due to the exercise of their Treaty rights, and aim to find solutions to this problem.

Amendment 5 #

Draft opinion
Recital –A d (new)

-A d. 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) TEU,

Amendment 50 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2 a. 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 51 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)

2 b. 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, thereby allowing all EU citizens to enjoy freedom of movement unhindered by border-checks;

Amendment 52 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 c (new)

2 c. Recalls that while the right to be able to vote in elections is the most important of political participation rights it is also intrinsically linked to the right of free movement in the European project, a fact exposed in the Brexit referendum, in which more than 700 thousand British expat citizens who exercised their right to free movement were notentitled to vote; Stresses that citizens who move to and reside in another Member State should have the possibility to exercise their right tovote in the national elections of their country of origin; calls on MemberStates that disenfranchise nationals who choose to live for an extended periodof time in another Member State to ease the conditions for these nationals and preservetheir right to vote in national elections;

Amendment 53 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Notes that almost 7 million EU citizens currently live in countries outside the EU, and that this number is expected to increase to at least 10 million by 2020. Calls for the full and effective implementation of Directive (EU) 2015/637 to ensure consular protection for EU citizens in third countries where their Member States are not represented;

Amendment 54 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Notes that almost 7 million EU citizens currently live in countries outside the EU, and that this number is expected to increase to at least 10 million by 2020; Emphasizes the need to support broad democratic participation in the perspective of the 2019 European elections;

Amendment 55 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. Urges Member States to take in to account the particular situation of children of EU citizens exercising their Treaty rights, when those children may face difficulty in satisfying criteria for citizenship under national rules, especially where a requirement of citizenship may involve demonstration of a close connection to the country concerned.

Amendment 56 #

Martina ANDERSON

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. Notes with concern that Golden Visas are afforded to non-EU citizens. These Golden Visas can be purchased from Member States, like Ireland, where it costs €1 million for each applicant, and only a requirement to stay in Ireland one day. EU Citizenship should not be reduced to a commodity;

Amendment 57 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Calls on the Commission to take appropriate measures to eliminate obstacles to freedom of movement, thereby enabling all EU citizens to enjoy freedom of movement to the full without encountering the obstacle of border checks;

Amendment 58 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)

3 b. Notes with concern that the right to family life of many EU nationals married to, or in a stable relationship, with non-EU nationals can be compromised due to national law or its poor implementation, as is their ability to exercise their Treaty rights when travelling within the EU;

Amendment 59 #

Cécile Kashetu KYENGE

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)

3b. Expresses concern at the practices employed by some Member States, which grant citizenship to third-country nationals solely in return for investments;

Amendment 6 #

Draft opinion
Recital –A e (new)

-A e. having regard to its Resolution on minimum standards for minorities in the EU(2018/2036(INI)),

Amendment 60 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 c (new)

3c. Calls on the Commission, in the context of its proposal, to consider closely 'national schemes for granting EU citizenship to investors' and to emphasise the procedures which Member States are required to follow in exercising their power to grant citizenship in a manner fully consistent with EU law;

Amendment 61 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 c (new)

3 c. Urges Member States to be proportionate in any decision with regard to the removal of non-national EU citizens from their territory and recalls that such decisions must relate to the individual concerned, after due examination of the circumstances and must respect fundamental rights;

Amendment 62 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 d (new)

3 d. Notes with concern that certain Member States grant preferential access to EU citizenship on the basis of minimal criteria, through the purchase of certain national visas;

Amendment 63 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. IConsi~~sts that the Member Sta~~ders that in order to give substance to the references to minorities and to the equality of all EU citizens made in Articles 2 and 9 TEU, respectively, and in order to bettesr re~~cognise language discrimination as a violation of Article 2 of the TEU; calls on the Fundamental Rights Agency to start dealing with anti-regional or minority language discrimination~~ach the potential of EU citizenship, the EU should take steps to guarantee the protection of the founding values of the EU and of the rights of minorities; reiterates the need for a comprehensive European Union protection system for autochthonous national, ethnic and linguistic minorities by incorporating existing international law instruments and following proven best practices in the EU; considers that such a framework should have its own high standards and be accompanied by a robust monitoring mechanism; calls on the Fundamental Rights Agency to start carrying out enhanced monitoring of discrimination against autochthonous national and ethnic minorities in its work programme;

Amendment 64 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Insists that the Member States recognise language discrimination as a violation of Article 2 of the TEU; calls on the Fundamental Rights Agency to start dealing with anti-regional or minority language discrimination in its work programme; stresses that regional or minority languages should be accepted in all Member States even where use of the official language in all public institutions is mandatory;

Amendment 65 #

Cécile Kashetu KYENGE

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. ~~Insists that the Member States recognise language discrimination as a violation of Article 2 of the TEU; c~~Calls on the Fundamental Rights Agency to start dealing with anti-regional or minority language discrimination in its work programme;

Amendment 66 #

Anders VISTISEN

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. ~~Insists that the Member States~~Recommends Member States to consider appropriate legislative steps that recognise language discrimination as a violation of Article 2 of the TEU; ~~calls on the Fundamental Rights Agency to start dealing with anti-regional or minority language discrimination in its work programme;~~

Amendment 67 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

Amendment 68 #

Giancarlo SCOTTÀ, Gilles LEBRETON, Nicolas BAY, Auke ZIJLSTRA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Condemns in forceful terms the increasing number of incidents of racism, xenophobia, discrimination and incitement to hatred and the instances of violence perpetrated by neo-fascist and neo-Nazi organisations in a number of EU Member States;

Amendment 69 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

~~5. Calls on the UK Government to ensure that the rights of EU citizens living in the UK are protected post-Brexit, an entitlement they possess under the Treaties.~~deleted

Amendment 7 #

Draft opinion
Recital –A f (new)

-A f. having regard to its resolution of 7 February 2018 on protection and non- discrimination with regard to minorities in the EU Member States,

Amendment 70 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. ~~Calls~~Stresses that the safeguarding onf the ~~UK Government to ensure that the rights of EU citizens living in the UK are protected post-Brexit, an entitlement they possess under the Treaties.~~rights and interests of EU-27citizens 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 UK's withdrawal agreement; Is extremely concerned about the current state of negotiations on the UK leaving the EU and about the disastrous consequences a no-deal scenario would have on the lives of over five million people; Calls on the UK Government and on EU institutions and Member States to ensure that the rights of EU citizens living in the UK and the lives of UK citizens living in the EU are protected post-Brexit;

Amendment 71 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Calls on the UKBritish and Irish Governments to ensure that the rights of EU citizens living in ~~the UK~~Britain and northern Ireland are protected post-Brexit, an entitlement they possess under the Treaties.

Amendment 72 #

Anders VISTISEN, Marek JUREK

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Calls on the UK Government to ensure that the rights of EU citizens living in the UK are protected post-Brexit, an entitlement they possess under the Treaties, to the same extent that UK citizens resident in the EU are protected.

Amendment 73 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. CRecalls onthat the UK Government has committed to ensure that the rights of EU citizens living in the UK are protected post-Brexit~~, an entitlement they possess under the Treaties.~~; calls on the EU negotiators to ensure that the rights of UK citizens living in the EU are equally protected;

Amendment 74 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Urges Member States to abandon the sale of residence permits and nationality via golden visas and investors programmes schemes given the high risk of corruption, abuse and misuse of the Schengen area for criminal purposes;

Amendment 75 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5 b. Asks the Commission to act sternly and swiftly demanding from Member States all relevant data and controls to ensure that the integrity and security of the Schengen system is not compromised;

Amendment 8 #

Draft opinion
Recital A

A. whereas, in accordance with Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU), the European Union is founded on respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights; ~~whereas the principle of representative democracy, accountability and transparency is a fundamental pillar of the European Parliament;~~

Amendment 9 #

Draft opinion
Recital B

B. whereas ~~European citizens are protected from discrimination by the Charter of Fundamental Rights that cover~~the Charter of Fundamental Rights brings together all the personal, civic, political, economic and social rights enjoyed by people within the EU; Whereas the Charter aims to protect European citizens from discrimination based on any ground such as sex, race, colour, ethnic~~ity,~~ or social origin, genetic features, language, religion, or belief, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age ~~and~~or sexual orientation;

source: 630.536

2018/12/17 AFCO 117 amendments...

Amendment 1 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 1

— having regard to Articles 2, 3, 6, 9, 12, 21, 23 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU), and to Articles 158, 9, 10, 15, 18, 20, 21, 22, 24, 26, 45, 46, 47, 48, 153, 165 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU),

Amendment 10 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 29 g (new)

- having regard to the European Commission’s communication to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of Regions on securing free and fair European elections,

Amendment 100 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 d (new)

18 d. Insists on investing on and creating Programmes and initiatives to foster a European public space where the enjoyment of fundamental rights and freedoms, social welfare and the fulfilment of European values become the citizen identity model;

Amendment 101 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Asks for the creation, under Article 25 of the TFUE, of an EU Statute of Citizenship including citizen-specific rights and the fundamental rights and freedoms enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights, as well as social rights and the values established by Article 2 of the TEU as defining elements of the European ‘public space’, including among others the governance model relevant to that public space, dignity, freedom, the rule of law, democracy, pluralism, tolerance, justice and solidarity, and also including safety in view of to the current threats facing citizens;deleted

Amendment 102 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

Amendment 103 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Asks for the creation, under Article 25 of the TFUE, of an EU Statute of Citizenship including citizen-specific rights and the fundamental rights and freedoms enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights, as well as social rights and the values established byEncourages the co-legislators to make use of Article 25 of the TEU as defining elements of the European ‘public space’, including among others the governance model relevant to that public space, dignity, freedom, the rule of law, democracy, pluralism, tolerance, justice and solidarity, and also including safety in view of to the current threats facing citizens;FUE to take measures that could facilitate the exercise of European citizenship on a daily basis.

Amendment 104 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Asks for the creation, under Article 25 of the TFUE, of an EU Statute of Citizenship including citizen-specific rights and the fundamental rights and freedoms enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights, as well as social rights and the values established by Article 2 of the TEU as defining elements of the European ‘public space’, including among others the governance model relevant to that public space, dignity, freedom, the rule of law, democracy, pluralism, tolerance, justice and solidarity, ~~and also including safety in view of to the current threats facing citizens~~equality and non- discrimination;

Amendment 105 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)

19 a. Stresses the need for secure, fair and transparent sharing of data of citizens; recalls the Commission guidance on the application of Union data protection law in the electoral context; calls for every effort to be made in order to ensure elections free from any abusive outside interference;

Amendment 106 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)

19 a. Identifies with the notion that EU citizenship contributes to creating a more cohesive European society, thereby fostering mutual understanding, intercultural dialogue and transnational cooperation;

Amendment 107 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)

19 b. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to strengthen their effort in promoting citizen rights among European citizens, including those related to voting rights; Underlines the need to launch a broad and inclusive pedagogical campaign on citizens’ rights; Notes that only continuous educational effort can ensure increased participation in elections at the European level;

Amendment 108 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)

19 b. Encourages Commission to increase 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 and stand for local, national and European election;

Amendment 109 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 c (new)

19 c. Invites the Commission to exploit, in this regard, social media and digital tools with a special emphasis on increasing the participation of young people and persons with disabilities; calls for the development and implementation of e-democracy tools, such as online platforms, to involve citizens more directly in EU democratic life, thus fostering their engagement;

Amendment 11 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas the values and principles on which the Union is based, which are highlighted in Articles 2 and 6 TEU, put the citizen at the very centre of the European project; whereas ~~the~~in order to debate on the future of Europe ~~therefore also implies a reflection on the strength of our common identity~~it is necessary to acknowledge that there is not, and never can be a European demos, because Europe is a continent with diverse cultures and identities and the EU is a union of nation states;

Amendment 110 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 c (new)

19 c. Recalls the need to promote the European dimension of the European Parliamentary Elections; emphasizes the need to inform citizens about the recent reform of the electoral law, including the Spitzenkandidat process;

Amendment 111 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 d (new)

19 d. Recalls that the European Parliament is the parliament of the whole Union, and that it plays an essential role in ensuring the legitimacy of the EU political institutions in making them accountable by ensuring proper parliamentary scrutiny; insists therefore that Parliament’s legislative powers and control rights must be guaranteed, consolidated and strengthened;

Amendment 112 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 d (new)

19 d. Supports the production and dissemination of press and multimedia in all official EU languages that focus on enhancing EU citizens’ awareness of their rights and strengthening their ability to enforce these rights effectively in each Member State;

Amendment 113 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 e (new)

19 e. Considers that, given the increasing impact of social media on the lives of citizens, European institutions should continue to develop new mechanisms and public policies that are designed to protect the fundamental rights of individuals in the digital environment, focusing on their freedom of expression, their right to privacy and the protection of their good name, personal data and personal image;

Amendment 114 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 f (new)

19 f. Underlines that better and more focused information on European policies and on the impact of EU legislation on citizens’ daily lives would improve the turnout in European elections; recalls the need to promote participation in European elections by increasing the visibility of European political parties; reiterates that promoting participation in European elections is a shared responsibility of citizens, Member States and the EU;

Amendment 115 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 g (new)

19 g. Stresses that free media and access to a plurality of opinions 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 targeted misinformation;

Amendment 116 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 h (new)

19 h. Emphasises that quality civic education for all ages (formal and informal) is crucial for the confident exercise of citizens’ democratic rights, proper functioning of a democratic society as well as for overcoming discrimination, prejudice, and gender inequality; thus, reiterates the need for investing in civic education;

Amendment 117 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 i (new)

19 i. Welcomes the Rights and Values Programme as a valuable example of Union's active support for its values and rights deriving from EU citizenship and enshrined in the Treaties, including by way of supporting civil society organisations which promote and protect these rights and values;

Amendment 12 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas the rights, values and principles on which the Union is based, which are highlighted in Articles 2 and 6 TEU, put the citizen at the very centre of the European project; whereas the debate on the future of Europe therefore also implies a reflection on the strength of our common identity;

Amendment 13 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)

B a. whereas the principles of transparency, integrity and accountability of the EU institutions and of the decision- making processes, as deriving from articles 10 and 11 TEU and 41 of the EU Charter of fundamental rights, are substantive elements of the concept of citizenship and are essential for building and strengthening credibility and trust in the Union as a whole; whereas the recourse to ad hoc and intergovernmental arrangements and instruments in several EU policy areas, as well as to informal decision-making bodies, circumventing and de-institutionalising the EU ordinary legislative procedure, risks to severely undermine such principles;

Amendment 14 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)

B a. whereas Article 8 TFEU establishes the principle of gender mainstreaming by stating that ‘In all its activities, the Union shall aim to eliminate inequalities, and to promote equality, between men and women’;

Amendment 15 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas the current revision of the ECI aims to improve its effectiveness and enhance participative democracy and active citizenship; whereas the EU has had difficulties in facing numerous crises with important socio-economic consequences and implications regarding migration, which have led to the emergence of populist and nationalist ideologies based on exclusive identities and supremacist criteria which contradict European valuEU defective management of the economic and financial crisis leading to deep socio- economic consequences for the people as well as the inability of the EU institutions and the Member States to establish a well- functioning, solidarity-based and human rights-compliant migration and refugee policy have increased citizens’ distrust toward the EU integration project and underlined the need to change the EU course of action by giving full primacy to the promotion of citizens’ civil, political and social rights, while providing for a greater involvement of civil society in decision-making and implementation processes;

Amendment 16 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas the current revision of the ECI aims to improve its effectiveness and enhance participative democracy and active citizenship; whereas the EU has had difficulties in facing numerous crises with important socio-economic consequences and implications regarding migration, which have ~~led to the emergence of populist and nationalist ideologies based on exclusive identities and supremacist criteria which contradict European values~~understandably led to increased support for political parties which aim to protect their national democracy, culture and identities by refraining from further supranational integration and which aspire for a reformed EU which follows the 'doing less more efficiently' scenario of the Commission's White Paper on the Future of the EU;

Amendment 17 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)

C a. 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 deriving from the EU citizenship are laid down by EU law and do not depend on Member States and hence cannot be limited in an unjustified manner by them;

Amendment 18 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)

C a. whereas the current revision of the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) should aim at improving its practical effectiveness and applying articles 11(4) TEU and 24 TFEU in a less restrictive way, hence at enhancing participative democracy and active citizenship;

Amendment 19 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)

C b. Whereas in the context of access to national citizenship, Member States should be governed by the principles of EU law, such as those of proportionality, rule of law and non-discrimination, which are well elaborated in the case law of the European Court of Justice;

Amendment 2 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 1

— having regard to Articles 2, 3, 6, 9, 120, 11, 21, 23 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU), and to Articles 8, 15, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 45, 46, 47, 48, 153, 165 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU),

Amendment 20 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C c (new)

C c. Whereas according to the Treaties, every EU citizen must receive equal attention from the EU institutions;

Amendment 21 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C d (new)

C d. 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 in the democratic life of the Union;

Amendment 22 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C e (new)

C e. Whereas European citizens are directly represented in the European Parliament and have the democratic right to stand and vote in European elections, even when residing in another Member State;

Amendment 23 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C f (new)

C f. Whereas it is crucial to ensure that EU citizenship is regarded as a cherished privilege among the citizens, including by restoring citizens' confidence in EU project, a feeling which seems to have waned in recent years as reflected by rise of euro- sceptic political forces and lower turnout in European elections;

Amendment 24 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas the prospect of Brexit has highlighted the importance of EU citizenship rights, especially among young Europeans, and their role in the lives of millions of EU citizens, and has also raised awareness in the EU concerndemocratic choice of the British people to leave the EU has raised awareness of EU citizenship rights, especially among young people; whereas the UK Government has committed to protecting the rights of EU citizens living in the UK, even ing the ~~potential loss of such rights on both sides~~event of a no-deal outcome;

Amendment 25 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)

D a. Whereas the average participation in the elections to the European Parliament in 2014 was 42.6 %;whereas according to the most recent Eurobarometer published in May 2018, only19 % of Europeans interviewed knew the date of the next European elections;

Amendment 26 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)

G a. Whereas free movement provide EU citizens with opportunities to travel, study, work, and live in other EU countries; whereas more than 16 million Europeans enjoy their right to reside in another EU country;

Amendment 27 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G b (new)

G b. Whereas the right to freedom of movement is central to EU citizenship and complement the other freedoms of the EU internal market; whereas young Europeans are particularly attached to freedom of movement, which is regarded as the EU’s most positive achievement after ensuring peace in Europe;

Amendment 28 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital I a (new)

I a. Whereas the European Commission has shown a commitment in the EU Citizenship Report 2017 to organise an EU-wide information and awareness raising campaign on EU citizenship in order to help citizens to better understand their rights; whereas this responsibility to better inform EU citizens of their rights and duties needs tobe shared by Member States and civil society;

Amendment 29 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital I a (new)

I a. J. Whereas Europe Direct offices are very hardly known by EU citizens despite its main role of information.

Amendment 3 #

Jana TOOM, Fabio Massimo CASTALDO

Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 a (new)

- having regard to Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2001 regarding public access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents,

Amendment 30 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Considers that not all the provisions concerning EU citizenship have been implemented to reach their full potential, even though this would enable the consolidation of a European identity; highlights that the creation of Union citizenship has proven that a citizenship which is not determined by nationality can exist and that it forms the foundation of apolitical area from which rights and duties emerge, which are determined by the law of the European Union and not the State; calls on the Union institutions to take the necessary measures to improve the implementation, scope and effectiveness of the Treaty provisions concerning citizenship;

Amendment 31 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Considers that not all the provisions concerning EU citizenship have been implemented to reach their full potential, even though this would enable the consolidation of a European identity; calls on the Union institutions to take the necessary measures to improve the implementation, scope and effectiveness of the Treaty provisions concerning citizenship as well as of the corresponding ones enshrined in the EU Charter of fundamental rights;

Amendment 32 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Recalls that EU citizenship is additional to citizenship of a Member State; underlines that EU citizenship ~~enables the complementarity of different identities for the citizen, and that national~~was artificially constructed in the Treaty of Maastricht and has no resonance with many EU citizens because they feel dist an~~d populist ideologies undermine that capacity; is of the opinion that exercising active citizenship is key to building open, inclusive and resilient societies~~t from the political ideology which is the driving force behind the deeply concerning vision of greater political integration at the expense of national sovereignty;

Amendment 33 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Recalls that EU citizenship is additional to citizenship of a Member State; underlines that EU citizenship enables the complementarity of ~~different~~multiple identities for the citizen, and that exclusive nationalistm and populist ideologies undermine that capacity; is of the opinion that exercising active citizenship ~~is key~~which should be linked to residency is key to reinforcing the sense of belonging to a political project and to building open, inclusive and resilient societies;

Amendment 34 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Recalls that EU citizenship is additional to citizenship of a Member State; underlines that EU citizenship enables the complementarity of different identities for the citizen~~, and that nationalist and populist ideologies undermine that capacity~~; is of the opinion that exercising active citizenship is key to building open, inclusive and resilient societies;

Amendment 35 #

Jana TOOM, Fabio Massimo CASTALDO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2 a. Considers that the full implementation, by the EU institutions, bodies, offices and agencies, of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and the active promotion of the rights and principles enshrined therein represent an essential lever for guaranteeing the effective involvement of citizens in the EU democratic process and to give concreteness to the provisions enshrined in article 20 TFEU;

Amendment 36 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2 a. Stresses that the body of rights and obligations arising from Union citizenship cannot be limited in an unjustified manner, therefore the conditions for the acquisition and loss of nationality must be compatible with European Union law and its values;

Amendment 37 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2 a. Deems it important to foster the development of a shared sense of European identity, to reflect on the causes of the EU loss of credibility, to encourage civic participation and to launch an in- depth debate on European values;

Amendment 38 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 b (new)

2 b. Stresses that the Commission’s 2017 Citizenship Report makes no reference to the right of petition, the right to refer to the European Ombudsman, the right to access documents or the rights to support an ECI; expects the next Citizenship Report to address this shortcomings;

Amendment 39 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Notes that the Erasmus+ programme, the Rights, Equality and Citizenship programme, and the Europe for Citizens programme bring, for EU citizens and in particular the young, great benefits by raising their awareness of their status as EU citizens and enhancing their knowledge of the rights deriving from that status and its underlying values; takes the view that European voluntary programmes such as European Voluntary Service and the European Solidarity Corps also play an integral part in building European citizenship; underlines the paramount importance of such programmes, especially among young people, and calls for them to be financially reinforced;

Amendment 4 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 29 a (new)

- - having regard to its resolution of 16 February 2017 on improving the functioning of the European Union building on the potential of the Lisbon Treaty,

Amendment 40 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. Recalls that Union citizenship, besides granting freedom of movement, voting rights, consular protection, right to petition and to turn to the European Ombudsman, has also extended implications and confers rights in the field of democratic participation as derived from Articles 10 and 11 TEU among others;

Amendment 41 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)

3 b. Stresses that for the exercise of the right to participate in the democratic life of the Union, decisions should be taken as openly and as closely possible to the citizen and it is therefore fundamental to ensure relevant guarantees on transparency in decision-making and fight against corruption;

Amendment 42 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 c (new)

3 c. Stresses that for the full enjoyment of Treaty provisions linked to EU citizenship, including participation in the democratic life of the Union, it is essential that fundamental rights are protected and promoted;

Amendment 43 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 d (new)

3 d. Points out at the worrying tendency of shrinking space for civil society in the world and also in Europe and of increasing criminalisation, bureaucratisation and funds restrictions for fundamental rights organisations, in particular women’s rights organisations and activists;

Amendment 44 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 e (new)

3 e. Regrets that gender mainstreaming is not consistently implemented in all EU activities which prevents the full enjoyment of the rights linked to EU citizenship by women;

Amendment 45 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Is concerned at the trend to decline in voter turnout in both national and European Parliament elections; is convinced that ~~European citizenship has the potential to help reverse that decline by increasing citizens’ sense of belonging to a European community and boosting representative democracy~~the way to re-engage citizens with the European project is by restructuring the EU so it focuses solely on areas in which it can add value, namely the single market, internal security, trade and the environment, as well as by restoring trust in the European institutions in the light of recent scandals such as the appointment of Martin Selmayr as Commission Secretary- General;

Amendment 46 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Is concerned at the trend to decline in voter turnout in both national and European Parliament elections; is convinced that the strengthening of the EU public sphere and the full implementation of European citizenship has the potential to help reverse that decline by increasing citizens’ sense of belonging to a European community and boosting representative democracy;

Amendment 47 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Is concerned at the trend to decline in voter turnout in both national and European Parliament elections, especially among young people; is convinced that European citizenship has the potential to help reverse that decline by increasing citizens’ sense of belonging to a European community and boosting representative democracy;

Amendment 48 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4 a. Recalls that transnational lists have the potential to reinforce the EU public sphere in the framework of EU elections by promoting a EU wide debate based on EU related policies instead of framing the electoral campaign on national issues;

Amendment 49 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)

4 b. Recalls that according to Article 17 TEU the appointment of the President of the Commission needs to take into account the result of the elections to the European Parliament; underlines the political importance and symbolism of this figure in terms of reinforcing EU citizenship;

Amendment 5 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 29 b (new)

- - having regard to its resolution of 7 February 2018 on the composition of the European Parliament,

Amendment 50 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 c (new)

4 c. Stresses that, in order to protect the political rights of all EU citizens, it is fundamental to combat the barriers women face when participating in the democratic life of the Union;

Amendment 51 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. ~~Deplores once again~~Regrets the fact that some EU citizens are disenfranchised in their Member State of nationality and cannot participate in national parliamentary elections in their Member State of residence; ~~underlines that the loss of electoral rights arising from residence in another Member State could discourage citizens from moving to ano~~reminds however that voting rights and national electoral law are competences for ther Member State ~~and therefore could constitute a potential violation of Article 18 TFEU~~s;

Amendment 52 #

Jana TOOM, Fabio Massimo CASTALDO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6 a. Considers that, in a system of representative democracy, it is essential to ensure the proper functioning of EU institutions in order to protect all political rights of EU citizens; calls for more determined steps to be taken to ensure the right to good administration for EU citizens, as established in Article 41 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, and particularly within the field of the right to access to documents granted by it Article 42;

Amendment 53 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6 a. Underlines the concerns raised during the Workshop on ‘Political and electoral rights ofnon-citizen residents in Latvia-Estonia’ of 24 April 2018 which was held in response to petition 0747/2016 signed by over 20 thousand signatures; notes that non-citizen residents of these countries are not permitted to vote in European Parliament elections while they are taken into account for the allocation of seats;

Amendment 54 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6 a. Deplores that since the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, Article 15(3) TFEU, which became the legal base for public access to documents and which extends such regime to all the Union institutions, bodies, agencies and offices, has not yet been fully implemented; considers that progress in the adoption of the new regulation has been consistently stalled by the Member States;

Amendment 55 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 b (new)

6 b. Insists that by credibly leading the fight against corruption the Union would make a crucial step, not only in ensuring a good administration in all Member States and protecting tax-payers general interest, but also in reinforcing its image as such in the eyes of EU citizens; considers that the EU should be exemplary and apply the highest standards to prevent any conflict of interests, also with regards to the appointments to relevant posts in the EU institutions and agencies; regrets recent episodes of revolving doors by commissioners that undermine the perception of the Union by the public opinion;

Amendment 56 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 c (new)

6 c. Considers that the revision of the legal framework governing the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) presents an opportunity to enhance citizen participation in EU policy making by rendering the instrument less bureaucratic and more accessible;

Amendment 57 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 d (new)

6 d. Considers that multilingualism within the institutions and in their interaction with citizens is an essential aspect to reinforce the notion of EU citizenship;

Amendment 58 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Welcomes the benefits that free movement brings to EU citizens and the Member States’ economies; points out that the rights derived from Directive 2004/38/EC on the right of citizens of the Union and their families to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States are not always known and respected, which leads to obstacles to free movement and residence for EU citizens and their families; recalls the obligation of the Member States to protect freedom of movement rights, including family reunification, for same-sex couples:

Amendment 59 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

Amendment 6 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 29 c (new)

- - having regard to its recommendation of 4 July 2018 on the draft Council decision amending the Act concerning the election of the members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage, annexed to Council Decision 76/787/ECSC, EEC, Euratom of 20 September 1976 (the 'Electoral Act'),

Amendment 60 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7 a. Is worried that the interpretation of certain provisions and terms of Directive 2004/38/EC by national courts differs not only across Member States, but sometimes also within the same jurisdiction; notes with concern that national authorities are not always fully aware of the rights and obligations established under Directive 2004/38/EC;

Amendment 61 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)

7 b. Underlines the problematic of the absence of information or the provision of incorrect or confusing information on visa requirements for family members or on residence rights; insists that Member States should ensure the removal of unnecessary barriers to the right of entry/residence, in particular for third country nationals who are family members of EU citizens;

Amendment 62 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Is concerned about the difficulties encountered by citizens in getting their professional qualifications recognised across Europe; believes that the Professional Qualifications Directive and European Qualifications Framework have helped facilitate recognition among Member States; also believes that professional recognition is key to ensure a higher degree of mobility for both students and professionals; calls on the European Commission to continue the trend of facilitating as much as possible the professional recognition

Amendment 63 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8 a. Deplores the fact that the failure to aggregate social security entitlements creates barriers for EU residents, and calls on the Member States to fully and effectively implement Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 on the coordination of social security systems and Regulation (EC) No 987/2009 laying down the procedure for implementing Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 on the coordination of social security systems in order to ensure the portability of social security benefits (e.g. state pensions, health insurance, unemployment benefits and family benefits) and consequently reduce barriers to labour mobility in the EU;

Amendment 64 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Is deeply concerned about the findings of the research carried out by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, which has identified discrimination in finding employment, in accessing various services such as renting a car or an apartment or certain banking services, and in the fields of education and taxation; emphasises that discrimination on the grounds of nationality may create barriers to the free movement of Union citizens; calls on the EU and the Member States to pay particular attention to monitoring such cases of discrimination and to take decisive actions to prevent them;

Amendment 65 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9 a. Underlines the role of mobility in the personal development of young people, by enhancing learning and cultural exchanges, improving understanding of active citizenship and its practice; encourages the Member States to support EU programmes promoting mobility;

Amendment 66 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9 a. Stresses that in order to truly protect freedom of movement, the EU needs improve its measures to avoid social dumping; fair pay, union rights and decent working conditions must be secured through EU legislation;

Amendment 67 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)

9 b. Values the importance of culture, art and science as integral aspects of active EU citizenship; stresses their role in strengthening citizens’ shared sense of belonging to the Union, boosting mutual understanding and stimulating intercultural dialogue;

Amendment 68 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 c (new)

9 c. Encourages raising of awareness of European values and rights among EU citizens of all ages through formal, non-formal and informal education in order to enhance intercultural understanding and solidarity in Europe;

Amendment 69 #

Motion for a resolution
Subheading 3 a (new)

Petition the European Parliament and complain to the European ombudsperson

Amendment 7 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 29 d (new)

- - having regard to its decision of 7 February 2018 on the revision of the Framework Agreement on relations between the European Parliament and the European Commission,

Amendment 70 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)

11 a. Stresses the importance of the right to petition, as established by Articles 227 TFEU and 44 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, respectively, and the right to refer to the Ombudsman consigned in Articles 228 TFEU and 43 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights; commends the work of the EU Ombudsman in combating maladministration in the Union institutions, bodies and agencies, and particularly on the field of transparency; stresses the importance of transparency for an adequate democratic functioning and participation within the Union that generates trust among its citizens; endorses in this regard the recommendations by the Ombudsman in its recent Special Report on transparency of the Council legislative process;

Amendment 71 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)

11 b. Notes that while citizens across the Union are aware of the right to petition, and there is a persisting expectation of an added value of the Union by a thorough handling of their concerns, they often experience arbitrariness and lack of clarity as to the proper delineation of competences between the Union and the Member States, resulting in inaction from the Union institutions; considers that this is detrimental to the perception of Union citizenship and calls on the Commission to increase efforts to exercise its duty of guardian of the treaties and play a proactive role within the Union competences, especially in the policy areas which garner the highest number of petitions, namely: the environment, fundamental rights (notably voting rights and rights of the child), the free movement of persons, social affairs and employment, discrimination and immigration;

Amendment 72 #

Charles GOERENS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Recommends that the Commission exercise its prerogatives under Article 258 TFEU to ask the ECJ to decide if disenfranchisement due to residence in another EU Member State should be considered to be a violation of freedom of movement and residence; calls again on Member States to implement the Venice Commission's Code of Good Practice in Electoral Matters including the abolition of disenfranchisement of expatriates in elections to national parliaments;

Amendment 73 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)

12 a. Calls on the EU institutions, particularly on the Council, to align their internal procedures as well as the legislative and decision-making processes to the findings and conclusions of the European Ombudsman concerning institutional transparency and integrity, among which the Recommendation in case OI/2/2017/TE on the Transparency of the Council legislative process and the Recommendations in the joint inquiry into complaints 194/2017/EA, 334/2017/EA, and 543/2017/EA on the European Commission’s handling of post-mandate employment of former Commissioners, a former Commission President and the role of its ‘Ethics Committee’;

Amendment 74 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 b (new)

12 b. Asks to the European Council, the Council, when meeting informally, and the Eurogroup to start applying the Transparency Regulation and to develop rules of procedure that are in line with the standards developed in EU legislation and case law, as already requested in the Letter of the COSAC Delegations to the EU Institutions of 20 December 2017 on the transparency of political decision- making within the EU;

Amendment 75 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Suggests that the Commission, through the procedure established in Article 25 TFEU, extend the rights listed in Article 20(2) TFEU in order to allow EU citizens to choose whether to vote in their Member State of nationality or of residence and that this be extended to include all elections~~, in line with the constitutional possibilities of each Member State~~;

Amendment 76 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13 a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to prioritise the fight against social, economic and political exclusion as a precondition for favouring the concrete participation of citizens in the democratic life of the Union and for enabling them to exercise their citizenship’s rights;

Amendment 77 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13 a. Calls on the Member States to introduce e-democracy tools, at local and national level, and properly integrate them in the political process, facilitating democratic participation for both citizens and residents;

Amendment 78 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13 a. Proposes, in the next revision of the Treaties, to link EU citizenship to residency in a EU Member State;

Amendment 79 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)

13 b. Recommends that the President of the next Commission should be proposed by the European Council amongst the "Spitzenkandidaten" who can gather a majority within the European Parliament;

Amendment 8 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 29 e (new)

- - having regard to its resolution of 30 May 2018 on the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework and own resources,

Amendment 80 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)

13 b. Stresses the importance of accessibility of information on EU citizenship and the rights derived from its possession, in all official languages of the European Union;

Amendment 81 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 c (new)

13 c. Stresses the importance of preserving the current budget for the Rights and Values Programme; firmly opposes its downsizing in the new Multiannual Financial Framework for 2021-2027 as proposed by the Commission;

Amendment 82 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 c (new)

13 c. Strongly encourages the European political parties and their party members to ensure a gender balanced representation of candidates by means of zipped lists or other equivalent methods;

Amendment 83 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 d (new)

13 d. Suggests a revision of Regulation 1049/2001 on access to documents in order to upgrade the enjoyment of this right by EU citizens and its civil society;

Amendment 84 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 e (new)

13 e. Calls on the Commission to develop more robust practices as regards the political and legal follow-up given to successful ECIs;

Amendment 85 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 f (new)

13 f. Calls for more efforts to be taken in ensuring as much as possible the availability of official documents beyond the three working languages; is convinced that expanding the communication of the Union with citizens to those languages that while not yet official at the Union level do enjoy recognition and are widely spoken in Member States would have a positive impact in the perception of EU citizenship; suggests that necessary provisions are adopted so that these languages can also be used by Members in plenary sittings, upon prior notification;

Amendment 86 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Proposes t~~he creation, under the Rights and Values programme, of EU Citizens’ Offices, which would operate as a structure of~~o increase significantly the visibility of Europe Direct offices; underlines that these offices should operate as intermediators between public administrations in the Member States and civil society (including trade unions, business associations and public and private bodies) to actively inform European citizens about their rights and obligations, and to foster the participation of citizens at local level in the democratic life of the European Union; ~~underlines that these offices could synergise with programmes such as Europe for Citizens;~~encourages Member states and entities from regional and local levels to actively cooperate with these offices; asks for the European Commission to ensure that theses offices centralize the relevant information which enable EU citizens to exercise their rights.

Amendment 87 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)

14 a. Calls for the consistent implementation of gender mainstreaming in all EU activities, in particular when adopting legislation or implementing policies linked to EU citizenship;

Amendment 88 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)

14 b. Requests to increase EU measures addressed to combat social dumping through, among others, a Minimum Income Directive, the adoption of fair leaves in the ongoing revision of the Parental Leave Directive and reinforcing other measures to combat the gender pay and pension gaps;

Amendment 89 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)

16 a. Regrets the lack of explicit references to the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights in the Commission’s 2017 Citizenship report, and in particular to its Title V “Citizens’ Rights” which mirrors the provisions enshrined in articles 20 to 24 TFEU; calls on the Commission to pay full attention to the provisions of the Charter in the next evaluation pursuant to article 25(1) TFEU, as a means to increase the Charter’s operability and awareness among European citizens;

Amendment 9 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 29 f (new)

- having regard to its resolution of 14 November 2018 on the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027 - Parliament's position with a view to an agreement,

Amendment 90 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)

16 a. Underlines that a growing number of European citizens have suffered terrorist attacks in a country that is not their own, and therefore urgently calls for the establishment of protocols in Member States to help non-national Europeans in the event of a terrorist attack, in line with Directive (EU) 2017/541 on combating terrorism;

Amendment 91 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. ~~Proposes~~Rejects the proposal for establishing a European public holiday on 9 May ~~in order to reinforce a European feeling of belonging and create space for civic movements and activ~~; reminds that there is no provision for the EU to do so across its Member States and that only national parliaments can establish public holidays in line with their nations history and traditieons;

Amendment 92 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Proposes to the Member States establishing a European public holiday on 9 May in order to reinforce a European feeling of belonging and create space for civic movements and activities;

Amendment 93 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Re~~iterates its call on the Commission to come forward with a proposal for the implementation of Parliament’s recommendations on an EU mechanism on democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights~~cognises that, in the absence of a solid basis in the Treaties, continuing to push for the establishment of an EU mechanism on democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights runs contrary to the principles and values on which the Union is founded, particularly that of conferral and subsidiarity; stresses that the establishment of such a mechanism would usurp existing competences under Articles 7 TEU and 258 TFEU, and would also constitute an abuse of the interinstitutional agreement instrument under Article 295 TFEU;

Amendment 94 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)

18 a. Urges to conclude the adoption of the horizontal EU Anti-discrimination Directive[1], in order to further guarantee fundamental rights concretely within the Union by means of adoption of concrete EU legislation, and therefore avoiding the current interference of Article 51; [1] 2008/0140(CNS) Proposal for a Council Directive on implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation

Amendment 95 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)

18 a. Calls for increased effort to finalise the accession of the European Union to the European Convention on Human Rights, and for the ratification of the European Social Charter.

Amendment 96 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 b (new)

18 b. Considers that the Charter of Fundamental Rights is an essential dimension for the implementation of EU citizenship; regrets that Article 51, combined with its restrictive interpretation, often narrows the application of the Charter, generating frustration and eventually disenchantment towards the European project; considers that this fact should be corrected at the earliest possible stage, ultimately by suppressing this Article from the Charter;

Amendment 97 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 b (new)

18 b. Recommends the use of Article 165, 166 and 167 TFUE as legal basis for exploring the potential of education, vocational training and youth policies.

Amendment 98 #