2021/2018(INI) | [ParlTrack]

Draft opinion
Paragraph -1 (new)

-1. Emphasises that EU political parties and foundations contribute to forming European political awareness and to express the will of citizens of the Union, as enshrined in Article 10(4) TEU and Article 12(2) of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union; stresses, furthermore, the importance of EU political parties and foundations in bringing together the European civil society and the Union institutions;

Amendment 10 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

Amendment 11 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. Recalls that, in its Resolution of 26 November 2020 on the stocktaking of European elections, the Parliament proposed to amend Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1141/2014 “to allow European political parties and foundations to fully participate in the European political space, to campaign, to be able to use campaign funds and stand in European elections, to increase the transparency of their funding, especially as regards the management of funds from the EU budget and when funding comes from member parties, and to prohibit donations from private and public bodies from non-EU countries”;

Amendment 12 #

Younous OMARJEE

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. Expresses concern about the budgetary dependence of the APPF on the budget of the European Parliament; calls for full budgetary autonomy for this Authority in order to ensure the highest level of neutrality;

Amendment 13 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Recalls that Article 38 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1141/2014 requires Parliament to adopt a report on the application of the Regulation by the end of 2021, and the Commission to present a report on the same matter six months after that, probably accompanied by a legislative proposal to amend the ~~regulation~~Regulation; takes note that the evaluation will focus on tightening the financial and enforcement rules, reducing the administrative burden, enhancing transparency, and strengthening the genuine electoral representation of European citizens;

Amendment 14 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Recalls that Article 38 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1141/2014 requires Parliament to adopt a report by the end of 2021, and the Commission to present a report on the same matter six months after that, ~~probably accompanied~~which shall be accompanied, if appropriate, by a legislative proposal to amend the regulation;

Amendment 15 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4 a. Welcomes the Commission’s intention to review Regulation Nº 1141/2014 on the statute and funding of European political parties and European political foundations, at the end of 2021, with a view to go beyond the current objective of addressing financing and transparency rules and ease the registration conditions under Article 3 and open membership to all EU citizens to provide for a more inclusive representation of political parties active at the European level;

Amendment 16 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4 a. Notes that, following Brexit, there is an increased need to revise different categories of party membership and on allowing the affiliation of members from candidate countries, from the European Economic Area and the European Free Trade Association, from EU neighbourhood countries, and from former Member States, from which membership fees can be legally collected

Amendment 17 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)

4 b. Recalls the recommendations of academics presented during the European Parliament AFCO committee hearing on 25th May 2021, namely lowering the threshold for registration and introducing citizen support as an alternative to parliamentary support to fulfil representational criterion;

Amendment 18 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 c (new)

4 c. Notes with concern that several existing trans-national political parties active in European politics and represented in the European Parliament are not permitted to register officially as European political parties due to requirements listed in Regulation Nº1141/2014, consequently hindering the democratic representation of smaller political parties at the European level; suggests that in this view the European Commission should make an ambitious reform proposal by the end of 2021;

Amendment 19 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Highlights that the funding of EU political parties and foundations must be transparent, not open to abuse, and exclusively support political programmes and activities in line with the founding principles of the Union expressed in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union; highlights that Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1141/2014 introduced a procedure for assessing compliance, and unfulfillment can entail financial sanctions or a decision to deregister an EU party; underlines that stronger controls together with clear and proportional sanctions are indispensable to ensure their efficiency in terms of enforceability; points out that the Authority has never triggered the values compliance procedure thus far; calls for a reinforcement of the current administrative set-up of the APPF in order to better monitor the compliance with the relevant rules and the implementation of the sanctions;

Amendment 2 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. HRecalls that Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1141/2014 on the statute and funding of EU political parties and foundations is the legal framework establishing their rights and obligations; highlights that the funding awarded under this Regulation ~~(EU, Euratom) No 1141/2014~~ is part of the general budget of the European Union and should therefore be implemented in accordance with the Financial Regulation (Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046), with an emphasis on the general principle of sound financial management; recalls the role of further instances of financial control within their respective mandates, namely the European Court of Auditors, the European Anti-Fraud Office and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office;

Amendment 20 #

Markus PIEPER

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Highlights, that the funding of EU political parties and foundations must be ~~transparent, not open to abuse and exclusively support political activities~~ in line with the founding principles of the Union expressed in Art~~icle 2~~. 2 TEU; compliance to these principles and to the requirements of the Tre~~aty~~gulation onf European ~~Union; highlights that Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1141/2014 introduced~~political parties and foundations should be safeguarded and their breaches sanctioned in a three-fold- a ppro~~cedure for assessing compliance, and unfulfillment can entail a decision to deregister an EU party;~~ach, one addressing some essential formal requirements monitored by public authorities and reported to official public files, the other left to the concrete judgement of the public on the adequacy of the concrete positions and activities of the European parties, and finally to the judgement of the members of a European Party on the appropriate use of the party budget.

Amendment 21 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 – subparagraph 1 (new)

Mentions the request to drop the requirement to submit the accounts according to the International Financial Reporting Standards as they do not correspond to the nature of the European political parties and foundations; Notes that the European Public Sector Accounting Standards (EPSAS), once implemented in all Member States, has the potential to improve public financial management and accountability through delivering on fiscal transparency

Amendment 22 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Takes note that the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) were initially developed for companies and don’t represent an administrative added value in the framework of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1141/2014; suggests reviewing and facilitating the required IFRS procedure for EU political parties and foundations;

Amendment 23 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Notes that all major political parties and foundations have pointed to an unnecessary bureaucratic burden of the status quo which requires them to deliver their accounts in two formats; requests the suppression of the obligation to submit the parties’ and foundations’ accounts according to the International Financial Reporting Standards, supplementary to the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles; emphasises that the IFRS are intended and adequate for large profit-oriented global companies and are therefore not fit for the accounts of European political parties and foundations, which do not have a seat in one Member State, are not listed at any stock exchange and are not profit- oriented;

Amendment 24 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Highlights that funding of European Political Parties and European Political Foundations is inherently linked to registration criteria listed in Regulation Nº 1141/2014, meaning that both issues will need to be addressed in the legislative proposal of the Commission to amend the Regulation;

Amendment 25 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Believes that the funding of European political parties and European political foundations from the general budget of the European Union shall not be used to finance referenda in Member States, except where the referenda deal with issues related to the European Union;

Amendment 26 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Notes that the scope of revision of the Regulation 1141/2014 by the European Commission rests upon the impact assessment and stakeholder consultation due on 22 June 2021; notes that the revision should focus on tightening the funding provisions to promote transparency with regard to indirect funding from third countries to reduce the risk of foreign interference, and to enhance the rules regarding sanctions for the infringement of data protection rules

Amendment 27 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5 b. Welcomes the efforts made by the APPF to make accessible for the citizens a wide array of information on its website; suggests, however, to make the documents published in its website more user friendly;

Amendment 28 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5 b. Requests that every European party’s application for EU funding is made publicly-available on the Authority for European Political Parties and European Political Foundations’ website, ahead of the European Parliament’s decision to approve the application; notes that the vast majority of European parties’ funding comes from public sources and, therefore, requires the highest level of transparency and accountability;

Amendment 29 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5 b. Believes that European political parties and European political foundations shall make greater use of new technologies, which can improve transparency and traceability of donations and expenditures;

Amendment 3 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. Welcomes the announcement by the Commission of a new European Democracy Action Plan, including a legislative proposal to ensure greater transparency on paid political advertising and the review of the legislation on the financing of European political parties;

Amendment 30 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5 b. Is in favour of raising transparency in the financing of European political parties and foundations by creating an obligation of the European Parliament to publish the annual financial statements of the parties and foundations received by them;

Amendment 31 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)

5 c. Underlines that cooperation with national parties and political groups in the European Parliament should be encouraged, as a way to better reach and engage citizens;

Amendment 32 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)

5 c. Is of the opinion that the rules defining the limits to eligibility of expenditure are too narrow and that European political parties should be allowed to finance any activity which contributes to forming European political awareness and to expressing the will of citizens of the Union;

Amendment 33 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)

5 c. Notes that EU political parties are interested in developing relations with larger international organisations and partners from outside the EU through activities such as sending delegations to international events, organising fringe events within larger manifestations, and organising their own events outside of the EU; asks the creation of explicit provisions for activities with larger international organisations and partners from outside the EU;

Amendment 34 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 d (new)

5 d. Recommends the Commission to strengthen the provisions on data protection by including references to the offences defined in Articles 3 to 6 of Directive 2013/40/EU on attacks against information systems; welcomes that the APPF established a network of national data protection authorities to render the new verification procedure fully operational;

Amendment 35 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 d (new)

5 d. Proposes to submit expenditure of European political parties and foundations to a mechanism of self control accompanied by an internal audit system, an external auditor, the European Court of Auditors and the control by the public;

Amendment 36 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 e (new)

5 e. Welcomes the idea to base the distribution of the EU funds on the number of votes collected by the European political party in the last European elections, taking into account the consideration that possible under- allocations compared to the current legal/regulatory framework do not have disruptive and distortive effects in the run-up to the 2024 elections

Amendment 37 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 e (new)

5 e. Asks the Commission to detail rules related to ceilings, tender procedures and other means related to EU political parties and foundations’ personnel and meetings costs to ensure a sound financial management of EU funds;

Amendment 38 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Acknowledges that the co-funding level can be challenging for EU political parties; believes that reducing the required own resources for EU parties to 5 % of the eligible expenditure ~~could help to address this issue~~, as is the case for foundations already, could help to address this issue; asks the Commission to establish stricter rules on ceiling, thresholds and reporting of donations to improve the transparency and accountability of the EU political parties and foundations;

Amendment 39 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6 a. Is of the opinion that the introduction of a general obligation to report publicly on any donation received regardless of its value would contribute to the transparency of any external influence on European political parties;

Amendment 4 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. Calls on the Commission to present a proposal aiming at revising Regulation 1141/2014 by mid 2022.

Amendment 40 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)

6 b. Welcomes the creation of further categories of revenue, in order to cover all kinds of income of political parties other than contributions or donations;

Amendment 41 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. Recalls that Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1141/2014 requires national parties to display the logo, the political programme and the website link of their EU party of affiliation on their websites as a condition for the European political party to access~~ing~~ funds; calls on the Commission to clearly define the requirements related to the visibility of the European party of affiliation.

Amendment 42 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. Recalls that the Regulation ~~(EU, Euratom) No~~Nº 1141/2014 requires national members parties to display the logo, the political programme and the website link of their EU party of affiliation on their websites as a condition ~~for accessing funds; calls on the Commission to clearly define the requirements~~of accessing funds; is concerned that, according to the λogos project1a, national member parties overwhelmingly fail to properly implement the Regulation’s display requirement, as only 15% of member parties display the logo in a clear and user-friendly manner; calls on the Commission to clearly define and provide more specific display the requirements, as well as detailed guidelines, related to the visibility of the European party of affiliation. _________________ 1a https://eudemocracy.eu/logos-project

Amendment 43 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. Recalls that Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1141/2014 requires national parties to display the logo, the political programme and the website link of their EU party of affiliation on their websites “in a clear visible and user-friendly manner” as a condition for accessing funds; calls on the Commission to clearly define the requirements related to the visibility of the European party of affiliation.;

Amendment 5 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)

1 b. Recommends a harmonised timeframe for the reporting and controls carried out respectively by the EU political parties, the APPF and the Parliament in order to avoid having to recalculate the final amounts of the funding, while taking into account the deadlines imposed by relevant rules;

Amendment 6 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Welcomes the 2019 Annual Activity Report presented by the Authority for European Political Parties and European Political Foundations (APPF); takes note of the main activities and challenges encountered during 2019; notes that the APPF performed the first review of the accounts of EU parties and foundations in the context of the European elections, ensuring their compliance with the Financial Regulation; welcomes that the APPF did not have to impose any sanction on an EU political party or foundation in 2019; takes note that, additionally, the APPF intervened in proceedings before the General Court of the European Union, and liaised with Member States to set up a network of National Contact Points and data protection authorities;

Amendment 7 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Notes that 2018 was the first year of implementation of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 114l/2014; Welcomes the 2019 Annual Activity Report presented by the Authority for European Political Parties and European Political Foundations (APPF); notes that the APPF performed the first review of the accounts of EU parties and foundations in the context of the European elections, ensuring their compliance Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 114l/2014, while the Directorate General for Finance of the European Parliament ensures the compliance with the Financial Regulation;

Amendment 8 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2 a. Notes the Authority has wide powers with registering, controlling, and, in case of non-compliance, sanctioning European political parties and foundations, observe that while the Authority has broad powers with regards to the scrutiny of the formal requirements set out in Regulation 1141/2014, its powers are more limited with regard to verifying whether a registered party or foundation is in breach of the EU's fundamental values where a complex procedure that involves the Parliament and the Council takes place

Amendment 9 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Welcomes the fact that the APPF developed a set of principles to render operational the right of EU political parties to campaign in European elections; highlights that the first review of the accounts identified possible improvements, particularly regarding the level of detail and comparability of the requested informationAcknowledges that the right to campaign in conjunction with the prohibition of funding other political parties, in particular national parties or candidates, may create uncertainty for EU political parties; stresses their major role in European elections to run European campaigns; welcomes the fact that the APPF, together with the Directorate- General for Finance of the European Parliament, developed a set of principles to render operational the right of EU political parties to campaign in European elections, while at the same time setting out its limits; asks the Commission to insert these principles in Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1141/2014; Highlights that the first review of the accounts identified possible improvements, particularly regarding the level of detail and comparability of the requested information provided by EU parties and foundations; welcomes the introduction of templates to facilitate the process in 2020; takes note that in 2019 most of the resources of the EU political parties and foundations went to personnel, meetings and information costs;

source: 695.008

2021/09/02 AFCO 156 amendments...

Amendment 1 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 1

— having regard to Articles 2 and 10(4) of the Treaty on European Union,

Amendment 10 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A c (new)

A c. whereas alternative political positions of the parties are essential for the public discourse and for citizen´s choice;

Amendment 100 #

Gabriele BISCHOFF, Giuliano PISAPIA, Domènec RUIZ DEVESA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Supports the creation of further categories of revenue, in order to cover all sources of income of political parties rather than just contributions and donations such us creating a new category on ‘other own resources’ which includes other grants, contributions from joint activities, conference fees, sales of publications, participation fees or other economic activities directly linked to political action;

Amendment 101 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Supports the creation of further categories of revenue, in order to cover all sources of income of political parties rather than just contributions and donations; this should in any case provide for the possibility for parties to generate income through publication sales, participation fees for conferences and workshops;

Amendment 102 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

~~21. Advocates the lowering of the required own resources rate for political parties to 5 % instead of 10 % to align it with the rate applicable to foundations;~~deleted

Amendment 103 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)

21 a. Advocates to extend the carry-over period for foundations to the entire year N+1, aligning it with the period applicable to parties;

Amendment 104 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. Asks for the obligation for European political parties and foundations to submit their annual financial statements on the basis of the International Financial Reporting Standards, in addition to the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, to be abolished;deleted

Amendment 105 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)

22a. Calls for European political parties and European political foundations to be able to develop branches and networks of members in the Member States with direct European financing;

Amendment 106 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

23. Proposes that the expenditure of European political parties and foundations be subject to a self-control mechanism, accompanied by an internal audit system, and subject to oversight by an external auditor and the European Court of Auditors and to public oversight;deleted

Amendment 107 #

Gabriele BISCHOFF, Giuliano PISAPIA, Domènec RUIZ DEVESA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. ~~Is in favour of~~Advocates to increas~~ing~~e the transparency of the financing of European political parties and foundations by creating an obligation for the European Parliament to publish the annual financial statements it receives;

Amendment 108 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

Amendment 109 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. Is in favour of increasing the transparency of the financing of European political parties and foundations by creating an obligation for the European Parliament to publish the annual financial statements it receives, including the value of each member party contribution listed separately and tied to the member party that provided it ;

Amendment 11 #

Gabriele BISCHOFF, Giuliano PISAPIA, Domènec RUIZ DEVESA

Motion for a resolution
Recital A d (new)

A d. whereas parties cannot be considered as non-partisan entities in the course of political competition and their financing cannot be reduced on apolitical expenses;

Amendment 110 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)

24 a. Underlines that the information covering the registration and financial situation of European political parties and foundations should, to the greatest extent possible, be made publicly available in a user-friendly, complete and updated manner;

Amendment 111 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)

Amendment 112 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)

24 a. Is of the opinion that the information published by the European Parliament and the Authority should be presented in open and machine-readable formats in a user-friendly manner;

Amendment 113 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Is of the opinion that the introduction of a general obligation to report publicly on any donation received regardless of its value would make any external influences on European political parties more transparent;deleted

Amendment 114 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Is of the opinion that ~~the introduction of a general obligation to report publicly on any donation received regardless of its value would make any external influences on European political parties more transparent~~strengthened scrutiny by the Authority of reported aggregate donations over 3000 € would make substantial / significant external influences on European political parties more transparent; the Authority should focus such scrutiny to cases where it observes significant and sudden increases in the aggregate number of small donations;

Amendment 115 #

Sophia IN 'T VELD, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Sandro GOZI, Maite PAGAZAURTUNDÚA, Alin MITUȚA, Pascal DURAND, Dominique RIQUET

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Is of the opinion that ~~the introduction of a general obligation to report publicly on any donation received regardless of its value would make any external influences on European political parties more transparent~~strengthened scrutiny by the Authority of reported aggregate donations under 500 Euros would make any external influences on European political parties more transparent; the Authority should focus such scrutiny to cases where it observes significant and sudden increases in the aggregate number of small donations;

Amendment 116 #

Seán KELLY

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Is of the opinion that the introduction of a general obligation to report publicly on any donation received ~~regardless of its~~over an agreed threshold value would make any external influences on European political parties more transparent;

Amendment 117 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)

25 a. Is in favour of introducing a prohibition of donations from legal persons;

Amendment 118 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 b (new)

25 b. Suggests that donors should be obliged to cooperate with the authority; proposes to establish an obligation for donors to sign a declaration on the origin of the donation;

Amendment 119 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

26. Is, moreover, of the opinion that in order to strengthen the transparency of funding, donations by the same donor to a European political party, its national member parties and their regional substructures should be considered to be a single donation and subject to publication by the European political party;deleted

Amendment 12 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A e (new)

A e. whereas European political foundations have a mandate which encompasses raising political awareness for and contributing to the debate on European policy issues and on the process of European integration, and within this framework they develop also offerings that are not exclusively directed at the members or voters of a particular party, but are open to everyone on the same terms;

Amendment 120 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

Amendment 121 #

Sophia IN 'T VELD, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Sandro GOZI, Maite PAGAZAURTUNDÚA, Alin MITUȚA, Pascal DURAND, Dominique RIQUET

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

26. Is, moreover, of the opinion that in order to strengthen the transparency of funding, donations by the same donor to a European political party, its national member parties and their regional substructures should be ~~considered to be a single donation and~~ subject to publication by the ~~European political par~~Authority;

Amendment 122 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

Amendment 123 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)

26 a. Is furthermore of the opinion that suitable instruments must be in place by the financial year 2027 at the latest to ensure that donations are not made to legally independent entities which are part of the same European political party in order to circumvent transparency rules, which in their entirety would otherwise exceed the transparency limits;

Amendment 124 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 b (new)

26 b. Advocates to ensure that, by the calendar year 2027, any donation made by a donor to a European political party is equal under tax law as donations made to national political parties at the donor´s respective place of residence;

Amendment 125 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

~~27. Supports the idea of increasing the importance of the own resources of European political parties when calculating the amount financed by the Union;~~deleted

Amendment 126 #

Jacek SARYUSZ-WOLSKI, Jorge BUXADÉ VILLALBA, Angel DZHAMBAZKI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

~~27. Supports the idea of increasing the importance of the own resources of European political parties when calculating the amount financed by the Union;~~deleted

Amendment 127 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

27. ~~Supports the idea of increasing the importance~~Calls for maintaining current policies of the own resources of European political parties when calculating the amount financed by the Union as they safeguard a balance between large and small Parties;

Amendment 128 #

Jacek SARYUSZ-WOLSKI, Jorge BUXADÉ VILLALBA, Angel DZHAMBAZKI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)

27 a. Proposes to change the award criteria and distribution of funding by distributing 15 % of the funds in equal shares among the beneficiary European political parties, in order to promote political pluralism and safeguard operational capacity;

Amendment 129 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28

28. Proposes that the distribution of Union funds be based on the number of votes received by the European political parties in the last European elections, while ensuring that any significant reduction in the allocations to which a European political party is entitled in the run-up to the 2024 elections resulting from the introduction of such a system are fully taken into account and addressed;deleted

Amendment 13 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas European political parties and foundations should cooperate with their national member parties, in order to support them in bringing the Union closer to the citizens;

Amendment 130 #

Sophia IN 'T VELD, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Sandro GOZI, Maite PAGAZAURTUNDÚA, Alin MITUȚA, Pascal DURAND, Dominique RIQUET

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28

Amendment 131 #

Jacek SARYUSZ-WOLSKI, Jorge BUXADÉ VILLALBA, Angel DZHAMBAZKI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28

Amendment 132 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30

30. Is of the opinion that the rules on eligibility of expenditure are too narrow and that European political parties should be allowed to finance any activity which contributes to increasing European political awareness and giving expression to the will of Union citizens;deleted

Amendment 133 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30

30. Is of the opinion that the rules on eligibility of expenditure are too narrow and that European political parties and foundations should be allowed to finance any activity which contributes to increasing European political awareness and giving expression to the will of Union citizens;

Amendment 134 #

Gabriele BISCHOFF, Giuliano PISAPIA, Domènec RUIZ DEVESA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30

Amendment 135 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30

30. Is of the opinion that the rules on eligibility of expenditure are too narrow and that European political parties should be allowed to finance any activity that is not only organised as an internal event but open to the general public which contributes to increasing European political awareness and giving expression to the will of Union citizens;

Amendment 136 #

Jacek SARYUSZ-WOLSKI, Jorge BUXADÉ VILLALBA, Angel DZHAMBAZKI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30

Amendment 137 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31

31. Proposes that a genuine European legal status and a European legal personality for European political parties and foundations be established by setting minimum conditions for the structure and functioning of European political parties and foundations while at the same time rendering them more independent from national law;deleted

Amendment 138 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 a (new)

31 a. Stresses, in particular, the need to include measures to ensure that European political parties are not classified as foreign legal entities under national law from Member States;

Amendment 139 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 b (new)

31 b. Proposes to add the possibility to register political alliances by submitting a minimum number of signatures from at least one quarter of the Member States and with member parties in at least one quarter of the Member States; proposes to establish the minimum number of signatures required in each Member States on the basis of its population;

Amendment 14 #

Jacek SARYUSZ-WOLSKI, Jorge BUXADÉ VILLALBA, Angel DZHAMBAZKI

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas European political parties and foundations should cooperate with their national member parties and partners, in order to support them in bringing the Union and its policies closer to the citizens;

Amendment 140 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32

~~32. Insists that the national member parties of European political parties must have a democratic structure and respect the fundamental values of the Union;~~deleted

Amendment 141 #

Gabriele BISCHOFF, Giuliano PISAPIA, Domènec RUIZ DEVESA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32

32. Insists that the ~~national member parties of~~ European political parties and their members must have a democratic structure and respect the ~~fundamental~~ values ofn which the Union is founded;

Amendment 142 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32

32. Insists that the national member parties of European political parties must have a democratic structure in line with Article 10 TEU, and by complying with Articles 8, 18 and 19 TFEU, as well as Article 21 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, by ensuring transparent decision- making processes and respect the shared fundamental values of the Union; as well as by respecting gender balance in their directive bodies; a confirmation of the adherence to and active support of the shared fundamental values of the Unions hall be requested in written form before accepting the Membership in a European political party;

Amendment 143 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32

32. Insists that the national member parties of European political parties must have a democratic structure in line with Article 10 TEU, and by complying with Articles 8, 18 and 19 TFEU, as well as Article 21 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, by ensuring transparent decision making processes and respect the shared fundamental values of the Union as well as by respecting gender balance in their directive bodies; a confirmation of the adherence to and active support of the shared fundamental values of the Unionshall be requested in written form before accepting the Membership in a European political party;

Amendment 144 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32

32. Insists that the national member parties of European political parties must have a democratic structure and respect the fundamental values of the Union and must observe democratic procedures and transparency in selecting their party leaders and candidates for elections and as well a democratic vote for the adoption of their internal rules and political programme;

Amendment 145 #

Gabriele BISCHOFF, Giuliano PISAPIA, Domènec RUIZ DEVESA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 a (new)

32 a. Urges the European Commission to review Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1141/2014 with a view to update rules for registration, financing, political and electoral campaigning and membership in order to make European political parties the mouthpiece for citizens in European politics and policy-making and to bring European citizens closer to European decision-making;

Amendment 146 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 a (new)

32 a. Suggests that the criteria of visibility of European Parties’ symbols or logos should be enhanced and made more binding in the purpose of supporting the function of EU parties as highlighted in article 10 TEU;

Amendment 147 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 a (new)

Amendment 148 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 b (new)

32 b. Calls in particular for the review of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1141/2014 to ease registration conditions under Article 3 and open membership to all EU citizens in order to provide for a more inclusive representation of political parties active at the European level;

Amendment 149 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 c (new)

32 c. Requests, in addition to the current requirements included in Article 11 (1) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1141/2014, to introduce a provision for which the members of the Committee of independent eminent persons should neither belong to a national or regional party in the European Union nor be former members of the European Parliament, the Council or the Commission;

Amendment 15 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas European political parties should cooperate with their national member parties, in order to support them in bringing the Union closer to the citizens in order to enhance democratic legitimacy and to more accurately reflect the role of the European Parliament;

Amendment 150 #

Gabriele BISCHOFF, Giuliano PISAPIA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33

33. Is of the opinion that the hybrid status of the Authority should be clarified similar to the institutional set-up of the European ombudsman;

Amendment 151 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33

33. Is of the opinion that the hybrid status of the Authority should be clarified; similar to the institutional set-up of the European ombudsman;

Amendment 152 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33

33. Is of the opinion that the hybrid status of the Authority should be clarified and a possibility to appeal the Authority´s decisions should be provided: given that under the current regulation, the only way of appealing is before the Court of Justice of the European Union;

Amendment 153 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33

33. Is of the opinion that the ~~hybrid statu~~role and functions of the Authority should be clarified and a possibility for an administrative appeal to the Authority’s decisions should be provided;

Amendment 154 #

34a. Calls for the logos of the European political parties to be automatically included against the names of their national member parties on ballot papers for European elections in the Member States;

Amendment 155 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35

35. Considers that the coherence and legal certainty of certain provisions of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1141/2014 need to be enhanced, that the reasons for de-registration need to be ~~consolidat~~further developed and clarified, that a common set of rules for the publication, entry into force and effect of de-registration decisions is necessary and that the rules on recovery need to be clarified;

Amendment 156 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 a (new)

35 a. Considers that it is necessary to give coherence to the financing rules of European political parties and their foundations in the framework of the pan- European constituency's campaign at the European Parliament elections;

Amendment 16 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)

B a. whereas European political parties should cooperate with their corresponding national counterpart in order to facilitate interactive participation on European issues;

Amendment 17 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)

Ba. whereas Regulation (EC) No 1141/2014 does not allow for the possibility of financing for political actors besides political parties and foundations; whereas the role of European political movements has been recognised many times over by the European Parliament, and this recognition should be reflected in the applicable European legislation so as to allow for the possibility of financing for political actors besides political parties and foundations;

Amendment 18 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas in order to continue to be aware of, and to give expression to ~~and where appropriate to mould~~ the will of Union citizens, it is essential that the role and functioning of European political parties and foundations are not limited concerning issues of exclusively European relevance at Union level; whereas those European political parties and foundations should be allowed to use their funds accordingly;

Amendment 19 #

Gabriele BISCHOFF, Giuliano PISAPIA, Domènec RUIZ DEVESA

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas in order to continue ~~to be aware of,~~ to give expression to ~~and where appropriate to mould~~ the will of Union citizens, it is essential that ~~the role and functioning of~~ European political parties and foundations are ~~not limited concerning issues of exclusively European relevance at Union level; whereas those European political parties and foundations should be allowed to use their funds accordingly~~allowed to finance any activity which contributes to informing EU citizens and increasing European political awareness;

Amendment 2 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 2

— having regard to Article 224 and Article 325 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Amendment 20 #

Seán KELLY

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas in order to continue to be aware of, to give expression to and where appropriate to ~~mould~~inform the will of Union citizens, it is essential that the role and functioning of European political parties and foundations are not limited concerning issues of exclusively European relevance at Union level; whereas those European political parties and foundations should be allowed to use their funds accordingly;

Amendment 21 #

Gabriele BISCHOFF, Giuliano PISAPIA, Domènec RUIZ DEVESA

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas in order to continue to be aware of, to give expression to and where appropriate to mould the will of Union citizens, it is essential that the role and functioning of European political parties and foundations are not limited concerning issues of exclusively European relevance at Union level; whereas those European political parties and foundations should be allowed to use their funds accordingly; whereas in order achieve their objectives, political parties and foundations must be able to have party members, foundations, associative structures, think tanks and representatives in any Member State;

Amendment 22 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas European political parties and foundations can play a role in promoting European policies on neighbouring countries under the common foreign and security policy and as part of the external relations of the Union; whereas they should therefore be open to membership by parties or individuals from these countries and be allowed to receive contributions from them, provided that full transparency and compliance with Article 325 TFEU and the Union’s rules regarding the fight against fraud and corruption is ensured;

Amendment 23 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas European political parties and foundations can play a role in promoting European policies on neighbouring countries under the common foreign and security policy and as part of the external relations of the Union; whereas they should therefore be open to membership by parties or individuals from these countries and be allowed to receive contributions from them, provided that full transparency and compliance with Article325 TFEU and the Union’s rules regarding the fight against fraud and corruption is ensured;

Amendment 24 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F

F. whereas it should be possible for ~~the own resources of~~ European political parties and foundations to ~~be formed of all kinds of legally acquired income and not only of~~have additional categories of revenue other than contributions and donations;

Amendment 25 #

G. whereas an ~~alignment of the co-~~increase in the rate of European financing ~~rate~~ for European political parties ~~with~~to the level imposed on political foundations would prevent the accumulation of debt;

Amendment 26 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H

H. whereas ~~the system for administrative control of expenditure should be lightened, and in particular,~~ the requirement to submit accounts according to the International Financial Reporting Standards should be dropped because it does not correspond to the nature of the European political parties and foundations, and represents an unnecessary time- consuming and costly burden;

Amendment 27 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H

H. whereas the system for administrative control of expenditure shcould be lightened, ~~and in particular,~~ the requirement to submit accounts according to the International Financial Reporting Standards should be dropped because it does not correspond to the nature of the European political parties and foundations, and represents an unnecessary time-consuming and costly burdenby simultaneously ensuring the necessary transparency and rigour in the handling of public funds;

Amendment 28 #

Gabriele BISCHOFF, Giuliano PISAPIA, Domènec RUIZ DEVESA

Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)

H a. whereas an alignment of the carry- over period for European political foundations with the requirements imposed on political parties would avoid a second layer audit and therefore significantly reduce the administrative burden on foundations;

Amendment 29 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Notes, however, that a number of ~~practical difficulties~~administrative and political obstacles are still preventing European parties and foundations from achieving their full potential as active and visible players in European democracy both at European level as well as in the Member States;

Amendment 3 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 2

— having regard to Article 224 and Article 325 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Amendment 30 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

Amendment 31 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. Highlights that in order to achieve their full potential, European political parties should allow citizens to be direct members, engage actively in European political discussions and be allowed to participate in European election campaigns;

Amendment 32 #

Jacek SARYUSZ-WOLSKI, Jorge BUXADÉ VILLALBA, Angel DZHAMBAZKI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Considers that the role of European political movements is not duly recognised or regulated at European level;

Amendment 33 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Underlines the importance of the registration of European political parties and foundations, since it requires compliance with all its conditions, including respect for Union fundamental values, and makes eligibility for funding from the Union budget conditional upon such compliance, as well as the need to ensure full transparency;deleted

Amendment 34 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Underlines the importance ~~of the registration~~and need to ensure complete transparency in the financing and activities of European political parties and foundations~~, since it requires~~ by way of their registration and compliance with all ~~its~~the relevant conditions, including respect for Union fundamental values, and makesing eligibility for funding from the Union budget conditional upon such compliance~~, as well as the need to ensure full transparency~~;

Amendment 35 #

Gabriele BISCHOFF, Giuliano PISAPIA, Domènec RUIZ DEVESA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Underlines the importance of the registration of European political parties and foundations, since it requires compliance with all its conditions, including respect for jointly agreed and shared Union fundamental values, and makes eligibility for funding from the Union budget conditional upon such compliance, as well as the need to ensure full transparency;

Amendment 36 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Underlines the importance of the registration of European political parties and foundations, since it requires compliance with all its conditions, including respect for shared Union fundamental values, and makes eligibility for funding from the Union budget conditional upon such compliance, as well as the need to ensure full transparency;

Amendment 37 #

Sophia IN 'T VELD, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Sandro GOZI, Maite PAGAZAURTUNDÚA, Alin MITUȚA, Dominique RIQUET

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Underlines the importance of the registration of European political parties and foundations, since it requires compliance with all its conditions, including respect for Union ~~fundamental~~ values, and makes eligibility for funding from the Union budget conditional upon such compliance, as well as the need to ensure full transparency;

Amendment 38 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4 a. In this regard the Regulation should be amended to clarify that the respect for EU fundamental values should apply to both the EUPP itself as well as its member parties.

Amendment 39 #

Jacek SARYUSZ-WOLSKI, Jorge BUXADÉ VILLALBA, Angel DZHAMBAZKI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Welcomes the reinforcement of the provisions on monitoring respect by European political parties and foundations for the fundamental values of the Union and for the procedure for dealing with infringements, including sanctions and recovery of funds;deleted

Amendment 4 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas European political parties help to raise European political awareness and express the will of Union citizens; whereas strong political parties and foundations at European level are essential for the development of a truly European political sphere;deleted

Amendment 40 #

Gabriele BISCHOFF, Giuliano PISAPIA, Domènec RUIZ DEVESA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. ~~Welcom~~Notes the attempt to reinforce~~ment of~~ the provisions on monitoring respect by European political parties and foundations for the ~~fundamental~~ values ofn which the Union is founded and for the procedure for dealing with infringements, including sanctions and recovery of funds;

Amendment 41 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Welcomes the reinforcement of the provisions on monitoring respect by European political parties and foundations for the shared fundamental values of the Union and for the procedure for dealing with infringements, including sanctions and recovery of funds;

Amendment 42 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6 a. Notes the role of the Committee of independent eminent persons established by Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1141/2014 and its role on determining a manifest and serious breach of Union values by a European political party or a European political foundation; stresses, however, that current rules on its composition do not introduce sufficient safeguards to guarantee its independence;

Amendment 43 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Considers that the current system for verifying respect for rules on the use of contributions and grants is too cumbersome and calls for a reduction in red tape and for the simplification of procedures so as to help European political parties and foundations;

Amendment 44 #

Gabriele BISCHOFF, Giuliano PISAPIA, Domènec RUIZ DEVESA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Considers that the current system for verifying respect for rules on the use of contributions and grants is too cumbersome and needs to be improved in terms of efficiency and speed;

Amendment 45 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Considers that the current system for verifying respect for rules on the use of contributions and grants is too cumbersome and needs to be improved in terms of efficiency and speed;

Amendment 46 #

Jacek SARYUSZ-WOLSKI, Jorge BUXADÉ VILLALBA, Angel DZHAMBAZKI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Considers that the current system for verifying respect for rules on the use of contributions and grants ~~is too cumbersome~~needs more clarity;

Amendment 47 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. ~~Considers that mak~~Subjecting European political parties and foundations ~~subject~~ to European and national rules~~, which are laid down in different legal instruments, is a source of confusion and legal uncertainty~~ is accurate. This arrangement reflects well the division of powers in this area between the European Union and the Member States. Thus, such division should be preserved;

Amendment 48 #

Gabriele BISCHOFF, Giuliano PISAPIA, Domènec RUIZ DEVESA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Considers that making European political parties and foundations subject to European and national rules, which are laid down in different legal instruments, is a source of confusion and legal uncertainty; proposes therefore to harmonise further and strengthen the rules governing European political parties and foundations to ensure a comprehensive European legal framework for European parties and foundations addressing particularly conditions on registration, structure and operations, visibility and transparency, and sanctions;

Amendment 49 #

8 a. Underlines that the funding of EU political parties and foundations must be transparent, subject to Article 325 TFEU, not open to abuse, and exclusively support political programmes and activities in line with the founding principles of the Union expressed in Article 2 TEU;

Amendment 5 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas European political parties and foundations help to raise European political awareness and express the will of Union citizens; whereas strong political parties and foundations at European level are essential for the development of a truly European political sphere;

Amendment 50 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8 a. Underlines that the funding of EU political parties and foundations must be transparent, subject to Article 325 TFEU, and not open to abuse;

Amendment 51 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)

8 b. Underlines the need for a definition of Members in order to have legal certainty on the different types of Membership, their relationship with the European Political Party they adhere to and the requirements they have to meet;

Amendment 52 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Underlines the need to make the definition of indirect funding from European political parties and foundations to national counterparts and members more precise and simpler in order to avoid hampering their required cooperation in promoting and explaining European policies;

Amendment 53 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Underlines the need to make the definition of indirect funding from European political parties and foundations to national counterparts and members more precise in order to avoid hampering their required cooperation in promoting and explaining European policies, as well as their engagement with European´s citizens;

Amendment 54 #

Gabriele BISCHOFF, Giuliano PISAPIA, Domènec RUIZ DEVESA

Amendment 55 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9 a. Underlines the need for a definition of Members in order to have legal certainty on the different types of Membership, their relationship with the European Political Party they adhere to and the requirements they have to meet including the proven respect of the shared values of the European Union;

Amendment 56 #

Jacek SARYUSZ-WOLSKI, Jorge BUXADÉ VILLALBA, Angel DZHAMBAZKI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Stresses that the ban on financing referendum campaigns on European issues ~~goes against the purpose of European political parties and foundations;~~ is in line with the original intent of the regulation. Thus, national referendums should be kept at national competence level;

Amendment 57 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Stresses that the ban on financing referendum campaigns on European issues goes against the purpose of European political parties and foundations and calls for it to be abolished;

Amendment 58 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Regrets that the narrow interpretation of the definition of members of a European political party established by case law does not sufficiently recognise the need for flexibility in the internal organisation of European political parties, especially as regards associate members, including those from third countries; is concerned that this narrow interpretation has the effect of preventing, for no good reason, European political parties from receiving financial contributions from such members;deleted

Amendment 59 #

Jacek SARYUSZ-WOLSKI, Jorge BUXADÉ VILLALBA, Angel DZHAMBAZKI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Regrets that the ~~narrow interpreta~~lack of clear definitions of ~~the defin~~modalitiones of members ~~of a~~hip to European political partyies and foundations in Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1141/2014 and the narrow interpretation of the concept of membership established by case law does not sufficiently recognise the need for flexibility in the internal organisation of European political parties and foundations, especially as regards ~~associate members, including those~~members from third countries; is concerned that this narrow interpretation has the effect of preventing, for no good reason, European political parties and foundations from receiving financial contributions from such members;

Amendment 6 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas European political parties help to raise European political awareness and express the will of Union citizens; that reflects their political diversity; whereas strong political parties and foundations at European level are essential for the development of a truly European political sphere;

Amendment 60 #

Gabriele BISCHOFF, Giuliano PISAPIA, Domènec RUIZ DEVESA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Regrets that the narrow interpretation of the definition of members of a European political party established by case law does not sufficiently recognise the need for flexibility in the internal organisation of European political parties, especially as regards associate members, including those from former Member States and third countries; is concerned that this narrow interpretation has the effect of preventing, for no good reason, European political parties from receiving financial contributions from such members;

Amendment 61 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Regrets that the narrow interpretation of the definition of members of a European political party established by case law does not sufficiently recognise the need for flexibility in the internal organisation of European political parties, especially as regards associate members, including those from former Member States and third countries; is concerned that this narrow interpretation has the effect of preventing, for no good reason, European political parties from receiving financial contributions from such members;

Amendment 62 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Regrets that the narrow interpretation of the definition of members of a European political party established by case law does not sufficiently recognise the need for flexibility in the internal organisation of European political parties, especially as regards associate members, including those from third countries and individual members; is concerned that this narrow interpretation has the effect of preventing, for no good reason, European political parties from receiving financial contributions from such members;

Amendment 63 #

Gabriele BISCHOFF, Giuliano PISAPIA, Domènec RUIZ DEVESA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 – subparagraph 1 (new)

Regrets the narrow interpretation, established by the case-law, of the definition of members of a European political party or foundation and insists on allowing the affiliation of members from candidate countries for accession to the Union, from the European Economic Area and the European Free Trade Association, from EU neighbourhood countries, and from former Member States, from which membership fees and contributions from members of the European political foundations might be legally collected;

Amendment 64 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13 a. Underlines that there is a great imbalance between the amount European Political Parties receive as donations and the amount they receive as contributions that might increase their dependency on external donators;

Amendment 65 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

Amendment 66 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)

14 a. Regrets the change in the award criteria and distribution of funding introduced in the 2018 reform which decreased the percentage of funds that are allocated among the beneficiary European political parties in equal shares; is deeply concerned about the current funding structure as it fails to create a true level playing field between parties whilst also reducing the incentives for European political parties to reach out to citizens;

Amendment 67 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Considers ~~that~~ the requirement ~~for~~to keep the accounts of European political parties and European political foundations to be ~~set up both in accordance with the national audit~~important for ensuring a high standards of t~~he Member State in which~~ransparency in they a~~re based and in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards adds no value and entails unnecessary costs and time delay~~ctivities of European political parties and foundations;

Amendment 68 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)

15 a. Laments that a flawed design in Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1141/2014 limits European political parties in truly fulfilling their role as modern political parties connecting citizens to the political system as they are unknown to citizens due to the limited individual membership, a limited role in influencing policy- making or shaping public agendas and thus do not trigger nearly the same level of activist mobilisation that national and regional parties are able to muster;

Amendment 69 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)

15 a. Points out that the APPF has limited powers with regard to verifying whether a registered party or foundation is in breach of the EU’s shared values and has never triggered the complex values compliance procedure thus far; calls for the strengthening of the current administrative set-up of the APPF in order to be able to better monitor the compliance with relevant rules and the implementation of sanctions, as well as to ensure its complete autonomy and neutrality;

Amendment 7 #

Gabriele BISCHOFF, Giuliano PISAPIA, Domènec RUIZ DEVESA

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

Amendment 70 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)

15 a. Underlines that the compliance of registered Members with all the conditions European Political Parties have to meet, including the respect for the Union’ shared values, should be ensured by thoroughly controlled procedures before the membership is confirmed as well as during the legislative mandate, considers it essential to allocate appropriate staff to the Authority, so as to ensure that this control is implemented using effective procedures;

Amendment 71 #

Gabriele BISCHOFF, Giuliano PISAPIA, Domènec RUIZ DEVESA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 b (new)

15 b. Points out that the APPF has limited powers with regard to verifying whether a registered party or foundation is in breach of the EU’s shared values and has never triggered the complex values compliance procedure thus far; calls for the strengthening of the current administrative set-up of the APPF in order to be able to better monitor the compliance with relevant rules and the implementation of sanctions, as well as to ensure its complete autonomy and neutrality;

Amendment 72 #

Gabriele BISCHOFF, Giuliano PISAPIA, Domènec RUIZ DEVESA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 b (new)

15 b. Notes with concern that several existing trans-national political parties active in European politics and represented in the European Parliament are not permitted to register officially as European political parties due to disproportionate requirements listed in Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1141/2014, consequently hindering the democratic representation of smaller political parties at the European level;

Amendment 73 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 c (new)

15 c. Underlines the importance to introduce a specific procedure for the non-compliance with EU shared values applicable for European political parties and to their national members;

Amendment 74 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Considers that a clear set of rules and conditions should be established for the joint organisation and co-financing of activities concerning European issues by European political parties and foundations and national member parties, as well as underlining the ability of European political foundations to invite politically active representatives and staffers of political parties to their events;

Amendment 75 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

Amendment 76 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Considers that a clear set of rules and conditions should be established for the joint organisation and co-financing of activities concerning European issues ~~by European political parties and national member partie~~, partner structures, non-governmental organisations, individuals and national member parties; considers that this clarity should also be established with regard to political foundations;

Amendment 77 #

Gabriele BISCHOFF, Giuliano PISAPIA, Domènec RUIZ DEVESA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Considers that a clear set of rules and conditions should be established for the joint organisation and co-financing of activities concerning European issues by European political parties and national member parties; considers that in these activities the display of the European Party logo alongside that of the national member party should be required;

Amendment 78 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)

16 a. Considers that the establishment of a One-stop-shop to assess requests made from European political parties using a specific application form for the joint organisation and co-financing of activities on European issues directly related to the functioning and implementation of the Union’s legal framework within a maximum period of 2 months would considerably increase the number of activities organised by European Political Parties and strengthen their perception and visibility in the Member States;

Amendment 79 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)

16 a. Considers that the establishment of a One-stop-shop to assess requests made from European political parties using a specific application form for the joint organisation and co-financing of activities on European issues directly related to the functioning and implementation of the Union’s legal framework within a maximum period of 2months would considerably increase the number of activities organised by European Political Parties and strengthen their perception and visibility in the Member States;

Amendment 8 #

Gabriele BISCHOFF, Giuliano PISAPIA, Domènec RUIZ DEVESA

Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)

A a. whereas strong political parties and foundations at European level are essential for the development of a truly European public sphere;

Amendment 80 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)

16 b. Considers that the introduction of the One-stop-shop using standard procedures should facilitate the administrative burden put on European Political Parties and reduce unnecessary redtape. The One-stop-shop should be composed with the necessary staff to be able to effectively and efficiently carry out its duties and meet the deadlines;

Amendment 81 #