2021/2019(INI) | [ParlTrack]

Motion for a resolution
Citation 3

— having regard to Articles 20, 24 and 227 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), which reflect the importance the Treaty attaches to the right of EU citizens and residents to bring their concerns to the attention of Parliament,

Amendment 10 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital I a (new)

Ia. whereas the Commission’s strategy in dealing with petitions is based on its 2016 Communication titled “EU law: Better results through better application", whose provisions establish no administrative procedure or practice concerning petitions; whereas the Commission’s activity resulted in its systematic refusal to take action on individual petition issues and on petitions concerning areas covered by the EU competence to support, coordinate or supplement Member States’ action;

Amendment 11 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital I b (new)

Ib. whereas the Commission’s annual reports on monitoring the application of EU law refer to petitions in a very general way, revealing the lack of a proper system to collect information on petitions and how they link with infringement procedures or EU acts; whereas the Commission is failing to provide comprehensive information to the Committee on petitions on the number of petitions that led to the initiation of an infringement procedure or to any other legislative or non-legislative action;

Amendment 12 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital I c (new)

Ic. whereas the Commission refused to deal with individual petition issues, even when they related to EU law violations which have seriously undermined basic rights for a relevant number of EU citizens and residents in the EU; whereas the Commission's strategic approach on petitions, based on its 2016 Communication titled “EU law: Better results through better application", has no legal clarity as it is affected by lack of predictable and transparent criteria on the Commission's way to consider a case as related to an issue of wider principles or falling within the systematic failure to enforce EU law, thus deserving its further action;

Amendment 13 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital J

J. whereas Parliament has long been at the forefront of the development of the petitions process internationally and has the most open and transparent petitions process in Europe, allowing petitioners to participate ~~fully~~ in its activities;

Amendment 14 #

Cristina MAESTRE, Sylvie GUILLAUME, Ibán GARCÍA DEL BLANCO, Demetris PAPADAKIS, Alex AGIUS SALIBA, Domènec RUIZ DEVESA

Motion for a resolution
Recital K

K. whereas the Committee on Petitions carefully examines and deals with each petition submitted to Parliament; whereas each petitioner has the right to receive a reply informing him or her about the decision on admissibility and follow-up actions taken by the committee within a reasonable period of time, in his or her own language or in the language used in the petition; whereas any petitioner may request that their petition be reopened on the basis of any relevant developments;

Amendment 15 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital K a (new)

Ka. whereas the partisan use of the Committee on Petitions can lead to its inappropriate use and, therefore, to the deterioration of citizens' trust in this body and in the rest of the European institutions; whereas the discussions of the Committee on Petitions are sometimes used to address national or regional issues outside the scope of competence attributed by the Treaties and that the study of petitions is exclusively conditioned by criteria of majorities, ignoring the minorities and thus preventing serious debates or complaints;

Amendment 16 #

Cristina MAESTRE, Sylvie GUILLAUME, Ibán GARCÍA DEL BLANCO, Demetris PAPADAKIS, Alex AGIUS SALIBA, Domènec RUIZ DEVESA

Motion for a resolution
Recital K b (new)

Kb. whereas petitions are frequently substantiated without gathering the necessary information for a correct and detailed analysis and often, they are subject to debate in the Committee on Petitions without the required reply from the European Commission and that this hinders the work of the members of the Petitions Committee;

Amendment 17 #

Cristina MAESTRE, Sylvie GUILLAUME, Ibán GARCÍA DEL BLANCO, Demetris PAPADAKIS, Alex AGIUS SALIBA, Domènec RUIZ DEVESA

Motion for a resolution
Recital L

L. whereas the activities of the Committee on Petitions are based on the input provided by petitioners; whereas the information submitted by petitioners in their petitions and at committee meetings, along with the Commission’s assessment and the replies of the Member States and other bodies, are crucial for the work of the committee; whereas admissible petitions also provide valuable contributions to the work of the other parliamentary committees, given that they are forwarded by Committee on Petitions to other committees for an opinion or for information but very often these petitions are not taken into consideration;

Amendment 18 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital N

N. whereas the main subjects of concern raised in petitions submitted in 2020 relate to fundamental rights (in particular the impact of COVID-19 emergency measures on the rule of law and democracy, as well on the freedom of movement, the right to work, the right to information and the right to education, as well as a large number of petitions related to LGBTQ+ rights in the Union), health (notably questions on the public health crisis resulting from the pandemic, ranging from the protection of citizens’ health, including treatments and protective equipment, to the management of the health crisis in the Member States and the acquisition and distribution of vaccines), the environment (mostly mining activities and their impact on the environment, nuclear safety, air pollution and the deterioration of natural ecosystems), justice (notably issues related to access to justice or alleged procedural irregularities or concerns over the rule of law ~~and the independence of the judiciary in the Member States~~, along with cross-border cases of child abduction and custody rights), education (in particular questions related to discriminatory access to ~~education or contested national reform of the law on~~ education), and the internal market (in particular questions relating to national travel restrictions in the context of the pandemic and their impact on the freedom of movement of persons within and outside the EU), in addition to many other areas of activity;

Amendment 19 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital N

N. whereas the main subjects of concern raised in petitions submitted in 2020 relate to fundamental rights (in particular the impact of COVID-19 emergency measures on the rule of law and democracy, as well on the freedom of movement, the right to work, the right to information and the right to education), health (notably questions on the public health crisis resulting from the pandemic, ranging from the protection of citizens’ health, including treatments and protective equipment, to the management of the health crisis in the Member States and the acquisition and distribution of vaccines), the environment (mostly mining activities and their impact on the environment, nuclear safety, air pollution and the deterioration of natural ecosystems), justice (notably issues related to access to justice or alleged procedural irregularities or concerns over the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary in the Member States, along with cross-border cases of child abduction and custody rights), ~~education (in particular questions related to discriminatory access to education or contested national reform of the law on education),~~ and the internal market (in particular questions relating to national travel restrictions in the context of the pandemic and their impact on the freedom of movement of persons within and outside the EU), in addition to many other areas of activity;

Amendment 2 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 7

— having regard to Rules 54 and 22~~7(7)~~6, 227, 228, 229 and 230 of its Rules of Procedure,

Amendment 20 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital N

N. whereas the main subjects of concern raised in petitions submitted in 2020 relate to fundamental rights (in particular the impact of COVID-19 emergency measures on the rule of law and democracy, as well on the freedom of movement, the right to work, the right to information and the right to education), health (notably questions on the public health crisis resulting from the pandemic, ranging from the protection of citizens’ health, including treatments and protective equipment, to the management of the health crisis in the Member States and the acquisition and distribution of vaccines), the environment (mostly mining activities and their impact on the environment, nuclear safety, air pollution and the deterioration of natural ecosystems), justice (notably issues related to access to justice or alleged procedural irregularities or concerns over the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary in the Member States, along with cross-border cases of child abduction and custody rights), employment (in particular job market accessibility and precarious employment), education (in particular questions related to discriminatory access to education or contested national reform of the law on education), ~~and~~ the internal market (in particular questions relating to national travel restrictions in the context of the pandemic and their impact on the freedom of movement of persons within and outside the EU), and the implementation of the agreement on the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union, in addition to many other areas of activity;

Amendment 21 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital N

N. whereas the main subjects of concern raised in petitions submitted in 2020 relate to fundamental rights (in particular the impact of COVID-19 emergency measures on the rule of law and democracy, as well on the freedom of movement, the right to work, the right to information and the right to education), health (notably questions on the public health crisis resulting from the pandemic, ranging from the protection of citizens’ health, including treatments and protective equipment, to the management of the health crisis in the Member States and the acquisition and distribution of vaccines), the environment (mostly mining activities and their impact on the environment, nuclear safety, air pollution and the deterioration of natural ecosystems), justice (notably issues related to access to justice or alleged procedural irregularities or concerns over the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary in the Member States, along with cross-border cases of child abduction and custody rights), education (in particular questions related to discriminatory access to education or contested national reform of the law on education), the lack of transparency of the Council and the Commission and the internal market (in particular questions relating to national travel restrictions in the context of the pandemic and their impact on the freedom of movement of persons within and outside the EU), in addition to many other areas of activity;

Amendment 22 #

Cristina MAESTRE, Sylvie GUILLAUME, Ibán GARCÍA DEL BLANCO, Demetris PAPADAKIS, Alex AGIUS SALIBA, Domènec RUIZ DEVESA

Motion for a resolution
Recital P a (new)

Pa. whereas, in 2020, many petitions concerning COVID-19 were placed on the agenda by means of the urgency procedure;

Amendment 23 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital Q

Q. whereas in 2020, the Committee on Petitions held just one fact-finding visit; whereas no other fact-finding visit could take place ~~as a result of~~due to the situation caused by the pandemic and the decision taken by Parliament’s President to cancel parliamentary events, including delegations, as one of the necessary and precautionary measures adopted to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and minimise health risks for Parliament’s Members and staff;

Amendment 24 #

Loránt VINCZE

Motion for a resolution
Recital R a (new)

Ra. whereas the Committee on Petitions as associated committee together with the committees responsible for the subject-matter (Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) and the Committee on Culture and Education (CULT) organised a public hearing on the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) entitled ‘Minority Safepack – one million signatures for diversity in Europe’ on 15 October 2020; whereas due to the pandemic, the hearing was held in hybrid format, ECI organisers could take part at the meeting remotely, while the public could follow the meeting via webstreaming;

Amendment 25 #

Cristina MAESTRE, Sylvie GUILLAUME, Ibán GARCÍA DEL BLANCO, Demetris PAPADAKIS, Alex AGIUS SALIBA, Domènec RUIZ DEVESA

Motion for a resolution
Recital R a (new)

Ra. whereas the European Commission has an essential role in the Committee on Petitions as guardian of the Treaties and the information provided by the petitioners is useful to discover possible breaches or misapplications of the European law;

Amendment 26 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Emphasises the fundamental role of the Committee on Petitions in protecting and promoting the rights of EU citizens and residents by ensuring that petitioners’ concerns and complaints are examined in a timely and effective manner and that they are resolved, wherever possible, through an open, democratic, rapid and transparent petitions process; stresses the pivotal importance of petitions in promoting the principles of direct democracy and improving the active participation of EU citizens;

Amendment 27 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Reiterates the importance of a continuous public debate on the Union’s fields of activity in order to ensure that citizens are correctly informed about the scope of the Union’s competences and the different levels of decision-making; calls, in this regard, for broader awareness raising campaigns~~, through~~; stresses theat active involvement of the press and communications services~~, to~~ and more active social media would facilitate the responsiveness of the work of PETI more to public concerns and would help to increase citizens’ knowledge about their right to petition, as well as the scope and limits of the Union’s responsibilities, with a view to reducing the number of inadmissible petitions; stresses, in this regard, the importance of multilingual communication policy of the EU in order to better connect with citizens from all Member States;

Amendment 28 #

Cristina MAESTRE, Sylvie GUILLAUME, Ibán GARCÍA DEL BLANCO, Demetris PAPADAKIS, Alex AGIUS SALIBA, Domènec RUIZ DEVESA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Reiterates the importance of a continuous public debate on the Union’s fields of activity in order to ensure that citizens are correctly informed about the scope of the Union’s competences and the different levels of decision-making; calls, in this regard, for broader awareness raising campaigns, in order to enhance the visibility and increase the committee's responsiveness, through the active involvement of the press and communications services, to help increase citizens’ knowledge about their right to petition, as well as the scope and limits of the Union’s responsibilities, with a view to reducing the number of inadmissible petitions; it is also important to highlight those cases and success cases, in which an issue raised by a petitioner was solved with the support of the committee on petitions;

Amendment 29 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Reiterates the importance of a continuous public debate on the Union’s fields of activity in order to ensure that citizens are correctly informed about the scope of the Union’s competences and the different levels of decision-making; calls, in this regard, for broader awareness raising campaigns, through the active involvement of the press and communications services, to help increase citizens’ knowledge about their right to petition, as well as the scope and limits of the Union’s responsibilities and the competences of the Committee on Petitions, with a view to reducing the number of inadmissible petitions;

Amendment 3 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas the large number of petitions voicing citizens’ concerns over the public health and socio-economic emergencies as well as violation of their rights resulting from the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic significantly contributed to the rise in the number of petitions registered in 2020 in comparison with previous years; whereas 13.23 % of the petitions received in 2020 are related to the COVID-19 pandemic and to the violation of citizens' rights and freedoms due to restrictions and emergency measures imposed during the pandemic;

Amendment 30 #

Cristina MAESTRE, Sylvie GUILLAUME, Ibán GARCÍA DEL BLANCO, Demetris PAPADAKIS, Alex AGIUS SALIBA, Domènec RUIZ DEVESA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Reiterates the importance of a continuous public debate on the Union’s fields of activity in order to ensure that citizens are correctly informed about the scope of the Union’s competences and the different levels of decision-making; calls, in this regard, for broader awareness raising campaigns, through the active involvement of the press and communications services, at both European and national level, to help increase citizens’ knowledge about their right to petition, as well as the scope and limits of the Union’s responsibilities, with a view to reducing the number of inadmissible petitions;

Amendment 31 #

Emmanouil FRAGKOS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

Amendment 32 #

2a. Draws attention to the importance of involving journalists and media to avoid disinformation linked to the Petitions Committee and to bring European citizens the opportunity to receive neutral and truthful information about the work of the Committee on Petitions in line with the fight against disinformation promoted by the European Commission;

Amendment 33 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Emphasises that the Conference on the Future of Europe should be used as an opportunity to explain to EU citizens the role of the Committee on Petitions, in order to raise awareness of the right to petition and to encourage them to actively participate and voice their concerns and ideas to their elected representatives;

Amendment 34 #

Cristina MAESTRE, Sylvie GUILLAUME, Ibán GARCÍA DEL BLANCO, Demetris PAPADAKIS, Alex AGIUS SALIBA, Domènec RUIZ DEVESA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Points out that petitions constitute a unique opportunity for Parliament and the other EU institutions to directly connect with EU citizens and maintain a regular dialogue with them, particularly in cases where they are affected by the ~~mis~~incorrect application ~~or breach~~ of EU law; stresses the need for enhanced cooperation between the EUnion institutions, bodies and agencies and national, regional and local authorities on inquiries regarding the implementation of and compliance with EU law; believes that such cooperation is crucial to address and resolve citizens’ concerns over the application of EU law and contributes to strengthening the democratic legitimacy and accountability of the Union; calls, therefore, for the more active participation of Member States’ representatives in committee meetings and for swifter responses to the requests for clarification or information sent by the Committee on Petitions to the national authorities;

Amendment 35 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Points out that petitions constitute the door to the European institutions for citizens and a unique opportunity for Parliament and the other EU institutions to directly connect with EU citizens, know their problems and maintain a regular dialogue with them, ~~particularly~~ in cases where they are affected by the misapplication or breach of EU law; stresses the need for enhanced cooperation between the EU institutions and national, regional and local authorities on inquiries regarding the implementation of and compliance with EU law; ~~believes that~~ such cooperation is crucial to address and resolve citizens’ concerns over the application of EU law and contributes to strengthening the democratic legitimacy and accountability of the Union; calls, therefore, for the more active participation of Member States’ representatives in committee meetings and for swifter responses to the requests for clarification or information sent by the Committee on Petitions to the national authorities;

Amendment 36 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Points out that petitions constitute a unique opportunity for Parliament and the other EU institutions to directly connect with EU citizens and legal residents and maintain a regular dialogue with them, particularly in cases where they are affected by the misapplication or breach of EU law; stresses the need for enhanced cooperation between the Committee on Petitions and lead committees, the EU institutions and national, regional and local authorities on inquiries and proposals regarding the implementation of and compliance with EU law; believes that such cooperation is crucial to address and resolve citizens’ concerns over the application of EU law and contributes to strengthening the democratic legitimacy and accountability of the Union; calls, therefore, for the more active participation of Member States’ representatives in committee meetings and for swifter responses to the requests for clarification or information sent by the Committee on Petitions to the national authorities; urges the Commission to take steps to ensure that the interpretation of the scope of Article 51 is as coherent and wide as possible; reminds that the expectations of most petitioners in relation to the rights conferred on them by the Charter are high and go beyond their current scope of application;

Amendment 37 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Points out that petitions constitute a unique opportunity for Parliament and the other EU institutions to directly connect with EU citizens and maintain a regular dialogue with them, particularly in cases where they are affected by the misapplication or breach of EU law; stresses the need for enhanced cooperation between the EU institutions and national, regional and local authorities on inquiries regarding the implementation of and compliance with EU law, including mandatory answer to the Committee; believes that such cooperation is crucial to address and resolve citizens’ concerns over the application of EU law and contributes to strengthening the democratic legitimacy and accountability of the Union; calls, therefore, for the more active participation of Member States’ representatives in committee meetings and for swifter responses to the requests for clarification or information sent by the Committee on Petitions to the national authorities;

Amendment 38 #

Cristina MAESTRE, Sylvie GUILLAUME, Ibán GARCÍA DEL BLANCO, Demetris PAPADAKIS, Alex AGIUS SALIBA, Domènec RUIZ DEVESA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Points out that petitions constitute a unique opportunity for Parliament and the other EU institutions to directly connect with EUthe citizens of the EU Member States and maintain a regular dialogue with them, particularly in cases where they are affected by the misapplication or breach of EU law; stresses the need for enhanced cooperation between the EU institutions and national, regional and local authorities on inquiries regarding the implementation of and compliance with EU law; believes that such cooperation is crucial to address and resolve citizens’ concerns over the application of EU law and contributes to strengthening the democratic legitimacy and accountability of the Union; calls, therefore, for the more active participation of Member States’ representatives in committee meetings and for swifter responses to the requests for clarification or information sent by the Committee on Petitions to the national authorities;

Amendment 39 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Calls on the European Commission to play a more active role in the Committee on Petitions to ensure a detailed and understandable response to the citizens of the Union;

Amendment 4 #

Cristina MAESTRE, Sylvie GUILLAUME, Ibán GARCÍA DEL BLANCO, Alex AGIUS SALIBA, Domènec RUIZ DEVESA

Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)

Ca. whereas a large number of petitions referred to the lack of transparency in the research and development of COVID-19 vaccines and to the refusal of the Commission to publish non-redacted versions of the Advance Purchase Agreements and the Purchase Agreement;

Amendment 40 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)

3b. Underlines the need to respect the approach and point of view expressed by the European Commission in its replies to the Committee on Petitions and to respect its role as guardian of the Treaties;

Amendment 41 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Recalls that petitions contribute considerably to the Commission’s role as guardian of the Treaties; stresses that reinforced cooperation between the Committee on Petitions and the Commission and timely answers from the Commission are essential to ensure the successful treatment of petitions; ~~reiterates its~~ calls on the Commission ~~for regular updates on developments in infringement proceedings and for access to relevant Commission documents on infringements and EU pilot procedures which have been closed;~~ to provide the European Parliament with systematic information related to ongoing and closed EU pilots and infringement procedures that are linked to issues raised by a petition and to consider any issues related to the breach of EU law that are raised through petitions as a priority for initiating an infringement procedure, especially when the issues are related to the environmental legislation;

Amendment 42 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Recalls that petitions contribute considerably to the Commission’s role as guardian of the Treaties; stresses that reinforced cooperation between the Committee on Petitions and the Commission ~~and timely answers from the Commission are essential to ensure the successful treatment of petition~~is essential to ensure the successful treatment of petitions; urges the Commission to refrain from general replies and to provide timely, specific and targeted responses to efficiently answer concrete petitioners’ requests; reiterates its call on the Commission for regular updates on developments in infringement proceedings and for access to relevant Commission documents on infringements and EU pilot procedures which have been closed;

Amendment 43 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

Amendment 44 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

Amendment 45 #

4a. Underlines that the Commission's refusal to take action on individual petitions issues and on petitions concerning areas under article 6 TFEU constitutes a breach of the Charter of fundamental rights of the European Union as well as of the EU Treaties' provisions concerning the right to petition, which is not limited to issues of strategic importance or reflecting structural problems;

Amendment 46 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)

4b. Stresses that the Commission's strategic approach in handling petitions, enshrined in its 2016 Communication "EU law: Better results through better application", resulting in pursuing no further action on individual petition issues is at odds with its duty to oversee the correct application of the EU law throughout the Union, as arising from article 17 TEU, risking to leave unpunished even serious violations of EU law, detrimental to the protection of citizens' rights;

Amendment 47 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 c (new)

4c. Considers paramount the adoption of a binding inter-institutional agreement on the handling of petitions between the Parliament and the Commission to ensure a predictable, transparent and clear legal framework fully in line with the right to petition enshrined in the EU Treaties and aimed at effectively protecting citizens' rights as arising from EU law;

Amendment 48 #

Emmanouil FRAGKOS, Cristian TERHEŞ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 d (new)

4d. Asks the Commission to provide a clarification on the competence of the Commission in relation to petitions including those raising issues that fall under a field of activity of the EU but not under a policy where the EU has legislative competence;

Amendment 49 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Calls on the ~~Commission to assess whether~~ national authorities ~~are~~to be proactive in taking the necessary measures to respond to citizens’ concerns as expressed in their petitions where cases of systemic failure in compliance with EU law occur;

Amendment 5 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)

Cb. whereas a large number of petitions received request that full details of the COVID-19 vaccine contracts concluded between the Commission, the Member States and the pharmaceutical industry, as well as patient-level clinical trial data to be published as soon as possible;

Amendment 50 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Calls on the Commission to ~~assess whether~~encourage national authorities ~~are~~to tak~~ing~~e the necessary measures, where they have not already done so, to respond to citizens’ concerns as expressed in their petitions where cases of systemic failure in compliance with EU law occur;

Amendment 51 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Calls on the Commission to assess whether national authorities are taking the necessary measures to respond to citizens’ concerns as expressed in their petitions where cases of systemic failure in compliance with EU law occur; calls on the Commission to regularly follow up on progress in complying with EU legislation in the cases examined;

Amendment 52 #

Cristina MAESTRE, Sylvie GUILLAUME, Ibán GARCÍA DEL BLANCO, Demetris PAPADAKIS, Alex AGIUS SALIBA, Domènec RUIZ DEVESA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Calls on the Commission to actively assess whether national authorities are taking the necessary measures to respond to citizens’ concerns as expressed in their petitions where cases of systemic failure in compliance with EU law occur;

Amendment 53 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Highlights the Committee on Petitions must respect the admissibility criteria established in Articles 226 and 227 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and in the Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament in order to avoid a partisan use of the Committee on Petitions and prevent an inappropriate response to the concerns and problems expressed by the petitioners;

Amendment 54 #

Cristina MAESTRE, Sylvie GUILLAUME, Ibán GARCÍA DEL BLANCO, Demetris PAPADAKIS, Alex AGIUS SALIBA, Domènec RUIZ DEVESA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5b. Recalls the agreements between the political groups represented in the Committee on Petitions are essential to provide a balanced and understandable response to the petitioners; regrets the lack of agreement experienced in the last year; expresses concern about the problems caused by partisan use of the Committee on Petitions;

Amendment 55 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Recalls that cooperation with other committees in Parliament is essential for the accurate and comprehensive treatment of petitions; notes that in 2020, 56 petitions were sent to other committees for opinion and 385 for information; welcomes the fact that 40 opinions and 60 acknowledgements of taking petitions into consideration in their work were received from other committees; regrets, however, that there is no clear information about this feedback and the fact that many petitions are not even considered by the concerned committees; recalls that petitioners are informed of the decisions to request opinions from other committees for the treatment of their petitions; calls on parliamentary committees to step up their efforts to actively contribute to the examination of petitions – by proving their expertise – and thus enable Parliament to respond more swiftly and comprehensively to citizens’ concerns; regrets that the PETI Network could not meet in 2020;

Amendment 56 #

Cristina MAESTRE, Sylvie GUILLAUME, Ibán GARCÍA DEL BLANCO, Demetris PAPADAKIS, Alex AGIUS SALIBA, Domènec RUIZ DEVESA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Recalls that cooperation with other committees in Parliament is essential for the accurate and comprehensive treatment of petitions; notes that in 2020, 56 petitions were sent to other committees for opinion and 385 for information; welcomes the fact that 40 opinions and 60 acknowledgements of taking petitions into consideration in their work were received from other committees; notes that the public hearings organised jointly with other parliamentary committees facilitate a thorough examination of petitions; recalls that petitioners are informed of the decisions to request opinions from other committees for the treatment of their petitions; calls on parliamentary committees to step up their efforts to actively contribute to the examination of petitions – by proving their expertise – and thus enable Parliament to respond more swiftly and comprehensively to citizens’ concerns; regrets that the PETI Network could not meet in 2020;

Amendment 57 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Recalls that cooperation with other committees in Parliament is essential for the accurate and comprehensive treatment of petitions; notes that in 2020, 56 petitions were sent to other committees for opinion and 385 for information; welcomes the fact that 40 opinions and 60 acknowledgements of taking petitions into consideration in their work were received from other committees; recalls that petitioners are informed of the decisions to request opinions from other committees for the treatment of their petitions; calls on parliamentary committees to step up their efforts to actively contribute to the examination of petitions – by proving their expertise – and thus enable Parliament to respond more swiftly and comprehensively to citizens’ concerns; regrets that the PETI Network could not meet in 2020 due to the situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic;

Amendment 58 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Believes that the petitions network is a useful tool for raising awareness of the issues brought up in petitions and to facilitate the treatment of petitions in other committees to which they are sent for opinion and for information; notes that there is a need for facilitating the follow- up of petitions in parliamentary and legislative work; trusts that regular meetings of the petitions network are crucial in order to strengthen cooperation between parliamentary committees through the exchange of information and sharing of best practices among the network’s members; calls on the Parliament to draft a mechanism that enables the Committee of Petition to be directly involved in the legislative process;

Amendment 59 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Believes that the petitions network is a useful tool for facilitating the follow- up of petitions in parliamentary and legislative work; that this network should enhance dialogue and cooperation with the Commission and other EU institutions; trusts that regular meetings of the petitions network are crucial in order to strengthen cooperation between parliamentary committees through the exchange of information and sharing of best practices among the network’s members;

Amendment 6 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas the high number of petitions submitted in 2020 reveals that, in times of crisis, citizens rely ~~significantly on the EU~~on their elected representatives at EU level by directly addressing their concerns and complaints to the~~ir elected representatives at EU level~~m;

Amendment 60 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Underlines that despite the reduced timeslots for committee meetings in 2020 owing to Parliament’s precautionary measures to avoid the spread of COVID-19 within its premises and the consequent reduced interpretation facilities, the Committee on Petitions has expressed its opinion on important issues raised in petitions by contributing to a significant number of parliamentary reports, notably on the conclusion of the Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community2 , on Monitoring the Application of EU Law 2017 and 20183 , on the Recommendations on the negotiations for a new partnership with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland4 , on the Situation of Fundamental Rights in the European Union - Annual Report for the years 2018-20195 , on Reducing inequalities with a special focus on in-work poverty6 , on Turkey – Annual progress report 20197 , and on the implementation of Council Directive 2000/78/EC establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation in light of the UNCRPD8 ; appreciates the activity of the Secretariat of the Committee on Petitions in general and, in particular, during the pandemic, as the working conditions became more complex; stresses the need to reflect on the challenges faced during the pandemic and look at ways to improve the work, especially during crisis times; _________________ 2 Opinion adopted on 21 January 2020. 3 Opinion adopted on 19 February 2020. 4 Opinion adopted on 30 April 2020. 5 Opinion adopted on 7 September 2020. 6 Opinion adopted on 7 September 2020. 7 Opinion adopted on 29 October 2020. 8 Opinion adopted on 3 December 2020.

Amendment 61 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9a. Points out that in its recommendations for the negotiations on a new deal with the United Kingdom, the members of the Committee on Petitions stressed that any EU citizen residing in the United Kingdom had the right to petition the European Parliament pursuant to Article 227 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, to participate in a European Citizens’ Initiative, and to apply to the European Ombudsman after the expected end of the transition period (31 December 2020), and called on the European Ombudsman to keep up her efforts, initiated during negotiations on the withdrawal agreement, to ensure the transparency of negotiations under the future EU-UK partnership;

Amendment 62 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Draws attention to the large number of petitions on COVID-19 that the Committee on Petitions examined and replied to in 2020, mostly by using its urgency procedure; stresses that most of these petitions called for the protection of citizens’ ~~health against the spread of the virus, including questions on treat~~fundamental rights and freedoms against the emergency measures including lockdowns, for transparency in the developments, p~~rotective equipment and on the acquisition and distribu~~urchase and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines as well as for disclosure of all details of future COVID-19 vaccine contracts; underlines that these petition also included questions o~~f vaccines~~n treatments, protective equipment, as well as for the assessment of the management of the health crisis in the Member States; recalls, also, that many petitioners raised concerns over the impact of national emergency measures, ~~including lockdowns,~~ on democracy, and the rule of law ~~and fundamental rights~~, calling into question travel and work restrictions, obstacles to the freedom of movement within the Schengen area, as well as the management of cancelled flights and trips during the pandemic;

Amendment 63 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Draws attention to the large number of petitions on COVID-19 that the Committee on Petitions examined and replied to in 2020, mostly by using its urgency procedure; stresses that most of these petitions called for the protection of citizens’ health against the spread of the virus, including questions on treatments, protective equipment and on the acquisition and distribution of vaccines, as well as for the assessment of the management of the health crisis in the Member States; recalls, also, that many petitioners raised concerns over the impact of national emergency measures, including lockdowns, on democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights, calling into question travel and work restrictions, ~~obstacles to the freedom of movement within the Schengen area, as well as the management of cancelled flights and trips during the pandemic~~and the initial lack of coordination among Member States on internal border controls which pose obstacles to the freedom of movement within the Schengen area and a particular problem for many cross-border workers, students and binational couples, as well as the management of cancelled flights and trips during the pandemic; takes the view that, particularly in times of a major crisis, the rapid and effective handling of petitions is a prerequisite for citizens’ trust in the EU institutions;

Amendment 64 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Draws attention to the large number of petitions on COVID-19 that the Committee on Petitions examined and replied to in 2020, mostly by using its urgency procedure; stresses that most of these petitions called for the protection of citizens’ health against the spread of the virus, including questions on treatments, protective equipment and on the acquisition and distribution of vaccines, as well as for the assessment of the management of the health crisis in the Member States; recalls, also, that many petitioners raised concerns over the impact of national emergency measures, including lockdowns, on democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights, calling into question travel and work restrictions, obstacles to the freedom of movement within the Schengen area, as well as the management of cancelled flights and trips during the pandemic; recalls that all the restrictive measures must be necessary, proportional and temporary; stresses that ensuring the effective, equal and uniform application of EU law is crucial for upholding the rule of law, which is one of the founding values of the Union and its Member States, pursuant to Article 2 of the TEU, even in the crisis such as Covid- 19 pandemic;

Amendment 65 #

Cristina MAESTRE, Sylvie GUILLAUME, Ibán GARCÍA DEL BLANCO, Demetris PAPADAKIS, Alex AGIUS SALIBA, Domènec RUIZ DEVESA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

Amendment 66 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10a. Highlights the decision taken during the first months of the pandemic to prioritize petitions related to COVID-19 in the Committee on Petitions in order to address properly the urgent demands expressed by European citizens during the first months of 2020;

Amendment 67 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Is seriously concerned about the public health and socio-economic damages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic; welcomes the excellent work done by the Committee on Petitions which, by voicing citizens’ concerns over the public health and socio-economic crises related to the COVID-19 pandemic, contributed to ensuring Parliament’s responsiveness to citizens’ needs and expectations as regards the Union’s capacity to address such a global challenge; draws attention, in this regard, to the important follow-up actions taken by the Committee on Petitions to respond to the issues raised in COVID-19-related petitions, which lead to the adoption in plenary of the resolutions on the Schengen system and measures taken during the COVID-19 crisis9 , on the rights of persons with intellectual disabilities and their families in the COVID-19 crisis10 and on tackling homelessness rates in the EU11 ; _________________ 9 Texts adopted, P9_TA(2020)0315. 10 Texts adopted, P9_TA(2020)0183. 11 Texts adopted, P9_TA(2020)0314.

Amendment 68 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Is seriously concerned about the public health and socio-economic damages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic; welcomes the excellent work done by the Committee on Petitions ~~which, by~~in voicing citizens’ concerns over the public health and socio- economic crises related to the COVID-19 pandemic~~, contributed to ensuring Parliament’s responsiveness to citizens’ needs and expectations as regards the Union’s capacity to address such a global challenge~~; draws attention, in this regard, to the important follow-up actions taken by the Committee on Petitions to respond to the issues raised in COVID-19-related petitions, which lead to the adoption in plenary of the resolutions on the Schengen system and measures taken during the COVID-19 crisis9, on the rights of persons with intellectual disabilities and their families in the COVID-19 crisis10 and on tackling homelessness rates in the EU11; _________________ 9 Texts adopted, P9_TA(2020)0315. 10 Texts adopted, P9_TA(2020)0183. 11 Texts adopted, P9_TA(2020)0314.

Amendment 69 #

Cristina MAESTRE, Sylvie GUILLAUME, Ibán GARCÍA DEL BLANCO, Demetris PAPADAKIS, Alex AGIUS SALIBA, Domènec RUIZ DEVESA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Is seriously concerned about the breaches of fundamental rights and democracy, the public health and socio- economic damages caused by the COVID- 19 pandemic; welcomes the excellent work done by the Committee on Petitions which, by voicing citizens’ concerns over the violation of their rights, public health and socio-economic crises related to the COVID-19 pandemic, contributed to ensuring Parliament’s responsiveness to citizens’ needs and expectations as regards the Union’s capacity to address such a global challenge; draws attention, in this regard, to the important follow-up actions taken by the Committee on Petitions to respond to the issues raised in COVID-19- related petitions, which lead to the adoption in plenary of the resolutions on the Schengen system and measures taken during the COVID-19 crisis9 , on the accessibility and affordability of COVID testing, on the rights of persons with intellectual disabilities and their families in the COVID-19 crisis10 and on tackling homelessness rates in the EU11 ; _________________ 9 Texts adopted, P9_TA(2020)0315. 10 Texts adopted, P9_TA(2020)0183. 11 Texts adopted, P9_TA(2020)0314.

Amendment 7 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas, however, the overall number of petitions remains modest in relation to the total population of the EU, revealing that efforts still need to be stepped up even more to increase citizens’ awareness about their right to petition and encourage them to exercise it; whereas, in exercising the right to petition, citizens expect that the EU institutions will provide added value in finding a solution to their problems;

Amendment 70 #

Emmanouil FRAGKOS, Cristian TERHEŞ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Is seriously concerned about the public health and socio-economic damages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic; welcomes the excellent work done by the Committee on Petitions which, by voicing citizens’ concerns over the public health and socio-economic crises related to the COVID-19 pandemic, contributed to ensuring Parliament’s responsiveness to ~~citizens’~~the needs and expectations of citizens, especially those particularly affected by the health crisis, as regards the Union’s capacity to address such a global challenge; draws attention, in this regard, to the important follow-up actions taken by the Committee on Petitions to respond to the issues raised in COVID-19- related petitions, which lead to the adoption in plenary of the resolutions on the Schengen system and measures taken during the COVID-19 crisis9 , on the rights of persons with intellectual disabilities and their families in the COVID-19 crisis10 and on tackling homelessness rates in the EU11; _________________ 10 Texts adopted, P9_TA(2020)0183. 11 Texts adopted, P9_TA(2020)0314. 9 Texts adopted, P9_TA(2020)0315.

Amendment 71 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Is seriously concerned about the public health, the social division and socio- economic damages caused by the COVID- 19 pandemic; welcomes the excellent work done by the Committee on Petitions which, by voicing citizens’ concerns over the public health and socio-economic crises related to the COVID-19 pandemic, contributed to ensuring Parliament’s responsiveness to citizens’ needs and expectations as regards the Union’s capacity to address such a global challenge; draws attention, in this regard, to the important follow-up actions taken by the Committee on Petitions to respond to the issues raised in COVID-19- related petitions, which lead to the adoption in plenary of the resolutions on the Schengen system and measures taken during the COVID-19 crisis9 , on the rights of persons with intellectual disabilities and their families in the COVID-19 crisis10 and on tackling homelessness rates in the EU11 ; _________________ 9 Texts adopted, P9_TA(2020)0315. 10 Texts adopted, P9_TA(2020)0183. 11 Texts adopted, P9_TA(2020)0314.

Amendment 72 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Draws attention to the hearing of 29 October 2020 on ‘Union citizenship: Empowerment, Inclusion, Participation’, which the Committee on Petitions held jointly with the Committee on Legal Affairs, the Committee on Constitutional Affairs and the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs; considers that this event represented a significant contribution by Parliament to the Commission’s 2020 EU Citizenship report and to the Committee on Petitions’ ongoing work on citizen involvement;

Amendment 73 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Takes note that, along with fundamental rights, health was the main area of concern for petitioners in 2020; while recognising that health concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic were at the centre of the Committee on Petitions’ work, draws attention to the resolution on additional funding for biomedical research on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, the motion for which was adopted by the committee on 30 April 2020, adopted in plenary on 18 June 202013 ; recalls that Parliament’s resolution has been highly welcomed by the scientific and patients’ communities; reiterates, in this regard, its call for coordinated and enhanced research efforts and for additional funding to support progress in research in order to address the human and socio-economic consequences of the growing number of individuals living and working with long- term disabling and chronic conditions; _________________ 13 Texts adopted, P9_TA(2020)0140.

Amendment 74 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Takes note that, along with fundamental rights, health was the main area of concern for petitioners in 2020, while recognising that health concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic were at the centre of the Committee on Petitions’ work; draws attention to the resolution on additional funding for biomedical research on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, the motion for which was adopted by the committee on 30 April 2020, adopted in plenary on 18 June 202013; recalls that Parliament’s resolution has been highly welcomed by the scientific and patients’ communities as it calls for awareness of this type of disease to be raised among Member States through the organisation of training courses tailored to public authorities, healthcare providers and public officials generally; reiterates, in this regard, its call for coordinated and enhanced research efforts and for additional funding, including under the Horizon Europe programme, to support progress in research in order to address the human and socio-economic consequences of the growing number of individuals living and working with long-term disabling and chronic conditions; _________________ 13 Texts adopted, P9_TA(2020)0140.

Amendment 75 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Notes that environmental issues remained an area of serious concern for petitioners in 2020; regrets that environmental rules are not always correctly implemented in the Member States, as described in numerous petitions raising complaints about air pollution, the deterioration of natural ecosystems, and nuclear safety ~~and the impact of mining activities on the environment~~; stresses the importance of delivering on EU citizens’ expectations on the protection of the environment; urges, therefore, the Commission, together with the Member States, to ensure the correct implementation of EU legislation in this field;

Amendment 76 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Notes that environmental issues remained an area of serious concern for petitioners in 2020; regrets that environmental rules are not always correctly implemented in the Member States, as described in numerous petitions raising complaints about air and electromagnetic pollution, the deterioration of natural ecosystems, nuclear safety and the impact of mining activities on the environment; stresses the importance of delivering on EU citizens’ expectations on the protection of the environment; urges, therefore, the Commission, together with the Member States, to ensure the correct implementation of EU legislation in this field and to set binding criteria to ensure regulatory fairness and protect the health of citizens in all Member States;

Amendment 77 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Welcomes the specific role of protection played by the Committee on Petitions within the EU in the framework of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; points to the committee’s important ongoing work in connection with petitions concerning issues on disabilities; notes that the number of petitions on disability almost doubled in 2020 in comparison with the previous year; stresses that discrimination and access to education and employment remain among the main challenges faced by persons with disabilities and believes that the Commission and Member States need to do more to make essential services fully accessible;

Amendment 78 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Welcomes the specific role of protection played by the Committee on Petitions within the EU in the framework of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; points to the committee’s important ongoing work in connection with petitions concerning issues on disabilities; notes that the number of petitions on disability almost doubled in 2020 in comparison with the previous year; stresses that discrimination and access to education and employment remain among the main challenges faced by persons with disabilities; calls for implementation of concrete proposals to foster inclusiveness and facilitate the recognition and portability of skills within the EU;

Amendment 79 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Recalls that in 2020, the Committee on Petitions paid specific attention to the discussion of petitions on the difficulties faced by people with intellectual disabilities and their families during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially regarding access to health services, personal assistance and contact with families and carers; draws attention in this regard to the resolution tabled by the Committee on Petitions on the rights of persons with intellectual disabilities and their families in the COVID-19 crisis, adopted in plenary on 8 July 2020; welcomes the outcome of the Committee on Petitions’ annual workshop on the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities – ‘The new Disability Strategy’ – which took place at the committee meeting of 28 October 2020;

Amendment 8 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas, however, the overall number of petitions remains modest in relation to the total population of the EU, revealing that efforts still need to be stepped up to increase citizens’ awareness about their right to petition and about this tool; whereas, in exercising the right to petition, citizens expect that the EU institutions will provide added value in finding a solution to their problems;

Amendment 80 #

Loránt VINCZE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)

18a. Points out the importance of the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI), as a unique tool of European participative democracy for the Committee on Petitions; underlines that the public hearing is a key opportunity for the organisers to publicly present their initiative to the EU institutions and experts enabling the Commission and the Parliament to obtain a thorough understanding of the desired ECI outcomes;

Amendment 81 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)

18a. Considers it essential that citizens are able to be involved directly in the initiation of legislative proposals; stresses that the ECI is an important instrument for active citizenship and public participation and therefore must be approached openly and responsively; calls on the Commission to initiate a legislative proposal on the basis of the content of any successful ECI;

Amendment 82 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 b (new)

18b. Stresses that transparency and public access to the documents of the EU institutions are vital in order to ensure the highest levels of protection of the democratic rights of citizens and their trust in EU institutions; points out that current Regulation 1049/2001 does not reflect the actual situation anymore; deeply regrets that the revision of Regulation 1049/2021 is stalled for years with no progress; calls on the Commission to submit a proposal for are cast of the 2001 Regulation with a view to enhance transparency and accountability by promoting good administrative practice, in line with Lisbon Treaty requirements;

Amendment 83 #