2023/2017(INI) Parliamentarism, European Citizenship and Democracy
Lead committee dossier:
Progress: Procedure completed
| Role | Committee | Rapporteur | Shadows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead | AFCO |
MITUȚA Alin ( Renew),
NIENASS Niklas ( Verts/ALE)
|
KARAS Othmar ( EPP),
CIMOSZEWICZ Włodzimierz ( S&D),
SCHOLZ Helmut ( GUE/NGL)
|
Lead committee dossier:
Legal Basis:
RoP 54
Legal Basis:
RoP 54Events
2023/09/14
EP - Text adopted by Parliament, single reading
Documents
2023/09/14
EP - Debate in Parliament
2023/09/14
EP - Decision by Parliament
Documents
2023/09/14
EP - End of procedure in Parliament
2023/07/26
EP - Committee report tabled for plenary
Details
The Committee on Constitutional Affairs adopted an own-initiative report by Alin MITUȚA (Renew, RO) and Niklas NIENASS (Greens/EFA, DE) on parliamentarism, European citizenship and democracy.
Parliamentarism
The report considers that the current trend within the EU of moving from a ‘parliamentary’ towards a ‘governmental’ democracy weakens all parliaments in the decision-making process. Members regret the increasing power imbalance shifting towards the Council and the European Council , which erodes the institutional architecture of the EU. The European Council’s practice of ‘tasking the Council and the Commission’ goes beyond the role of strategic guidance assigned to it by the Treaties, and is therefore contrary to both the word and spirit of the Treaties.
Members are convinced that in a democracy, Parliaments must be part of every decision-making process. They stressed that the European Parliament, as the only directly elected EU institution, should be granted the general direct right of legislative initiative , the right of inquiry and full authority over the budget , and that as the chamber of the EU citizens it should be the driving force behind the strategic priorities of the European legislative agenda. They called in this regard for an amendment of Articles 225 and 226 TFEU.
Members reiterated their proposal that the Council be transformed into a true legislative chamber by reducing the number of Council configurations by means of a European Council decision, thus creating a genuinely bicameral legislative system involving the European Parliament and Council, with the Commission acting as the executive.
The report stressed the following points:
- the rotating presidency system of the Council of the EU should be reformed with a view to increasing the efficiency of the legislative process within a bicameral system. Members suggested that the General Affairs Council should become the legislative Council meeting in public, similar to the European Parliament in plenary, while all other Council configurations should become transparent preparatory structures, with regular meetings to be held in public;
- the Council should switch from unanimity to qualified majority voting wherever this is possible under the Treaties in the short term, for example by activating the various passerelle clauses in the Treaties;
- Parliament should strengthen its functions of political scrutiny over the Commission , including introducing the possibility of triggering motions of censure against individual commissioners;
- special legislative procedures where the right of legislative initiative is conferred on Parliament by the Treaties should include mutual exchanges on the establishment of a legislative calendar for the initiatives concerned in order to ensure respect of the principle of sincere cooperation among all three institutions;
- the European Parliament, the Council, and the Commission to continue to improve cooperation modalities with the CoR and the EESC, including at the pre-legislative stage.
It is also necessary to:
- improve the application of the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality in the work of the EU institutions, in particular by cooperating with national parliaments in line with the prerogatives already included in the current Treaties and to ensure a more prominent role for national and local level representatives in the process in order to achieve ‘active subsidiarity’, with the aim of promoting greater ownership of EU policies;
- establish regular exchanges on the protection of their democracies against foreign interference and information manipulation with the European Parliament as a part of COSAC inter-parliamentary cooperation;
- strengthen the electorate’s confidence in electoral processes by ensuring that all elections are free and fair.
European citizenship
The report called for the creation of an EU Statute of Citizenship to clarify and consolidate citizenship-specific rights and freedoms that connect the citizens in the Union. It called on the Commission to develop a comprehensive European strategy to enhance citizenship competences in the EU and develop supportive measures aimed at providing equal access to citizenship education.
The Commission and the Member States should better inform non-national Union citizens (i.e. Union citizens who reside in a Member State of which they are not nationals) about their right to vote in or run for office in municipal and European elections. It recommended the introduction of a minimum voting age of 16.
The European Parliament recalled that the European Parliament has consistently expressed its concern that any national scheme that involves the direct or indirect sale of EU citizenship undermines the very concept of European citizenship. Members called on the Member States concerned to put an end to such practices.
Complementing representative democracy through improving citizens’ participation
The report called for a swift and consistent implementation of the results of the Conference on the Future of Europe (CoFE), encompassing 49 proposals and 326 concrete measures delivered by the CoFE’s European Citizens Panels; reiterates its call for a Convention for the revision of the Treaties.
Members believe that one of the ways in which European citizens’ expectations for more regular and meaningful involvement in the democratic life of the Union can be addressed by improving and developing participatory mechanisms within the EU .
The report suggested:
- the institutionalisation of representative deliberative participation processes based on the model of the CoFE’s European Citizens Panels;
- the need to address the lack of familiarity with EU policies and decision-making among the general public through better education about the EU in schools;
- the creation of a structured participation mechanism, called the European Agora , which should work on yearly basis, deliberating on the EU’s priorities for the year ahead with the results of the deliberations to be presented on 9 May 2023 as an input to the consultation process on the Commission Annual Work Programme (CAWP).
Members suggested that a Youth component of the Agora should form a European Youth Assembly, which may monitor the application of a ‘youth check’ throughout the EU’s legislative process as requested by the CoFE. They reiterated their long-standing call to evaluate the possibility of amending the EU Treaties to allow EU-wide referendums on fundamental matters that initiate paradigm changes in the European Union’s actions and policies such as a reform of the EU Treaties.
Documents
2023/07/18
EP - Vote in committee
2023/06/01
EP - Amendments tabled in committee
Documents
2023/04/25
EP - Committee draft report
Documents
2023/02/16
EP - Committee referral announced in Parliament
2023/01/25
EP - MITUȚA Alin (Renew) appointed as rapporteur in AFCO
2023/01/25
EP - NIENASS Niklas (Verts/ALE) appointed as rapporteur in AFCO
Documents
- Text adopted by Parliament, single reading: T9-0330/2023
- Decision by Parliament: T9-0330/2023
- Committee report tabled for plenary: A9-0249/2023
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE749.161
- Committee draft report: PE746.872
- Committee draft report: PE746.872
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE749.161
- Text adopted by Parliament, single reading: T9-0330/2023
Activities
- Dimitrios PAPADIMOULIS
Plenary Speeches (4)
- Rainer WIELAND
- Dacian CIOLOŞ
Plenary Speeches (2)
- Beata KEMPA
Plenary Speeches (2)
- Niklas NIENASS
Plenary Speeches (2)
- Alin MITUȚA
Plenary Speeches (2)
- Mercedes BRESSO
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Dita CHARANZOVÁ
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Angel DZHAMBAZKI
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Maria GRAPINI
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Othmar KARAS
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Seán KELLY
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Gilles LEBRETON
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Juan Fernando LÓPEZ AGUILAR
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Victor NEGRESCU
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Maite PAGAZAURTUNDÚA
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Paulo RANGEL
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Tatjana ŽDANOKA
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Clare DALY
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Laurence FARRENG
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Mislav KOLAKUŠIĆ
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Ivan Vilibor SINČIĆ
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Ramona STRUGARIU
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Mick WALLACE
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Domènec RUIZ DEVESA
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Damian BOESELAGER
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Francesca DONATO
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Ivan DAVID
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Włodzimierz CIMOSZEWICZ
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Sven SIMON
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Barry ANDREWS
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Clara PONSATÍ OBIOLS
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Salvatore DE MEO
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Dominik TARCZYŃSKI
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Michiel HOOGEVEEN
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Ladislav ILČIĆ
Plenary Speeches (1)
Votes
Parlementarisme, citoyenneté européenne et démocratie - A9-0249/2023 - Alin Mituța, Niklas Nienass - § 5 #
2023/09/14 Outcome: +: 324, -: 203, 0: 14
A9-0249/2023 - Alin Mituța, Niklas Nienass - § 10/2 #
2023/09/14 Outcome: +: 473, -: 56, 0: 12
A9-0249/2023 - Alin Mituța, Niklas Nienass - § 16 #
2023/09/14 Outcome: -: 274, +: 253, 0: 17
A9-0249/2023 - Alin Mituța, Niklas Nienass - § 17/2 #
2023/09/14 Outcome: +: 337, -: 180, 0: 17
A9-0249/2023 - Alin Mituța, Niklas Nienass - § 31 #
2023/09/14 Outcome: +: 333, -: 170, 0: 34
A9-0249/2023 - Alin Mituța, Niklas Nienass - Considérant F/2 #
2023/09/14 Outcome: +: 264, -: 251, 0: 12
A9-0249/2023 - Alin Mituța, Niklas Nienass - Considérant U #
2023/09/14 Outcome: +: 352, -: 164, 0: 12
A9-0249/2023 - Alin Mituța, Niklas Nienass - Proposition de résolution (ensemble du texte) #
2023/09/14 Outcome: +: 316, -: 137, 0: 47
| DE | ES | RO | FR | PT | AT | IT | LT | NL | HR | FI | BE | BG | EE | LU | LV | IE | EL | HU | SI | PL | SK | DK | MT | CZ | SE | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total |
67
|
39
|
25
|
57
|
20
|
15
|
58
|
10
|
24
|
10
|
13
|
16
|
6
|
7
|
4
|
7
|
10
|
2
|
7
|
7
|
42
|
6
|
9
|
3
|
18
|
18
|
|
| S&D |
99
|
Germany S&DFor (10) |
Spain S&DFor (14) |
Romania S&DFor (7) |
France S&D |
Portugal S&DFor (9) |
4
|
2
|
4
|
4
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
Poland S&DFor (6) |
1
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
5
|
|||||
 PPE |
130
|
Germany PPEFor (21)Andreas SCHWAB, Angelika NIEBLER, Axel VOSS, Christian DOLESCHAL, Christian EHLER, Daniel CASPARY, David McALLISTER, Dennis RADTKE, Helmut GEUKING, Hildegard BENTELE, Jens GIESEKE, Karolin BRAUNSBERGER-REINHOLD, Manfred WEBER, Marion WALSMANN, Markus FERBER, Marlene MORTLER, Michael GAHLER, Norbert LINS, Peter JAHR, Peter LIESE, Stefan BERGER
|
Spain PPEAgainst (1) |
Romania PPEFor (9)Against (2) |
France PPEAgainst (4)Abstain (2) |
Portugal PPEFor (7) |
Austria PPEFor (6) |
8
|
4
|
Netherlands PPEFor (3)Abstain (2) |
3
|
3
|
3
|
4
|
1
|
3
|
2
|
1
|
3
|
Slovakia PPEFor (1)Against (2)Abstain (1) |
1
|
1
|
Czechia PPEFor (2)Against (1)Abstain (1) |
4
|
|||
| Verts/ALE |
55
|
Germany Verts/ALEFor (17) |
2
|
1
|
France Verts/ALEFor (10) |
1
|
2
|
3
|
1
|
3
|
2
|
3
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
3
|
2
|
|||||||||
| Renew |
78
|
Germany RenewAbstain (2) |
6
|
Romania RenewFor (6) |
France RenewFor (17) |
2
|
1
|
Netherlands RenewFor (2)Abstain (5) |
1
|
3
|
3
|
1
|
3
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
Denmark RenewFor (1)Against (1)Abstain (1) |
Czechia RenewAgainst (3)Abstain (2) |
3
|
|||||
 NI |
20
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
7
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
3
|
|||||||||||||||
 The Left |
22
|
2
|
3
|
France The LeftAgainst (1) |
3
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
Ireland The LeftAgainst (3)Abstain (1) |
1
|
1
|
||||||||||||||||
 ECR |
47
|
1
|
1
|
Italy ECRAgainst (6) |
1
|
3
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
Poland ECRAgainst (21)
Andżelika Anna MOŻDŻANOWSKA,
Anna FOTYGA,
Anna ZALEWSKA,
Beata KEMPA,
Beata MAZUREK,
Beata SZYDŁO,
Bogdan RZOŃCA,
Dominik TARCZYŃSKI,
Elżbieta KRUK,
Grzegorz TOBISZOWSKI,
Izabela-Helena KLOC,
Jacek SARYUSZ-WOLSKI,
Joachim Stanisław BRUDZIŃSKI,
Joanna KOPCIŃSKA,
Karol KARSKI,
Kosma ZŁOTOWSKI,
Krzysztof JURGIEL,
Patryk JAKI,
Witold Jan WASZCZYKOWSKI,
Zbigniew KUŹMIUK,
Zdzisław KRASNODĘBSKI
|
1
|
4
|
3
|
|||||||||||||
 ID |
49
|
Germany IDAgainst (8) |
France IDAgainst (13) |
3
|
Italy IDAgainst (19)
Alessandra BASSO,
Alessandro PANZA,
Angelo CIOCCA,
Anna BONFRISCO,
Antonio Maria RINALDI,
Danilo Oscar LANCINI,
Elena LIZZI,
Gianantonio DA RE,
Gianna GANCIA,
Isabella TOVAGLIERI,
Marco ZANNI,
Maria Veronica ROSSI,
Matteo ADINOLFI,
Paola GHIDONI,
Rosanna CONTE,
Silvia SARDONE,
Stefania ZAMBELLI,
Susanna CECCARDI,
Valentino GRANT
|
3
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
| Amendments | Dossier |
| 122 |
2023/2017(INI)
2023/05/26
AFCO
122 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 6 a (new) – having regard to its resolution of 6 April 2022 on the implementation of citizenship education actions[1], [1] Texts adopted, P9_TA(2022)0114.
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A a (new) Aa. whereas Parliament is the only EU institution directly elected by the citizens; whereas the absence of Parliament’s direct rights of initiative does not allow it to properly represent the voice of citizens, civil society and the social partners within the European institutions, effectively leaving the Commission with a monopoly on the exercise of legislative initiative;
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 a (new) 16a. Underlines the need to address the low literacy of EU policies and decision- making among citizens through a sustained deliberative process where the citizens engaged in citizens panels are given the necessary information to be able to engage in open debates that can result in recommendations and conclusions;
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 Amendment 104 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Proposes, in particular, the creation of a permanent representative and deliberative mechanism called the European Agora, which will start in January each year by deliberating on the Commission’s annual work programme and the specific theme of the European Year; further proposes that in the first four months of the year the Agora should focus on the EU’s priorities for the year ahead with the results of the deliberations to be presented on 9 May as an input to the consultation process on the
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Proposes, in particular, the creation
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 a (new) 17a. Calls for revision of the Interinstitutional Agreement for Better Law Making in order to integrate this permanent representative deliberative model in the annual deliberations on the CAWP;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 Amendment 108 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A a (new) Aa. whereas, in this context, the common foundation of liberal parliamentary democracy is under pressure, outside and inside the European Union; whereas Parliaments, as the directly elected chambers of the citizens, are at the heart of liberal democracy;
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 19. Suggests that a Youth component of the Agora should form a European Youth Assembly, which will also monitor the application of the ‘youth check’ throughout the EU’s legislative process; proposes that the Committee of the Regions and the Economic and Social Committee should establish a structure that convenes representatives of youth civil society and young local elected politicians, which should cooperate closely with the Youth Assembly to implement the youth check; underlines in this regard the need to engage with young people in particular in a political debate on the future of Europe, as today’s decisions will determine their future;
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 19. Suggests that a Youth component of the Agora should form a European Youth Assembly, which will also monitor the application of the ‘youth check’
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 a (new) 19a. Believes that effective citizenship participation at EU level requires the acquisition of specific knowledge about the EU and the European dimension of the topics under discussion; asks therefore to introduce dedicated training within the European Agora;
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 20.
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 a (new) 20a. Proposes the introduction of pan- European online citizens’ consultations, organised by the Parliament on a regular basis concerning the main current European policy debates; believes that giving all citizens the opportunity to express their views on current European affairs will increase citizens’ trust in and understanding of the European decision- making process; considers that that this new participatory mechanism, which should have consultative character, would reinforce many of Parliament’s policy priorities, and, as a result, strengthen the EP’s role towards the other institutions; believes that Parliament should develop and manage these online consultations in order to ensure easy and secure access across the Union.
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 a (new) 20a. Calls on the Member States to introduce e-democracy tools at local and national level, and properly integrate them in the political process, facilitating democratic participation for both citizens and residents;
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 21. Reiterates its long-standing call to amend the EU Treaties to allow for EU- wide referendums on
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A b (new) Ab. whereas a common definition and understanding of liberal parliamentary democracy and the political will for making it more resilient are urgently needed – all the more so in light of the current challenges and a changing political environment, for ensuring the functioning of the separation of powers and with a view to encourage citizens to make use of their right to vote in all elections;
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 21. Reiterates its long-standing call to amend the EU Treaties to allow for EU- wide referendums on matters relevant to
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 21.
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 a (new) 21a. Calls for the increasing of funds to promote pilot projects and programs as Building Europe with Local Councillors which creates a European network of locally elected politicians aimed at communicating the European Union,
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A c (new) Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas Article 15 TEU specifies that the European Council must not exercise legislative nor executive functions;
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas there should be no democratic decision without parliamentary approval; whereas Article 15 TEU specifies that the European Council
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B a (new) Ba. whereas it is necessary to correct institutional imbalances and increase the accountability of the executive toward the legislative, in particular to grant the Parliament scrutiny powers over the European Council and the Council, as well as improve the political accountability of the Commission towards the Parliament;
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B b (new) Bb. whereas, the relationship between the Parliament and the Council often portrayed as a bicameral legislative system, has not yet been accepted nor institutionalised;
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B c (new) Bc. whereas the persistence of unanimity voting in the Council has become a de facto impediment obstacle to the advancement of the European agenda and genuine reform of the European democracy, and a threat to the development of a real European democracy, as it allows governments of Member States to block EU decision- making in order to promote their own national agendas, often to the detriment of the European interest;
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B d (new) Bd. whereas it is important for the European institutions to take into account the role played by the Committee of the Regions and European Economic and Social Committee in the legislative framework as representatives of local and regional authorities and organised civil society;
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 7 a (new) – having regard to its resolution of 12 April 2016 on Learning EU at school (Text adopted, P8_TA(2016)0106.)
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas the conclusions of the Conference on the Future of Europe (CoFE) call for more democracy and for representative democracy to be enhanced through greater citizen participation; whereas the CoFE and other existing successful projects on citizen participation have demonstrated that citizens would like to be included in EU decision-making processes on a regular basis; whereas the CoFE provided valuable experience of engaging with citizens on a large scale, from which lessons will have to be drawn;
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas the
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas the conclusions of the 1c CoFE call for
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas the conclusions of the CoFE call for more democracy and for representative democracy to be enhanced through greater citizen participation and for European Citizenship to be strengthened through the elaboration of a European Citizenship Statute establishing specific rights and freedoms;
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C a (new) Ca. whereas the European citizenship and its related rights, introduced by the Treaty of Maastricht and further enhanced by the Treaty of Lisbon, have been only partially implemented; whereas many European citizens are often not fully aware of their rights deriving from citizenship of the Union;
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C a (new) Ca. Whereas any measures to strengthen citizen participation and democracy must address the digital divide in the EU and the difficulties it creates for such participation to be effective;
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C b (new) Cb. whereas European citizenship is currently granted together with the citizenship of a Member State, but without any control from the European Union;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C c (new) Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C d (new) Cd. whereas several Member States are still offering so-called ‘golden visa programmes’ and investor schemes as means of obtaining their nationality and European citizenship consequently;
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C e (new) Ce. whereas according to Article 10(3) TEU citizens shall have the right to participate in the democratic life of the Union and decisions shall be taken as openly and as closely as possible to the citizens, whereas participatory democracy has been seen as a way to improve political awareness and dialogue with all citizens of the Union;
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 9 a (new) – having regard to its legislative resolution of 16 April 2014 on a proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament on the detailed provisions governing the exercise of the European Parliament’s right of inquiry and repealing Decision 95/167/EC, Euratom, ECSC of the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission[1] [1] J C 443, 22.12.2017, p. 39
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C f (new) Cf. whereas there is still lack of awareness of the existing participatory instruments, such as the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI), petitions to the European Parliament, complaints to the European Ombudsman, public consultations and Citizens’ Dialogues;
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C g (new) Cg. whereas participatory democracy in the EU is affected by high fragmentation and lack of follow-up, which limits the success of existing participatory instruments that do not add up to a comprehensive and efficient participatory infrastructure;
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C h (new) Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C i (new) Ci. whereas the referendum as a direct democracy instrument is currently not available at the EU level.
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution Subheading 1 a (new) Recognises that liberal parliamentary democracy is under pressure and cannot be taken for granted, especially in the current times of common, unprecedented and complex challenges and a changing political environment; strongly believes that it is urgently needed to sustain, strengthen and promote liberal parliamentary democracy; considers that parliamentarism in the European Union is one of a kind as the EU is a unique project with its special history, distinct legal order and enshrined fundamental rights;
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution Subheading 1 b (new) Emphasises the key role of the Parliaments at the heart of European liberal democracy as the directly elected chambers of the citizens, legislators and scrutinizers of the executive; acknowledges that liberal democracy can only successfully prove itself if parliamentarism strives and functions; stresses that a functioning separation of powers between the legislative, executive and judiciary needs strong Parliaments;
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution Subheading 1 c (new) Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution Subheading 1 d (new) Considers that the current shift from a “parliamentary” to “governmental” democracy as well as the unanimity principle weaken all Parliaments in the decision-making process – on national, regional and European level; underlines that liberal democracy cannot be reduced to a simple „yes“ or „no“ and that legislation should emerge from a compromise between varieties of different interests; considers the abuse of national vetoes in the context of the unanimity principle as undemocratic; underlines that it is necessary to overcome blockades and to work on common solutions, which include rather than exclude;
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Strongly believes that Parliaments should be part of every democratic decision-making process and that there should be no democratic decision without parliamentary approval; underlines that the unanimity principle excludes Parliaments in the decision-making process and therefore weakens liberal parliamentary democracy; stresses that the European Parliament, as the only directly elected EU institution, should be granted the general direct right of legislative initiative and full authority over the budget and that
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Strongly believes that Parliament, as the only directly elected EU institution, should be granted the general direct right of legislative initiative, right for inquiry and full authority over the budget and that it should be enabled to lay down the strategic priorities of the European legislative agenda; Calls on this regard for an amendment of art 225 and art 226 of TFEU.
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 9 b (new) – having regard to the Proposal of a Manifesto for a Federal Europe: Sovereign, Social and Ecological adopted by the Spinelli Group on 29 August 2022,
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Strongly believes that Parliament
Amendment 41 #
2. Considers
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Considers that the European Council’s practice of ‘tasking the Council and the Commission’ goes beyond the role of strategic guidance assigned to it by the Treaties, and is therefore contrary to both the word and spirit of the Treaties; considers it necessary to
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 a (new) Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Proposes that the Council be transformed into a true legislative chamber by reducing the number of Council configurations to one by means of a European Council decision, so as to create a genuinely bicameral legislative system based on the Council and Parliament, with the Commission acting as the executive; suggests that a the General Affairs Councils becomes the legislative Council meeting in public, similarly to the EP plenary, while all other Council configurations become transparent preparatory structures, with regular meetings to be held in public, similarly to the functioning of the committees in the Parliament;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3.
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4.
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 11 a (new) – having regard to the Conclusions of the Presidency of the Conference of Speakers of the European Union Parliaments (EUSC) held in Prague on 24-25 April 2023 1g, _________________ 1g https://parleu2022.cz/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/EUSC-Prague- Presidency-Conclusions-final-EN-1.pdf
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Considers that in no case should the Council
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 Amendment 52 #
5. Considers it
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Calls to the Council and the Commission to engage with Parliament in negotiations in the initiatives in which the legislative initiative is conferred to the Parliament such as the European Parliament right of inquiry and the new European electoral law,
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 b (new) Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Calls for the European Parliament, the Council, and the Commission to continue to improve cooperation modalities with the CoR and the EESC; suggests in particular the strengthening of an informal exchange between the Chairs of the Committees in the European Parliament and the Presidents of the Sections in the EESC, the establishment of a regular informal exchange on the level of the Political Group Chairs with the Groups in the EESC and that the rapporteurs of the CoR and EESC be invited to participate in considering draft reports in the parliamentary committee and committee debriefing meetings on interinstitutional negotiations, where applicable;
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Calls for Parliament, the Council, and the Commission to improve cooperation modalities with the CoR and the EESC; including at the pre-legislative stage during the conduct of impact assessments, in order to ensure that their opinions and assessments can be taken into account throughout the legislative process, suggests in particular that the rapporteurs of the CoR and EESC be invited to participate in considering draft reports in the parliamentary committee and committee debriefing meetings on interinstitutional negotiations, where applicable;
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Emphasises the key role of
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Emphasises the key role of parliaments at the heart of democracy and calls for closer coordination and political dialogue between national parliaments and the European Parliament to make it more meaningful and substantial, also in frameworks such as Conference of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs (COSAC); stresses the importance of the subsidiarity principle as laid down in Article 5 TEU; points out, in this regard, that national parliaments are best placed to mandate and scrutinise at national level the action of their respective governments in European affairs, while the Parliament should ensure the democratic accountability and legitimacy of the European executive;
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Emphasises the key role of parliaments at the heart of democracy and
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 11 b (new) – having regard to the Conclusions of the Plenary Meeting of the LXIX Conference of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs (COSAC)1h held in Stockholm on 14-16 May 2023, _________________ 1h https://secure.ipex.eu/IPEXL- WEB/conferences/cosac
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Highlights the revolution in media consumption habits, driven by the ubiquity of smartphones, the rise of social media and the rollout of broadband, due to which many traditional media outlets have lost significance, especially among young people; recalls that polarised and extreme opinions have become widely accessible while fact-based, well- researched information is often locked behind “paywalls”; is concerned that staying properly informed in an environment of information overload, poor-quality news sources, and social media bubbles has become increasingly difficult and has led to a fragmentation of societies and an undermining of democracies; calls for a coordinated EU strategy to address threats to media independence and the establishment of a substantial EU media support fund to support an independent and pluralistic quality media landscape in all Member States.
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Underlines that in the spirit of the Latin word “parlare”, liberal parliamentary democracy requires a Parliament in presence; notes that while digitisation and the lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic have accelerated the development and application of modernised working methods to improve resilience with respect to emergencies and crises situations, they cannot substitute voting, debating, negotiating, meeting and exchanging in presence; stresses that, at the same time, the enhanced use of digital possibilities has the potential to contribute to a better political understanding between Parliaments on the national, regional and European levels, as part of strengthening communication, information and cooperation and helping to reach the common climate and environmental goals by reducing transport and travel emissions;
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Stresses the importance of the subsidiarity principle as laid down in Article 5 TEU which is binding on all Union institutions and bodies, and of the instruments contained in Protocol No 2 on the application of the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality; recalls in this context the need to improve the application of the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality in the work of the EU institutions, in particular by cooperating with national parliaments in order for them to use the possibilities of engagement that already included in the current Treaties and to give them and local and regional authorities a more prominent role in the process in order to achieve ‘active subsidiarity’, aiming to promote greater ownership of EU policies.
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 b (new) 7b. Is highly concerned about targeted cyber-attacks and disinformation campaigns, whose ultimate goal is the destruction of democratic processes within the Union; calls for coordinated action on national and EU level to ensure that cybersecurity rules at EU-level are adequate and well implemented on the national level; calls for the establishment of an independent and well-resourced European Centre for Interference Threats and Information Integrity to identify, analyse and document information manipulation operations and threats of interference against the Union as a whole; recalls that activities to fight disinformation are considered a matter of public interest; calls for the national parliaments of the Member States to consider establishing their own parliamentary bodies tasked with overseeing activities related to the protection of their democracy against foreign interference and information manipulation, and to set up regular exchanges on these topics with the European Parliament as a part of COSAC inter-parliamentary cooperation;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 c (new) 7c. Is concerned that Artificial Intelligence has made the production and distribution of false and misleading information significantly easier, cheaper, and faster; warns that generative AI is likely to be used to mislead voters, impersonate candidates and undermine European elections on a scale and at a speed not yet seen; calls for the timely adoption of the EU’s AI act, with a focus on tackling the dangers of synthetic audio and video material as well as images for disinformation campaigns.
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Calls for the creation of an EU Statute of Citizenship, that will clarify and consolidate citizenship-specific rights and freedoms; calls on the Council and Commission to take concrete steps towards the expansion of citizenship-specific rights and freedoms following the procedure under Article 25 TFEU; stresses the exclusive competence of the Member States in the area of national citizenship;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 a (new) 8a. It recalls that European Citizenship reflects the democratic identity that connects citizens in the Union and that the Statute will serve to make the principles and values of the Union more tangible and will provide a new tool for citizens to defend it;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Highlights that effective citizens’ dialogues and active citizens’ participation are strongly linked to the European dimension of citizenship education
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Highlights that effective citizens’ dialogues and active citizens’ participation are strongly linked to the European dimension of citizenship education, which should be enhanced; stresses the competence of the Member States in the area of education and calls for any attempts to harmonise education to be abandoned;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 a (new) 9a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to invest equally in the formal actions of citizenship education and in supporting informal citizenship education, in curricular and extra- curricular activities, and to reinforce EU programmes supporting education and citizenship education; calls for the inclusion in the Recovery and Resilience Facility and the educational programmes financed with EU funds of specific targets related to citizenship education,
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Strongly believes that third- country nationals who have resided legally and continuously in the European Union for a long time and have contributed to our society, may have access to citizenship of the Union; Proposes that the Council and Parliament, in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure, shall be able to lay down common provisions on the acquisition and loss of citizenship of the Union by third country nationals; calls in this regard for Article 20 TFEU to be changed;
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to better inform non- national Union citizens (i.e. Union citizens who reside in a Member State of which they are not nationals) about their right to vote in or run for office in municipal and European elections; stresses that such ‘mobile’ EU citizens’ right to vote and stand should be expanded to regional and national elections in Member States; calls on the Council and the Commission to introduce these rights through the procedure outlined in Article 25 TFEU, while in the long-term it should be anchored in Article 22 TFEU through Treaty change; highlights the need for awareness-raising campaigns and the involvement of civil society in them; stresses that all administrative barriers and discrimination that still exist must be removed to ensure equal possibilities for all mobile Union citizens, including for persons with disabilities;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to better inform non- national Union citizens (i.e. Union citizens who reside in a Member State of which they are not nationals) about their right to
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to better inform non- national Union citizens (i.e. Union citizens who reside in a Member State of which they are not nationals) about their right to vote in or run for office in municipal and European elections;
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Calls on the Commission and the
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to better inform non- national Union citizens (i.e. Union citizens who reside in a Member State of which they are not nationals) about their right to vote in or run for office in municipal and European elections; stresses that it should be considered to extend such ‘mobile’ EU citizens’ right to vote and stand
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Recalls that a single harmonised age for voting and for standing as a candidate should be introduced across the EU
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas European democracy can generate further legitimacy through change and adaptation to current developments; whereas we urgently need to reform parliamentarism, European citizenship and participatory elements of European democracy as fundamental parts for a comprehensive reform of the democratic fundament of the Union;
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Re
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Recalls that a single harmonised age for voting and for standing as a candidate should be introduced across the EU; is of the opinion that the minimum age for voting should
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Recalls that
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Recalls that the European Parliament has consistently expressed its concern that any national scheme that involves the direct or indirect sale of EU citizenship undermines the very concept of European citizenship; calls on the Member States concerned to put an end to such practices;
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14.
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 a (new) 14a. Proposes the implementation of an election observation mission in the European Union during the European Parliament elections in May 2024 to reinforce good practices at the European level by strengthening the electorate's confidence in the electoral process, while at the same time citizens actively participate in this process as observers,
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution Subheading 3 Improving representative democracy
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 a (new) Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Stresses th
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Stresses the need to create a comprehensive participation infrastructure
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15.
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 a (new) 15a. Underlines the need to address the fragmentation of the EU participation infrastructure through creating a one- stop-shop for all European participatory instruments with an institutional framework set up to administer the central hub and its relations to the citizens; believes that this measure will increase the public visibility of the participation process and instruments;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 a (new) 15a. It recalls that no progress on participation will be possible without addressing the problem of the digital divide and the difficulties it creates for effective participation in the Union;
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 b (new) 15b. It calls for the necessary measures to be taken to avoid any kind of discrimination in access to participation infrastructures in the Union, in particular those related to the digital skills possessed by the individual;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 c (new) 15c. It proposes that applications to promote citizen participation should be simple and intuitive in order to minimise the digital divide and strengthen participation and democracy in a practical way;
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 d (new) 15d. It calls for the Digital Europe Programme (DIGITAL) and others aimed at promoting digital transformation in the EU to include simplifying access to administrations through the various services or the use of citizen participation applications among their objectives; it calls for research and investment lines aimed at facilitating such access in order to minimise the digital divide and maximise social and democratic quality;
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16.
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Proposes the institutionalisation of representative deliberative processes of participation based on the model of the CoFE’s European Citizens Panels; believes that the use of ‘mini-publics’ with randomly selected participants representing subsets of the socio-economic structure of the Union will help prevent unequal access to participation in EU decision-making, offering citizens that otherwise will not have this chance a way of expressing their vision;
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History
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