Activities of Philippe BOULLAND related to 2011/2182(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
EU citizenship report 2010 (debate)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the EU Citizenship Report 2010: Dismantling the obstacles to EU citizens’ rights PDF (316 KB) DOC (219 KB)
Amendments (74)
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 2 a (new)
Citation 2 a (new)
- having regard to Article 20 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union defining the notion of citizenship;
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 3 a (new)
Citation 3 a (new)
- having regard to Article 45 of the Treaty, under which guaranteed freedom of movement for European workers entails the abolition of any discrimination based on nationality between workers of the Member States as regards employment, remuneration and other conditions of work and employment,
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 11 a (new)
Citation 11 a (new)
- having regard to the proposal of 11 August 2011 for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Year of Citizens (2013),
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 13 a (new)
Citation 13 a (new)
- having regard to the Stockholm Programme, for which the citizen is the focal point of European on freedom, security and justice, guaranteeing respect for diversity and protection for the most vulnerable,
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the Lisbon Treaty enhanced the concept ofMaastricht Treaty in 1992 introduced the concept of citizenship within the EU, conferring upon all EU citizens the basic right to move and reside freely within the EU, whereas the 1997 Amsterdam Treaty strengthened the rights associated with EU citizenship, and the rights derived therefromwhereas the Lisbon Treaty is an instrument serving citizens by virtue of the new rights which it either creates or strengthens, such as the European Citizens’ Initiative and the individual rights contained in the Charter of Fundamental Rights;
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas European citizenship is a source of rights, but also of duties;
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
B a. Whereas this demonstrates the EU's endeavour to put the citizen at the heart of its action and to work towards an area of freedom, justice and rights for all EU citizens;
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
B b. Whereas the right to free movement not only brings concrete benefits to EU citizens but also to the EU's overall economy;
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas, seven years after the entry into force of the FMD, too many problems still persist in relation to its implementation; whereas most complaints focus on European citizens, their right of entry, their right of residence for more than three months, the validity of residence permits, the retention of their right of residence and right of permanent residence and the rights of their family members;
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas the 25 proposals contained in the Commission’s Citizenship Report with a view to dismantling many obstacles to exercising citizenship are tangible measures for reducing needless expenditure and thus contributing to European citizens’ purchasing power, which is particularly important during times of crisis;
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas many citizens overestimate the scope ofdo not possess all information concerning their rights championed by the FMD, in particular when seeking rights for family members who are third-country nationals, and find it difficult to understand that the directive does not apply when they are resident in their own Member State, an apparent anomaly;
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. regretting the fact that only sixteen out of 27 Member States have amended their legislation, or announced their intention to do so, in order to apply the FMD properly;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the issue of thereprimand by the Commission, as the guardian of the Treaties, in connection with the planned deportation of Roma people by France in 2010 was controversiaproved useful not only from the fundamental rights perspective, but also from the standpoint of the right to free movement and that of discrimination on the grounds of nationality and racial and ethnic origin;
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas several Member States have decided to introduce or to continue applying transitional arrangements which limit Romanian and Bulgarian nationals’ access to their labour market; whereas such measures can lead to worker exploitation, illegal work and lack of access to social security benefits;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
Ga. whereas exercising a broad range of rights conferred on citizens by Union legislation is dependent on, or fostered by, the free movement or voluntary mobility of workers; whereas, accordingly, making free movement easier can make citizens more able to make the most of the single market while providing a basic driver of growth;
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G b (new)
Recital G b (new)
Gb. whereas the right to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States cannot make for a better understanding of the values of European integration unless it is accompanied by specific measures taken by the Union and the Member States in terms of information, training, recognition of qualifications, and worker mobility (seasonal, cross-border and posted workers and workers transferred as a result of head office relocations, etc.);
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas a large number of petitions revealed problems in the field of accessing social security benefits, mainly involving a lack of cooperation on the part of national authorities, incorrect application of the principle of aggregation of benefits payable in several Member States, failure to provide correct information on the applicable rules or cumbersome administration of cases;
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I a (new)
Recital I a (new)
Ia. whereas, under the Bologna Process, generally accepted diplomas for completion of university studies are being awarded as a step towards more straightforward recognition of qualifications;
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital K
Recital K
K. whereas discrimination on the grounds of nationality whas been vigorously denounced by petitioners in the case of; whereas the German Youth Welfare Office (Jugendamt), which - according to the petitions received – discriminates against the non-German spouse in mixed marriages contributes in some cases, because of its operational independence, to the difficulties encountered by foreign divorced parents wishing to leave German territory with their children;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital K a (new)
Recital K a (new)
Ka. whereas all European citizens brought before the courts of a Member State have right of access, for their defence, to documents translated into their mother tongue, in order to prevent any discrimination based on language, and whereas, in particular, all citizens must be kept informed about any court proceedings against them, the entire process taking place within a judicially acceptable time frame;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Considers that the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI), which will apply from 1 April 2012, constitutes the first instrument of transnational participatory democracy and will give citizens the possibility to become more actively involved in the framing of European policies and legislation; calls for the effective implementation of the ECI Regulation, and, in particular, calls on the EU institutions and Member States to take an active role in informing citizens about this new instrument; considers moreover that the Committee on Petitions, by reason of its experience of direct contacts with citizens, should hold public hearings for organisers of European citizens’ initiatives, provided for in Article 11 of the Regulation, whether or not they have obtained the required number of signatures;
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the Commission, when preparing its annual report on the application of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, to focus not only on the application of the Charter, but also on all EU Treaty articles relating to fundamental rights and on the situation of fundamental rights in the European Union; calls on the Commission to include in that report more detailed information on the implementation of the Charter by Member States when applying European law and on the issues raised with it by citizens, how it dealt with them and what concrete follow- up measures it took;
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. While recognising the right to information as one of the cornerstones of democracy, considers thatalls for more transparency so as to allow greater access to information on investigations and infringement files could be provided by the Commission without jeopardising the purpose of the investigations and that an overriding public interest might well justify access to these files, particularly in cases where fundamental rights, human health and the protection of the environment against irreversible damage may be at stakewithout the decision- taking process being adversely affected by the disclosure of internal documents;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls onEncourages the Commission to continue its current efforts to ensure that Member States transpose and implement the FMD correctly, making full use of its power to launch infringement proceedings; calls on Member States to remove existing legal and practical barriers to the free movement of citizens and not to introduce cumbersome, unjustified administrative procedures restricting the application of that right; calls on the Commission, further, to step up its efforts to raise awareness about citizens’ right to free movement and to assist them in exercising it, in particular when it is denied or limited; in this context, calls on the Commission to submit an assessment of free-movement policies in 2013 and to propose specific ways and means of supporting the application of freedom of movement, particularly at local level;
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls on those Member States which have decided to introduce or to continue applying transitional arrangements restricting access by Romanian and Bulgarian nationals to their labour markets1 to revise their decisions by the end of 2011ach a rapid solution so that the employment rights associated with European citizenship are no longer restricted for Romanian and Bulgarian citizens;
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Repeats its previous calls to the Member States to ensure freedom of movement for all EU citizens and their families, without discrimination on grounds of their sexual orientation or nationality2; repeats its call to Member States to implement fully the rights granted under Articles 2 and 3 of Directive 2004/38/EC not only to different- sex spouses, but also to the registered partner, member of the household or partner with whom an EU citizen has a duly attested, stable relationship, including members of same-sex couples, on the basis of the principles of mutual recognition, equality, non-discrimination, dignity and respect for private and family life; in that connection, calls on the Commission to ensure that the directive is strictly applied, drawing on the analysis and conclusions contained in the reports of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, and to monitor these issues; supports the Commission’s action to facilitate the free circulation of official civil status documents by 2013;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls on the Commission to pay more attention and respond more precisely to the numerous petitions received on the mutual recognition of civil-status documents and of their effects1 and therefore highlights the importance of making progress as quickly as possible towards ensuring the mutual recognition of the status of same-sex marriages andofficial documents relating to the status of same-sex and different-sex recognisemarriages and partnerships across the EU and overcoming discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation or type of relationship (civil partnership or marriage); calls on the Commission, further, to put forward appropriate legislative proposals as a matter of urgency regarding the mutual recognition of all types of official documents;
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Highlights the fact that mass expulsions represent a breach of the FMD, in addition to contravening the basic values and principles underpinning the European Union; rRecalls that, under the FMD, restrictions on freedom of movement and residence on grounds of public policy or public security can be imposed exclusively on the basis of personal conduct, without any discrimination on grounds such as ethnic or national origin, and that lack of economic means cannot be used as the justification for the automatic expulsion of EU citizens (Recital 16, Article 14);
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Urges Member States to abolish policies that discriminate, either directly or indirectly, against the Roma and other minority groups on the grounds of race and ethnicity, and calls on them to stop all instances of persecution, eviction and expulsion; calls on all Member States and the EU to take joint responsibility for promoting the integration of Roma, in keeping with the European Parliament resolution of 9 March 2011 on the EU strategy on Roma inclusion1 and ‘An EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies up to 2020’2, and to promote and protect their fundamental rights;
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Calls on the Commission to link social inclusion priorities to a clear set of objectives that include protection of citizens, and minorities in particular, against discrimination in all areas of life and the promotion of social dialogue between Roma and non-Roma people in order to combat racism and xenophobia; calls on the Commission, as guardian of the Treaties, to ensure that the relevant legislation is implemented in full and that appropriate penalties are imposed for racially or sexually motivated crimes3;
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Points out that, although right of free movement and residence is firmly established in Union primary law and well developed in secondary law, the rules continue to be applied unsatisfactorily, negatively impacting on citizens who wish to exercise their rights; points out that Member States should work together to eliminate any remaining administrative and legal obstacles brought to their attention by European institutions and the Committee on Petitions; points out that a special effort should be made to meet the wishes of low-skilled workers and workers with disabilities for professional mobility, exchanges and training; points out that one response could be, for example, to establish an Erasmus programme for people with disabilities;
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)
Paragraph 14 b (new)
14b. Considers that the convergence of European tax and social security rules and the harmonisation of national social security schemes are viable solutions for dealing with the difficulties in relation to coordination between Member States on the detailed procedures within their own systems; takes the view that, as a result, national, regional and local authorities would encounter fewer difficulties in applying the rules and that procedures would be simplified for European citizens;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 c (new)
Paragraph 14 c (new)
14c. Takes the view that the patient's right to information is fundamental; notes therefore with concern that many citizens are poorly informed about procedures for reimbursement of medical expenses incurred abroad, too often taking the view that a particular medical treatment which is free in their home country will inevitably be free abroad, in particular on the basis of the European health insurance card;
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 d (new)
Paragraph 14 d (new)
14d. Supports the introduction of an electronic system for information exchange, in connection with social security data, between Member States in order to speed up procedures for registration and payment of benefits, but also to combat social security fraud;
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Considers that a modernised Recognition of Qualifications Directive should focus on streamlining the sources of information currently available to professionals and ensure coordination with the ‘Your Europe’ portal;
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Proposes that the Commission make citizens aware of the risks inherent in illegal work, and of the advantages associated with obtaining legal work (tax, social security, right to professional training, right to citizenship, right to housing, right to family reunification, access to education and training for children), through existing tools (EURES, etc.);
Amendment 133 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 b (new)
Paragraph 18 b (new)
18b. Proposes that a specific and very regularly updated internet portal be set up to allow national, regional and local authorities to flag up the sectors of the economy looking for manpower, in order to facilitate voluntary mobility;
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Recalls that one of the oldest outstanding petitions concerns the discriminatory treatment that foreign- language lecturers (‘lettori’) have been suffering in several Italian universities1; calls on the Commission to investigate further the current so-called ‘Gelmini reform’, which entered into force in December 2010; calls on the Italian authorities and the respective universities to resolve this case as a matter of urgency; considers, however, that this is not an isolated case and therefore the Member States’ ombudsmen could meet in order to exchange views on the solutions to be introduced in Europe;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Recalls that Regulation (EC) No 2201/20033 lays down the principle that children should be able to maintain their relationships with both parents after the latter have separated, even if they live in different Member States; points out that, although the introduction and application of substantive rules on access rights is currently a Member State matter, the Member States must respect Union law when exercising their powers, in particular the Treaty provisions concerning the freedom of all EU citizens to travel and reside in another Member State4 as well as maintaining ties between parents and children, grandparents and grandchildren, and brothers and sisters; adds that the occasionally lengthy waiting periods and the number of procedures constraining parents who wish to return to their home country with their child/children are a barrier to the free movement of European citizens;
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Points out that any state intending to modify a child’s civil-status documents recognised in a Member State of the Union must inform the Member State in question of its intention to do so, so that documents such as birth certificates cannot be modified in such a way as to erase the origin of the child's identity;
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 b (new)
Paragraph 20 b (new)
20b. Points out that any Union citizen recognised as the parent of a child born in or out of wedlock must be informed, in the event of separation, about his or her scope for redress, in order to obtain visiting rights, except in cases where, by common agreement between the parents’ and child’s home countries, it has been established that that would place the child at genuine risk;
Amendment 142 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 c (new)
Paragraph 20 c (new)
20c. Calls for the appointment of an ombudsman or, at the very least, a children’s ombudsman in every Member State who would have sufficient powers to access any documents and review court decisions, with the aim of reconciling the claims and legal difficulties of parents who are separating, in order to prevent them from opting for unlawful conduct so as to enforce what they regard as their right and that of their children; adds that any citizen may bring a matter before the ombudsman in their home country or in the country where, in his or her opinion, his or her rights have not been respected;
Amendment 143 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 d (new)
Paragraph 20 d (new)
20d. Calls - in the interests of equality between European citizens as to choice of divorce law - on the Member States which have not done so to ratify the Council Decision of 12 July 2010 authorising enhanced cooperation in the area of the law applicable to divorce and legal separation; calls moreover on the Commission to promote this new instrument during European Year of Citizenship, given that, as the number of transnational marriages increases, the number of transnational divorces will inevitably increase too;
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 e (new)
Paragraph 20 e (new)
20e. Takes the view that redress must be available at least at local, national or European level to any citizen who considers that his or her rights have been flouted, so as to defend those rights;
Amendment 149 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Recalls thea key priority in the Committee on Petitions: to find a solution to the longstanding property concerns, particularly in the field of real property, in countries such as Spain, Cyprus and Bulgaria; points out that EU citizens, both nationals and non-nationals, have had a number of serious problems with property transactions and bank guarantees and the violation of property rights, which has contributed to a lack of confidence in the cross-border property market and to Europe’s economic problems; on the basis of the conclusions reached by a number of property law experts and members of the Committee on Petitions, calls for the EU’s consumer-protection and free movement principles to be extended to cover property, and reiterates its callcalls accordingly for the right to legitimateally acquired property to be fully respected;
Amendment 153 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Acknowledges that the continuing reduction in voter turnout at the European elections constitutes a challenge for Europe; calls therefore on the European institutions and Member States to step up their efforts to provide useful and specific information to citizens on their electoral rights, for both European and local elections in the Member State in which they are resident, and to promote the exercise of their rights; welcomes the Commission’s willingness to simplify the procedure that allows European citizens to stand for election in European and local elections in their country of residence and to carry out the technical groundwork to improve mechanisms for preventing double voting and loss of voting rights; proposes accordingly that a European electoral roll be established for European elections;
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 b (new)
Paragraph 22 b (new)
22b. Supports the action taken by the Commission with a view to publishing the results of European Parliament elections at the same time in each Member State;
Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 c (new)
Paragraph 22 c (new)
22c. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to initiate a dialogue in order to prevent European citizens from losing their voting rights as a result of exercising their right to free movement; calls accordingly on the Commission to organise a hearing on the issue, together with Parliament, the conclusions of which could be published for the European Year of Citizenship in 2013;
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 d (new)
Paragraph 22 d (new)
22d. Proposes that becoming a member of a European political party could be suggested more often, when a national party is joined, as a way of promoting citizens’ political involvement in Europe;
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 e (new)
Paragraph 22 e (new)
22e. Proposes that the Commission conduct a survey to determine how European citizens wish to be informed about the Union’s activities so as to meet their expectations more directly;
Amendment 158 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 f (new)
Paragraph 22 f (new)
22f. Proposes that the Commission launch a Union-level competition in 2012 to design a logo for the European Year of Citizenship;
Amendment 159 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 g (new)
Paragraph 22 g (new)
22g. Calls on the Commission to make European territory more closely networked with regard to information on Union activities by increasing the number of grassroots information outlets for citizens;
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Points out that, as information is the core component of any action, citizens should be better informed about their rights as passengers, consumers, workers, tourists, etc.; is of the view, moreover, that citizens who know for certain that they are protected will help more to marshal the full potential of the European market for goods and services and will benefit more from it; calls therefore for the European institutions to inform citizens about the resources provided to protect and help them in the face of threats or situations where, as individuals, they are powerless, making sure to convey that information to what are termed minority groups or groups living below the poverty line, which are not disposed to seeking out such information;
Amendment 163 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 b (new)
Paragraph 23 b (new)
23b Suggests that host Member States make support available to Union citizens who are newly resident in their country so that they can exercise their social rights (social security, access to healthcare, access to education) and their electoral rights (local, European and trade union elections);
Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 c (new)
Paragraph 23 c (new)
23c. Regards cross-border workers as the first to suffer as a result of Member States’ administrative red tape; points out that, in addition to better information about their social and professional rights, cross-border workers must have easier access to trade union membership so that they can be better protected; believes moreover that information on the advantages linked to mobility may be a crucial support for efforts to combat the brain drain facing the EU;
Amendment 165 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 d (new)
Paragraph 23 d (new)
23d. Calls on Parliament and the European Council to ensure that the Member States have sufficient budget funds to ensure that the European Year of Citizens in 2013 and the resulting activities, particularly media-related, proceed well if the objectives set are to be attained;
Amendment 166 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Encourages the Commission to make the European Citizens’’ Initiative a central feature of its agenda in 2013; encourages the Commission to cooperate with the Committee on Petitions in drafting a new citizenship report in 2013;
Amendment 168 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Believes that the European Union should communicate more regularly via television, which is an important vehicle for information; therefore welcomes the additional budget funds allocated to Euronews;
Amendment 169 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24 a. Welcomes the Commission's recent proposal to strengthen the EU citizens' protection by the diplomatic or consular authorities of any Member State, notably by clarifying when a citizen is considered not represented and specifying the type of assistance Member States typically provide in cases of need;
Amendment 170 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 b (new)
Paragraph 24 b (new)
24 b. Encourages the Commission to produce information material, such as a "EU Citizens' Right Decalogue", outlining in clear and simple terms EU citizens' rights; considers that this leaflet should be readily available and serve as a handbook for all citizens moving, working, studying, shopping, travelling and exercising their political rights across borders;
Amendment 173 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Welcomes the Commission’s proposal to declare 2013 as the ‘European Year of Citizens’, which would mark 20 years since the introduction of the ‘EU citizenship’ concept and would enhance awareness of the rights attaching to Union citizenship; calls on the Commission to use this opportunity to strengthen its efforts to protect and promote citizens’ rights, particularly in connection with the next Citizenship Report;
Amendment 174 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. Deplores the lack of coordination between Member States, resulting in double taxation of European citizens because of their experience or residence in a country other than their country of origin; calls, in the absence of pension taxation harmonisation, for at least regular cooperation between Member States on these questions, as well as for the establishment of a centralised authority for double-taxation complaints involving Member States; underlines the fact that bilateral agreements between Member States are long-established and no longer reflect workers’ movements and the new needs of the citizens concerned;
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. Notes the lack of information for consumers in the case of on-line purchases in other Member States, which impedes trade; believes that information intended for consumers is sometimes complex and that simplification, particularly of labels, is required;
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 b (new)
Paragraph 25 b (new)
25b. Believes that every European citizen has the right to free access to information that is unbiased and of high quality; views with the utmost concern the establishment of media oversight authorities too closely linked to government;
Amendment 178 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 c (new)
Paragraph 25 c (new)
25c. Calls on the Member States to become more heavily involved in establishing an intensive information flow and targeted coverage of the European institutions’ activities; adds that Union- level action complements and supplements national action in pursuit of that objective, as is underscored in the political declaration ‘Communicating Europe in Partnership’, signed on 22 October 2008 by Parliament, the Council and the Commission;
Amendment 179 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 d (new)
Paragraph 25 d (new)
25d. Believes that European citizens do not enjoy the same opportunities in terms of access to healthcare, particularly owing to the disparity in the number of doctors per inhabitant; suggests therefore the introduction of a directive on telemedicine, which is an effective, low- cost solution that can easily be implemented throughout Europe in order to overcome the infrastructure-related differences in European health policy;
Amendment 180 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 e (new)
Paragraph 25 e (new)
25e. Notes that opening a bank account is subject to residence conditions; stresses, however, that newcomers who do not yet have an address can open a bank account by simply presenting a document committing a proprietor and the prospective tenant to sign a lease;
Amendment 181 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 f (new)
Paragraph 25 f (new)
25f. Deplores the lack of transparency in the rates offered by banks and insurance companies in Europe; notes with concern the development of on-line banks, which poses an additional difficulty for citizens with no access to a natural person; condemns on-line investment arrangements in connection with which consumer citizens are not clearly informed about the possibility of losing their investments;
Amendment 182 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 g (new)
Paragraph 25 g (new)
25g. Calls for the volume of documents for which, for court proceedings, a certified translation is required to be reduced to an absolute minimum, in order not to delay the defence for a citizen and to prevent excessive legal costs from being incurred;
Amendment 183 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 h (new)
Paragraph 25 h (new)
25h. Calls for the Commission, which supports European town twinning, not to move exclusively towards awarding assistance for twinning schemes involving the new Member States or non- member countries, but, rather, calls for older twinning arrangements to continue to receive European assistance so that their continued existence in the longer term, now under threat, is ensured;
Amendment 185 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Calls for any European citizen claiming to be a victim of overzealous treatment or an abuse of a dominant position by the administrative or police authorities of another Member State to be able to easily approach the national or local authority responsible for complaints against those bodies;
Amendment 186 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 b (new)
Paragraph 26 b (new)
26b. Congratulates the Commission on setting up the e-Justice portal, providing a compendium of legal procedures and arrangements in the Member States;
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 c (new)
Paragraph 26 c (new)
26c. Notes the disparities between the Member States with regard to mobile telephony and Internet accounts; emphasises that reductions in roaming charges have come about solely as a result of European legislation; calls accordingly for the publication of cost prices in each Member State for SMS, MMS, calls by minute and Internet connections in order to promote the establishment of European flat rates, allowing a reduction in mobility costs;
Amendment 188 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 d (new)
Paragraph 26 d (new)
26d. Condemns tie-in sales practices; calls for the European Year of Citizens also to be an opportunity to show citizens the measures that have protected them as consumers and have helped to maintain their purchasing power at times of crisis;