11 Amendments of Demetris PAPADAKIS related to 2018/2111(INI)
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Considers that EU institutions should enhance efforts to ensure greater effectiveness of the electoral rights of Union citizens; highlights the fact that electoral laws in many Member States remain complex and urges the Commission to call on the Member States to actively uphold best practices which help citizens to vote in and stand for EU elections pursuant to Article 22(2) TFEU, including the publication of electoral laws one year before EU elections, the combating of fake news and the promotion of media pluralism, calls on the Commission to follow-up on the disenfranchisement of EU citizens living in another Member State and to propose concrete actions to protect their political rights;
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Considers that EU institutions should enhance efforts to ensure greater effectiveness of the electoral rights of Union citizens with the view to effectively tackle the problem of decreasing levels of voter turnout; highlights the fact that electoral laws in many Member States remain complex and urges the Commission to call on the Member States to actively uphold best practices which help citizens to vote in and stand for EU elections pursuant to Article 22(2) TFEU, including the publication of electoral laws one year before EU elections, the combating of fake news and any populist rhetoric, and the promotion of media pluralism;
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Invites all European institutions to fight against the "blame Brussels" phenomenon by which Member States put the responsibility on the European Union for decisions they have taken themselves as members of the Council, calls on the Council for greater transparency in the decision-making processes;
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Considers the exercise, pursuant to Article 22(1) TFEU, by Union citizens of electoral rights at municipal level to be a crucial corollary to the right to free movement and Union citizenship, and holds that participatory democracy at EU level would be rendered more effective were citizens first convinced of the effectiveness of political involvement in local communities; urges the Commission, in that regard, to further best practices in promoting higher voter turnout in municipal and local elections across the Union; recognises that the current situation by which citizens of some Member States lose their right to vote in national elections in their country of origin, while also not being entitled to vote in the national elections of their country of residence, must be addressed; This disenfranchisement of EU citizens is incompatible with their treaty right to "fully participate in the democratic life of the Union".
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Recalls that freedom of movement for workers is one of the founding principles of the EU; calls on Member States to fully and effectively implement Regulation (EC) No 987/2009 laying down the procedure for implementing Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 on the coordination of social security systems in order to ensure the portability of social security benefits (e.g. state pensions, health insurance, unemployment benefits and family benefits) and consequently reduce barriers to labour mobility
Amendment 32 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Strongly recalls the predominant importance of a timely and effective enforcement of the rights of the European citizens deriving from the Treaties; reminds that the correct application of EU law is a shared responsibility of the Member States and the European institutions ; underlines in that respect the crucial role the Commission has to play as the Guardian of the Treaties in the implementation of the articles 258-260 TFEU;
Amendment 36 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Urges the Commission to faster its EU law enforcement policy by using all available tools mechanisms in order to bring a correct application of EU law closer to the citizens and reinforce their beliefs in the action of the European Union and its policies;
Amendment 48 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Regrets the existing opt-outs from parts of the EU treaties by some Member States which undermine and generate de facto differences in citizens' rights that are intended to be equal under the EU Treaties
Amendment 57 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Encourages Member States to give more space to political education on EU affairs, inter alia on EU citizens' rights, in their school curricula and to adapt teacher training accordingly
Amendment 61 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Calls on Member States to better inform EU citizens as to their rights and duties, and to facilitate entitlement to these rights being respected equally both in their country of origin and in any other Member State
Amendment 63 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)
Paragraph 5 c (new)
5c. Recalls Article 1 of the TEU which provides that decisions should be taken as openly and as closely as possible to the citizen; democratic and transparent decision-making at European level is indispensable to increase citizens' trust in the European project and the EU institutions; fully endorses the European Ombudsman's recommendations on the transparency of the Council legislative process