22 Amendments of Fabio Massimo CASTALDO related to 2017/2069(INI)
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. WelcomNotes the Commission’s continuous efforts to ensure that EU citizenship rights are upheld and urges it to increase these efforts in future; is convinced that EU citizens will only be able to exercise their rights fully if the Member States make a firm commitment to protecting them;
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Warns against possible legal uncertainty over the rights of EU citizens living in the UK and those of UK citizens living in the EU arising as a result of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU; believes that core rights should be safeguardedthe protection of core rights must be a priority in the UK withdrawal agreement and the agreement on the future relationship between the EU and the UK; stresses that any agreement should be based on the principle of reciprocity;
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas EU citizenship and its related rights were initially introduced in 1992 by the Treaty of Maastricht and were further enhancdefined by the Treaty of Lisbon, which entered into force in December 2009, as well as by the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights;
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B (new)
Recital B (new)
Bb. whereas efforts to promote EU citizenship are linked to improvements in the quality of democracy within the Union, to the practical enjoyment of fundamental rights and freedoms and to the opportunity for every citizen to participate directly in the democratic life of the Union;
Amendment 35 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the Treaty of Lisbon ought to have consolidated the inalienable rights and guarantees of EU citizenship, including, inter alia, the freedom to travel, work and study in other EU countries, to participate in European political life, to promote equality and respect for diversity and, to be protected from economic and social discrimination, especially and that practised on the basis of nationality;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the right to free movement and its exercise is central to EU citizenship and complements the other freedoms of the EU internal marketelimination of all economic and social discrimination is vital in order to reinforce EU citizenship, guaranteeing the practical enjoyment of fundamental rights and freedoms to all citizens; whereas young Europeans in particular consider free movement, which ranks first among EU citizens in terms of recognition and popularity, as the EU’s most positive achievement;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Fa. whereas a holistic approach designed to pursue the objectives laid down in the EU Treaties, such as full employment and social progress, is vital in order to permit the genuine enjoyment of the rights and freedoms arising from EU citizenship;
Amendment 47 #
G. whereas, as petitions have shown, EU citizens face notable difficulties in exercising this right, owing tofundamental rights and freedoms, owing to serious economic and employment problems, aggravated by the adoption of austerity measures at EU level and by the Member States and by administrative burdens and bureaucracy in Member States, and to misinformation and/or a lack of cooperation by Member State authorities;
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas the principle of non- discrimination on the basis of nationality, sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or beliefe, skin colour or ethnic or social origin, genetic characteristics, language, religion or personal beliefs, political or other opinions, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age or sexual orientation is the primary expression of EU citizenship; whereas it forms at the same time a crucial component of the successful exercise of the fundamental rights and freedoms of movemcitizents, as evidenced in petitions;
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)
Paragraph 13 b (new)
13b. Draws attention to the importance of immediately launching consultations at EU level among all Member States with a view to the adoption of guidelines addressed to the Member States to lay down uniform rules for the granting of national citizenship of a Member State to citizens from countries outside the EU, bearing in mind that anyone who possesses the citizenship of a Member State thereby in addition acquires citizenship of the EU;
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
3c. Is firmly convinced that reinforcement of EU citizenship requires the adoption of democratic and participatory governance capable of ensuring the highest levels of social justice, the genuine enjoyment of fundamental rights and freedoms, full transparency and direct involvement of all citizens in decision-making processes;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Considers that the introduction of a citizens’ income in all EU Member States will make a significant contribution to reducing the economic and social inequalities which prevent the full exercise of the rights and freedoms arising from EU citizenship;
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Calls for the adoption of an effective legislative framework and coordination measures at EU and Member State level to ensure high levels of social protection and stable, properly paid jobs; considers this approach to be vital in order to strengthen the fundamental rights and freedoms arising from EU citizenship;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
4c. Stresses that the austerity measures adopted at EU and Member State level have aggravated economic and social inequalities, severely limiting the practical exercise of the fundamental rights and freedoms arising from EU citizenship;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Notes with appreciation the Commission’s efforts to make multiple information and assistance outlets about the EU and Citizenship rights, such as the Europe Direct network, the Your Europe portal and the e-justice portal, available and more accessible; urges the Commission to systematise the information and possibly plan for a single, EU-wide information window; at the same time, invites the Member States to promote the SOLVIT network and its services among EU citizens, as well as other redress mechanisms, both at EU level, such as the Committee on Petitions and the European Ombudsman and at national level, such as the local ombudsman;
Amendment 133 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Points out that citizens should have full access to all the necessary information, which should be presented in a clear and comprehensible way, in order to be able to make informed decisions on the exercise of their Treaty rights, and especially their right to free movement and residence within the EUrights guaranteed by the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights; recommends the promotion of full transparency and proactive publishing as the most appropriate tools to that end;
Amendment 145 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Acknowledges that enhancing voter turnout in European elections is a shared responsibility between the EU and Member States; encourages the latter to promote participation in democratic life by better informing citizens of their right to stand and vote in local and European elections through various channels and in a comprehensible language, and by removing any barriers to their participation, such as economic, social and linguistic discrimination, unfair practices or corruption; urges the Member States to remove accessibility obstacles for citizens with disabilities and to facilitate voting for their citizens residing abroad by embracing electronic identification and voting solutions;
Amendment 160 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Believes that the reform of the Electoral Act on the basis of Parliament’s legislative initiative is an unmissablecould be an opportunity for the Union to become more democratic; highlights the fact that thousands of Europeans share this view, as evidenced by the ‘Let me Vote’ European Citizens’ Initiative, which aims to allow citizens to vote in their place of residence; commends the Commission for exploring the possibilities for non-national EU citizens who have exercised their right to free movement to vote in national elections in the country in which they reside; urges the Commission to devise a concrete action plan for the introduction of electronic voting with a view to the 2019 European Parliament elections;
Amendment 169 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Expresses its conviction that free media and access to a plurality of voices in society and in the media are an indispensable part of a healthy democracy; underlines the need for a defined EU policy to tackle anti-European propaganda and false information; proposes that EU institutions proceed with the creation of a European television channel broadcasting in all Member Statesthe serious problems which limit pluralism and freedom of information within the Member States; proposes that EU institutions proceed with the creation of better training opportunities to ensure media literacy of all citizens in all Member States, devoting particular attention to the socioeconomically most disadvantaged;
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Maintains that full transparency is a key tool for bringing citizens closer to the EU and involving them in its activities; recommends the promotion ofintroducing the right tof full access to documents and the translation of as manythe documents as possible into all EU languages, ensuring the highest possible level of multilingualism; supports the intensification of dialogue with citizens and, the encouragement of public debates, in order to improve EU citizens’ understanding of the impact of the EU on their daily lives and to allow them to take part in an exchange of views, through slots in television programmes for targeted audiencecluding by means of specific slots within television programmes, and their direct participation in decision-making processes, ensuring that the impact of the EU on their daily lives is intended to respond to their priorities and improve their material living conditions;
Amendment 190 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 f (new)
Paragraph 14 f (new)
14f. Stresses the need to resolve the Commission’s conflict of interest arising from the decision-making powers simultaneously vested in it with regard to decisions on the registration of a European citizens’ initiative and the exclusive power of decision on the legislative action to be taken on a successful European citizens’ initiative; considers that the legal assessment of the registration of a European citizens’ initiative must be entrusted to an independent body, and calls on the Commission to submit a legislative proposal for each successful European citizens’ initiative;