Activities of Ulrike MÜLLER related to 2020/2044(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Deliberations of the Committee on Petitions 2019 (debate)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the outcome of the Committee on Petitions’ deliberations during 2019
Amendments (16)
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas Parliament has long been at the forefront of the development of the petitions process internationally and has the most open and transparent petitions process in Europe, allowing petitioners to participate fully in its activities;
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital M
Recital M
M. whereas a considerable number of petitions are discussed publicly in meetings of the Committee on Petitions; whereas petitioners have the rightare frequently invited to present their petitions, and frequently play a full part in the discussion, thereby contributing actively to the work of the committee; whereas in 2019, the Committee on Petitions held 9 ordinary committee meetings, where 250 petitions were discussed with 239 petitioners present, while 126 petitioners participated actively by taking the floor;
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital S a (new)
Recital S a (new)
Sa. whereas the European Parliament resolution of 17 January 2019 on the Ombudsman’s strategic inquiry OI/2/2017 on the transparency of legislative discussions in the preparatory bodies of the Council of the EU (2018/2096(INI)) has supported the Ombudsman in her inquiry and called on the Council to take all measures necessary to implement as swiftly as possible the recommendations of the Ombudsman; whereas the Council has neither responded to the Ombudsman, the European Parliament resolution and has not taken any steps towards implementation;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls for a more focused andStresses that active press and communications service and a more active social media presence, making would facilitate the responsiveness of the work of the committee more responsive to public concerns;
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Points out that petitions offer the opportunity to the European Parliament and other EU institutions to maintain a direct dialogue with EU citizens and legal residents who are affected by the misapplication of EU law; stresses the need for enhanced cooperation between the Committee on Petitions and lead committees, the EU institutions and national, regional and local authorities on inquiries or proposals regarding implementation of and compliance with EU law; urges the Commission to take steps to ensure that the interpretation of the scope of Article 51 is as coherent and wide as possible; reminds that the expectations of most petitioners in relation to the rights conferred on them by the Charter are high and go beyond their current scope of application;
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses that transparency and public access to the documents of the EU institutions should be the rule in order to ensure the highest levels of protection of the democratic rights of citizens; points out that current Regulation 1049/2001 does not reflect the actual situation anymore; calls on the Commission to submit a proposal for a recast of the 2001 Regulation with a view to enhance transparency and accountability by promoting good administrative practice;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses that transparency and public access to the documents of the EU institutions should be the rule in order to ensure the highest levels of protection of the democratic rights of citizens; requests the Commission to ensure transparency and access to documents and information in the framework of the EU Pilot procedures in relation to petitions received, and of the EU Pilot and infringement procedures that have already been concluded;
Amendment 69 #
6a. Notes that the Committee on Petitions frequently receives complaints about rule of law violations by certain authorities; recalls that ensuring the effective, equal and uniform application of EU law is crucial for upholding the rule of law, which is one of the founding values of the Union and its Member States, pursuant to Article 2 of the TEU; while respecting the subsidiarity principle, calls on the Commission to respect the commitments made in its 2019 communication entitled ‘Strengthening the rule of law within the Union: A blueprint for action’(COM(2019)0343), in order to promote a culture of respect for the rule of law, reinforce cooperation with national authorities and ensure an effective common response to actual threats within the Union;
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Trusts that the petitions network is a useful tool for raising awareness of the issues brought up in petitions and to facilitate the treatment of petitions in other committees to which they are sent for opinion or for information; notes that there is a need for ensuring the follow-up of petitions in parliamentary and legislative work; believes that meetings of the petitions network are key for enhancing cooperation between parliamentary committees through exchange of information and sharing of best practices among the network members; calls on the Parliament to draft a mechanism that enables the Committee of Petition to be directly involved in the legislative process;
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Takes note that the environment was the main area of concern for petitioners in 2019; points in this regard to the motion for a resolution pursuant to Rule 227(2) on waste management, adopted on 21 March 2019 by the Committee on Petitions and on 4 April 2019 in plenary6 ; stresses that waste management is one of the main global socio-economic and environmental challenges, and reiterates its call for a reduction in waste generation, the boosting of reuse and recycling and better implementation of waste legislation by Member States; recalls on the Commission to use the full potential of the early warning system as laid down in the revised waste directives; _________________ 6 Texts adopted, P8_TA(2019)0338.
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Draws attention to the large number of petitions on Brexit submitted in 2019, mostly calling for the protection of EU citizens’ rights before and after Brexit; welcomes the excellent work done by the Committee on Petitions, which by giving voice to the concerns raised by these petitioners contributed to ensuring that citizens’ rights remained one of Parliament’s main priorities in the Brexit negotiationsrecalls the support for onward free movement for UK citizens and EU citizens covered by Part Two of the Withdrawal Agreement;
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Recalls the specific role of protection played by the Committee on Petitions within the EU in the framework of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; points to the committee’s important ongoing work in connection with petitions concerning issues relating to disabilities; notes that the number of petitions on disability decreased in 2019 in comparison with the previous year; notes however, that moaccessibility and discrimination remain among the main challenges faced by persons with disabilities; recalls that in 2019 the Committee on Petitions paid specific attention to the discussion of petitions on inclusive education for disabled children; calls for a new skills agenda at the very heart of Europe and concrete proposals on how to foster inclusiveness and facilitate the recognition and portability of skills within Europe;
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. WelcomAcknowledges the outcome of the public hearing on the US Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) and its extraterritorial impact on EU citizens, which the Committee on Petitions held on 12 November 2019, and calls on the Council and the Commission to take swift action in support of the citizens concerned; deplores that the Commission and Council seem to value international relations with the US more than the rights and interests of EU citizens, particularly in the situation of FATCA and calls on the Council and the Commission to take their responsibility and take immediate and meaningful swift action in support of the citizens concerned as called by Parliament in Resolution B8- 0306/2018 on “The adverse effects of the US Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act on EU citizens”;
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. SConsiders it essential that citizens are able to be involved directly in the initiation of legislative proposals; stresses that the ECI is an important instrument for active citizenship and public participation; welcomes the adoption on 17 April 2019 of the new rules for the ECI, which bring a number of structural and technical improvements to make this instrument more user-friendly and accessible as well as to facilitate increased participation of EU citizens in the democratic process of the Union; notes the significant number of new ECIs registered by the Commission in 2019, which shows that citizens are seizing the opportunity to use participatory instruments to have a say in policymaking and lawmaking processes; calls on the Commission to initiate a legislative proposal on the basis of the content of any successful ECI;
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Welcomes Parliament’s fruitful cooperation with the European Ombudsman, as well as its involvement in the European Network of Ombudsmen; underlines the excellent relations between the European Ombudsman and the Committee on Petitions; welcomnotes the key role played by the Committee on Petitions in ensuring that the public hearings of the candidates in the framework of the election procedure for the European Ombudsman in 2019 were conducted in a transparent and efficient manner;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Recalls that the Petitions Web Portal is an essential tool for ensuring a smooth, efficient and transparent petition process; welcomes, in this regard, its alignment with the ‘look and feel’ of the European Parliament’s website (Europarl), which has made the portal more responsive and accessible for citizens; stresses that efforts must be continued to make the portal more accessible to persons with disabilities; calls to assess how to prevent the use of stolen or fake identities;