Activities of Margrete AUKEN related to 2022/2024(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Deliberations of the Committee on Petitions in 2021 (debate)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the outcome of the Committee on Petitions’ deliberations during 2021
Amendments (25)
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 3
Citation 3
— having regard to Articles 20, 24 and 227 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), which reflect the importance the Treaty attaches to the right of EU citizens and residents to bring their concerns to the attention of Parliament,
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas in 2021, Parliament received 1 392 petitions, which represents around the half of those received in 2013 (2891) and 2014 (2715), namely when the total number of petitions received reached its peak; whereas petitions submitted in 2021 represent also a decrease of 11.5 % compared to the 1 573 petitions submitted in 2020 and an slight increase of 2.5 % compared to the 1 357 petitions submitted in 2019;
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
C a. whereas the number of petitions received in 2021 asking for full compliance with the EU environmental law as well as effective and rapid measures, in line with the precautionary principle, in order to protect ecosystems and habitats of Union concern significantly increased, amounting to a total of 327 (23.5%);
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas, however, the overall number of petitions remains modest in relation to the total population of the EU, revealing that efforts still need to be stepped up to increase citizens’ awareness about their right to petition; whereas, in exercising the right to petition, citizens expect that the EU institutions will provide added value in finding a solution to their problems; whereas failure to act at Union level to ensure full protection of citizens’ rights arising from EU law is likely to result into frustration and consequently discontent towards the Union;
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the criteria for the admissibility of petitions are laid down in Article 227 TFEU and Rule 226 of Parliament’s Rules of Procedure, which require that petitions must be submitted by an EU citizens or residents directly affected byby a natural or legal person that is resident or has a registered office in a Member State, either individually or in association with others, on matters which falling within the EU’s fields of activity and which affect the petitioners directly, with the latter condition having a very broad interpretation;
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas, of the 1 392 petitions submitted in 2021, 368 were declared inadmissible and 17 were withdrawn; whereas the relatively high percentage (26.5 %) of inadmissible petitions in 2021 demonstrates that there is still a widespread lack of clarity about the scope of the Union’s areas of responsibility or about the formal requirements to declare a petition admissible;
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas the right to petition the European Parliament is one of the fundamental rights of EU citizens set out in the Treaties and in the Charter of fundamental rights of the European Union; whereas the right to petition provides EU citizens and residents with an open, democratic and transparent mechanism to address their elected representatives directly and; whereas it is therefore essential to timely improve its respect and implementation in order to enable citizens to participate more actively and more effectively in the life of the Union;
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas the right to petition offers Parliament as well as other EU Institutions, notably the European Commission given its role to ensure the correct application of EU law throughout the Union, the opportunity to enhance itstheir responsiveness to complaints and concerns relating to the respect for EU fundamental rights and compliance with EU legislation in the Member States; whereas petitions are therefore a useful source of information on instances of misapplication or breaches of EU law as well as on shortcomings and loopholes in the current EU law and, thus, enable Parliament and other EU institutions to assess the transposition and application of EU law and its impact on the rights of EU citizens and residents;
Amendment 28 #
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 a significant amount of petitioners to participate fully in its activities;
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital K
Recital K
K. whereas the Committee on Petitions carefully examines and deals with each petition submitted to Parliament; whereas each petitioner has the right to have his or her petition handled impartially and fairly in full compliance with the right to good administration enshrined in Article 41 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union; whereas each petitioner has the right to receive a reply informing him or her about the decision on admissibility and follow-up actions taken by the committee within a reasonable period of time, in his or her own language or in the language used in the petition;
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital K a (new)
Recital K a (new)
K a. whereas the Parliament has already acknowledged that the Commission’s refusal to take action on issues raised in individual petitions constitutes a breach of the current EU Treaties’ provisions related to the right to petition, as it is not limited to issues of strategic importance or reflecting structural problems; whereas the Commission is still implementing its strategic approach in handling petitions on the basis of its 2017 Communication "EU law: Better results through better application", despite the request by the Parliament to revise it in a timely manner;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital K b (new)
Recital K b (new)
K b. whereas the Commission is failing to provide comprehensive information to the Committee on Petitions on legislative and non-legislative measures taken following petitions received as well as on infringement procedures related to petitions; whereas there is no public register linking petitions with all follow- up actions taken on them;
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital T
Recital T
T. whereas ensurimproving citizens’ participation is aand ensuring full protection of citizens' rights arising from EU law are key elements for bringing the EU closer to its citizens; whereas the Committee on Petitions adopted the report on engaging with citizens: the right to petition, the right to refer to the European Ombudsman and the European Citizens’ Initiative (2020/2275(INI)) concluding that the Commission must revise its current strategic approach in handling petitions as it resulted in leaving untreated, inter alia, issues concerning serious violations of EU law detrimental to the protection of citizens’ rights and that the Conference on the Future of Europe should result in the improvement of the instruments of participatory democracy; whereas the Committee on Petitions considers the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) an very important instrument of participatory democracy, which should be enhanced to enables citizens to become more actively and directly involved in shaping the Union’s policies and legislation;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Emphasises the fundamental role of the Committee on Petitions in protecting and promoting the rights of EU citizens and residents by ensuring that petitioners’ concerns and complaints are examined in a timely and effective manner and that they are resolved, wherever possible, through an open, democratic and transparent petitions process;
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Considers of utmost importance that the Commission revises its strategic approach on the handling of petitions currently based on its 2017 Communication "EU law: Better results through better application" in order to adopt clear rules and establish an administrative procedure to deal with admissible petitions, ensuring an adequate follow-up also on issues raised in individual petitions, which often denounce EU law’s violations affecting a large number of citizens or highlight further alleged EU law's violations concerning the same topic of ongoing infringement procedures;
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Points out that petitions constitute a unique opportunity for Parliament and the other EU institutions to directly connect with EU citizens and maintain a regular dialogue with them, particularly in cases where they are affected by the misapplication or breach of EU law as well as by shortcomings and loopholes in the current EU law; stresses the need for enhanced cooperation between the EU institutions and national, regional and local authorities on inquiries regarding the impact and the implementation of and compliance with EU law; believes that such cooperation is crucial to address and resolve citizens’ concerns over the application and effectiveness of EU law and contributes to strengthening the democratic legitimacy and accountability of the Union; calls, therefore, for the more active participation of Member States’ representatives in committee meetings and for swifter responses to requests for clarification or information sent by the Committee on Petitions to national authorities;
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Requests the setting up of a one- stop-shop interinstitutional IT tool between the Commission and the Parliament to share publicly information on all follow-up actions taken on petitions, including EU Pilot and infringement procedures, legislative proposals, recordings of Committee's meetings during which a petition is debated, replies by national authorities and Parliament's standing committees, and on any other related non-legislative action;
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3 b. Stresses the paramount importance of revising the Parliament’s Rules of Procedure to improve the relevant rules concerning the petition process in order to include issues raised through petitions in the Parliament’s plenary activities as well as amongst the priorities of the EU’s political agenda, thus strengthening the visibility and the follow-up of petitions;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Recalls that petitions contribute considerably to the Commission’s role as guardian of the Treaties; stresses that reinforced cooperation between the Committee on Petitions and the Commission through a binding interinstitutional agreement on the handling of petitions as well as timely and detailed answers from the Commission, which are based on thorough examination of the issues raised in petitions, including individual petitions issues, are essential to ensure the successful treatment of petitions:, the consistent implementation of the right to petition established in the EU Treaties and the effective protection of citizens’ rights; reiterates its call on the Commission forto regularly update the Committee on Petitions on developments in infringement proceedings and for access to relevant Commission to guarantee full and timely access to documents on infringements and EU Ppilot procedures which have been closedrelated to petitions;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the Commission to assess more timely whether national authorities are taking the necessary measures to effectively respond to citizens’ concerns as expressed in their petitions where cases of systemic failure in compliance with EU law occur, detrimental to the full protection of rights of citizens and residents in the EU; firmly believes that a rapid action by the Commission against breaches of EU law is crucial to prevent that these breaches can become of a systemic nature;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Calls on the Commission to improve its system to collect information on petitions and to include in its annual report on monitoring the application of EU law direct reference to petitions, with a clear focus, inter alia, on the link between petitions, infringement procedures, EU legislative acts or any other EU legal act;
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5 b. Points out the need to prevent any inconsistency or lack of homogeneity in the treatment of petitions in order to guarantee the correct implementation of the right to petition;
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 c (new)
Paragraph 5 c (new)
5 c. Underlines that petitions can be also considered a strategic tool to trigger legislative initiatives of the European Parliament pursuant article 225 TFEU, thereby helping to address any shortcoming in the current EU law detrimental for citizens' rights;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9 a. Strongly regrets the Commission's failure to disclose all details of the contracts signed with pharmaceutical companies on COVID-19 vaccines in violation of citizens’ right to information; is seriously concerned about the maladministration by the Commission related to its refusal to grant public access to documents concerning 1.5 million medical masks which the Commission had purchased at an early stage in the COVID-19 pandemic and which did not meet the required quality standards 1a; _________________ 1a European Ombudsman's case 790/2021/MIG
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Notes that environmental issues remained an area of serious concern for petitioners in 2021; regrets that environmental rules are not always correctly implemented in the Member States, as described in numerous petitions raising complaints about air pollution, the deterioration of natural ecosystems, nuclear safety and the alteration of biodiversity, and also confirmed by EU pilot and infringement procedures launched by the Commission; points to the important work carried out by the Committee on Petitions to highlight the impact of mining activities on the environment, as demonstrated by the number of petitions received on this topic; draws attention to the public hearing of 2 December 2021 on the environmental and social impacts of mining activity in the EU, held by the Committee on Petitions in association with the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, in order to acquire scientific knowledge on various aspects including mining legislation, safety standards, the social and environmental impacts of mines, environmental citizenship, public participation and transparency in the mining sector;