Activities of Helmut SCHOLZ related to 2020/2132(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Parliament’s right of initiative (debate)
Amendments (28)
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the Treaties award an indirect, albeit extremely limited, right of legislative initiative as, pursuant to Article 225 of the TFEU, ‘the European Parliament may, acting by a majority of its component Members, request the Commission to submit any appropriate proposal on matters on which it considers that a Union act is required for the purpose of implementing the Treaties’; whereas the European Parliament is the only institution directly elected by citizens;
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas under the 2010 Framework Agreement, the Commission committed to report on the concrete follow-up on any Parliament request to submit a proposal pursuant to Article 225 of the TFEU within 3 months following adoption of the corresponding resolution in plenary; whereas, in 20 years, the Commission has never respected the timetable for a legislative own-initiative report by drawing up a legislative proposal in due time1 a; _________________ 1 a 'Right of initiative of the European Parliament', summary report commissioned by the AFCO Committee, Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs, Directorate- General for Internal Policies.
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the Treaties award Parliament direct rights of initiative with regard to its own composition, the election of its Members and their Statute, the Statute of the European Ombudsman and Parliament’s right of inquiry, instances where a special procedure applies, and in order to initiate procedures related to respect of the rule of law and Treaty revisions; whereas this direct right of initiative is far from sufficient; whereas the European Parliament is the only European institution democratically elected by the citizens of the European Union, and is thus the institution best able to represent the voice of citizens, and also of civil society and the social partners, within the European institutions;
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas in its resolution on the state of the debate on the future of Europe, Parliament recalled that ‘in the event of a possible future revision of the Treaties, the right of legislative initiative could also be attributed to Parliament as the direct representative of EU citizens’; whereas the Conference on the Future of Europe is, among other things, an opportunity to discuss Treaty change with citizens and to strengthen the tools for citizens’ direct participation;
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
Ga. whereas on the digital platform of the Conference on the Future of Europe, European democracy is one of the issues which registers most contributions from citizens, alongside climate change and the environment, far ahead of other issues; whereas a genuine right of legislative initiative is one of the most frequently recurring proposals from citizens;
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Highlights that, in an institutional set-up where Parliament does not yet have a general direct right of initiative, the special legislative procedures that it initiates have special constitutional dignity and primacy over ordinary legislative procedures; considers that in order to enable Parliament, as the only directly elected institution, to have a general direct right of initiative, the Treaties should be revised as soon as possible;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Recalls the essential prerogatives of a Parliament, such as adopting the budget and proposing legislation; stresses that the Commission’s legislative monopoly has the effect of increasing citizens’ mistrust of the Union as a whole, and that the direct right of initiative is therefore a pressing need in order to give life to European democracy;
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Underlines that the Treaty of Lisbon already bestows some direct rights of initiative on Parliament, although largely insufficient, acknowledging its competence to self-organise, its scrutiny function and its democratic legitimacy as the only directly elected EU institution;
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Recalls that in past 20 years, Parliament has consistently made use of such rights, insufficient as they are; regrets, however, that these special legislative procedures have too seldom been successfully concluded due to the lack of agreement of the Commission and the Council7 and of democratic commitments on their part; _________________ 7 Study entitled ‘The European Parliament’s right of initiative’, pp. 34- 35 (PE 655.134 – ISBN 978-92-846-6738- 3).
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Deeply regrets the lack of follow- up by the European Council on the rule of law procedure launched by Parliament and its subsequent, repeated calls for action;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Notes that the Council has exercised Article 121 of the TFEU as a de facto right of initiative in relation to economic and monetary policy, while demanding further accountability from; regrets that Article 121 provides merely for the European Parliament to be informed; proposes that Parliament, as the only EU institution directly elected EU institution; by citizens, should acquire more responsibilities and, as co-legislator, should be on an equal footing with the Council, and thus empowered to adopt, amend and propose legislation to the same extent;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Acknowledges, furthermore, that Article 68 of the TFEU has been exercised as a de facto right of initiative by the European Council in the area of freedom, security and justice; highlights the fact that the European Council is not a co-legislator; stresses the particularly serious impact of these policies on citizens’ fundamental rights and; calls for Parliament and the Council to be given this competence in equal termsto be given the right of initiative in future Treaty revisions;
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Notes that pursuant to Article 76 of the TFEU, the Council, through a quarter of its Member States, has a right of initiative that is concurrent with that of the Commission in relation to cooperation on administrative law, and police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters; considers that the European Parliament, as the only institution directly elected by citizens, must have a direct right of initiative in this area;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Notes with concern the lack of transparency in the use of the indirect right of initiative of the Council laid down in Article 241 of the TFEU; calls on the Council to publish, and in general in the work of the Council; calls on the Council to publish, in all the official languages of the European Union and in a user-friendly manner, all requests made on this legal basis;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Recalls that since the Maastricht Treaty, Parliament, in an acknowledgement of its unique democratic legitimacy, has had the right to ask the Commission to submit legislative proposals; considers that asking the Commission to submit legislative proposals is an insufficient right and that Parliament must have a direct right of initiative;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Notes that in accordance with Article 225 of the TFEU, requests must be within the remit of competence of the Union and the sole obligation of the Commission is to inform Parliament of its reasons for not presenting a proposal; considers this obligation to be far too weak;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Recalls that Parliament and the Commission agreed to further enhance this right through the 2010 Framework Agreement; notes that the Commission committed to report on its follow-up on Parliament requests within three months and, if so decided by the college, present a legislative proposal; considers that all requests from Parliament, which is the only directly elected institution, should be taken into account and that they should not depend on the goodwill of the Commission; considers, more broadly, that the Commission should comply with its role as guardian of the Treaties and that Parliament should enjoy the monopoly of legislative initiative;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Welcomes in the strongest terms the commitment made by Commission President von der Leyen to always respond with a legislative act to Parliament requests under Article 225 of the TFEU, with full respect for the proportionality, subsidiarity and better lawmaking principles; expects this commitment to be followed by action;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Strongly believes that when the Treaties are next revised, for which there is an urgent need, Parliament, as the only directly elected EU institution, should be granted a monopoly on the right to initiate legislation; calls for Article 17(2) of the TEU to be revised in order to give Parliament a monopoly on legislative initiative, enabling it to make legislative proposals on all matters it considers relevant and on which the European Union is competent; calls also for an urgent revision of Articles 225 and 294 in order to give Parliament full responsibility, from the earliest stage, enabling it to make legislative proposals;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Notes that, although there are many possible arrangements for increasing Parliament’s legislative powers, the best option to guarantee it a genuine right of legislative initiative remains Treaty change, without which the Commission will retain its legislative monopoly as laid down in European law; stresses that the Conference on the Future of Europe is the opportunity to raise this institutional and democratic issue; is therefore in favour of Treaty change;
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Reiterates the special and reinforced constitutional dignity of the issues that are currently subject to the initiative of Parliament and considers therefore that such an exclusive right should be extended to all issues where democratic legitimacy is especially relevantit considers to be relevant and on which the European Union is competent, in order to give strong democratic legitimacy to the legislative proposals of the European union;
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Notes that Parliament’s current rights of initiative encompass different special legislative procedures; considers that the Treaties barely regulate such procedures and calls for a new interinstitutional agreement between the three institutions devoted exclusively to this matter, with full respect for its special constitutional dignity but that they are insufficient to ensure the democratic legitimacy of the European Union; calls urgently for a revision of the Treaties which would ensure, inter alia, that Parliament has full responsibility, from the earliest stage, enabling it to make legislative proposals on all matters it considers relevant and for which the European Union is competent;
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Considers that Parliament’s internal rules should better reflect the special nature of these legislative procedures; recommends, notably, that where the adoption of an act by Parliament requires the approval or consent of the Council and the opinion or consent of the Commission, Parliament should, following the vote on the proposed act, enter into a consconsiders that Parliament’s position should, in all cases, take precedence over that of the Commission; is also of the opinion that Article 289 of the TFEU should be amended so that the special legislative procedure provided for in paragraphs 1 and 2 becomes the norm, i.e. that the ordinary legislative procedure consists of the adoption of a regultation procedure with these institutions; is also of the opinion that Parliament should streamline the procedures to change such proposed acts following such consultation, directive or decision jointly by the European Parliament and the Council, on a proposal from one of the two; is also of the opinion that this will simplify the procedures as they will be more usual and more transparent for citizens, civil society and the social partners;
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Commits, in the short term, to continue exploring the full potential of Parliament’s indirect right of initiative as provided for in the Treaties and further developed in interinstitutional agreements and through the commitment of President von der Leyen, provided that the goodwill expressed by Commission President von der Leyen and the commitments made by the Commission are translated into practice;
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Considers it appropriate to review its internal rules, and procedures and requirements, alsowith a view to establishing a direct right of initiative of the European Parliament and, in the short term, with regard to the drafting of legislative initiative reports under Article 225 of the TFEU, to ensure that proposals are focused and well- substantiated; points, in this regard, to the need to address requests to the Commission alone, while not excluding recommendations to the Member States, and to ensure that the content of legislative initiative reports remains within the scope of the subject matter of the authorised reportreport as decided;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Reiterates that accessibility, ethics and transparency are paramount and must guide the activities of all the EU institutions; calls for all the relevant information on legislative initiative reports to be made easily available online, such as internal procedural steps or follow- up by the Commission, to be made easily available online in all official languages;
Amendment 108 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)
Paragraph 29 a (new)
29a. Regrets that, as regards dialogue between the social partners at EU level, Parliament is merely kept informed, in accordance with Article 155 of the TFEU; stresses that a revision of the Framework Agreement should be the opportunity to provide for a de facto obligation on the Commission to present a legislative proposal on the basis of their request submitted by Parliament;
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 b (new)
Paragraph 29 b (new)
29b. Supports an autonomous mechanism of the European Parliament to include national parliaments in its legislative initiative within the framework of Article 9 of Protocol 1 of the Lisbon Treaty;