Activities of Marie-Christine VERGIAT related to 2011/2182(INI)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on the EU Citizenship Report 2010: dismantling the obstacles to EU citizens’ rights
Amendments (20)
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes that EU citizenship is the fundamental status of Member States’ nationals; underlines the close link between the rights inherent to EU citizenship and those enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights applicable to all persons on EU territory and in the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR); calls on the EU institutions and Member States to align the rights of third-country nationals permanently residing in EU with the rights of EU citizens;
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Takes the view that lack of access to information is one of the main reasons EU citizens are unable to make full use of their rights; urges the Commission, therefore, to propose a comprehensive communication strategy, in collaboration with local, regional and national authorities and representatives of civil society, which pays particular attention to raising people’sEuropean citizens’ awareness of their rights they enjoy as EU citizens; believes this strategy must be based on the principle of reciprocity and also enable citizens to generate information, express their views and ensure those views are better understood;
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Welcomes the European Citizens’ Initiative and stresses the need to ensure it is rapidly carried into effect by providing the means whereby it can become a mechanism which genuinely enables citizens to participate in the European Union’s decision-making processes; urges the Commission to raise public awareness of the opportunities for action this mechanism offers and calls for real account to be taken of proposals put forward by citizens;
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Reiterates that citizenship implies the right of each person to take part in the government of the country in which they reside in accordance with Article 21 of the UDHR; regrets that European citizenship is linked to the nationality of a Member States and therefore leads to a discrimination between residents, which particularly affects third-country nationals; stresses that a concept of European citizenship broadened to include everyone living on a permanent basis on EU territory would have considerable benefits, particularly in terms of integration policy;
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Points to the Inter-institutional Group on Information as an important setting within which the EU institutions can work to honour their commitment to ‘communicate Europe in partnership’ and coordinate the effort to raise awareness of EUthe rights conferred by the EU;
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Reiterates that European citizenship is not limited to the right to vote and the right to stand as a candidate at municipal and European Parliament elections and the freedoms of movement and residence, which are essential rights and freedoms, it also implies that everyone residing within the territory of the European Union and the Member States is able to exercise all the fundamental political, civil, economic, cultural and social rights and freedoms recognised in Europe and internationally, both in the constitutional and fundamental acts of States and in the international texts which guarantee them and enable effective and active direct or indirect participation in the decision- making process; stresses that the exercise of rights and freedoms also depends on the various policies implemented both by the Union and by the Member States;
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Shares the Commission’s concern at the declining turnout in European elections, which is symptomatic of a democratic deficit, and wonders whether there is a link between this deficit and social and educational inequality; stresses that education and, in particular, education in citizenship are vitally important to enable future citizens to fully understand their rights and exercise them in due course, so that they can play a full part in the democratic life of their countries and of the European Union; stresses, therefore, the importance of acquiring a solid foundation of general knowledge including a good knowledge of the European institutions and the history of the Member States; believes that, to help achieve that objective, the European Union should strongly encourage projects such as local authorities’ ‘children’s councils’ and exchanges, particularly between Member States’ schools and colleges; welcomes the fact that a number of States give young people the right to vote at 16 and also give the right to vote to residents from countries which are not part of the European Union;
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 c (new)
Paragraph 1 c (new)
1c. Stresses, in this context, that citizenship consists of acknowledging and effectively enabling the right of every citizen to participate effectively and actively, directly or indirectly, in the economic and social decision-making processes, which implies, inter alia, participation in politics, associations and trade unions; emphasises, therefore, the role of associations, trade unions and political parties in the exercise of citizenship and the need to acknowledge this role, including in the context of political decision-making processes;
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2b. Draws attention to the leading role played by non-formal and informal education in empowering individuals and encouraging them to participate in democratic life; urges recognition of a European statute for associations and of the skills and expertise acquired in the course of carrying out voluntary work at national and European level;
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 d (new)
Paragraph 1 d (new)
1d. Expresses its deep concern at the increase in the number of people in fragile situations in the Union, particularly of those in serious poverty; stresses that such situations of fragility lead to a gradual accumulation of violations of fundamental freedoms and rights and cause people living in situations of fragility to suffer multiple discrimination and prevent them from exercising their fundamental freedoms and rights, which constitutes an affront to the dignity and equal rights enjoyed by every person in accordance with the UDHR, in particular Article 1 thereof;
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2c. Regards promoting the diversity of cultural expression as essential for citizenship; considers that the development of culture for all should go hand in hand with cultural activities which enable all sections of the public, including specific groups within it, to take part; stresses that the exercise of citizenship requires the full and complete exercise of citizens’ social and cultural rights;
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 e (new)
Paragraph 1 e (new)
1e. Is deeply concerned by the increasingly numerous attacks on individual freedoms in the context of judicial and police cooperation, attacks and violations which are not limited to those occurring in the context of the fight against terrorism; is extremely concerned that the right of free movement of persons is increasingly subject to the provision of personal data to third-party organisations and bodies or to the surveillance of public places; draws attention, moreover, to the discrepancy between the Community proposals relating to the judicial process and the major deficiencies regarding minimum guarantees of the rights of defence, and points out, in this context, the failings in the operation of in the European Arrest warrant;
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Urges the Commission to streamline information on mobility among EU students, teachers and research workers as part of a one-stop -shop system, in order to make it easier for young peoplethem to take advantage of the opportunities and rights they have as EU citizensprovided under European programmes; considers that social entitlements issues, individuals’ financial resources and social and cultural stereotypes are still placing considerable constraints on mobility;
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the Commission to step up its efforts to develop tools for improving academic recognition of diplomas and periods of study, thereby removing obstacles to the mobility of students and job-seekers;
Amendment 44 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Points to the importance of improving language skills through the teaching of at least two foreign languages from a very early age, as recommended by the Barcelona European Council of 15-16 March 2002, so that EU citizens can join in conversation, access information and truly exercise their rights throughout the Union; stresses the need to step up EU efforts in this area.
Amendment 55 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Is concerned at the steady decline over 30 years in turnout at the European elections, despite the powers of the European Parliament increasing considerably; believes that this reflects a growing lack of understanding of European policies on the part of EU nationals;
Amendment 59 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Recalls that EU citizens in the territory of a third country in which the Member State of which they are nationals is not represented are entitled to protection by the diplomatic or consular authorities of any Member State, on the same conditions as the nationals of that Member State; emphasises the importance of such a provision as a point of principle and calls on the Member States to take effective measures in this area;
Amendment 69 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes with regret that the Commission has not been very active in addressing infringements related to citizens’ rights; calls on the Commission to behave more proactively and that it only addresses requests concerning Community law in its areas of responsibility; calls on the Commission to take into account the information and complaints which civil society representatives address to it in the context of the implementation of Community law, and not to confine itself to the responses supplied to it by the Member States, and calls on it to respect the rights of citizens and to take action against States in breach;
Amendment 71 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Stresses that the Union and its Member States must close the gap between the principles underlying fundamental freedoms and rights and their implementation; notes that such gaps reduce the credibility of the Union and the States and undermine effective respect for and promotion of human rights, both within its territory and throughout the world;
Amendment 75 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Calls on the Commission to take full and substantial advantage of the European Year of Citizens (2013) to pursue action to close the gap which increasingly separates European citizens from their decision-makers; stresses the importance for the European project of citizens and organised civil society having the possibility to influence the policies and structure of the European Union; insists that the Lisbon Treaty, while enhancing the scope of representative democracy, with an increased role for the European Parliament in the legislative process, also brings very important advances in terms of citizens’ participation, introducing, through the provisions of Article 11, the possibility for one million European citizens to put forward a legislative initiative and the obligation on all EU institutions to ‘maintain an open, transparent and regular dialogue with representative associations and civil society’; is concerned at the slow pace of implementation of the European Citizens’ Initiative and calls on the Commission to examine good practices in the area of participative democracy together with the Committee of the Regions and the EESC;