Activities of Paulo RANGEL related to 2021/0372(CNS)
Plenary speeches (1)
Electoral rights of mobile Union citizens in European Parliament elections - Electoral rights of mobile Union citizens in municipal elections (debate)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on the proposal for a Council directive on the proposal for a Council directive laying down detailed arrangements for the exercise of the right to vote and stand as a candidate in elections to the European Parliament for Union citizens residing in a Member State of which they are not nationals (recast)
Amendments (25)
Amendment 47 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) Article 20(2), point (b) and Article 22(2) of the of the Treaty on the functioning of the European Union (TFEU) confers on Union citizens residing in a Member State of which they are not nationals the right to vote and to stand as a candidate in elections to the European Parliament in their Member State of residence under the same conditions as nationals of the host Member State. The right, which is also affirmed in Article 39 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (Charter) gives specific expression to the principle of equality and non- discrimination on grounds of nationality set out in Article 21. It is also a corollary of the right to move and reside freely enshrined in Article 20(2) point (a) and Article 21 TFEU and Article 45 of the Charter.
Amendment 49 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) The detailed arrangements governing the exercise of the right to vote and to stand as a candidate in elections to the European Parliament are set out in Council Directive 93/109/ECfor Union citizens residing in a Member State of which they are not nationals are set out in Council Directive 93/109/EC. These provisions should be in accordance with Article 223 (1) TFEU and the provisions in force for its implementation.
Amendment 50 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) In its the EU Citizenship Report 24 24 2020 , the Commission stressed the need to update, clarify and strengthen the rules on the exercise of the right to vote and to stand as a candidate in elections to the European Parliament in order to ensure that they support the broad and inclusive participation of mobile EU citizenUnion citizens residing in a Member State of which they are not nationals. Taking also into account the experience gained in the application of Council Directive 93/109/EC to successive elections and the changes introduced by the amendments to the Treaties, several of the provisions of that Directive should be updated. _________________ 24 https://ec.europa.eu/info/files/eu- citizenship-report-2020-empowering- citizens-and-protecting-their-rights_en
Amendment 51 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) Article 20 (2) TFEU is without prejudice to Article 223(1) TFEU , which provides for the establishment of a uniform procedure in all Member States in accordance with principles common to all Member States for those elections of Members of the European Parliament.
Amendment 53 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) In order to ensure that Union citizens who reside in a Member State of which they are not nationals (“non-national Union citizens”) are able to exercise their right to vote and to stand as candidates in elections to the European Parliament under the same conditions as nationals of their host Member State, the conditions governing registration and participation in such elections should be clarified in order to ensure equal treatment between national and non-national Union citizens. In particular, Union citizens seeking to vote and to stand as candidates in elections to the European Parliament in their Member State of residence should be treated equally to nationals of that Member State as regards any periods of residence that are to be fulfilled as a condition for the exercise of the right, as well as the proofs for demonstrating compliance with such a condition.
Amendment 57 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 9
Recital 9
(9) In order to facilitate the exercise by Union citizens of their right to vote and to stand as a candidate in their country of residence, such citizens should be entered on the electoral roll in sufficient time in advance of polling day. The formalities applicable to their registration should be as simple as possible. It should be sufficient for the Union citizens concerned to produce a valid identity card and a formal declaration that includes elements evidencing their entitlement to participate in the elections. Automatic registration could be made available for Union citizens who have expressed the wish to be registered as a voter in the Member State of residence, provided that they produce the elements required to establish that they are entitled to participate in the elections and that measures to avoid multiple voting are not jeopardized. Once registered, non- national Union citizens should remain on the electoral roll under the same conditions as Union citizens who are nationals of the Member State concerned, for as long as they satisfy the conditions for exercising the right to vote. Additionally, Union citizens should provide the competent authorities with contact information, enabling those authorities to keep them informed on a regular basis.
Amendment 70 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 20
Recital 20
(20) The lack of adequate information, in the context of electoral procedures, affects citizens in the exercise of their electoral rights as part of their rights as Union citizens. It also affects the capacity of competent authorities to exercise their rights and to deliver on their obligations. Member States should be required to designate authorities with special responsibilities for providing appropriate information to Union citizens on their rights under Article 20(2), point (b), and Article 22(2) TFEU and the national rules and procedures regarding participation in and the organization of elections to the European Parliament. In order to ensure the effectiveness of communications, information should be provided in clear and comprehensible terms and in a timely manner.
Amendment 73 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 21
Recital 21
(21) In order to improve the accessibility of electoral information, such information should be made available in at least one other official language of the Union than that or those of the host Member State, broadly understood by the largest possible number of Union citizens residing on its territory. Member States may use different official languages of the Union in specific parts of their territory or their regions depending on the language understood by the largest group of Union citizens residing thereiprovided in an official language of the Union understandable to the Union voter or candidate in question.
Amendment 81 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 27
Recital 27
(27) It is necessary that the Commission conduct its own evaluation of the application of this Directive within a reasonable timeframe after at least twoafter each elections to the European Parliament.
Amendment 84 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 29
Recital 29
(29) The Member States, by ratifying, and the Union, by concluding27 , the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities have committed themselves to ensure compliance with that Convention. In order to supportensure inclusive and equal electoral participation for persons with disabilities, arrangements for Union citizens residing in a Member State of which they are not nationals to exercise the right to vote and to stand as a candidate there in elections to the European Parliament should have due regard to the specific needs of citizens with a disability and older citizens. _________________ 27 Council Decision 2010/48/EC of 26 November 2009 concerning the conclusion, by the European Community, of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (OJ L 23, 27.1.2010, p. 35).
Amendment 85 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 32
Recital 32
(32) This Directive respects fundamental rights and the principles recognised in particular by the Charter, in particular Article 21 and 39 thereof. Accordingly, it is essential that this Directive shall be implemented in accordance with those rights and principles by ensuring full respect for, inter alia, the right to protection of personal data, the right to non- discrimination, the right to vote and to stand as a candidate at elections to the European Parliament, the freedom of movement and of residence and, the right to an effective remedy and the right to protection of personal data.
Amendment 90 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 6 – paragraph 1
Article 6 – paragraph 1
1. Union citizens who reside in a Member State of which they are not nationals and who, through an individual judicial decision or an administrative decision provided that the latter can be subject to judicial remedies, have been deprived of their right to stand as a candidate under either the law of the Member State of residence or the law of the home Member State, shall be precluded from exercising that right in the Member State of residence in elections to the European Parliament. Decisions on deprivation of legal capacity shall not automatically preclude a Union citizen from standing as a candidate in elections to the European Parliament, without prejudice to the national law of the respective Member State.
Amendment 91 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 7 – paragraph 1
Article 7 – paragraph 1
1. The Member State of residence may check whether the Union citizens who have expressed a desire to exercise their right to vote there have not been deprived of that right in the home Member State through an individual civil law or criminal law decision. Decisions on deprivation of legal capacity shall not automatically disqualify a Union citizen from voting in elections to the European Parliament, without prejudice to the national law of the respective Member State.
Amendment 92 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 8 – paragraph 1
Article 8 – paragraph 1
1. Union voters shall exercise their right to vote in the Member State of residence if they have expressed the wish to do so, including when automatic registration to Union citizens is made available by the Member State of residence.
Amendment 98 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 9 – paragraph 3 – point c a (new)
Article 9 – paragraph 3 – point c a (new)
(c a) if they so wish, indicate the language in which they want to receive the information referred to in Article 12(2).
Amendment 108 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 12 – paragraph 1
Article 12 – paragraph 1
1. Member States shall designate a national authority with responsibility for taking the necessary measures to ensure that non-national Union citizens are informed in a timely manner of the conditions and detailed rules for registration as a voter or candidate in elections to the European Parliament, taking into account the date in which electoral rolls are to be closed.
Amendment 115 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 12 – paragraph 2 – point d a (new)
Article 12 – paragraph 2 – point d a (new)
(d a) the measures to facilitate the exercise of the right to vote, including regarding particular groups of voters, such as citizens with disabilities and older citizens.
Amendment 126 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 13 – paragraph 1
Article 13 – paragraph 1
1. Member States shall exchange the information required for the implementation of Article 4 , sufficiently in advance of polling day . To that end, the Member State of residence shall begin supplying the home Member State, no later than six weeks before the first day of the electoral period referred to in Article 10(1) of the Act concerning the election of the members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage the set of information provided in Annex III , . The home Member State shall, in accordance with its national legislation, take appropriate measures to ensure that its nationals do not vote more than once or stand as candidates in more than one Member State.
Amendment 131 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 14 – paragraph 1
Article 14 – paragraph 1
Member States tshat provide for the possibilities of advance voting, postal voting, and electronic and internet voting, in elections to the European Parliament shall ensure the availability of those voting methodsll ensure that alternative voting methods aiming to facilitate the exercise of the right to vote in elections to the European Parliament are available to Union voters under similarthe same conditions as the ones applicable to their own nationals.
Amendment 146 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 18 – paragraph 1
Article 18 – paragraph 1
Within two years after the 2029each elections to the European Parliament, the Commission shall assess its application and produce an evaluation report on the progress towards achievement of the objectives contained herein. The evaluation shall also include a reviewn assessment on the functioning of Article 13.
Amendment 148 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 20 – paragraph 2
Article 20 – paragraph 2
2. The power to adopt delegated acts referred to in Articles 9 (5), 10 (3) and 13 (4) shall be conferred on the Commission for an indeterminate period of time from the entry into force of this Directive.
Amendment 149 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 20 – paragraph 3
Article 20 – paragraph 3
3. The delegation of power referred to in Articles 9 (5), 10 (3) and 13 (4) may be revoked at any time by the Council. A decision to revoke shall put an end to the delegation of the power specified in that decision. It shall take effect the day following the publication of the decision in the Official Journal of the European Union or at a later date specified therein. It shall not affect the validity of any delegated acts already in force.
Amendment 150 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 20 – paragraph 6
Article 20 – paragraph 6
6. A delegated act adopted pursuant to Articles 99 (5), 10 (3) and 13 (4) shall enter into force only if no objection has been expressed by the Council within a period of two months of notification of that act to the European Parliament and the Council or if, before the expiry of that period, the Council has informed the Commission that it will not object. That period shall be extended by two months at the initiative of the Council.
Amendment 152 #
Proposal for a directive
Annex I – paragraph 4 a (new)
Annex I – paragraph 4 a (new)
I wish to receive all future information related to the elections to the European Parliament in the following language:
Amendment 156 #
Proposal for a directive
Annex II – paragraph 4 a (new)
Annex II – paragraph 4 a (new)
I wish to receive relevant information related to my application to stand as a candidate for election to the European Parliament in the following language: