14 Amendments of Guy VERHOFSTADT related to 2010/0074(COD)
Amendment 72 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) It is necessary to establish the minimum number of Member States from which citizensignatories must come. In order to ensure that a citizens' initiative is representative of a Union interestcomes from a significant number of Member States, this number should be set at one third of Member Statesnine.
Amendment 76 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) For that purpose, it is also appropriate to establish the minimum number of citizens coming from each of those Member States. In order to ensure similafair conditions for citizens to support a citizens' initiativeof all nationalities, these minimum numbers should be degressively proportional to the size of each Member State. For the purpose of clarity they should be set out for each Member State in an Annex to the present Regulationaccording to the formula as agreed from time to time for the distribution of seats in the European Parliament.
Amendment 92 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 15
Recital 15
(15) It is appropriate to provide that, where a citizens' initiative has received the necessary statements of support from signatories and provided it is considered admissible, each Member State should be responsible for the verification and certification of statements of support collected from citizens coming fromin that State. Taking account of the need to limit the administrative burden for Member States, they should, within a period of three months, carry out such verifications on the basis of appropriate checks, which may be based on random sampling, and should issue a document certifying the number of valid statements of support received.
Amendment 95 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 17
Recital 17
(17) The Commission should examine a citizens' initiative and set out its conclusions and the actions it envisages to take in response to it, within a period of four monthslegal and political conclusions separately; it should also set out the actions it envisages to take in response to it. In order to demonstrate that a citizens' initiative is supported by at least one million signatories and that its possible follow-up is carefully examined, the Commission should explain in a clear, comprehensible and detailed manner the reasons for its intended action, and should likewise give reasons if it does not envisage taking any action.
Amendment 107 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – point 1
Article 2 – point 1
1. "Citizens"’ initiative" means an initiative, submitted to the Commission in accordance with the present Regulation, inviting the Commission, within the framework of its powers, to submit any appropriate proposal on matters where citizens consider that a legal act of the Union is required for the purpose of implementing the Treaties, which has received the support of at least one million eligible signatories coming from at least one third of allnine Member States;
Amendment 111 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – point 2
Article 2 – point 2
2. "Signatories"” means citizens of the Unionall legally resident inhabitants of the Member States that have supported a given citizens"’ initiative by completing a statement of support for that initiative;
Amendment 122 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2
Article 3 – paragraph 2
2. In order to be eligible to support a proposed citizens' initiative, signatories shall be citizens oflegally resident within the Union and shall be of the age to be entitled to vote in the European electionsat least 16 years of age.
Amendment 133 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 3
Article 4 – paragraph 3
3. Proposed citizens' initiatives which can be reasonably regarded as improper because they are abusive or devoid of seriousness will not be registered. The Commission shall register a proposed initiative within two months from its receipt when the following conditions are fulfilled: (a) the citizens' committee has been formed and the contact persons have been designated; (b) there are no manifest, significant inconsistencies between the different language versions of the title, subject- matter and objectives of the proposed initiative; (c) the initiative manifestly falls within the competences of the Union as conferred on the Union by Member States and falls within the framework of the powers of the Commission to submit any appropriate proposal on matters where citizens consider that a legal act of the Union is required for the purpose of implementing the Treaties; (d) the proposed initiative is not manifestly abusive, frivolous or vexatious; (e) the proposed initiative is not manifestly contrary to the values of the Union as set out in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union.
Amendment 158 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1
Article 7 – paragraph 1
1. The signatories of a citizens' initiative shall come from at least one third ofnine Member States.
Amendment 164 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2
Article 7 – paragraph 2
2. In one third ofnine Member States, the number of signatories shall comprise at least the minimum number of citizens set out in Annex Inform to the formula of degressive proportionality as established in the current distribution of seats in the European Parliament.
Amendment 177 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 1 – point a a (new)
Article 11 – paragraph 1 – point a a (new)
aa. receive the organisers at an appropriate level to allow them to explain in detail the matters raised by the initiative;
Amendment 181 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 1 – point a b (new)
Article 11 – paragraph 1 – point a b (new)
ab. consider the organisation of a public hearing on the subject-matter of the initiative, to which the European Parliament, through its responsible committee, may be invited to participate;
Amendment 184 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 1 – point b
Article 11 – paragraph 1 – point b
b. examine the citizens' initiative and, within 4within three months, set out in a communication its legal and political conclusions on the initiative, the action it intends to take, if any, and its reasons for doing or not doing so.
Amendment 189 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 1 – point b a (new)
Article 11 – paragraph 1 – point b a (new)
ba. present a legislative proposal within one year or include the proposal in its next year's Work Programme. If the Commission does not so act it shall give the organisers as well as the European Parliament a detailed explanation.