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Faithful to its goal to provide European decision-makers with advice on the reform of European institutions and on the strengthening of European democracy, European Democracy Consulting is hereby providing the members of the European Parliament’s AFCO Committee with an annotated voting guide for the implementation report on Regulation 1141/2014.

Since the time for amendments has passed, the guide below does not seek to change the amendments submitted, but assesses their merit the way they are drafted. In order to avoid a partisan approach to these amendments, the name(s) of the drafter(s) were removed before their consideration.

Amendments coloured in green are supported, while amendments in red are opposed. A comment in blue following each amendment provides a quick summary of European Democracy Consulting’s position and reasoning. Duplicate amendments or amendments with a limited impact were dropped.

For more details on the legal analyses, national best practices and data supporting our positions and voting recommendations, see the following sources:

Finally, the following studies by European Democracy Consulting provide further analysis on a number of relevant issues.


Amendment 4, Recital A

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

A. whereas European political parties help to raise European political awareness and express the will of Union citizens; whereas strong political parties and foundations at European level are essential for the development of a truly European political sphere;

deleted

Recital may be deleted if the amendment is adopted alongside amendments 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12.

 

Amendment 7, Recital A

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

A. whereas European political parties help to raise European political awareness and express the will of Union citizens; whereas strong political parties and foundations at European level are essential for the development of a truly European political sphere;

A. whereas European political parties help to raise European political awareness and express the will of Union citizens; whereas strong political parties and foundations at European level are essential for the development of a truly European political sphere and that should play a more central role in the European elections’s process;

The role of European political parties in European elections must be strengthened and it is important to underline it in this report.

 

Amendment 8, Recital A a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

 

A a. whereas strong political parties and foundations at European level are essential for the development of a truly European public sphere;

Supported if adopted alongside amendments 4, 9, 10, 11, and 12.

 

Amendment 9, Recital A b (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

 

A b. whereas European political parties contribute to forming European political awareness and to expressing the will of citizens of the Union; 

Supported if adopted alongside amendments 4, 8, 10, 11, and 12.

 

Amendment 10, Recital A c (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

 

A c. whereas alternative political positions of the parties are essential for the public discourse and for citizen´s choice;

Supported if adopted alongside amendments 4, 8, 9, 11, and 12.

 

Amendment 11, Recital A d (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

 

A d. whereas parties cannot be considered as non-partisan entities in the course of political competition and their financing cannot be reduced on apolitical expenses;

Supported if adopted alongside amendments 4, 8, 9, 10, and 12.

 

Amendment 12, Recital A e (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

 

A e. whereas European political foundations have a mandate which encompasses raising political awareness for and contributing to the debate on European policy issues and on the process of European integration, and within this framework they develop also offerings that are not exclusively directed at the members or voters of a particular party, but are open to everyone on the same terms;

Supported if adopted alongside amendments 4, 8, 9, 10, and 11.

 

Amendment 17, Recital B a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

 

B bis. considerando che il Regolamento 1141/2014 non permette la possibilità di finanziare anche altri soggetti politici oltre i partiti e le fondazioni; che il ruolo dei movimenti politici europei è stato riconosciuto più volte dal Parlamento europeo e che tale riconoscimento dovrebbe riflettersi nella legislazione europea di riferimento al fine di perpermettere la possibilità di finanziare anche altri soggetti politici oltre i partiti e le fondazioni;

While European public funding should not be tied to a party’s presence in the European Parliament, it is important for recipients of European public funding to register as European political parties beforehand. In parallel, the registration process must be simplified.

 

Amendment 19, Recital C

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

C. whereas in order to continue to be aware of, to give expression to and where appropriate to mould the will of Union citizens, it is essential that the role and functioning of European political parties and foundations are not limited concerning issues of exclusively European relevance at Union level; whereas those European political parties and foundations should be allowed to use their funds accordingly;

C. whereas in order to continue to give expression to the will of Union citizens, it is essential that European political parties and foundations are allowed to finance any activity which contributes to informing EU citizens and increasing European political awareness;

This phrasing is more in line with Article 10(4) TEU on the prescribed role of European political parties.

 

Amendment 25, Recital G

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

G. întrucât o aliniere a ratei de cofinanțare pentru partidele politice europene la nivelul impus fundațiilor politice ar preveni acumularea de datorii;

G. întrucât o creștere a ratei de finanțare europene pentru partidele politice europene la nivelul impus fundațiilor politice ar preveni acumularea de datorii;

The co-financing rate of European political parties must instead be increased, in order to avoid undue over-reliance on public funding and in order to create a stronger link between European parties and citizens. Since the same argument, albeit to a lesser degree, applies to European political foundations, the original phrasing remains a lesser evil than the proposed amendment. This would mean aligning both rates at a higher level than is current practiced.

 

Amendment 26, Recital H

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

H. whereas the system for administrative control of expenditure should be lightened, and in particular, the requirement to submit accounts according to the International Financial Reporting Standards should be dropped because it does not correspond to the nature of the European political parties and foundations, and represents an unnecessary time-consuming and costly burden;

H. whereas the requirement to submit accounts according to the International Financial Reporting Standards should be dropped because it does not correspond to the nature of the European political parties and foundations, and represents an unnecessary time-consuming and costly burden;

The reporting requirements must be simplified, including by ceasing the requirements to use IFRS. However, the control of expenditure itself should not be lightened.

 

Amendment 27, Recital H

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

H. considerando che il sistema di controllo amministrativo delle spese dovrebbe essere semplificato e, in particolare, dovrebbe essere abolito l’obbligo di rendicontare il bilancio conformemente ai principi internazionali d’informativa finanziaria, in quanto non rispecchia la natura dei partiti politici europei e delle fondazioni politiche europee e rappresenta un onere inutile e dispendioso in termini di tempo e denaro;

H. considerando che il sistema di controllo amministrativo delle spese potrebbe essere semplificato garantendo nel contempo la trasparenza e il rigore necessari nel trattare i fondi pubblici;

Notwithstanding the above comment, controls may be simplfied should this not affect transparency and the guarantee of proper use of public funds.

 

Amendment 29, Paragraph 3

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

3. Notes, however, that a number of practical difficulties and political obstacles are still preventing European parties and foundations from achieving their full potential as active players in European democracy;

3. Notes, however, that a number of administrative and political obstacles are still preventing European parties and foundations from achieving their full potential as active and visible players in European democracy both at European level as well as in the Member States;

The issue of the visibility of European political parties is an essential one from the perspective of citizens. This aspect must be clearly mentioned.

 

Amendment 32, Paragraph 3 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

 

3 bis. ritiene che il ruolo dei movimenti politici europei non sia debitamente riconosciuto e regolamentato a livello europeo;

While European political movements not registered as European political parties should not benefit from European public funding, their existence and role are not properly (if at all) recognised by Regulation 1141/2014.

 

Amendment 33, Paragraph 4

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

4. Underlines the importance of the registration of European political parties and foundations, since it requires compliance with all its conditions, including respect for Union fundamental values, and makes eligibility for funding from the Union budget conditional upon such compliance, as well as the need to ensure full transparency;

deleted

European political parties are essential elements in the creation of a true political union which, in turn, is essential in ensuring a true European democracy. This paragraph should remain in the report.

 

Amendment 38, Paragraph 4 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

 

4 a. In this regard the Regulation should be amended to clarify that the respect for EU fundamental values should apply to both the EUPP itself as well as its member parties.

The fact that the requirement to respect EU values only applies (or can only be verified with regards to) European political parties, and not their members, is a grave oversight of Regulation 1141/2014 which must be addressed.

 

Amendment 39, Paragraph 5

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

5. Welcomes the reinforcement of the provisions on monitoring respect by European political parties and foundations for the fundamental values of the Union and for the procedure for dealing with infringements, including sanctions and recovery of funds;

deleted

The respect of EU values by all members of the Union, including by European political parties, is an essential part of ensuring these values are respected.

 

Amendment 40, Paragraph 5

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

5. Welcomes the reinforcement of the provisions on monitoring respect by European political parties and foundations for the fundamental values of the Union and for the procedure for dealing with infringements, including sanctions and recovery of funds;

5. Notes the attempt to reinforce the provisions on monitoring respect by European political parties and foundations for the values on which the Union is founded and for the procedure for dealing with infringements, including sanctions and recovery of funds;

This phrasing is better suited, as efforts to reinforce the respect of EU values seem to have largely failed.

 

Amendment 43, Paragraph 7

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

7. consideră că sistemul actual de verificare a respectării normelor privind utilizarea contribuțiilor și a granturilor este prea greoi;

7. consideră că sistemul actual de verificare a respectării normelor privind utilizarea contribuțiilor și a granturilor este prea greoi și solicită reducerea nivelului de birocrație și simplificarea procedurilor în vederea sprijinirii partidelor și fundațiilor politice europene;

Administrative simplifications in the procedures set by Regulation 1141/2014 are very much needed.

 

Amendment 44, Paragraph 7

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

7. Considers that the current system for verifying respect for rules on the use of contributions and grants is too cumbersome;

7. Considers that the current system for verifying respect for rules on the use of contributions and grants is too cumbersome and needs to be improved in terms of efficiency and speed;

Administrative simplifications in the procedures set by Regulation 1141/2014 are very much needed.

 

Amendment 47, Paragraph 8

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

8. Considers that making European political parties and foundations subject to European and national rules, which are laid down in different legal instruments, is a source of confusion and legal uncertainty;

8. Subjecting European political parties and foundations to European and national rules is accurate. This arrangement reflects well the division of powers in this area between the European Union and the Member States. Thus, such division should be preserved;

As EU-wide entities, European political parties should not be subject to regulations of a specific Member State; instead, European political parties should benefit from an EU-level status, either dedicated to European political parties or shared with other European non-profit organisations with additional rules as relevant.

 

Amendment 48, Paragraph 8

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

8. Considers that making European political parties and foundations subject to European and national rules, which are laid down in different legal instruments, is a source of confusion and legal uncertainty;

8. Considers that making European political parties and foundations subject to European and national rules, which are laid down in different legal instruments, is a source of confusion and legal uncertainty; proposes therefore to harmonise further and strengthen the rules governing European political parties and foundations to ensure a comprehensive European legal framework for European parties and foundations addressing particularly conditions on registration, structure and operations, visibility and transparency, and sanctions;

As EU-wide entities, European political parties should not be subject to regulations of a specific Member State; instead, European political parties should benefit from an EU-level status, either dedicated to European political parties or shared with other European non-profit organisations with additional rules as relevant.

 

Amendment 49, Paragraph 8 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

 

8 a. Underlines that the funding of EU political parties and foundations must be transparent, subject to Article 325 TFEU, not open to abuse, and exclusively support political programmes and activities in line with the founding principles of the Union expressed in Article 2 TEU;

Keeping in mind the fact that political parties may have a wide range of necessary expenses that may not be political in nature, it remains essential for European public funds to be used in a transparent manner and in line with the EU’s values.

 

Amendment 51, Paragraph 8 b (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

 

8 b. Underlines the need for a definition of Members in order to have legal certainty on the different types of Membership, their relationship with the European Political Party they adhere to and the requirements they have to meet;

The definition of members should be made clearer, especially with regards to MEPs’ membership status in European political parties.

 

Amendment 55, Paragraph 9 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

 

9 a. Underlines the need for a definition of Members in order to have legal certainty on the different types of Membership, their relationship with the European Political Party they adhere to and the requirements they have to meet including the proven respect of the shared values of the European Union;

The definition of members should be made clearer, especially with regards to MEPs’ membership status in European political parties.

 

Amendment 56, Paragraph 10

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

10. Stresses that the ban on financing referendum campaigns on European issues goes against the purpose of European political parties and foundations;

10. Stresses that the ban on financing referendum campaigns on European issues is in line with the original intent of the regulation. Thus, national referendums should be kept at national competence level;

Any ban on the financing of referendum campaigns goes against the role of European political parties as states in Article 10(4), regardless of whether the question of the referendum is considered a European topic.

 

Amendment 57, Paragraph 10

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

10. subliniază că interdicția de a finanța campaniile pentru referendumuri pe teme europene contravine scopului partidelor și fundațiilor politice europene;

10. subliniază că interdicția de a finanța campaniile pentru referendumuri pe teme europene contravine scopului partidelor și fundațiilor politice europene și solicită anularea acestei prevederi;

Any ban on the financing of referendum campaigns goes against the role of European political parties as states in Article 10(4), regardless of whether the question of the referendum is considered a European topic.

 

Amendment 58, Paragraph 11

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

11. Regrets that the narrow interpretation of the definition of members of a European political party established by case law does not sufficiently recognise the need for flexibility in the internal organisation of European political parties, especially as regards associate members, including those from third countries; is concerned that this narrow interpretation has the effect of preventing, for no good reason, European political parties from receiving financial contributions from such members;

deleted

Since the main point of this paragraph seems to be to allow European political parties from receiving funding from national political parties outside of the European Union, this paragraph should be removed. The confines of the European Union must have a clear consequence on the membership of European political parties — be they natural or legal persons.

 

Amendment 59, Paragraph 11

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

11. Regrets that the narrow interpretation of the definition of members of a European political party established by case law does not sufficiently recognise the need for flexibility in the internal organisation of European political parties, especially as regards associate members, including those from third countries; is concerned that this narrow interpretation has the effect of preventing, for no good reason, European political parties from receiving financial contributions from such members;

11. Regrets that the lack of clear definitions of modalities of membership to European political parties and foundations in Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1141/2014 and the narrow interpretation of the concept of membership established by case law does not sufficiently recognise the need for flexibility in the internal organisation of European political parties and foundations, especially as regards members from third countries; is concerned that this narrow interpretation has the effect of preventing, for no good reason, European political parties and foundations from receiving financial contributions from such members;

Since the main point of this paragraph seems to be to allow European political parties from receiving funding from national political parties outside of the European Union, this paragraph should be removed. The confines of the European Union must have a clear consequence on the membership of European political parties — be they natural or legal persons.

 

Amendment 60, Paragraph 11

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

11. Regrets that the narrow interpretation of the definition of members of a European political party established by case law does not sufficiently recognise the need for flexibility in the internal organisation of European political parties, especially as regards associate members, including those from third countries; is concerned that this narrow interpretation has the effect of preventing, for no good reason, European political parties from receiving financial contributions from such members;

11. Regrets that the narrow interpretation of the definition of members of a European political party established by case law does not sufficiently recognise the need for flexibility in the internal organisation of European political parties, especially as regards associate members, including those from former Member States and third countries; is concerned that this narrow interpretation has the effect of preventing, for no good reason, European political parties from receiving financial contributions from such members;

Since the main point of this paragraph seems to be to allow European political parties from receiving funding from national political parties outside of the European Union, this paragraph should be removed. The confines of the European Union must have a clear consequence on the membership of European political parties — be they natural or legal persons.

 

Amendment 63, Paragraph 11 subparagraph 1 (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

 

Regrets the narrow interpretation, established by the case-law, of the definition of members of a European political party or foundation and insists on allowing the affiliation of members from candidate countries for accession to the Union, from the European Economic Area and the European Free Trade Association, from EU neighbourhood countries, and from former Member States, from which membership fees and contributions from members of the European political foundations might be legally collected;

Since the main point of this paragraph seems to be to allow European political parties from receiving funding from national political parties outside of the European Union, this paragraph should be removed. The confines of the European Union must have a clear consequence on the membership of European political parties — be they natural or legal persons.

 

Amendment 64, Paragraph 13 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

 

13 a. Underlines that there is a great imbalance between the amount European Political Parties receive as donations and the amount they receive as contributions that might increase their dependency on external donators;

As indicated by European Democracy Consulting’s study of European parties’ private funding, contributions from national member parties form between 90 and 100% of European parties’ private funding for seven out of ten European parties. As a result, there is no dependency on external donors. However, European parties’ ratio of private-to-public funding should increase (meaning, European parties’ reliance on private donors should increase) in order to create a stronger link between European parties and citizens and civil society. Strict limits on the amounts of private donations prevent any undue reliance on any single private donor.

 

Amendment 66, Paragraph 14 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

 

14 a. Regrets the change in the award criteria and distribution of funding introduced in the 2018 reform which decreased the percentage of funds that are allocated among the beneficiary European political parties in equal shares; is deeply concerned about the current funding structure as it fails to create a true level playing field between parties whilst also reducing the incentives for European political parties to reach out to citizens;

The 2018 revision of Regulation 1141/2014 decreases the share of the lump sum from 15% to 10% of the total envelope available to European parties. This decrease has worsened the situation of smaller European parties and further prevented the creation of a level playing field essential to a healthy political competition and to political pluralism.

 

Amendment 67, Paragraph 15

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

15. ritiene che l’obbligo di rendicontare il bilancio dei partiti politici europei e delle fondazioni politiche europee sia conformemente alle norme nazionali in materia di audit dello Stato membro in cui hanno sede sia ai principi internazionali d’informativa finanziaria non apporti alcun valore aggiunto e comporti costi e ritardi non necessari;

15. ritiene che l’obbligo di rendicontare il bilancio dei partiti politici europei e delle fondazioni politiche europee sia importante per garantire un elevato standard di trasparenza dell’operato dei partiti politici e delle fondazioni politiche europee;

While the amendment states that compulsory reporting is essential for a high level of transparency, it unfortunately removes the criticism of the current dual reporting requirement.

 

Amendment 68, Paragraph 15 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

 

15 a. Laments that a flawed design in Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1141/2014 limits European political parties in truly fulfilling their role as modern political parties connecting citizens to the political system as they are unknown to citizens due to the limited individual membership, a limited role in influencing policy-making or shaping public agendas and thus do not trigger nearly the same level of activist mobilisation that national and regional parties are able to muster;

Practice shows that European citizens are not aware of European political parties and, as a consequence, fail to mobilise around them in the way they do around national or regional political parties. Political mobilisation is one of the core functions of modern political parties in representative democracies.

 

Amendment 69, Paragraph 15 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

 

15 a. Points out that the APPF has limited powers with regard to verifying whether a registered party or foundation is in breach of the EUs shared values and has never triggered the complex values compliance procedure thus far; calls for the strengthening of the current administrative set-up of the APPF in order to be able to better monitor the compliance with relevant rules and the implementation of sanctions, as well as to ensure its complete autonomy and neutrality;

The APPF has very limited powers when compared to similar national bodies. In particular, its role is severely curtailed with regards to the mechanism for the respect of compliance with EU values.

 

Amendment 70, Paragraph 15 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

 

15 a. Underlines that the compliance of registered Members with all the conditions European Political Parties have to meet, including the respect for the Unionshared values, should be ensured by thoroughly controlled procedures before the membership is confirmed as well as during the legislative mandate, considers it essential to allocate appropriate staff to the Authority, so as to ensure that this control is implemented using effective procedures;

Unlike for other registration criteria, the APPF is not empowered to assess applicants’ compatibility with EU values. For this and other controls, the APPF must be strengthened and its human and financial resources increased.

 

Amendment 72, Paragraph 15 b (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

 

15 b. Notes with concern that several existing trans-national political parties active in European politics and represented in the European Parliament are not permitted to register officially as European political parties due to disproportionate requirements listed in Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1141/2014, consequently hindering the democratic representation of smaller political parties at the European level;

The overly demanding registration criteria imposed by Article 3 are among the most important roadblocks for the creation of an open and healthy system of political parties at the European level. It is in complete disconnect with the stated goal of European parties in the Treaty on European Union and not supported by any practice at the national level in Member States. As a result, a number of active European political movement remain unable to register as European political parties, leaving their supporters with no appropriate party representation.

 

Amendment 73, Paragraph 15 c (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

 

15 c. Underlines the importance to introduce a specific procedure for the non-compliance with EU shared values applicable for European political parties and to their national members;

While the amendment is not precise enough as to what this specific procedure would consist in, the current lack of a procedure to address the non-compliance of national member parties must be addressed.

 

Amendment 77, Paragraph 16

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

16. Considers that a clear set of rules and conditions should be established for the joint organisation and co-financing of activities concerning European issues by European political parties and national member parties;

16. Considers that a clear set of rules and conditions should be established for the joint organisation and co-financing of activities concerning European issues by European political parties and national member parties; considers that in these activities the display of the European Party logo alongside that of the national member party should be required;

European Democracy Consulting’s Logos Project highlights the lack of visibility of European political parties; any activity, event or communications campaign financed or co-financed by a European politicla party should visibly bear its logo, displayed alongside and in a similar fashion as those of the national parties involved.

 

Amendment 78, Paragraph 16 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

 

16 a. Considers that the establishment of a One-stop-shop to assess requests made from European political parties using a specific application form for the joint organisation and co-financing of activities on European issues directly related to the functioning and implementation of the Unions legal framework within a maximum period of 2 months would considerably increase the number of activities organised by European Political Parties and strengthen their perception and visibility in the Member States;

Despite its good intention, this proposal cannot be an acceptable solutions. European political parties should not have to request a permission for every activity they organise and co-finance. In case of doubt, they may seek a clarification from the APPF as to whether this activity can legally be co-funded and expect an answer within a fixed timeframe, but this clarification should not be a prerequisite. Following a clarification of the conditions for co-financing in the Regulation, the APPF should provide clear guidelines to support and encourage European political parties to undertake activities in the Member States.

 

Amendment 80, Paragraph 16 b (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

 

16 b. Considers that the introduction of the One-stop-shop using standard procedures should facilitate the administrative burden put on European Political Parties and reduce unnecessary redtape. The One-stop-shop should be composed with the necessary staff to be able to effectively and efficiently carry out its duties and meet the deadlines;

The proposal of a one-stop-shop is redundant with the APPF itself. A more viable, substainable and productive solution is to strengthen the mandate of the APPF, eliminate the role of the European Parliament in the funding of European parties (by entrusting the APPF with such funding), and ensuring that the APPF is endowed with proper human and financial resources. Fixed time limits may be imposed on the APPF for the provision of specific services or information.

 

Amendment 82, Paragraph 17

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

17. Calls for the prohibition on financing referendum campaigns to be lifted, if they are linked to European issues;

17. Calls for maintaining prohibition on financing referendum campaigns, even if they are linked to European issues;

Any ban on the financing of referendum campaigns goes against the role of European political parties as states in Article 10(4), regardless of whether the question of the referendum is considered a European topic.

 

Amendment 83, Paragraph 17

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

17. Calls for the prohibition on financing referendum campaigns to be lifted, if they are linked to European issues;

17. Calls for the prohibition on financing referendum campaigns to be lifted and proposes to allow European Political parties financing referendum campaigns that are directly related to the implementation of the TEU or TFEU and comply with the Unions basic principles and shared values, if they are linked to European issues;

Any ban on the financing of referendum campaigns goes against the role of European political parties as states in Article 10(4), regardless of whether the question of the referendum is considered a European topic. The original paragraph already indicates an undue limit to European political parties’ involvement in national referendum campaigns, and the proposed amendment provides an even narrower scope for European parties’ involvement. The original paragraph is the lesser of two evils.

 

Amendment 85, Paragraph 17

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

17. solicită ridicarea interdicției de a finanța campanii pentru referendumuri, dacă acestea sunt legate de chestiuni europene;

17. solicită ridicarea interdicției de a finanța campanii sau diferite categorii de activități pentru referendumuri, dacă acestea sunt legate de chestiuni europene;

While both paragraphs unduly limit European political parties’ involvement to specifically European topics, the proposed amendment goes beyond the funding of campaigns themselves and broaden the scope of European parties’ potential involvement.

 

Amendment 86, Paragraph 17

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

17. Calls for the prohibition on financing referendum campaigns to be lifted, if they are linked to European issues;

17. Calls for the prohibition on financing referendum campaigns to be lifted, if they are linked to European issues within the limits and in accordance with EU values;

Any ban on the financing of referendum campaigns goes against the role of European political parties as states in Article 10(4), regardless of whether the question of the referendum is considered a European topic. The original paragraph already indicates an undue limit to European political parties’ involvement in national referendum campaigns, and the proposed amendment provides an even narrower scope for European parties’ involvement. The original paragraph is the lesser of two evils.

 

Amendment 87, Paragraph 17

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

17. Calls for the prohibition on financing referendum campaigns to be lifted, if they are linked to European issues;

17. Calls for the prohibition on financing referendum campaigns to be lifted, if they are linked to European issues in order to promote a truly European public sphere;

While both paragraphs unduly limit European political parties’ involvement to specifically European topics, the proposed amendment rightly points out the importance of European parties’ involvement for the promotion of a truly European public sphere.

 

Amendment 88, Paragraph 17 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

 

17 bis. ritiene che il Regolamento 1141/2014 debba essere modificato per introdurre la possibilità di finanziare anche altri soggetti politici oltre i partiti e le fondazioni politiche europee, nel rispetto delle condizioni e delle regole di trasparenza previste per questi ultimi;

While it is essential to ease the registration criteria for the obtention of the status of European politicla party, it remains essential for entities to register as European parties in order to benefit from European public funding destined to political activities. Non-partisan entities may seek European public funding destined to NGOs and citizen movements.

 

Amendment 89, Paragraph 17 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

 

17 a. solicită ridicarea interdicției fundațiilor politice în a finanța activități în timpul campaniilor electorale din statele membre întrucât rolul lor educațional și informativ nu poate fi restricționat prin limitarea acțiunii lor;

Political campaigns are crucial moments in the democratic life and subject to needed specific rules and exceptions. In particular, it is sensible to limit the role of political foundations, which is geared to informational and educational purposes, so as to avoid its use for partisan and electoral purpose which would undermine regulations placed on European parties during electoral campaigns.

 

Amendment 90, Paragraph 18

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

18. Insists that different categories of party membership be recognised, that the affiliation of members from candidate countries for accession to the Union, from the European Free Trade Association, from EU neighbourhood countries and from former Member States be allowed, and that European political parties and foundations be allowed to legally collect membership fees from them;

deleted

Since the main point of this paragraph seems to be to allow European political parties from receiving funding from national political parties outside of the European Union, this paragraph should be removed. The confines of the European Union must have a clear consequence on the membership of European political parties — be they natural or legal persons.

 

Amendment 92, Paragraph 18

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

18. Insists that different categories of party membership be recognised, that the affiliation of members from candidate countries for accession to the Union, from the European Free Trade Association, from EU neighbourhood countries and from former Member States be allowed, and that European political parties and foundations be allowed to legally collect membership fees from them;

18. Insists that different categories of party membership be recognised, that the affiliation of members from candidate countries for accession to the Union, from the European Free Trade Association, from Member States of the Council of Europe, from former Member States and countries in the European Neighbourhoud Policy be allowed, and that European political parties and foundations be allowed to legally collect membership fees from them;

The proposed amendment goes even further than the original paragraph in seeking to extend the number of non-EU countries in which political parties could make financial contributions to European political parties. The confines of the European Union must have clear consequences for the membership of European political parties. The original paragraph is therefore the lesser of two evils.

 

Amendment 93, Paragraph 18 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

 

18 a. Calls for the opening of individual membership of European political parties to all Union citizens to provide for amore inclusive representation of political parties active at the European level;

While individual membership is essential for European political parties and must clearly be strengthened and increased, European citizens are already allowed to be members of European political parties, according to Articles 2 and 3. The proposed amendment is therefore moot. A more constructive approach would be, on the one hand, to ensure that individual membership is required to come with rights within party instances (in order to ensure European parties’ internal democracy) and, on the other, to incentivise individual membership by providing a stream of public funding in proportion to parties’ number of individual members — as proposed by European Democracy Consulting in its ÖGFE publication.

 

Amendment 95, Paragraph 18 b (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

 

18 b. Considers that the total amount of donations European Political Parties receive should not exceed 20% of the amount they receive as contributions from national Member Parties with a view to limit a potential dependency on external donators;

Studies on political parties underline the importance of small private donations in order to create a tangible link between political parties and citizens and civil society. Given their extreme dependence on public funding and, within their private funding, on their member parties, the share of private donations (therefore, from non-members) should, on the opposite, be strongly increased. For instance, Germany requires that half of political parties’ funding come from private sources and its political parties are among the most trusted by citizens. Private donations should be encouraged via a system of matching fund, whereby every privately raised euro should be matched with a fixed amount of public funding. In order to avoid undue dependence on specific individual donors, however, a review of the Regulation should consider lowering the ceiling for donations and banning donations from legal persons.

 

Amendment 97, Paragraph 19

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

19. Proposes that the scope of the prohibition on cross-party membership be extended to the members of national and regional parliaments and assemblies;

19. Proposes that the scope of the prohibition on cross-party membership to more than one European political party be extended to all their members;

Should a review of the Regulation decide to prohibit multiple membership of European political parties, then this prohibition should apply to all members. At any rate, this prohibition should apply solely to individual membership and not to so-called indirect membership, deriving from national parties’ membership of European political parties, and which have no basis in Regulation 1141/2014.

 

Amendment 98, Paragraph 19 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

 

19 a. Recalls that Regulation No 1141/2014 requires member parties to display the logo, the political programme and the website link of their EU party of affiliation on their websites as a condition for accessing funds; is concerned that, according to the logos project1a, member parties overwhelmingly fail to properly implement the Regulations display requirement, as only 15% of member parties display the logo in a clear and user-friendly manner; proposes to enforce Article 18(2a) to display European parties’ logos alongside the logos of the national or regional party;

 

_________________

 

1a https://eudemocracy.eu/logos-project

European Democracy Consulting’s Logos Project highlights the lack of implementation of national party’s obligation to display the logo of their European party of affiliation in a clearly visible and user-friendly manner. This obligation should be made clearer, guidelines should be published to support national parties in implementing this requirement, and regular financial sanctions should apply (instead of the empty threat of withholding a European party’s funding).

 

Amendment 99, Paragraph 20

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

20. Supports the creation of further categories of revenue, in order to cover all sources of income of political parties rather than just contributions and donations;

20. Supports the creation of further categories of revenue, in order to cover all sources of income of political parties and political foundations rather than just contributions and donations, for example “other own ressources” which includes contributions from joint activities, conference fees, sales of publications, participation fees or similar circumstances and other activities;

European Democracy Consulting’s analysis of European political parties’ private income shows the need for European parties to drastically increase their income from private sources. A broadening of existing categories of revenue is a step in the right direction.

 

Amendment 100, Paragraph 20

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

20. Supports the creation of further categories of revenue, in order to cover all sources of income of political parties rather than just contributions and donations;

20. Supports the creation of further categories of revenue, in order to cover all sources of income of political parties rather than just contributions and donations such us creating a new category on other own resourceswhich includes other grants, contributions from joint activities, conference fees, sales of publications, participation fees or other economic activities directly linked to political action;

European Democracy Consulting’s analysis of European political parties’ private income shows the need for European parties to drastically increase their income from private sources. A broadening of existing categories of revenue is a step in the right direction.

 

Amendment 101, Paragraph 20

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

20. Supports the creation of further categories of revenue, in order to cover all sources of income of political parties rather than just contributions and donations;

20. Supports the creation of further categories of revenue, in order to cover all sources of income of political parties rather than just contributions and donations; this should in any case provide for the possibility for parties to generate income through publication sales, participation fees for conferences and workshops;

European Democracy Consulting’s analysis of European political parties’ private income shows the need for European parties to drastically increase their income from private sources. A broadening of existing categories of revenue is a step in the right direction.

 

Amendment 102, Paragraph 21

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

21. sostiene la riduzione del tasso di risorse proprie richiesto ai partiti politici al 5 % invece che al 10 %, onde allinearlo a quello applicabile alle fondazioni;

soppresso

European political parties has only extremely tenuous ties to European citizens and civil society. Further decreasing the co-financing rate is yet another decrease in a process that has failed to provide any financial stability for European parties, and failed to create ties with citizens. By constrast, European parties should increase their private income and the Regulation should increase their requested share of own resources, reversing the decision made in 2018. This increase should continue progressively over the next decade.

 

Amendment 104, Paragraph 22

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

22. chiede l’abolizione dell’obbligo per i partiti politici europei e le fondazioni politiche europee di presentare i loro rendiconti finanziari annuali conformemente ai principi internazionali d’informativa finanziaria, oltre che ai principi contabili generalmente accettati;

soppresso

The current obligation of dual reporting exerts an undue administrative burden on European political parties and the IFRS are not suited for their activities. Abolishing this requirement will be beneficial for European parties without beind detrimental to the necessary transparency of European parties’ accounts and use of public funds.

 

Amendment 105, Paragraph 22 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

 

22 a. solicită ca partidele politice europene și fundațiile politice europene să poată dezvolta filiale și rețele de membri în statele membre finanțate direct din resursele europene;

Beyond their ties to their national member parties, European political parties should be able to expand within Member States and create their own national, regional and local offices as they see fit, as a way to better with and engage European citizens.

 

Amendment 106, Paragraph 23

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

23. Proposes that the expenditure of European political parties and foundations be subject to a self-control mechanism, accompanied by an internal audit system, and subject to oversight by an external auditor and the European Court of Auditors and to public oversight;

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While political parties of all kind are strongly encouraged to exercise an internal review and control of their accounts, the exigence of transparency and good use of public funds requires a strict contol of European parties’ expenses which is not compatible with a self-control mechanism merely under the oversight of an external auditor. Too many cases of fraud illustrate the importance of a close monitoring of parties’ accounts.

 

Amendment 109, Paragraph 24

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

24. Is in favour of increasing the transparency of the financing of European political parties and foundations by creating an obligation for the European Parliament to publish the annual financial statements it receives;

24. Is in favour of increasing the transparency of the financing of European political parties and foundations by creating an obligation for the European Parliament to publish the annual financial statements it receives, including the value of each member party contribution listed separately and tied to the member party that provided it ;

While Article 32 is not clear in its wording, the APPF has taken and applied the view that only donations (above a given threshold) should be listed individually with the name of the donor. With regards to contributions from legal persons, the names of donors are provided but only the total amount of all contributions is indicated. The text of Article 32 should be clarified in order for the APPF to report each contribution individually alongside the name of the donor.

 

Amendment 110, Paragraph 24 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

 

24 a. Underlines that the information covering the registration and financial situation of European political parties and foundations should, to the greatest extent possible, be made publicly available in a user-friendly, complete and updated manner;

As part of necessary measures of transparency, information on European political parties’ registration and financial situation should not only be published, but also made available in a open, machine-readable and user-friendly format, including the use of graphs and other visual display of information. Data should be reguarly update and easily exportable. The criterion of visibility and user-friendliness must be assessed from the perspective of non-technical citizens.

 

Amendment 112, Paragraph 24 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

 

24 a. Is of the opinion that the information published by the European Parliament and the Authority should be presented in open and machine-readable formats in a user-friendly manner;

As part of necessary measures of transparency, information on European political parties’ registration and financial situation should not only be published, but also made available in a open, machine-readable and user-friendly format, including the use of graphs and other visual display of information. Data should be reguarly update and easily exportable. The criterion of visibility and user-friendliness must be assessed from the perspective of non-technical citizens.

 

Amendment 113, Paragraph 25

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

25. este de părere că introducerea unei obligații generale de a raporta public cu privire la orice donație primită, indiferent de valoarea acesteia, ar face ca orice influență externă asupra partidelor politice europene să fie mai transparentă;

eliminat

Financial transparency and the public visibility of financial information are powerful tools to limit and prevent fraud. While parties are already required to report all their donations, regardless of their amount, it is the publication of these donations that is limited by Article 32. A general obligation to report publicaly all donations would contribute to financial transparency and the original paragraph should remain.

 

Amendment 114, Paragraph 25

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

25. Is of the opinion that the introduction of a general obligation to report publicly on any donation received regardless of its value would make any external influences on European political parties more transparent;

25. Is of the opinion that strengthened scrutiny by the Authority of reported aggregate donations over 3000 would make substantial / significant external influences on European political parties more transparent; the Authority should focus such scrutiny to cases where it observes significant and sudden increases in the aggregate number of small donations;

Financial transparency and the public visibility of financial information are powerful tools to limit and prevent fraud. At present, by far the vast majority of donations received by European political parties fall under the threshold of €3,000; should the APPF need to focus its attention on a particular bracket, it should therefore be on donations under €3,000.

 

Amendment 115, Paragraph 25

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

25. Is of the opinion that the introduction of a general obligation to report publicly on any donation received regardless of its value would make any external influences on European political parties more transparent;

25. Is of the opinion that strengthened scrutiny by the Authority of reported aggregate donations under 500 Euros would make any external influences on European political parties more transparent; the Authority should focus such scrutiny to cases where it observes significant and sudden increases in the aggregate number of small donations;

Financial transparency and the public visibility of financial information are powerful tools to limit and prevent fraud. At present, by far the vast majority of donations received by European political parties fall under the threshold of €3,000; should the APPF need to focus its attention on a particular bracket, it should therefore be on donations under €3,000. From published information, it remains impossible at present to assess how much of these minor donations are below €500; more information would provide greater financial transparency.

 

Amendment 116, Paragraph 25

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

25. Is of the opinion that the introduction of a general obligation to report publicly on any donation received regardless of its value would make any external influences on European political parties more transparent;

25. Is of the opinion that the introduction of a general obligation to report publicly on any donation received over an agreed threshold value would make any external influences on European political parties more transparent;

Financial transparency and the public visibility of financial information are powerful tools to limit and prevent fraud. While parties are already required to report all their donations, regardless of their amount, it is the publication of these donations that is limited by Article 32. A general obligation to report publicaly all donations, regardless of their value, would contribute to financial transparency and the original paragraph should remain.

 

Amendment 117, Paragraph 25 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

 

25 a. Is in favour of introducing a prohibition of donations from legal persons;

Given the risk that European political parties may find themselves under the undue influence of private interests, and given European parties’ current situation of seeking private donations in order to meet their co-financing requirement, it would be prudent to ban donations from legal persons. While interesting at first glance, the idea to ban donations only from for-profit legal persons can too easily be circumvented.

 

Amendment 118, Paragraph 25 b (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

 

25 b. Suggests that donors should be obliged to cooperate with the authority; proposes to establish an obligation for donors to sign a declaration on the origin of the donation;

The powers of the APPF in terms of control and sanctioning are far too limited. In order to better address fraud, best practice from national institutions should be analysed. In particular, the APPF should be able to command the cooperation of donors and receive relevant information from them on their donations.

 

Amendment 120, Paragraph 26

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

26. Is, moreover, of the opinion that in order to strengthen the transparency of funding, donations by the same donor to a European political party, its national member parties and their regional substructures should be considered to be a single donation and subject to publication by the European political party;

deleted

In a context where national political parties control political life in the Member States, as well as European elections, and have far more power and influence than European parties, the proposal to consider donations to European political parties and to their member parties as singles donations will most likely see donor favour their donations to national political parties and limit or terminate their donations to European parties. Furthermore, since the co-legislators have decided to keep European political parties and their national members as strictly separate entities, it is sensible to consider that a donation to one, from the point of view of a citizen’s right to support political actions, does not equate a donation to the other. The original provision should therefore be deleted.

 

Amendment 121, Paragraph 26

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

26. Is, moreover, of the opinion that in order to strengthen the transparency of funding, donations by the same donor to a European political party, its national member parties and their regional substructures should be considered to be a single donation and subject to publication by the European political party;

26. Is, moreover, of the opinion that in order to strengthen the transparency of funding, donations by the same donor to a European political party, its national member parties and their regional substructures should be subject to publication by the Authority;

In a context where national political parties control political life in the Member States, as well as European elections, and have far more power and influence than European parties, the proposal to consider donations to European political parties and to their member parties as singles donations will most likely see donor favour their donations to national political parties and limit or terminate their donations to European parties. Furthermore, since the co-legislators have decided to keep European political parties and their national members as strictly separate entities, it is sensible to consider that a donation to one, from the point of view of a citizen’s right to support political actions, does not equate a donation to the other. The original provision should therefore be deleted.

 

Amendment 122, Paragraph 26

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

26. Is, moreover, of the opinion that in order to strengthen the transparency of funding, donations by the same donor to a European political party, its national member parties and their regional substructures should be considered to be a single donation and subject to publication by the European political party;

26. Is, moreover, of the opinion that in order to strengthen the transparency of funding, donations by the same donor to a European political party, its national member parties and their regional substructures should be considered to be a single donation and subject to publication by the European political party; the reporting threshold a single donation could be set at 10 000 ;

In a context where national political parties control political life in the Member States, as well as European elections, and have far more power and influence than European parties, the proposal to consider donations to European political parties and to their member parties as singles donations will most likely see donor favour their donations to national political parties and limit or terminate their donations to European parties. Furthermore, since the co-legislators have decided to keep European political parties and their national members as strictly separate entities, it is sensible to consider that a donation to one, from the point of view of a citizen’s right to support political actions, does not equate a donation to the other. The original provision should therefore be deleted.

 

Amendment 123, Paragraph 26 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

 

26 a. Is furthermore of the opinion that suitable instruments must be in place by the financial year 2027 at the latest to ensure that donations are not made to legally independent entities which are part of the same European political party in order to circumvent transparency rules, which in their entirety would otherwise exceed the transparency limits;

As indicated above, donations to European political parties and to national parties should remain separate. More productive ways to avoid the circumvention of transparency rules would be either to ensure that the APPF reports information on donations received by member parties of European political parties, or to progressively integrate national party systems in the European party system.

 

Amendment 124, Paragraph 26 b (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

 

26 b. Advocates to ensure that, by the calendar year 2027, any donation made by a donor to a European political party is equal under tax law as donations made to national political parties at the donor´s respective place of residence;

Given the nature of European political parties as EU-wide entities, and owing to the importance for European citizens to receive equal treatment, any fiscal advantage receive by a European citizen when donating to a European party should also be received by another in a different Member State. As such, any tax advantage applied to donations to European political parties should apply equally to all Member States.

 

Amendment 125, Paragraph 27

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

27. Supports the idea of increasing the importance of the own resources of European political parties when calculating the amount financed by the Union;

deleted

Political parties with a more balanced share of their income derived from private sources, in particular small donations from citizens, tend to be more closely connected to and more trusted by citizens. It is threfore important to increase the share of European parties’ own resources in relation to the European public funding they receive. The original paragraph should therefore remain.

 

Amendment 128, Paragraph 27 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

 

27 a. Proposes to change the award criteria and distribution of funding by distributing 15 % of the funds in equal shares among the beneficiary European political parties, in order to promote political pluralism and safeguard operational capacity;

The 2018 revision of Regulation 1141/2014 decreases the share of the lump sum from 15% to 10% of the total envelope available to European parties. This decrease has worsened the situation of smaller European parties and further prevented the creation of a level playing field essential to a healthy political competition and to political pluralism. It would be useful for political pluralism to increase this rate back to 15% or even bring it to 20%.

 

Amendment 129, Paragraph 28

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

28. Proposes that the distribution of Union funds be based on the number of votes received by the European political parties in the last European elections, while ensuring that any significant reduction in the allocations to which a European political party is entitled in the run-up to the 2024 elections resulting from the introduction of such a system are fully taken into account and addressed;

deleted

While the necessity to take into account changes in the amounts received by European parties (read, indemnify European parties) is far from clear from the point of view of a fair distribution, the current distribution system, relying on European parties’ number of elected MEPs instead of on the votes they have received, has been particularly detrimental to European parties comprising a number of small national member parties, who are more likely not to meet the electoral threshold of their Member State. Basing funding on votes would be a strong improvement in the fairness of this distribution. It would also provide more financial stability between elections and remove MEPs’ current bargaining chip of bringing public money with them should they decide to change party.

 

Amendment 132, Paragraph 30

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

30. Is of the opinion that the rules on eligibility of expenditure are too narrow and that European political parties should be allowed to finance any activity which contributes to increasing European political awareness and giving expression to the will of Union citizens;

deleted

The current definition of reimbursable expenses contributes to legal uncertainty as to which expenses are actually reimbursable. A significant improvement would be to move to a negative list, whereby all expenses would by default be reimbursable, except for an explicit list of specified expenses.

 

Amendment 135, Paragraph 30

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

30. Is of the opinion that the rules on eligibility of expenditure are too narrow and that European political parties should be allowed to finance any activity which contributes to increasing European political awareness and giving expression to the will of Union citizens;

30. Is of the opinion that the rules on eligibility of expenditure are too narrow and that European political parties should be allowed to finance any activity that is not only organised as an internal event but open to the general public which contributes to increasing European political awareness and giving expression to the will of Union citizens;

The current definition of reimbursable expenses contributes to legal uncertainty as to which expenses are actually reimbursable. However, the proposed amendment narrows the scope of the original proposal and therefore should be removed.

 

Amendment 137, Paragraph 31

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

31. Proposes that a genuine European legal status and a European legal personality for European political parties and foundations be established by setting minimum conditions for the structure and functioning of European political parties and foundations while at the same time rendering them more independent from national law;

deleted

As EU-wide entities, European political parties should not be subject to regulations of a specific Member State; instead, and in order to be equal before the law, European political parties should benefit from an EU-level status, either dedicated to European political parties or shared with other European non-profit organisations with additional rules as relevant.

 

Amendment 138, Paragraph 31 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

 

31 a. Stresses, in particular, the need to include measures to ensure that European political parties are not classified as foreign legal entities under national law from Member States;

While European citizens would benefit from a more integrated party system across the EU, at the very least, European political parties should not considered the same way as the national political parties of third countries.

 

Amendment 139, Paragraph 31 b (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

 

31 b. Proposes to add the possibility to register political alliances by submitting a minimum number of signatures from at least one quarter of the Member States and with member parties in at least one quarter of the Member States; proposes to establish the minimum number of signatures required in each Member States on the basis of its population;

The overly demanding registration criteria imposed by Article 3 are among the most important roadblocks for the creation of an open and healthy system of political parties at the European level. They are in complete disconnect with the stated goal of European parties in the Treaty on European Union and not supported by any practice at the national level in Member States. Political alliance present in more than one or two Member States should be able to register as European political parties by attesting of a given number of members based on the population of the Member States where the political alliance is present.

 

Amendment 140, Paragraph 32

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

32. Insists that the national member parties of European political parties must have a democratic structure and respect the fundamental values of the Union;

deleted

Democracy cannot be curtailed to this of that administrative level. If European political parties are to be internally democratic and respect EU values, then their own member parties should be internally democratic and respect EU values.

 

Amendment 141, Paragraph 32

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

32. Insists that the national member parties of European political parties must have a democratic structure and respect the fundamental values of the Union;

32. Insists that the European political parties and their members must have a democratic structure and respect the values on which the Union is founded;

Democracy cannot be curtailed to this of that administrative level. If European political parties are to be internally democratic and respect EU values, then their own member parties should be internally democratic and respect EU values.

 

Amendment 142, Paragraph 32

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

32. Insists that the national member parties of European political parties must have a democratic structure and respect the fundamental values of the Union;

32. Insists that the national member parties of European political parties must have a democratic structure in line with Article 10 TEU, and by complying with Articles 8, 18 and 19 TFEU, as well as Article 21 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, by ensuring transparent decision-making processes and respect the shared fundamental values of the Union as well as by respecting gender balance in their directive bodies; a confirmation of the adherence to and active support of the shared fundamental values of the Unions hall be requested in written form before accepting the Membership in a European political party;

Democracy cannot be curtailed to this of that administrative level. If European political parties are to be internally democratic and respect EU values, then their own member parties should be internally democratic and respect EU values.

 

Amendment 144, Paragraph 32

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

32. Insists that the national member parties of European political parties must have a democratic structure and respect the fundamental values of the Union;

32. Insists that the national member parties of European political parties must have a democratic structure and respect the fundamental values of the Union and must observe democratic procedures and transparency in selecting their party leaders and candidates for elections and as well a democratic vote for the adoption of their internal rules and political programme;

Democracy cannot be curtailed to this of that administrative level. If European political parties are to be internally democratic and respect EU values, then their own member parties should be internally democratic and respect EU values.

 

Amendment 145, Paragraph 32 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

 

32 a. Urges the European Commission to review Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1141/2014 with a view to update rules for registration, financing, political and electoral campaigning and membership in order to make European political parties the mouthpiece for citizens in European politics and policy-making and to bring European citizens closer to European decision-making;

Given the damaging shortcoming identified as results from the current rules on registration, financing, campaigning and membership for European political parties, the European Commission should actively seek to remedy the related deficiencies in Regulation 1141/2014.

 

Amendment 146, Paragraph 32 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

 

32 a. Suggests that the criteria of visibility of European Partiessymbols or logos should be enhanced and made more binding in the purpose of supporting the function of EU parties as highlighted in article 10 TEU;

European Democracy Consulting’s Logos Project highlights the lack of implementation of national party’s obligation to display the logo of their European party of affiliation in a clearly visible and user-friendly manner. This obligation should be made clearer, guidelines should be published to support national parties in implementing this requirement, and regular financial sanctions should apply (instead of the empty threat of withholding a European party’s funding).

 

Amendment 148, Paragraph 32 b (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

 

32 b. Calls in particular for the review of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1141/2014 to ease registration conditions under Article 3 and open membership to all EU citizens in order to provide for a more inclusive representation of political parties active at the European level;

While European citizens are already legally allowed to become members of European political parties, it remains essential to ease the criteria for registration found in Article 3, especially that of geographical representation.

 

Amendment 150, Paragraph 33

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

33. Is of the opinion that the hybrid status of the Authority should be clarified;

33. Is of the opinion that the hybrid status of the Authority should be clarified similar to the institutional set-up of the European ombudsman;

The APPF is currently overly dependent on the European Parliament, which provides most of its funding, hosts its website, and shares a number of its attributions with regards to the control of European political parties. The APPF should be made independent from other institutions, in particular from one as partisan in nature as the European Parliament.

 

Amendment 152, Paragraph 33

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

33. Is of the opinion that the hybrid status of the Authority should be clarified;

33. Is of the opinion that the hybrid status of the Authority should be clarified and a possibility to appeal the Authority´s decisions should be provided: given that under the current regulation, the only way of appealing is before the Court of Justice of the European Union;

Given the importance of some of the APPF’s decision, such as the de-registration of a political party, clear and rapid appeals mechanism should be in place for its decisions.

 

Amendment 153, Paragraph 33

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

33. Is of the opinion that the hybrid status of the Authority should be clarified;

33. Is of the opinion that the role and functions of the Authority should be clarified and a possibility for an administrative appeal to the Authoritys decisions should be provided;

Given the importance of some of the APPF’s decision, such as the de-registration of a political party, clear and rapid appeals mechanism should be in place for its decisions.

 

Amendment 154, Paragraph 34 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

 

34 a. solicită includerea automată a siglei partidelor politice europene, raportată la partidele membre naționale, pe buletinele de vot din statele membre cu ocazia alegerilor europene;

In order to strengthen European citizens’ understanding of the parties they vote for during European elections, the logos of European parties should feature prominently, if not exclusively, on the ballots used for European elections. Furthermore, these elections should be organised by a European electoral commission operating in the Member States.

 

Amendment 156, Paragraph 35 a (new)

Motion for a resolution

Amendment

 

35 a. Considers that it is necessary to give coherence to the financing rules of European political parties and their foundations in the framework of the pan-European constituency’s campaign at the European Parliament elections;

Should there be a pan-European constituency, it should be accounted for in the Regulation on European political parties.