RESOLUTION A3-0381/92

Resolution on the draft uniform electoral procedure for the election of Members of the European Parliament

The European Parliament,

-having regard to Article 138(3) of the EEC Treaty, which requires the European Parliament to draw up proposals for its election by direct universal suffrage in accordance with a uniform procedure in all Member States,

-having regard to the new provisions inserted in Article 138(3) by the Treaty on European Union, which stipulate that the Council shall act unanimously only after obtaining the assent of the European Parliament,

-having regard to its resolution of 10 October 1991 on the European Parliament's guidelines for the draft uniform electoral procedure,

-having regard to its resolution of 10 June 1992 on a uniform electoral procedure: a scheme for allocating the seats of Members of the European Parliament,

-having regard to Rule 121 of its Rules of Procedure,

-having regard to the report of the Committee on Institutional Affairs (A3-0381/92),

A.having regard to the inclusion of the subsidiarity principle in the Treaty on European Union,

B.whereas it has a duty to draw up a proposal for a uniform electoral system, harmonizing the fundamentals of that system,

C.whereas this objective can be attained gradually; whereas Member States therefore have the option of altering their systems in stages to bring them into line with the model selected,

1.Confirms the guidelines laid down in its above-mentioned resolution of 10 October 1991, noting that Members of the European Parliament should be elected in accordance with a uniform electoral procedure based on the principle of proportional representation;

2.Affirms that Member States must also grant voting rights in European elections to citizens of third countries to whom they have also granted such rights in national elections;

3.Adopts the following principles, in accordance with Article 138(3) of the EEC Treaty:

(a)the distribution of seats for the election of Members of the European Parliament shall be determined in accordance with a system of proportional representation, taking account of the votes cast throughout the territory of the Member State;

(b)voting shall be based on lists drawn up either for the whole territory of a Member State or for regions or multi-member constituencies;

(c)if a Member State uses a single-member constituency system, not more than two-thirds of the seats assigned to this Member State may be distributed in these constituencies; the remainder of the seats assigned to the Member State concerned shall be distributed by means of lists in such a way as to ensure that the distribution of all the seats of this Member State corresponds to the proportions of the total votes cast;

(d)the Member States may provide for one or more preferential votes to be cast where elections are based on lists;

(e)the Member States may institute a minimum threshold for the distribution of seats, which shall be set at between 3 and 5% of the votes cast;

(f)the Member States may make limited special arrangements in order to take account of regional features; these arrangements must not violate the principle of proportional representation;

4.Adjures the Council to adopt a uniform electoral procedure in line with Parliament's proposal within a time-scale which will enable it to be followed for the 1984 European elections;

5.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the parliaments and governments of the Member States.