A3-0158/94

Resolution on the deliberations of the Committee on Petitions during the 1993-1994 parliamentary year

The European Parliament,

-having regard to Rule 157(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

-having regard to its previous resolutions on petitions, in particular the resolution adopted on 25 June 1993 on the work of the Committee on Petitions during the parliamentary year 1992-1993,

-having regard to Articles 8d and 138d of the Treaty establishing the European Community and Rules 156-158 of Parliament's Rules of Procedure,

-having regard to its resolution of 17 November 1993 and its decision of 9 March 1994 setting out the rules and general conditions relating to the duties of the ombudsman,

-having regard to the report of the Committee on Petitions (A3-0158/94),

A.whereas the right to petition the European Parliament, which has been formally embodied in the Treaties, is henceforth an integral feature of Union citizenship,

B.whereas the number of petitions and the number of persons petitioning the European Parliament is increasing, while the range of issues raised is becoming correspondingly wider,

C.whereas, since the right of petition has been embodied in the Community Treaties, Parliament and the Community as a whole must consider thoroughly problems raised in petitions,

D.whereas many petitioners are disappointed at the time taken to consider and process their petitions,

E.whereas, through the petitions procedure, Parliament is able to establish increasingly close relations with the citizens it represents, for whom petitions are a channel of direct involvement with the activity of the Community, which affects their everyday lives, and whereas Parliament is thus better able to supervise the functioning of the Community,

1.Stresses the importance of petitions for the work of the European Parliament, since they provide it with a picture of the concerns and needs of individual citizens, highlight weaknesses in legislation or administrative action and reflect public opinion on current political issues;

2.Undertakes to provide an appropriate response as rapidly as possible to petitions, that is to say to all complaints, requests for an opinion, demands for action, reactions to Parliament resolutions or decisions by other Community institutions or bodies forwarded to it by individuals and associations;

3.Instructs the Bureau and the Conference of Presidents, yet again, to adopt the measures required to provide the Committee on Petitions with the staff it needs to deal with petitions adequately, rapidly and effectively;

4.Instructs all committees and delegations of Parliament to examine petitions referred to them by the Committee on Petitions and give political answers to the demands they contain;

5.Urges the Commission to consider petitions referred to it as rapidly as possible and forward information promptly to the Committee on Petitions so that petitions are not overtaken by events, and reminds Member States of their duty to forward promptly to the Commission comprehensive information concerning the substance of petitions;

6.Urges the Commission to initiate proceedings without delay under Article 169 of the EC Treaty in response to any infringement of Community law by Member States and, if appropriate, to bring the matter before the European Court of Justice;

7.Calls on the Commission to review the Council directive on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment and its annex in order to make it more effective:

(a)to specify periods of time between consideration and realization of projects,

(b)to include the enlargement or extension of major projects in the annex,

(c)to lay down sanctions for non-compliance;

8.Points out that the Community institutions and bodies will be obliged to forward information and documentation requested by the ombudsman appointed by, and politically accountable to, the European Parliament, except where justified reasons for secrecy exist; calls therefore on the other institutions, in particular the Commission, no longer to baulk at providing the Committee on Petitions with the same non-secret documents and information that the Commission is required to forward to the ombudsman;

9.Takes the view that the Committee on Petitions and the ombudsman, who is responsible for considering complaints in accordance with the Treaties and the rules governing his powers finally established by the European Parliament at its sitting of 9 March 1994, together constitute an effective mechanism for defending the citizens' interests vis-à-vis the Community and will thus contribute to improving the democratic functioning of the Community; the arrangements for referrals to the ombudsman and the procedures and rules governing the latter's powers should be established immediately pursuant to Rule 161(1) of the Rules of Procedure;

10.Instructs its President to forward this resolution and the report by its committee to the Commission, the Council, and the governments, parliaments, parliamentary petitions committees and Ombudsmen of the Member States.