Brussels, 16/03/2011 (Agence Europe) - Members of the constitutional affairs committee at the European Parliament have called for political parties and foundations to be given a legal status that allows them to acquire a legal personality based on Community law, rather than that of the state in which they have been set up or are recognised. On Tuesday 15 March, MEPs adopted the report by Marietta Giannakou (EPP, Greece) on the functioning of the existing rule on European political parties. MEPs also advocated greater flexibility in the funding field.
The 13 European political parties that benefit from EU funding are currently registered as non-governmental organisations in Belgium. The others are based in other member states. MEPs consider that it is necessary to set up a common legal and financial status, based on EU law on European political parties. MEPs also explained that that an authentic legal status and a legal personality would “enable the European political parties and their political foundations to act as representative agents of the European public interest”. They are therefore calling on the Commission to propose a draft statute.
Funding and referendum campaigns. The constitutional affairs committee recommends several reforms to the rules on the funding of political parties. Currently, EU funding can cover 85% of the expenditure of the party, which must therefore find the remaining 15% itself. MEPs believe that this 15% “could be reduced to 10%”. They also suggest raising the ceiling for donations from €12,000 to €25,000 per year per donor, and they propose that the names of donors be made known. A distinction is made between granting a party recognition as a European political party and giving it funding. MEPs believe that to receive EU funding, the party should have at least one member in the European Parliament. They also suggest that European level parties be allowed to take part in referendum campaigns, as long as the subject “has a direct link with issues concerning the European Union”. Current regulation forbids this. The plenary vote on the report by Marietta Giannakou is expected to take place during the 4-7 April session. (L.C./transl.fl)