Brussels, 28/03/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 27 March, the European Commission published two reports on the European elections. Two months ahead of voting day, the Commission startes in a press release that it has examined how member states and the European Parliament have followed its recommendations to make the European elections “more democratic”. The second report looks at its “citizen's debates” organised throughout Europe over the past few months.
In the first report, the Commission looks at how its crucial recommendation of inviting European political parties to nominate their candidates for president of the European Commission has been implemented (six candidates have been nominated). It also looks at the recommendations on increasing information for citizens about how national political parties are aligned with European parties, and boosting the right to vote and stand in the European elections in one's country of residence. On the latter point, the Commission says that it is happy that all member states apart from the Czech Republic have rapidly transposed the relevant directive (Directive 2013/1/EU). All the member states bar the Czech Republic have notified the Commission of their transposition details.
The Commission's suggestions that member states set the same date for the European elections across the EU and that political parties indicate on voting forms which European party they are connected with have not been as closely followed. For the latter suggestion, this is due to the fact that electoral laws in a number of countries do not allow the name or logo of European political parties to appear on voting forms. The only countries where the logo of European parties can be used are Austria, Slovenia, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain and Ireland.
In the second report, the Commission examines 50 citizens' dialogues across the EU, which were attended by 22 European Commissioners. Some 16,000 citizens attended and more than 105,000 people followed them online, says the Commission. (SP)