The European Parliament’s Committee on Constitutional Affairs is proposing several measures to make it as easy for the 11 million mobile EU citizens to participate in European elections as it is for nationals of their host country, in a draft ‘Boeselager’ report it adopted on Thursday 1 December (see EUROPE 13010/11).
MEPs advocate making it possible to register to vote as soon as a mobile citizen arrives in the host Member State. The participation of vulnerable people (disabled, older persons) should also be facilitated. Member States are also invited to consider the introduction of postal, advance or online voting.
“We succeeded in making sure that information is available in as many Union languages as possible and that civil society has an important role to play in raising awareness”, said Damian Boeselager (Greens/EFA, German), rapporteur on the dossier, in a statement.
The parliamentary committee also calls for the abolition of derogations allowing a Member State to restrict the voting rights of mobile EU citizens, especially when their share exceeds 20% of the total voting age population, as in Luxembourg.
The draft report for opinion could be endorsed at the December Parliament plenary session. Unanimity is required in the EU Council on this issue. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)