A4-0205/98

Resolution on the second Commission report on citizenship of the Union (COM(97)0230 - C4-0291/97)

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the second Commission report (COM(97)0230 - C4-0291/97),

- having regard to the motion for a resolution by Mrs Muscardini on the safeguarding of privacy (B4-0816/97),

- having regard to the report from the Commission on the application of Directive 93/109/EC - voting rights of EU citizens living in a Member State of which they are not nationals in European Parliament elections (COM(97)0731),

- having regard to the communication from the Commission - An action plan for free movement of workers (COM(97)0586),

- having regard to the Green Paper on supplementary pensions in the single market (COM(97)0283),

- having regard to the proposal for a Council Directive on safeguarding the supplementary pension rights of employed and self-employed persons moving within the European Union (COM(97)0486),

- having regard to the proposal for a Council Directive on the rights of third-country nationals to travel in the Community (COM(95)0346),

- having regard to the proposal for a Directive on the elimination of controls on persons crossing internal frontiers (COM(95)0347) and the proposal for a Directive amending Council Directive 68/360/EEC of 15 October 1968 on the abolition of restrictions on movement and residence within the Community for workers of Member States and their families,

- having regard to Council Directive 73/148/EEC of 21 May 1973 on the abolition of restrictions on movement and residence within the Community for nationals of Member States with regard to establishment and the provision of services ((OJ L 172, 28.6.1973, p. 14.)),

- having regard to the report by the High Level Panel on the free movement of persons chaired by Mrs Simone Veil (C4-0181/97),

- having regard to the report of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Citizens¨ Rights and the opinions of the Committee on Institutional Affairs, the Committee on Civil Liberties and Internal Affairs and the Committee on Petitions (A4-0205/98),

A. whereas Union citizenship is by its nature a dynamic institution, a key to the process of European integration, and expected gradually to supplement and extend the rights conferred by nationality of a Member State, while not replacing national citizenship,

B. whereas European citizenship constitutes, for the citizen, the guarantee of belonging to a political community under the rule of law,

C. whereas Union citizenship and its associated rights must make an indispensable contribution to a greater European awareness among citizens and a greater consciousness of living, working and moving freely in one large European economic and political region without internal frontiers,

D. whereas the active political participation of citizens in European integration must be encouraged,

E. whereas citizens¨ support for European integration is achieved, inter alia, by means of practical measures on the part of the Union, in particular in the spheres of economic and social policy and environmental protection,

F. whereas this support depends on a proper information policy on the aims of the Union, the means of achieving them and the powers and workings of the Union institutions,

G. whereas the European consciousness of citizens could be strengthened by promoting symbols of belonging to the European Union, including the introduction of a European public holiday, by providing thorough teaching of European history and culture in all the Member States and by the European voluntary service,

1. Calls on the Member States to initiate without delay the preparatory work referred to in the Protocol to the Amsterdam Treaty integrating the Schengen acquis into the framework of the European Union;

2. Points out that the free movement of Union citizens within the territory of the Union can be guaranteed only by abolishing all controls at internal borders and calls on the Council to adopt the proposals for directives drawn up for this purpose which are still pending;

3. Calls on the Commission to submit, as soon as possible, a legislative proposal abolishing the present inequalities regarding residence in the Member States and properly guaranteeing freedom of movement for Union citizens;

4. Calls on the Commission to recast the legislative instruments concerning freedom of movement and the right of residence;

5. Calls on the Member States to initiate negotiations aimed at a certain harmonization of the educational systems in the various Member States, in particular as regards the level of the syllabus taught and its distribution over each school year, in order to facilitate the mobility of Union citizens who have children of school age;

6. Calls on the Member States to facilitate the free establishment of Community citizens by simplifying the recognition of their diplomas and vocational training certificates;

7. Calls on the Commission to take the necessary steps without delay to remove any impediment to the mobility of young people within the European Union, in addition to the current provisions on the mutual recognition of diplomas; insists in particular on the need for school-leaving certificates and vocational training certificates and diplomas to be recognized as equivalent in the Member States;

8. Hopes that the proposal for a directive on safeguarding the supplementary pension rights of employed and self-employed persons moving within the European Union will be adopted as soon as possible, in order to remove any obstacles to the mobility of workers within the European Union arising from problems relating to supplementary pension rights;

9. Calls on the Commission to continue with the infringement proceedings already initiated and, if necessary, to bring others against Member States which have not transposed the directives on freedom of movement and right of residence;

10. Calls on the Commission to provide further information about the incorrect administrative practices on the part of certain Member States referred to in its second report on citizenship of the Union;

11. Urges the Commission to remain vigilant in monitoring the transposition of Directive 94/80/EC concerning municipal elections in all the Member States and calls on Belgium to adopt the national legal provisions transposing this Directive as soon as possible;

12. Calls on the Commission to uphold, in particular in Community courts, the direct applicability of Article 8a of the EC Treaty, to enable citizens to invoke it before national courts, if their right to move freely within the Union is infringed;

13. Calls on the Member States and the Community institutions to decide on the practicalities of providing the European electorate with full information on their rights to vote and stand as candidates in European elections;

14. Requests the Member States and the Community institutions particularly to ensure that the rights to vote and stand as a candidate in elections to the European Parliament are recognized and can be exercized by all citizens who in accordance with Article 8 hold the nationality of a Member State and reside in the European Union;

15. Calls on the Member States to set as the deadline for submitting applications to be entered on the electoral roll for the European elections in June 1999 a date which is not unreasonably long before the date of the election itself;

16. Calls on political parties to accept more Union citizens who are not nationals of the country concerned as party members and candidates on electoral lists in a favourable position, and to encourage them to take part in political life in their country of residence;

17. Points out that no distinction may be made between the exercise of European and local voting rights, and both rights must be exercised in the same manner and following the same procedure;

18. Considers it essential to provide citizens with more information about the role of the Ombudsman and the right to petition the European Parliament;

19. Calls on the Union institutions to learn from the criticisms levelled against them by the European Ombudsman, while the Ombudsman¨s work should be further strengthened by expanding national legal advice centres;

20. Welcomes the success of the 'Citizens of Europe¨ initiative and calls on the Commission to make preparations for introducing a mechanism for permanent dialogue, whilst broadening the range of topics dealt with and examining the most effective ways of disseminating information concerning the rights available to citizens, for which DG X¨s existing structures in the visitor service must be expanded;

21. Notes that the right to consular and diplomatic protection is still at a theoretical stage and in this context recommends that the Member States should work on a common minimum definition of the protection which any Union citizen may expect from any consular or diplomatic representation of a Member State;

22. Notes that it is clearly urgent to establish legal protection at European Union level against violations of data security, personal freedom and integrity as a result of the misuse of printed and electronic mass media;

23. Proposes that the feeling of belonging to the European Union should be strengthened through the introduction of a European public holiday to celebrate Europe;

24. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission and, for information, to the Council and the parliaments of the Member States.