COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Preparing for the 2014 European elections: further enhancing their democratic and efficient conduct
Date: 2013-03-12
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: European Parliament, European citizenship, European election, President of the Commission, participatory democracy, right to vote, turnout of voters

EUROPEAN 
COMMISSION 

Strasbourg, 12.3.2013  
COM(2013) 126 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

Preparing for the 2014 European elections: further enhancing their democratic and 
efficient conduct 

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COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

Preparing for the 2014 European elections: further enhancing their democratic and 
efficient conduct 

1. 

INTRODUCTION 

The 2014 European elections will be the first since the Lisbon Treaty entered into force. They 
will be all the more important as the European Union is taking major steps towards genuine 
Economic and Monetary Union, of which democratic legitimacy is a cornerstone. 

The Lisbon Treaty has strengthened the democratic foundations of the Union. It enhances the 
role  of  the  EU  citizen  as  a  political  actor  in  the  EU1  by  establishing  a  solid  link  between 
citizens, the exercise of their political rights and the democratic life of the Union2. The role of 
the  European  Parliament  as  the  representative  democratic  assembly  of  the  Union  has  been 
underscored  by  the  Lisbon  Treaty.  In  addition,  by  introducing  the  citizens’  initiative,  the 
Lisbon Treaty enables EU citizens to participate more directly and fully in the democratic life 
of the Union3. 

The  European  Commission  is  committed  to  fully  exploiting  existing  Lisbon  provisions  to 
further enhance transparency and the European dimension of the European elections, thereby 
reinforcing  the  democratic  legitimacy  of  the  EU  decision-making  process  and  bringing  the 
system closer to Union citizens. This is particularly relevant in view of the actions required at 
EU  level  to  address  the  financial  and  sovereign  debt  crisis.  This  can  also  act  as  a  stepping 
stone towards further Treaty reforms to enhance the European Union’s basis as a democratic 
organisation. 
Citizens  are  directly  represented  at  Union  level  in  the  European  Parliament4.  The  citizens’ 
perspective is further affirmed in the new definition of members of the European Parliament 
as ‘representatives of the Union’s citizens’5 and not simply as ‘representatives of the peoples 
of the States brought together in the Community’6. In the same vein, the Lisbon Treaty grants 
enhanced  powers  to  the  European  Parliament,  consolidating  its  role  as  full  co-legislator 
alongside  the  Council.  The  European  Parliament  now  decides  on  the  vast  majority  of  EU 
legislation  and  has  power  over  the  entire  EU  budget  on  an  equal  footing  with  the  Council, 
while its consent is required for the adoption of Multiannual Financial Frameworks. 

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According  to Article  10(3) of  the  Treaty on  the  European  Union  (TEU) ‘Every  citizen  shall  have  the 
right  to  participate  in  the  democratic  life  of  the  Union.  Decisions  shall  be  taken  as  openly  and  as 
closely as possible to the citizen.’ 
Title II TEU integrates EU citizenship in the provisions on democratic principles (Article 9 TEU) and 
strengthens the link between citizenship and democracy (Articles 10 and 11 TEU). 
Article 11(4) TEU stipulates that ‘not less than one million citizens who are nationals of a significant 
number of Member States may take the initiative of inviting the Commission, within the framework of its 
powers, to submit any appropriate proposal on matters where citizens consider that a legal act of the 
Union is required for the purpose of implementing the Treaties’. 
Article 10(2) TEU. 
Article 14(2) TEU. 
Article 189 of the Treaty Establishing the European Community. 

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In  its  2010  report  evaluating  the  2009  European  elections7,  the  Commission  assessed  the 
implementation of EU law, as well as citizens’ participation and awareness about the elections 
and  their  associated  rights.  The  2010  EU  Citizenship  report  ‘Dismantling  obstacles  to  EU 
citizens’ rights’8 stressed the need to raise EU citizens’ awareness of the European elections, 
about their rights, and the impact of EU policies on  their daily lives. It also  highlighted  the 
need to address shortcomings in applying the common democratic principles of the European 
elections and to remove obstacles citizens face in exercising their electoral rights effectively. 

In  view  of  the  reinforced  role  and  powers  of  the  European  Parliament,  it  is  essential  to 
enhance and to give more prominence to the process for electing its Members. 

Calling for the completion of a deep and genuine economic union, based on a political union, 
the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, stressed in his ‘State of the 
Union  2012’  address9  that  ‘the  credibility  and  sustainability  of  the  Economic  and  Monetary 
Union  depends  on  the  institutions  and  the  political  construct  behind  it.  This  is  why  the 
Economic  and  Monetary  Union  raises  the  question  of  a  political  union  and  the  European 
democracy  that  must  underpin  it’.  With  a  political  union  as  a  horizon,  President  Barroso 
announced  the  Commission’s  commitment  to  take  concrete  steps  towards  developing  a 
European public space as well as to put forward further ideas on how to make the European 
Union more open and democratic in time for a debate before the European elections in 2014. 

In its Communication of 28 November 2012  ‘A blueprint for a deep and genuine economic 
and  monetary  union  —  Launching  a  European  Debate’10  the  Commission  proposed 
‘reinforced  democratic  legitimacy  and  accountability’  as  a  necessary  part  of  any  European 
Union  reform.As  further  underlined  in  the  Report  ‘Towards  a  Genuine  Economic  and 
Monetary Union’ prepared by the President of the European Council in close cooperation with 
the  Presidents  of  the  Commission,  the  Eurogroup  and  the  European  Central  Bank11, 
democratic legitimacy and accountability are essential for a genuine Economic and Monetary 
Union. 

Across Europe, a political dialogue on the future of Europe is taking place at all levels. This 
includes a series of citizens' dialogues between European and national politicians and citizens 
as  part  of  the  European  Year  of  Citizens12.  Many  of  the  ideas  raised  in  the  process  have 
emerged because of the need for a stronger link between the EU and its citizens. 

Integration and legitimacy have to advance in parallel. More democracy is the corollary of the 
greater institutional integration needed to enable the European Union to rise to current global 
challenges.  In  this  respect,  there  is  a  pressing  need  to  strengthen  links  between  EU  citizens 
and the democratic process of the Union. 

Delivering  on  President  Barroso’s  commitment  to  deepen,  as  a  first  concrete  step,  the  pan-
European  debate  and  strengthen  the  European  dimension  of  the  European  elections,  this 
Communication outlines the Commission’s initiatives to facilitate citizens’ participation in the 
2014  European  elections  and  to  safeguard  the  respect  of  the  democratic  principles  of  these 

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COM(2010) 605 final — Report on the election of Members of the European Parliament (1976 Act as 
amended by Decision 2002/772/EC, Euratom) and on the participation of European Union citizens in 
elections for the European Parliament in the Member State of residence (Directive 93/109/EC). 
COM(2010) 603 final. 
12  September  2012,  Plenary  Session  of  the  European  Parliament,  Strasbourg,  available  at 
http://ec.europa.eu/soteu2012/. 
COM(2012) 777 final/2. 
http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_Data/docs/pressdata/en/ec/134069.pdf. 
http://ec.europa.eu/european-debate/index_en.htm. 

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elections.  This  Communication  is  accompanied  by  a  Recommendation  intended  to  enhance 
the democratic and efficient conduct of the European elections13. 

2. 

FURTHER  ENHANCING  THE  DEMOCRATIC  CONDUCT  OF  THE 
EUROPEAN ELECTIONS 

Overall, EU citizens are aware of the importance of European elections as a means of taking 
part  in  the  democratic  life  of  the  Union.  However,  they  are  not  aware  of  the  effect  these 
elections have on their daily lives, nor of the political choices available to them, and this has a 
negative impact on turnout in European elections. 

•  Almost 6 out of 10 EU citizens believe that voting in European elections is the best way 

of ensuring that their voice is heard by EU decision-makers14. 

•  More  than  7  out  of  10  EU  citizens  believe  that  if  political  parties  displayed  in  all 
campaign materials to which European political party they are affiliated, voter turnout 
would be higher15. 

•  More  than  8  out  of  10  EU  citizens  say  that  receiving  more  information  on  the 
programmes and objectives of candidates and parties in the European Parliament, on 
the impact of the EU on their lives and on the elections themselves would boost their 
motivation to vote in European elections16. 

•  6 out of 10 EU citizens responding to a public consultation would be motivated to vote 
by  a  political  programme  that  would  improve  their  daily  lives  —  followed  by  a 
programme  for  strengthening  the  EU  economy  and  a  programme  for  overcoming 
social disparities in the EU17. 

The above surveys show EU citizens are clearly interested in being offered a choice between 
meaningful  political  options  on  European  issues  with  a  direct  impact  on  their  lives.  To  this 
extent,  it  appears  that  the  dominance  of  national  topics  that  overshadow  issues  of  EU 
relevance negatively affects voter turnout in European elections. As highlighted by President 
Barroso in his ‘State of the Union 2012’ address, the political debate is all too often cast as if 
it were just between national parties. As a result, there is very often a real disconnect between 
political parties at national level and European political parties. 

To better communicate the connection between political processes at national and EU level, it 
is  essential  to  make  the  links  between  the  main  actors  involved  more  visible  to  citizens. 
Strengthening  the  European  political  parties  and  increasing  their  visibility  is  a  means  to 
achieve this directly.  

European political parties, as transnational actors with a key role in articulating the voices of 
citizens  at  European  level,  are  best  placed  to  bridge  the  divide  between  EU  politics  and 
citizens. The Lisbon Treaty gives European political parties a key role in this, assigning them 
the mission to ‘contribute to forming European political awareness and to expressing the will 
of citizens of the Union’18. 

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C (2013)1303 final. 
European  Parliament  Eurobarometer  EB/EP  77.4,  ‘Two  years  to  go  to  the  2014  European  elections’ 
Brussels, 20 August 2012. 
Flash Eurobarometer 364 on electoral rights of EU citizens, Fieldwork in November 2012. 
Idem. 
Public consultation ‘EU citizens — your rights, your future’ launched by the Commission between May 
and September 2012 on the 2013 EU citizenship report. 
Article 10(4) TEU and Article 12(2) of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. 

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To  enable  European  political  parties  to  fully  accomplish  their  mission,  the  Commission  has 
adopted a proposal for a Regulation on the statute and funding of European political parties 
and  European  political  foundations19.  The  proposal  aims  to  ensure  that  European  political 
parties  benefit  from  a  more  visible  status  and  a  more  flexible,  transparent  and  efficient 
framework for their funding. 

This proposal also requires pan-European political parties to take all appropriate measures to 
inform  EU  citizens  of  the  affiliation  of  national  political  parties  and  their  candidates  to 
European political parties20 during elections. 

To  further  underline  the  link  between  pan-European  and  national  parties,  the 
Commission  is  recommending  that  national  parties  also  make  clear  their  affiliation  to 
pan-European political parties. 

Creating a visible link between the national parties for which EU citizens cast their votes and 
the  European  political  parties  to  which  the  national  parties  are  affiliated  would  have  an 
important impact on the transparency of decision-making in the EU. Increasing the visibility 
of  European  political  parties  during  the  whole  electoral  process,  from  the  campaign  to  the 
casting of ballots, would increase the accountability of the political parties taking part in the 
European  electoral  process  and  improve  the  trust  of  voters  in  this  process.  It  would  make 
citizens more aware of the European repercussion of a vote cast for a national party. 

It is important that Member States encourage and facilitate in their electoral system the 
provision of information to the electorate on affiliations between national parties and the 
European  political  parties.  At  the  same  time,  national  political  parties  participating  in 
European  elections  should  make  publicly  known  their  affiliation  to  European  political 
parties ahead of the elections. 

Elections  to  the  European  Parliament  currently  take  place  on  different  days  in  different 
Member States. This entrenches the perception that European elections are primarily national 
elections  and  limits  the  impression  that  European  elections  are  a  common  endeavour.  A 
European  voting  day  with  polling  stations  closing  at  the  same  time  would  better  reflect 
common participation by citizens across the Union, as part of the representative democracy on 
which the EU is founded. 

Member States should agree on a common day for elections to the European Parliament, 
with polling stations closing at the same time. 

3. 

A  STRONGER  LINK  BETWEEN  THE  VOTES  OF  EU  CITIZENS  AND  THE 
ELECTION OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE COMMISSION 

The Lisbon Treaty strengthens the European Parliament’s role and responsibility in relation to 
the  Commission:  the  European  Parliament  elects  the  President  of  the  Commission,  on  the 
basis  of  a  proposal  by  the  European  Council,  which  must  take  into  account  the  results  of 
European elections21. 

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COM(2012) 499 final. 
See Article 17(3) of the Proposal for a Regulation. 
According  to  Article  17(7)  TEU:  ‘Taking  into  account  the  elections  to  the  European  Parliament  and 
after having held the appropriate consultations, the European Council, acting by a qualified majority, 
shall propose to the European Parliament a candidate for President of the Commission. This candidate 
shall be elected by the European Parliament by a majority of its component members.’ Declaration no 
11,  on  Article  17(6)  and  (7)  of  the  Treaty  on  the  European  Union,  indicates  that  the  European 
Parliament  and  the  European  Council  are  jointly  responsible  for  the  smooth  running  of  the  process 

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The  President  of  the  Commission  is  the  figurehead  of  the  EU’s  executive,  and  should  be 
chosen according to a clear process. Each political party should make known its candidate for 
President of the Commission during the election process.  

In accordance with the Treaty, the outcome of the European elections should play a key role 
in  determining which candidate becomes President of the Commission22. 

1 out of 2 EU citizens would feel more inclined to vote in the 2014 European elections if each 
of  the  major  European  political  alliances  put  forward  a  candidate  for  the  function  of 
President of the European Commission, on the basis of a common programme23. 

As  stressed  by  President  Barroso  in  his  ‘State  of  the  Union  2012’  address,  ‘an  important 
means  to  deepen  the  pan-European  political  debate  would  be  the  presentation  by  European 
political  parties  of  their  candidate  for  the  post  of  Commission  President  at  the  European 
Parliament  elections  already  in  2014  […]  This  would  be  a  decisive  step  to  make  the 
possibility of a European choice offered by these elections even clearer.’ 

The  Parliament’s  resolution  of  22  November  2012  on  the  2014  elections  to  the  European 
Parliament24 urged European political parties to nominate candidates for the Presidency of the 
Commission,  noting  that  it  expected  those  candidates  to  play  a  leading  role  in  the 
parliamentary electoral  campaign,  in particular by personally presenting their programme in 
all Member States of the Union. The European Parliament further stressed the importance of 
reinforcing  the  political  legitimacy  of  both  Parliament  and  Commission  by  connecting  their 
respective elections more directly to the choice of the voters. 

The  Commission’s  Communication  of  28  November  2012  on  ‘A  blueprint  for  a  deep  and 
genuine  economic  and  monetary  union  —  Launching  a  European  Debate’25  highlighted  the 
nomination  of  candidates  for  the  office  of  Commission  President  by  political  parties  in  the 
context of the European elections of 2014 as one of the steps of significant importance that 
can be taken to foster the emergence of a genuine European political sphere. 

If  European  political  parties  and  national  political  parties  make  known  their 
nominations  for  the  function  of  President  of  the  Commission  and  the  candidate's 
programme in the context of the European elections, this will make concrete and visible 
the link between the individual vote of the EU citizens for a candidate for membership of 
the European Parliament and the candidate for President of the Commission supported 
by the party of the candidate MEP.  

This  would  help  EU  citizens  to  better  understand  which  candidate  for  President  of  the 
Commission  their  vote  will  ultimately  support.  It  would  increase  the  legitimacy  of  the 
President of the Commission and more generally, the democratic legitimacy of the whole EU 
decision-making process. It could also contribute to raising the turnout for European elections 
by strengthening the link between the election of the representatives of the citizens with the 
selection and election process of the head of the European executive. In the United States of 
America, when elections to Congress take place in the same year as the Presidential election, 

leading to the election of the President of the Commission and provides indications about the necessary 
consultations in this framework. 
See footnote 21. 
Eurobarometer survey EB/EP 77.4, of 20 August 2012, cited above. 
European Parliament resolution of 22 November 2012 on the elections to the European Parliament in 
2014(2012/2829(RSP)) 
COM(2012) 777 final/2. 

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more people turn out to vote than in mid-term years, when only about 40 % of voters go to the 
polls. 

Political  broadcasts  serve  the  purpose  of  allowing  the  electorate  to  make  informed  choices. 
National  political  parties  should  use  this  means  to  provide  the  information  about  their 
candidates  and  programmes,  in  an  environment  promoting  media  pluralism  and  an  open 
democratic debate, taking into account Article 11 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the 
European Union. 

4. 

FURTHER ENHANCING THE EFFICIENT CONDUCT OF THE EUROPEAN 
ELECTIONS  WHILE  REDUCING  THE  ADMINISTRATIVE  BURDEN  FOR 
MEMBER STATES 

EU law grants EU citizens living in a Member State other than their own the right to vote and 
to  stand  as  candidates  in  European  elections  under  the  same  conditions  as  nationals  of  that 
State26. 

To  safeguard  the  legitimacy  of  the  European  elections,  Directive  93/109/EC  provides  for 
procedures  ensuring  that  EU  citizens  can  neither  vote  nor  stand  as  candidates  both  in  their 
Member State of origin and in their country of residence in the same elections27. 
The  Commission  report  on  the  2009  European  elections28  pointed  to  problems  in  the 
functioning of these procedures. As also indicated in the 2010 EU Citizenship report29, these 
procedures  can  often  result 
in  an  excessive  burden  for  national  administrations, 
disproportionate  to  the  actual  extent  of  the  problem  of  multiple  voting  and  multiple 
candidacies. The Commission therefore announced its intention to improve these procedures 
(action 19 of the 2010 EU Citizenship report). 

Drawing  on  consultations  with  electoral  experts  from  Member  States,  the  Commission 
prepared  recommendations  to  the  national  electoral  authorities  on  different  aspects  of  the 
mechanism  to  prevent  multiple  voting.  The  recommendations  simplify  the  mechanism  and 
make it more effective in preventing abuses. 

The Recommendation, adopted together with the present Communication, recommends 
to Member States, in particular: 

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to set up one single contact authority in each Member State for a smoother exchange 
of data with other Member States; 

to  take  into  account  the  different  electoral  calendars  of  the  Member  States  when 
exchanging data; 

to  provide  additional  personal  data  which  may  be  necessary  for  more  efficient 
identification of EU voters registered on the electoral rolls of their Member State of 
residence. 

Article 22(2) TFEU and Directive 93/109/EC of 6 December 1993 laying down detailed arrangements 
for the exercise of the right to vote and stand as a candidate in elections to the European Parliament for 
citizens of the Union residing in a Member State of which they are not nationals (OJ L 329, 30.12.1993, 
p. 34). 
The mechanism consists in exchanges of data between the Member States on EU citizens registered to 
vote or stand as candidates in their Member State of residence. On the basis of data sent by the Member 
State  of  residence,  the  Member  State  of  origin  must  remove  from  its  electoral  rolls  the  citizens 
concerned (or prevent them by other means from casting their vote or standing as candidates). 
COM(2010) 605 final. 
COM(2010) 603 final. 

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These  recommendations,  issued  well  ahead  of  the  next  European  elections,  can  therefore 
contribute to substantially improving the functioning of the mechanism for preventing abuses, 
making it more efficient and reducing the administrative burden. 

5. 

5.1. 

REMOVING THE OBSTACLES  TO EU  CITIZENS’ VOTING RIGHTS AND 
ENSURING THE RESPECT OF THE COMMON EU PRINCIPLES 

Enforcing the  electoral rights of EU citizens residing in  a  Member State other 
than their own 

In  the  2010  EU  Citizenship  report30,  the  Commission  stressed  the  need  to  ensure  that  the 
voting  rights  of  EU  citizens  residing  in  a  Member  State  other  than  their  own  are  fully 
enforced across the EU (action 18). 

The  Commission  noted  that  some  Member  States  require  EU  citizens  from  other  Member 
States  to  fulfil  conditions  for  electoral  registration  beyond  those  set  out  in  Directive 
93/109/EC on the exercise of the right to vote and to stand as a candidate in elections to the 
European Parliament. Such additional conditions include, for example, possessing a national 
identity  card  and  the  obligation  to  renew  registration  for  each  European  election.  The 
Commission also noted that some Member States appear not to inform EU citizens from other 
Member States adequately about their right to take part in European elections. 

As a follow-up to the 2010 EU Citizenship report, the Commission pursued a dialogue with 
the Member States concerned to ensure that EU citizens residing in a Member State other than 
their  own  can  participate  in  the  European  elections  under  the  same  conditions  as  national 
citizens, in line with EU law. 

As  a  result  of  this  dialogue,  a  number  of  Member  States  amended  their  legislation  or 
announced  amendments  intended  to  bring  their  legislation  into  compliance  with  the 
requirements of EU law31. The Commission is pursuing contacts with these Member States to 
ensure that the electoral rights of EU citizens are fully effective across the EU, including by 
launching infringement proceedings under Article 258 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the 
European Union (TFEU) where appropriate. 

5.2. 

Ensuring respect for the common principles of the European elections 

When  organising  European  elections,  all  Member  States  must  respect  certain  common 
principles: elections shall be free, secret and by direct universal suffrage.32 These principles 
set out in EU law prohibit inter alia the publication of results in one Member State before the 
polls close in all Member States. The aim is to avoid EU voters being influenced by results in 
Member States where polling has already finished, and thus to safeguard a core element of the 
principle of free suffrage. 

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COM(2010) 603 final. 
Cyprus,  Poland  and  Romania  adopted  new  legislation;  The  Czech  Republic,  Hungary,  Lithuania, 
Slovakia and Slovenia announced amendments of their legislation due to enter into force in time for the 
2014 European elections; Bulgaria and Malta have recently adopted new legislation which is currently 
under analysis; Estonia and Latvia provided satisfactory explanations as regards the conformity of its 
legislation with EU law. 
The  common  principles  are  laid  down  in  the  Act  of  1976  on  the  election  of  the  members  of  the 
European  Parliament  by  direct  universal  suffrage,  which  is  annexed  to  Decision  76/787/ECSC,  EEC, 
Euratom of 20 September 1976 and was last amended by Council Decision 2002/772/EC, Euratom (OJ 
L 283, 21.10.2002, p. 1). 

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As announced in the 2010 EU Citizenship report (action 17), the Commission has taken action 
to  ensure  that  this  democratic  principle  is  respected  across  the  EU  in  the  next  European 
elections.  As  a  result,  Member  States  have  taken  the  measures  necessary  to  remedy  the 
problems identified33. 

The  Commission  will  closely  monitor  implementation  of  measures  in  the  2014  European 
elections to ensure they are adequate and that the official publication of electoral results takes 
place in full compliance with this fundamental democratic principle. 

5.3. 

Granting a derogation under Article 22(2) TFEU 

Article  22(2)  TFEU  stipulates  that  EU  citizens  residing  in  a  Member  State  other  than  their 
own  have  the  right  to  participate  in  the  European  elections  under  the  same  conditions  as 
nationals  of  that  Member  State.  It  also  allows  for  derogations  to  this  rule,  where  this  is 
justified by a situation specific to a Member State. 

Such  a  derogation  is  laid  down  in  detail  in  Article  14(1)  of  Directive  93/109/EC.  It  allows 
Member States to require both voters and candidates to have completed a minimum period of 
residence  if  the  proportion  of  residents  of  voting  age  who  are  nationals  of  other  Member 
States exceeds 20 % of the total electorate.  

Luxembourg is the only Member State which qualifies for the derogation. It has availed itself 
of this derogation in past elections by restricting the right to vote and to stand as candidates to 
non-national EU citizens who have had their legal domicile in Luxembourg and have resided 
there for at least two and five years respectively before registration. 

According to information Luxembourg provided to the Commission on 31 August 2012, the 
total  number  of  EU  citizens  of  voting  age  residing  in  Luxembourg  is  383.485,  while  the 
number of non-national EU citizens of voting age residing there is 151.126. It follows that the 
proportion of non-nationals is 39.41 %, exceeding the 20 % threshold. It appears therefore that 
the grounds warranting a derogation pursuant to Article 22(2) TFEU still apply. 

6. 

ENHANCING PARTICIPATION OF NON-NATIONAL EU CANDIDATES IN 
THE EUROPEAN ELECTIONS: AMENDING DIRECTIVE 93/109/EC 

Amongst the different reasons behind low turnout in the European elections, the Commission 
report  on  the  2009  European  elections  pointed  out  that  only  a  small  number  of  EU  citizens 
residing in a Member State other than their own make use of their right to stand as candidates 
there. In 2009, only 81 EU citizens stood.  

The  Commission  noted  that  EU  citizens  who  wish  to  stand  as  candidates  in  European 
elections  in  a  Member  State  to  which  they  have  moved  face  costly  and  burdensome 
administrative procedures.  It  announced in the 2010 EU Citizenship report that it would re-
launch negotiations on an amendment of Directive 93/109/EC to simplify current procedures 
for  EU  citizens  to  stand  as  candidates,  while  safeguarding  the  legitimacy  of  the  European 
elections. 

Following  a  relaunching  of  negotiations  by  the  Commission,  on  20  December  2012,  the 
Council adopted Directive 2013/1/EU34, amending Directive 93/109/EC, which provides inter 
alia that candidates no longer have to provide proof that they have not been deprived of their 
electoral  rights  in  their  home  Member  State.  Instead,  they  will  have  to  make  a  formal 

33 
34 

The Netherlands issued instructions to this effect to municipal authorities. 
OJ L 26, 26.1.2013, p. 28. 

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declaration  to  that  effect,  to  be  verified  by  the  electoral  authorities  in  the  Member  State  in 
which they reside. This simplified procedure will apply in the 2014 European elections. 

7. 

CONCLUSION 

This  year,  2013,  is  the  European  Year  of  Citizens.  It  marks  the  20th  anniversary  of  the 
establishment  of  EU  citizenship  by  the  Maastricht  Treaty.  A  broad  range  of  events, 
conferences and public debates is being organised across Europe at Union, national, regional 
and local level. These events aim to raise EU citizens’ awareness about their rights under EU 
law, including their right to participate in the democratic life of the Union and to encourage 
their active participation in civic fora on EU policies and issues. 

The  European  Year  of  Citizens  provides  a  timely  opportunity  primarily  to  listen  to  the 
concerns  of  European  citizens,  but  also  to  raise  awareness  about  the  tangible  impact  of  EU 
policies on their lives, to highlight the significance of their contribution in shaping the EU and 
to engage with them in political debates on European issues. The European Year of Citizens is 
an opportunity for citizens of the Union to make their voices heard. The prime occasion for 
this purpose are the European Parliament elections. 

In view of the European elections of 2014, the Commission believes that: 

• 

• 

• 

• 

voters  should  be  informed  of  the  affiliation  between  national  parties  and  European 
political parties before and during elections to the European Parliament; 

Member  States  should  agree  on  a  common  day  for  the  elections  of  the  European 
Parliament, with polling stations closing at the same time; 

each  European  political  party  should  nominate  its  candidate  for  President  of  the 
European Commission; 

national  parties  should  ensure  that  their  political  broadcasts  in  view  of  European 
Parliament elections inform citizens about the candidate they support for President of 
the European Commission and the candidate's programme. 

The  Commission  believes  that  these  practical  recommendations,  evolutionary  but  not 
revolutionary,  can  be  implemented  in  time  for  the  European  Parliament  elections  of  2014. 
They will contribute to sparking a European debate and to forging a European public space. 
They will help to put Europe at the heart of national debates across the EU. This will provide 
a platform for the next steps of European integration. 

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