Η Επιτροπή Αναφορών λαμβάνει γνώση των τροποποιήσεων της Συνθήκης του Μάαστριχτ που περιλαμβάνονται στα άρθρο 138 Δ και 138 Ε της Συνθήκης ΕΟΚ (καθώς και στα αντίστοιχα άρθρα των Συνθηκών ΕΚΑΧ και ΕΚΑΕ). Η Επιτροπή Αναφορών ζητεί από την αρμόδια επί της ουσίας επιτροπή να συμπεριλάβει τις παρακάτω σκέψεις στην πρόταση ψηφίσματος που θα υποβάλει στην Συνέλευση ζητώντας από το Κοινοβούλιο : να εκφράσει την ικανοποίηση του για την κωδικοποίηση στη Συνθήκη του δικαιώματος αναφοράς προς το Ευρωπαϊκό Κοινοβούλιο που συνεπάγεται μεγαλύτερο βαθμό ευθύνης του έναντι των αναφερόντων και όλων των πολιτών να συνάγει ως εκ τούτου τα δέοντα συμπεράσματα ενισχύοντας ια μέοα που έχει στη διάθεση του για να ασχολείται με τις αναφορές και επιφορτίζοντας όλες τις κοινοβουλευτικές επιτροπές να δώοουν τη δέουσα συνέχεια σε αναφορές που τους διαβιβάζονται κατ'αρμοδιότητα ή για γνωμοδότηση (παράγραφοι 2 και 3).
to welcome the incorporation into the Treaty of the right of petition to Parliament, entailing an enhanced responsibility on its part vi s-à-vi s both petitioners and all citizens and, accordingly, to take the necessary action, strengthening its existing resources for dealing with petitions and instructing all its committees to take adequate action to follow up the petitions forwarded to them as the committee responsible or for their opinion (cf. paragraphs 2 and 3 above); to stress that the off1cialization of the right of petition of citizens and residents does not rule out the possibility of admitting petitions from non-resident third country citizens raising matters which Parliament considers 1t desirable to discuss (cf. paragraph 4 above) ; to stress that the Ombudsman, whose role will be to investigate 'instances of maladministration in the activities of the institutions or the Community bodies', will be independent for operational and administrative purposes, but whose raison d'être will nevertheless be an expression of Parliament's powers of control (cf. paragraph 10 above) ; to ensure that the Ombudsman is provided with adequate resources and staff to carry out the tasks allocated to the office especially of investigation of complaints; to this end, to request Its Committee on Budgets to ensure that a budget line 1s established for this purpose; to consult the Council on the arrangements to be made for the Ombudsman to cooperate with his national counterparts in all areas where they can help him carry out his duties; specify that the provision to the effect that the subjects of petitions must be of direct interest to the petitioner should be interpreted as requiring a genuine and valid concern on the part of the petitioner with regard to the subject of the petition, without necessarily supposing a personal or individual interest on his part, so that petitions can continue to play their role as an instrument for the defence of collective interests (cf. paragraph 8 above); to instruct the Committee on Petitions, pursuant to Rule 112(3) of the Rules of Procedure, and as committee responsible for relations with the Ombudsman, to draw up an opinion for the Committee on Institutional Affairs, which has already been instructed to draw up a report on the regulations and general conditions governing the performance of the Ombudsman's duties, to be forwarded subsequently to the Commission for its mandatory opinion and to the Council for its mandatory and binding opinion (cf. paragraph 13 above); to call on the Committee on the Rules of Procedure, the Verification of Credentials and Immunities to propose amendments to the Rules of Procedure to take account of Articles 138d and 138e of the EEC Treaty (and of the corresponding articles of the ECSC and Euratom Treaties), 1n particular with regard to the appointment of the Ombudsman, his relations with the Committee on Petitions, the submission and consideration of his annual report and other reports and