Wednesday, 5 March 2014

EU parties towards a European legal status

Green light from the Council to the proposal presented by the Commission

by Emiliano Biaggio

European political parties are closer to a new legal status which will grant them a European nature. The Permanent representatives committee (the body formed by all member states ambassadors) approved the proposal submitted by the European Commission to update the legislation on the subject, now to be voted by Parliament. Today the political parties recognised by the EU respond to the national rules of the country in which they are, without the possibility to can act at European level due to different legislations among the member state. The draft regulation provides EU-level legal status for European political parties and their affiliated political foundations, aiming to increase their visibility and EU-wide recognition. This is a key aspect, because the European legal status will also be a pre-condition to receive public funding from the EU budget. According to the proposal adopted by the member states, European political parties and their affiliated political foundations that wish to benefit from the European legal status need to fulfil certain criteria, notably to respect the values on which the European Union is founded (e.g. human dignity, democracy, the rule of law, human rights). The European legal status will be granted by an independent authority located within the European Parliament, the institution directly elected by people where parties form the political groups. The authority's task is also to regularly verify that the
conditions for obtaining the European legal status are still met. In case of «manifest and serious breach» of the values on which the European Union is founded, the authority withdraws the European legal status, after having sought the advice of a Committee of independent eminent persons, unless the European Parliament and the Council both object. The authority may also impose financial sanctions on European political parties and their foundations in case of infringements of the regulation.
   The draft regulation also contains provisions governing the funding sources of European political parties and their foundations. The current distribution of the funding from the EU budget remains unchanged, which means 15% of the funds (nearly 34 million euro) are distributed in equal shares to the European political parties and foundations, and the remaining 85% are distributed among the  European political parties in proportion to their share of elected members of the European Parliament. Donations from natural or legal persons to European political parties and their foundations will be limited to a value of 18.000 € per year and per donor (rather than 12.000 € under the current rules). Regarding the names of donors contributing, it will never be possible reveal the identity of those who grant less than 1.500 € per year, while it will be possible unveil the name of those who fund the party with an amount  between 1.500 and 3.000 € per year but only previous their authorization. Il will be compulsory make public the names of donors contributing more than 3000 € per year. Furthermore, contributions from European political parties' or foundations' members may not exceed 40% of the parties' or foundations' budget. In addition, contributions from non-elected individual members of a European political party are limited to a value of 18.000 € per year and individual member.

Go to: the European parties

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