1997/2242(COS)

Uniform electoral procedure

Procedure completed

General
Activities
Documents
History

1997/2242(COS) Uniform electoral procedure

Role	Committee	Rapporteur	Shadows
Lead	INST	ANASTASSOPOULOS Georgios (PPE)
Opinion	JURI	GEBHARDT Evelyne (PSE)

Lead committee dossier: INST/4/09418
Legal Basis RoP 119

Subjects

8.40.01.01 Elections, direct universal suffrage

Links

Activites

1998/09/21 Final act published in Official Journal
1998/07/15 Text adopted by Parliament, single reading
- T4-0426/1998 summary
  
  In adopting the report by Mr Giorgios ANASTASSOPOULOS (EPP, GR) by 355 votes to 146 with 39 abstentions Parliament adopted a resolution on a draft electoral procedure incorporating common principles for the election of Members of the European Parliament. Parliament proposed the following draft act: Article 1: In each Member State, Members of the European Parliament shall be elected by a list system of proportional representation. Election shall be by direct universal suffrage through an equal, free and secret ballot. Article 2: Constituencies shall be established for this election without generally violating the proportional character of the system, in order to bring the elected representatives closer to the electorate and with due regard for the specific characteristics of each Member State. This provision shall apply with effect from the elections to the European Parliament scheduled for 2004. Member States whose population does not exceed 20 million inhabitants are not required to establish constituencies. Article 3: Where a country decides to establish several electoral constituencies on its territory, the Members of the European Parliament shall remain, in accordance with Articles 137 and 138 of the Treaty (189 and 190 of the consolidated Treaty), the representatives of the peoples of the States brought together in the Community, and not the representatives of their constituencies. Article 4: Special arrangements may be made to take account of specific regional characteristics but they may not violate the principle of proportional representation. Article 5: A minimum threshold for the distribution of seats may be set and at national level may not exceed 5% of the votes cast. Article 6: Member States may permit preferential voting in accordance with procedures that they shall lay down. Article 7: The European Parliament will consider a proposal that a certain percentage (the rapporteur proposed 10%) of the total number of seats within the European Parliament shall be filled by means of list-based proportional representation relating to a single constituency comprising the territory of the European Union Member States with effect from the European elections to be held in 2009. The implementing provisions shall be adopted by 1 January 2008 on a proposal from the European Parliament by the Council acting unanimously, and after obtaining Parliament's assent. Article 8: The office of Member of the European Parliament shall be incompatible with the office of member of a national parliament. Article 9: Each Member State may set a limit for candidates' expenditure linked to the conduct of the election campaign. Article 10: Save where otherwise stipulated, the Act of 20 September 1976 concerning the election of the representatives of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage shall remain in force. It should be noted that Parliament rejected the call for referral back to committee made by Mr Hervé FABRE-D'AUBRESPY (I-EDN, F) by 106 votes to 418 with 17 abstentions. He considered that the report by Mr ANASTASSOPOULOS was incomplete as several aspects had not been dealt with. The report is also not in line with Parliament's legislative powers. Lastly, the report is contradictory. It wishes to make the elected representatives closer to the electorate but proposes transnational lists. The report also refers to France in relation to a draft which has already been rejected by the authorities of that country.
- OJ C 292 21.09.1998, p. 0053-0066
1998/07/14 Debate in Parliament
1998/05/25 Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading
- A4-0212/1998
1998/05/25 Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading
- A4-0212/1998
- OJ C 210 06.07.1998, p. 0007
1998/05/05 Committee draft report
- PE224.331/RE5
1998/04/01 Committee draft report
- PE224.331/RE3
1998/01/20 Committee draft report
- PE224.331/RE2
1997/11/14 Committee draft report
- PE224.331/REV
1997/11/05 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
- INST INST/4/09418 ANASTASSOPOULOS Georgios PPE
- JURI GEBHARDT Evelyne PSE
1997/11/03 Committee draft report
- PE224.331
1997/10/02 Non-legislative basic document published
- AMSTERDAM
1996/07/18 Motion for a resolution
- B4-0723/1996

Documents

Motion for a resolution: B4-0723/1996
Non-legislative basic document published: AMSTERDAM
Committee draft report: PE224.331
Committee draft report: PE224.331/REV
Committee draft report: PE224.331/RE2
Committee draft report: PE224.331/RE3
Committee draft report: PE224.331/RE5
Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading: A4-0212/1998
Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading: A4-0212/1998
Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading: OJ C 210 06.07.1998, p. 0007
Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T4-0426/1998
Text adopted by Parliament, single reading: OJ C 292 21.09.1998, p. 0053-0066

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)

2012-02-10

activities	added	date 1996-07-18 docs url http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B4-1996-0723&language=EN type Motion for a resolution title B4-0723/1996 body EP type Motion for a resolution date 1997-10-02 docs type Non-legislative basic document published title AMSTERDAM body type Non-legislative basic document published date 1997-11-03 docs type Committee draft report title PE224.331 body EP type Committee draft report date 1997-11-05 body EP type Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading committees body EP responsible True committee INST date 1997-09-30 committee_full INST Institutional Affairs rapporteur group PPE name ANASTASSOPOULOS Georgios body EP responsible False committee JURI date 1997-11-04 committee_full Legal Affairs, Citizens' Rights rapporteur group PSE name GEBHARDT Evelyne date 1997-11-14 docs type Committee draft report title PE224.331/REV body EP type Committee draft report date 1998-01-20 docs type Committee draft report title PE224.331/RE2 body EP type Committee draft report date 1998-04-01 docs type Committee draft report title PE224.331/RE3 body EP type Committee draft report date 1998-05-05 docs type Committee draft report title PE224.331/RE5 body EP type Committee draft report date 1998-05-25 docs url http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&mode=XML&reference=A4-1998-0212&language=EN type Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading title A4-0212/1998 body type Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading date 1998-05-25 docs url http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&mode=XML&reference=A4-1998-0212&language=EN type Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading title A4-0212/1998 url http://eur-lex.europa.eu/JOHtml.do?uri=OJ:C:1998:210:SOM:EN:HTML type Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading title OJ C 210 06.07.1998, p. 0007 text The Committee has adopted by a large majority the draft report by Georgios ANASTASSOPOULOS (EPP, Gr) on an electoral procedure using common EU-wide principles for the election of MEPs. The committee is calling for the introduction in all Member States of an electoral system based on proportional representation, territorial constituencies and the optional use, when distributing seats, of a threshold of no more than 5% of the votes cast nationally. In addition, the committee advocates the use of preferential voting, although each Member State would decide the precise arrangements for itself. The report argues that being an MEP should be incompatible with being a member of a national parliament, that each Member State should be able to set a limit on candidates' expenditure (which must be linked to the conduct of the election campaign) and that special arrangements should be allowed to take account of specific regional characteristics, although these must not violate the principle of proportional representation. The committee also wants 10% of the total number of seats in the European Parliament to be filled by means of a transnational list-based system relating to a single constituency comprising the entire territory of the EU. Some of these principles, such as the introduction of a threshold, the incompatibilities applicable to being an MEP and the proportional voting system could, the committee believes, be introduced in time for the next European elections in June 1999. As to the other points, progress would have to be gradual. For example, the provision on territorial constituencies would apply only from 2004 and the use of transnational lists from 2009. However, the first step will be for the Council to examine the proposals and adopt them as soon as possible once they have been debated and endorsed by Parliament at the next part-session. body EP type Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading date 1998-07-14 body EP type Debate in Parliament date 1998-07-15 docs text In adopting the report by Mr Giorgios ANASTASSOPOULOS (EPP, GR) by 355 votes to 146 with 39 abstentions Parliament adopted a resolution on a draft electoral procedure incorporating common principles for the election of Members of the European Parliament. Parliament proposed the following draft act: Article 1: In each Member State, Members of the European Parliament shall be elected by a list system of proportional representation. Election shall be by direct universal suffrage through an equal, free and secret ballot. Article 2: Constituencies shall be established for this election without generally violating the proportional character of the system, in order to bring the elected representatives closer to the electorate and with due regard for the specific characteristics of each Member State. This provision shall apply with effect from the elections to the European Parliament scheduled for 2004. Member States whose population does not exceed 20 million inhabitants are not required to establish constituencies. Article 3: Where a country decides to establish several electoral constituencies on its territory, the Members of the European Parliament shall remain, in accordance with Articles 137 and 138 of the Treaty (189 and 190 of the consolidated Treaty), the representatives of the peoples of the States brought together in the Community, and not the representatives of their constituencies. Article 4: Special arrangements may be made to take account of specific regional characteristics but they may not violate the principle of proportional representation. Article 5: A minimum threshold for the distribution of seats may be set and at national level may not exceed 5% of the votes cast. Article 6: Member States may permit preferential voting in accordance with procedures that they shall lay down. Article 7: The European Parliament will consider a proposal that a certain percentage (the rapporteur proposed 10%) of the total number of seats within the European Parliament shall be filled by means of list-based proportional representation relating to a single constituency comprising the territory of the European Union Member States with effect from the European elections to be held in 2009. The implementing provisions shall be adopted by 1 January 2008 on a proposal from the European Parliament by the Council acting unanimously, and after obtaining Parliament's assent. Article 8: The office of Member of the European Parliament shall be incompatible with the office of member of a national parliament. Article 9: Each Member State may set a limit for candidates' expenditure linked to the conduct of the election campaign. Article 10: Save where otherwise stipulated, the Act of 20 September 1976 concerning the election of the representatives of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage shall remain in force. It should be noted that Parliament rejected the call for referral back to committee made by Mr Hervé FABRE-D'AUBRESPY (I-EDN, F) by 106 votes to 418 with 17 abstentions. He considered that the report by Mr ANASTASSOPOULOS was incomplete as several aspects had not been dealt with. The report is also not in line with Parliament's legislative powers. Lastly, the report is contradictory. It wishes to make the elected representatives closer to the electorate but proposes transnational lists. The report also refers to France in relation to a draft which has already been rejected by the authorities of that country. type Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading title T4-0426/1998 url http://eur-lex.europa.eu/JOHtml.do?uri=OJ:C:1998:292:SOM:EN:HTML type Text adopted by Parliament, single reading title OJ C 292 21.09.1998, p. 0053-0066 body EP type Text adopted by Parliament, single reading date 1998-09-21 type Final act published in Official Journal
committees	added	body EP responsible True committee INST date 1997-09-30 committee_full INST Institutional Affairs rapporteur group PPE name ANASTASSOPOULOS Georgios body EP responsible False committee JURI date 1997-11-04 committee_full Legal Affairs, Citizens' Rights rapporteur group PSE name GEBHARDT Evelyne
links	added
other	added
procedure	added	dossier_of_the_committee INST/4/09418 reference 1997/2242(COS) title Uniform electoral procedure legal_basis Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament EP 119 stage_reached Procedure completed subtype Commission strategy paper type COS - Procedure on a strategy paper (historic) subject 8.40.01.01 Elections, direct universal suffrage

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1997/2242(COS)

Activites

Documents

History

	INST	JURI
Lead Rapporteur	ANASTASSOPOULOS Georgios (PPE)
Opinion Rapporteur(s)		GEBHARDT Evelyne (PSE)