Many citizens throughout the 27 member states are not satisfied with the way democracy works in the European Union. They feel insecure about their place as, ostensibly, ultimate arbiters of EU policies, they distrust the institutions and they do not know how multi-level governance functions—or they just feel unheard. Despite a higher turnout in 2019, especially among young people, participation in European Parliament elections remains generally low.
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A stronger voice for citizens in EU decision-making – Helmut Scholz
Showing posts with label Citizens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Citizens. Show all posts
12/1/19
EU: more Transparence and involvement: An 'open door' for EU citizens - by Andrew Rettman
Ordinary EU citizens should get a say in Brussels lawmaking and hold
officials to account via the European Parliament's petitions committee
(PETI) in the next five years, according to its chairman, Spanish
centre-right MEP Dolors Montserrat. The "open door" to Brussels should
also create "proximity" between people and EU officials in troubled
times, she said.
Read more at: An 'open door' for EU citizens
Read more at: An 'open door' for EU citizens
7/10/17
Brexit: Europe to reject Brexit deal if UK fails to secure ‘favorable’ status for EU citizens
Cief negotiator Guy Verhofstadt and leaders of four of the parliament's main groups wrote in a joint letter to newspapers that Britain's plans for the three million EU citizens expecting to remain in the U.K. post-Brexit "fall short" of what they are entitled to and what U.K. nationals are being offered in the EU.
"The proposal falls short of its own ambitions to "put citizens first". If implemented, it would cast a dark cloud of vagueness and uncertainty over the lives of millions of Europeans," the representatives wrote.
In outlining plans for citizens' rights, the EU had proposed that Britons and Europeans would keep the same rights and protections they currently receive under European law. However, the British proposal, delivered three weeks later, suggests that Europeans' rights within the U.K. would be significantly reduced from the day after Brexit, including curtailing voting rights and income thresholds.
"The British proposal carries a real risk of creating a second class of citizenship," the group of eight signatories wrote, claiming that the plans backtrack on Brexiteers' pledge that EU citizens would be treated "no less favourably than at present."
The leaders of the four groups, who account for two-thirds of the votes in European Parliament, added that they would veto any deal which places existing EU citizens' rights in jeopardy.
"The European Union has a common mission to extend, enhance and expand rights, not to reduce them. We will never endorse the retroactive removal of acquired rights.
"The European Parliament will reserve its right to reject any agreement that treats EU citizens, regardless of their nationality, less favorably than they are at present. For us, this is a question of basic fundamental rights and values, which are at the heart of the European project."
In Europe's hands
Brexit negotiations kicked off last month shortly after British Prime Minister Theresa May failed to increase her parliamentary majority in a snap general election.
British and EU leaders now have just over a year and a half to negotiate and agree a deal, which will then go to a vote before European Parliaments.
Read more: Europe to reject Brexit deal if UK fails to secure ‘favorable’ status for EU citizens
"The proposal falls short of its own ambitions to "put citizens first". If implemented, it would cast a dark cloud of vagueness and uncertainty over the lives of millions of Europeans," the representatives wrote.
In outlining plans for citizens' rights, the EU had proposed that Britons and Europeans would keep the same rights and protections they currently receive under European law. However, the British proposal, delivered three weeks later, suggests that Europeans' rights within the U.K. would be significantly reduced from the day after Brexit, including curtailing voting rights and income thresholds.
"The British proposal carries a real risk of creating a second class of citizenship," the group of eight signatories wrote, claiming that the plans backtrack on Brexiteers' pledge that EU citizens would be treated "no less favourably than at present."
The leaders of the four groups, who account for two-thirds of the votes in European Parliament, added that they would veto any deal which places existing EU citizens' rights in jeopardy.
"The European Union has a common mission to extend, enhance and expand rights, not to reduce them. We will never endorse the retroactive removal of acquired rights.
"The European Parliament will reserve its right to reject any agreement that treats EU citizens, regardless of their nationality, less favorably than they are at present. For us, this is a question of basic fundamental rights and values, which are at the heart of the European project."
In Europe's hands
Brexit negotiations kicked off last month shortly after British Prime Minister Theresa May failed to increase her parliamentary majority in a snap general election.
British and EU leaders now have just over a year and a half to negotiate and agree a deal, which will then go to a vote before European Parliaments.
Read more: Europe to reject Brexit deal if UK fails to secure ‘favorable’ status for EU citizens
10/5/16
Netherlands: Almere, Tvesha Chauhan from India, becomes it's 200.000 inhabitant
Almere,
the Netherlands newest and Europe's most modern city, celebrated the
arrival of it's 200.000 new inhabitant, Tvesha Chauhan from India, who
was registered this past Monday, November the third.
She was officially welcomed to the city by Franc Weerwin, the Mayor of Almere, who is a Dutch Citizen from Suriname descent.
Almere's first citizens arrived in the city only back in 1976, after the area was reclaimed from the Zuider-Sea and became part of a new Dutch Province, completely reclaimed from the sea on June 27, 1985 , "baptized" Flevoland, the 12th Dutch Province.
On January 1, 1986. Dutch Parliament passed an act whereby the Province of Flevoland was created, and the rest is history.
She was officially welcomed to the city by Franc Weerwin, the Mayor of Almere, who is a Dutch Citizen from Suriname descent.
Almere's first citizens arrived in the city only back in 1976, after the area was reclaimed from the Zuider-Sea and became part of a new Dutch Province, completely reclaimed from the sea on June 27, 1985 , "baptized" Flevoland, the 12th Dutch Province.
On January 1, 1986. Dutch Parliament passed an act whereby the Province of Flevoland was created, and the rest is history.
Almere,
de jongste stad van Nederland, heeft nu 200.000 inwoners. De grens werd
symbolisch gepasseerd door de tienjarige Tvesha Chauhan uit India, die
met haar…
telegraaf.nl
5/31/16
The Netherlands: Dutch debtors to get 6 month payment break - by Janene Pieters
The Netherlands plans to give people who are deeply in debt a six
month break in which they don’t have to make payments, won’t get
reminders for payments and won’t get a visit from a bailiff, State
Secretary Jetta Klijnsma of Social Affairs and Minister Ard van der
Steur of Security and Justice announced on Tuesday, NU reports.
With this break the government wants to give debtors the opportunity to catch their breath, create some order and make a plan to pay off their debt. During the six month period, income above the minimum standard will still be put aside for eventual debt repayment.
The government hopes to implement the measure by January 1st next year. The proposal was drawn up in consultation with debt relief association NVVK, bailiffs, the association of Dutch municipalities VNG and the four major cities.
The Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Dutch parliament, long insisted that a plan be made to give people in debt a breather. The ChristenUnie and the CDA eventually gave up on waiting for the State Secretary and submitted their own legislative proposal. But during a Kamer debate last month, Klijnsma promised to set up a proposal as soon as possible.
Read more: Dutch debtors to get 6 month payment break - NL Times
With this break the government wants to give debtors the opportunity to catch their breath, create some order and make a plan to pay off their debt. During the six month period, income above the minimum standard will still be put aside for eventual debt repayment.
The government hopes to implement the measure by January 1st next year. The proposal was drawn up in consultation with debt relief association NVVK, bailiffs, the association of Dutch municipalities VNG and the four major cities.
The Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Dutch parliament, long insisted that a plan be made to give people in debt a breather. The ChristenUnie and the CDA eventually gave up on waiting for the State Secretary and submitted their own legislative proposal. But during a Kamer debate last month, Klijnsma promised to set up a proposal as soon as possible.
Read more: Dutch debtors to get 6 month payment break - NL Times
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