What changed between the draft committee report and the plenary report

Removed:Q. whereas in 2023, the Committee on Petitions held four fact-finding visits;

Added:R. Whereas in 2023, the Committee on Petitions (PETI) held four fact-finding visits, during which Members travelled to Romania to examine the management and the protection of the brown bear population and illegal logging, to Donegal (Ireland) to investigate the use of defective mica blocks in construction in Ireland and to Catalonia (Spain) to assess in situ the language immersion model in Catalonia; whereas PETI members were also part of a joint delegation from the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs and PETI that travelled to New York to attend the 16th session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD COSP);

Removed:2. Reiterates the importance of a continuous public debate on the EU’s fields of activity in order to ensure that citizens are properly informed about the scope of the Union’s competences and the different levels of decision-making; reiterates its call, in this regard, for broader awareness-raising campaigns, through the active involvement of communications services, to help increase citizens’ knowledge about their right to petition, as well as the scope of the EU’s responsibilities and the competences of the Committee on Petitions, with a view to reducing the number of inadmissible petitions;

Added:2. Welcomes the successful contribution the Committee on Petitions made to dealing with the case of the repatriation of children, together with their mothers, who were detained for years in dire conditions in Syrian refugee camps and suffering from serious illness, malnutrition, severe psychological pressure and whose health conditions were worsening day by day; appreciates that the main legal arguments supported unanimously in PETI were substantially backed by the Danish Supreme Court in its order to offer repatriation and support by the Danish foreign ministry to both the children concerned and their mothers;

Added:3. Reiterates the importance of a continuous public debate on the EU’s fields of activity in order to ensure that citizens are properly informed about the scope of the Union’s competences and the different levels of decision-making; calls for an EU-wide enhanced structured information and communication campaign in all EU official languages in collaboration with national and regional ombudsmen, NGOs, and educational institutions to increase awareness of petition rights among citizens from all Member States, particularly addressing rural and disadvantaged communities and marginalised groups, as well as, remote islands and regions; proposes an expansion of outreach efforts through social media and local community events, emphasises the need for broader awareness-raising campaigns, through the active involvement of communications services, to help increase citizens’ knowledge about their right to petition, as well as the scope of the EU’s responsibilities and the competences of the Committee on Petitions, with a view to reducing the number of inadmissible petitions and enhancing citizen engagement in the decision-making process; recommends improving the digital accessibility of the Petitions Portal, including through adaptations for people with disabilities and higher quality translations into all official EU languages; recommends exploring the potential of the existing IT tools in order to increase citizens’ support on the portal, including through redirecting options to relevant complaint mechanisms;

Changed:6.7. Reiterates its call on the Commission to provide legal clarifications on the key criteria underpinning its strategic approach to enforcing EU law and to regularly update the Committee on Petitions on developments in infringement proceedings and to ensure that the Committee on Petitions gets access to the all relevant infodocuments on EU Pilot and infringement procedures whichand legislative initiatives that were launched based on petitions received, and on EU Pilot procedures;received; is of the opinion that increased transparency and regular feedback on the handling of ongoing infringement procedures by the Commission would be beneficial for the Committee’s follow-up of open petitions; welcomes the recent initiative of the Commission initiative to include petitions in the search system of the infringement register of the Commission; stresses that it is important for the Commission to conduct timely investigations into petitions, highlighting violations of rights affecting a large number of citizens and residents within the EU and to consult, where appropriate, the relevant national ombudsman; expresses its concerns about the way the Commission is handling some infringement procedures launched against Member States, including those related to issues raised in many petitions; encourages the Commission to put in place all necessary measures to improve transparency and effectiveness of its management of infringement procedures, which can be perceived as opaque by citizens;

Changed:7.8. Calls on the Commission to assess whether the national authorities are taking the necessary measures to respond to citizens’ concernsconcerns, as expressed in their petitionspetitions, where cases of failure to comply with EU law occuroccur, and to launch infringement procedures where necessary; believesemphasises that earlytimely and proactive action by the Commission in cases of breaches of EU law is crucial to prevent such breachesbreaches, fromwhich could undermine citizens’ trust in European institutions, becoming systemic in nature;

Changed:8.9. ConsidersEmphasises thatthe need for enhanced and more active cooperation between Member States and the Committee on petitions would bein necessaryorder to unblock those petitions requiring prompt responses and reactions from the national authorities; recalls that the delayed responses of the Member States could have an impact on the timely resolution of issues raised by citizens and negative consequences for the solution of breaches of Union law; notes that the Member States should guarantee responses to petitions within the three-month deadline requested; stresses that improved coordination and dialogue would facilitate a more efficient handling of citizens’ concerns, prevent unnecessary delays and strengthen the effectiveness of the petition process;

Added:10. Strongly condemns the harassment and intimidation to which the official members of the Delegation of the Committee on Petitions were subjected during their fact-finding visit to Barcelona from 18 to 20 December 2023, with the aim of assessing in situ the language immersion model in Catalonia, its effects on families moving to and residing in the Autonomous Community, as well as on multilingualism and non-discrimination and the principle of the rule of law;

Added:11. Condemns the attempted 'escraches' (public shaming through doorstep demonstrations), violence and intimidation by separatist entities and groups in Catalonia that were intended to prevent the smooth running of the mission and with which they sought to coerce MEPs so that the outcome of the mission would favour their interests;

Added:12. Regrets that the competent education authorities in the region have not implemented the recommendations issued by the Committee on Petitions in its report of 19 March 2024 following the mission, aimed at protecting the linguistic rights of students and their families;

Changed:14.18. UnderlinesHighlights a slight decrease in the number of petitions submitted on external relations issues compared to 2022; notes that this could be explained by the new geopolitical context in 2023 and in particular a decrease in the number of petitions on the war in Ukraine and a significant increase in petitions dealing with the new conflicts in the Middle East; notes that the Committee on Petitions took account of citizen’scitizens’ concerns about sanctions, security, conflict resolution, visa policy, progress of EU candidate countries, among other issues, putting on its agenda a number of petitions dealing in particular with questions related to the situation of refugees, in particular of children and on the situation of Venezuelan refugees in the EU; acknowledges the efforts of the committees already actively addressing these issues and emphasises that the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice, and Home Affairs should take note of these petitions in their deliberations;

Changed:16.20. Draws attention to the significant number of petitions submitted and discussed in relation to citizens’ concerns over the reintroduction of border checks between some Member States raising the problematic aspect of limitation of the free movement of persons within the EU and other aspects such as the strengths and the weaknesses of the extension of the Schengen area, as well as the costs of Non-Schengen;not notes,belonging into thisthe regard,Schengen area; appreciates the adoptionsignificant role played by the Committee on PetitionsPetitions, in particular the host of activities carried out, the adoption in committee of a short motion for a resolution on the accession to the Schengen area on 27 June 2023 and the organisationrelated ofParliament resolution, to strongly support the publicenlargement hearingof onthe Schengen Borders,area whichto wereinclude issuesRomania raisedand byBulgaria petitionersthe organisation of the public hearing on Schengen Borders on 18 July 2023 in association with the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs; welcomes the unanimous decision by the Council for the full membership of both countries of the Schengen area as of 1 January 2025 allowing the full exercise of the fundamental freedoms of the EU Single Market;

Removed:17. Underlines the work of the Committee on Petitions in connection with petitions relating to common rules on a single standard for hand luggage dimensions, highlighting citizens’ concerns about the inconvenience and discomfort caused by inconsistent rules on airline carry-on luggage and the resulting hidden costs; emphasises its call for compliance with a relevant European Court of Justice ruling in the context of the revision of EU air services legislation; points, in this regard, to the short motion for a resolution on standardised dimensions for carry-on luggage adopted by the Committee on Petitions on 20 September 2023 followed by the adoption of a resolution by single vote of the European Parliament on 4 October 2023; welcomes the fact that in November 2023 the Commission put forward a review of the passenger rights framework and a series of proposals designed to improve the experience of passengers and travellers, including the requirement of a limited number of common sizes and weights to reduce the confusion;

Added:21. Takes note of the sudden increase in petitions of Spanish origin in the second half of 2023 concerning the risks to the rule of law in Spain as a result of the Spanish Government’s intention to adopt an Amnesty Law contrary to constitutional and European law;

Added:22. Underlines the work of the Committee on Petitions in connection with petitions relating to common rules on a single standard for hand luggage dimensions, highlighting citizens’ concerns about the inconvenience and discomfort caused by inconsistent rules on airline carry-on luggage and the resulting hidden costs; emphasises its call for compliance with a relevant European Court of Justice ruling in the context of the revision of EU air services legislation; points, in this regard, to the short motion for a resolution on standardised dimensions for carry-on luggage adopted by the Committee on Petitions on 20 September 2023 followed by the adoption of a resolution by single vote of the European Parliament on 4 October 2023; welcomes the fact that in November 2023 the Commission put forward a review of the passenger rights framework and a series of proposals designed to improve the experience of passengers and travellers, including the requirement of a limited number of common sizes and weights to reduce the confusion; notes with regret that passengers with disabilities are still facing too many barriers while travelling, especially in case of multimodal journeys; regrets that the public transport systems of many Member States do not comply with the requirements of United Nations Convention on the Rights for Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD);

Changed:20.25. Stresses the importance of delivering on EU citizens’ expectations regarding the protection of the environment and urges the Commission, together with the Member States, to ensure the correct implementation of EU legislation in the environmental field;field, in particular in the field of illegal logging; points to the petitions on environmental issues, which reflect a growing public concern about the implications of climate change, requiring consistent enforcement of the existing EU environmental legislation by both the Commission and the Member States;

Removed:21. Stresses the important contribution made by the Committee on Petitions to the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities, as revealed by its treatment of a number of petitions on this sensitive topic; recalls the annual workshop of 29 November 2023 on the rights of persons with disabilities, which the Committee on Petitions held; recalls that its first part focused on how persons with disabilities dealt with the recent crises (energy costs, war, high inflation) and how EU measures helped to overcome these obstacles while the second part addressed the issue of how the European institutions have built inclusive communication with citizens with disabilities; also highlights, in this context, the adoption by the Committee of an opinion in the form of a letter on establishing the European Disability Card and the European Parking Card for persons with disabilities on 29 November 2023;

Added:26. Acknowledges the positive effects of the fact-finding visit to Romania from 15 to 18 May 2023 on the management and protection of the brown bear population; notes with regret, however, that there are still too many fatal accidents caused by brown bears in connection with humans and livestock, making further monitoring and cooperation with the national authorities necessary;

Removed:22. Underlines the specific protection role played by the Committee on Petitions within the EU in the framework of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; points to the committee’s important ongoing work in connection with petitions concerning issues on disabilities; notes a slight decrease in the number of petitions on disability in 2023 in comparison with previous years, especially 2022, but stresses nevertheless that it almost doubled compared to 2021; notes that discrimination and access to public transport and employment remain among the main challenges faced by persons with disabilities; points out that the Committee on Petitions paid special attention to the request for the European Disability Statute to recognise the rights of people with autism; welcomes the adoption of a short motion for a resolution on harmonising the rights of autistic people, emphasising the need to improve the access to diagnosis, healthcare, education, employment, accessibility and provision of reasonable accommodation, legal capacity, and lifelong support in the community, culture and sport;

Added:27. Following the fact-finding visit to Romania, stresses the need for a balance between wildlife protection and the citizens’ safety; underlines that each Member State should be allowed to take measures, including population control of the species, in order to prevent threats to the lives and property of its citizens;

Added:28. Stresses the commitment of the Committee on Petitions to protect the rights of persons with disabilities; recalls the annual workshop of held by the Committee on Petitions on 29 November 2023 on the rights of persons with disabilities; recalls that its first part focused on how persons with disabilities dealt with the recent crises (energy costs, war, high inflation, etc.) and how EU measures helped to overcome these obstacles while the second part addressed the issue of how the European institutions have built inclusive communication with citizens with disabilities; also highlights, in this context, the adoption by the Committee of an opinion in the form of a letter on establishing the European Disability Card and the European Parking Card for persons with disabilities on 29 November 2023; reiterates that the Commission should address the cases where the national authorities refuse to recognise the rights for social security benefits for person with disabilities, thus leaving them without the necessary means to cover their basic needs; underlines as well in this context the imperative need for a full and consistent transposition of the European Accessibility Act and calls on the Member States to avoid further delays that hinder the rights of persons with disabilities; recalls that the Accessibility Act aims at improving the life of at least 87 million persons with disabilities, facilitating their access to, inter alia, public transport, banking services, computers, TVs, e-books and online shops;

Added:29. Stresses the important contribution made by the Committee on Petitions to the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities, as revealed by its treatment of a number of petitions on this sensitive topic; acknowledges, in this context, the efforts of Parliament’s services and notes that not just the best technical but the most accessible solution for deaf citizens must be found in order to communicate with them in their own mother tongue, in national sign languages; requests the modification of the Rules of Procedures in close cooperation with the Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO) committee in order to eliminate the written communication with deaf citizens; also highlights, in this context, the adoption by the Committee of an opinion in the form of a letter on establishing the European Disability Card and the European Parking Card for persons with disabilities on 29 November 2023;

Added:30. Underlines, furthermore, the specific protection role played by the Committee on Petitions within the EU in the framework of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities through its capacity to hear petitions and highlights the committee’s important ongoing work on petitions concerning disability-related issues; while noting a slight decrease in the number of petitions on disability in 2023 compared to 2022, stresses that the number nearly doubled compared to 2021; further points out that discrimination and access to public transport and employment, continue to be major challenges faced by persons with disabilities and emphasises the Committee’s special attention to the request for the European Disability Statute to recognise the rights of people with autism; welcomes the adoption of a short motion for a resolution on harmonising the rights of autistic people, emphasising the need to improve access to diagnosis, healthcare, education, employment, accessibility and provision of reasonable accommodation, legal capacity and lifelong community support including as regards culture and sport; draws attention, furthermore, to the particular role of the Committee on Petitions in safeguarding the rights of children and their parents, acknowledging numerous petitions received on children’s rights, which require special attention and action; recalls, in this context the provisions of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, in particular the Article 24 thereof on the rights of the child, to allow every child to maintain a personal relationship and direct contact with both of his/her parents, unless that is contrary to the child’s interests; reiterates as well the risk that families with autistic children are being targeted by offers of unproven, potentially harmful and illegal therapies and interventions which may amount to serious physical abuse of children;

Added:32. Underlines the key work performed by the Committee on Petitions on the protection of workers’ rights; underlines that several petitions received in this area were followed up by further actions such as the debate on the use of fixed-term contracts, as well as that on the European citizens’ initiative-turned petition ‘Good Clothes, Fair Pay’ focusing on the harmful situation of workers in the global garment and footwear industry, or the Parliamentary Question for Oral Answer on the Working conditions of teachers in the European Union, also having as its basis a petition received on this subject; reiterates the importance of ensuring fair working conditions and greater protection of workers in the EU, calling on the Member States and the Commission to effectively address concerns raised in petitions related to labour rights and trade unions;

Added:33. Recalls the European Parliament study on Homelessness in the EU which was commissioned by the Committee on Petitions and presented at its meeting in November 2023; notes that this study made an important contribution on this pressing social and economic challenge, which represents one of the most severe forms of societal exclusion, highlighting the need for a public policy change towards preventing homelessness in the first place, inter alia by providing secure and affordable housing;

Changed:25.35. Stresses that European citizens’ initiatives (ECIs) represent an important instrument for active citizenship and public participation; welcomes the discussion in some meetings of some unsuccessful ECIsECIs, which were sometimes subsequently reformulated as petitions, giving citizens the opportunity to present their ideas and hold a constructive debate, while contributing to their participation in the EU’s democratic processes; takes note of the significant number of new ECIs registered by the Commission in 2023, which shows that citizens are seizing the opportunity to use participatory instruments to have a say in policy and lawmaking processes; calls on the Commission to better engage with citizens and give adequate follow-up to successful ECIs; welcomes the important effort put in place to organise, in association with other committees, four public hearings on successful ECIs, which allowed the organisers to present the initiative’s objectives and engage with Members of the European Parliament and representatives of the European Commission; underlines that the Commission’s commitment to responding to valid ECIs is essential to maintaining citizens’ trust in the ECI as the most significant instrument of participatory democracy;

Removed:26. Underlines that the Petitions Web Portal is an essential tool for ensuring a smooth, efficient and transparent petitions process; welcomes, in this regard, the improvements to data protection and security features which have made the portal more user-friendly and secure for citizens; stresses that efforts to make the portal more accessible must be continued, including making it more accessible for sign-language users and persons with disabilities; notes that the Petitions Web Portal has been one of the European Parliament’s most visited websites, thus serving as a first point of contact with Parliament for many EU citizens;

Added:36. Urges the Commission to give due consideration to the parliamentary resolutions adopted on European Citizens’ Initiatives (ECIs) and to enhance its engagement with citizens, particularly by ensuring appropriate and effective follow-up to successful ECIs, thereby reinforcing the democratic process and ensuring that citizens’ voices are adequately reflected in EU policymaking;

Removed:27. Welcomes the adoption of the short motion for a resolution on the creation of a European Capital of Local Trade at the plenary session of January 2023; underlines that this achievement is an excellent result for the Committee on Petitions, noting that this project is successfully included as a preparatory action in the 2024 budget, with a total budget of EUR 3 million; recalls that the project to create a European Capital of Small Retail (ECSR) was officially presented by the Commission in Barcelona in December 2023;

Added:37. Underlines that the Petitions Web Portal is an essential tool for ensuring a smooth, efficient and transparent petitions process; welcomes, in this regard, the improvements to data protection and security features that have made the portal more user-friendly and secure for citizens; stresses that efforts to make the portal more accessible must be continued, including making it more accessible for sign-language users and persons with disabilities; notes that the Petitions Web Portal has been one of the European Parliament’s most visited websites, thus serving as a first point of contact with Parliament for many EU citizens;

Added:38. Recalls the European dimension of the Committee on Petitions, which can be addressed by citizens from all 27 Member States on issues that fall within the scope of the Union’s activities; believes that the Committee has a special responsibility to uphold this European dimension and to demonstrate the added value of European unity and integration to citizens and continue addressing issues related to violations of EU law, as well as loopholes and shortcomings in the provisions of existing EU law; believes that timely avoidance of petitions with clear national competences along with comprehensive explanations and instructions about alternative courses of action, where appropriate, could contribute to a constructive approach and an enhanced citizens engagement considers, in this context, that the European Parliament should increase its efforts to promote the role and work of its Committee on Petitions and raise awareness among all EU citizens of the possibility to address a petition to the European Parliament; recalls that due to the limited time allotted to committee meetings, most petitions are treated through written procedure; recalls, in this context, that all petitions received, including those in the area of international affairs, should be handled with the necessary transparency and impartiality; is of the opinion that the selection of petitions for discussion in committee should reflect a geographical and political balance of submissions received; believes, moreover, that geographical balance should also be sought when organising the committee’s fact-finding visits, yearly and over the course of each legislative term;

Added:39. Welcomes the adoption of the short motion for a resolution on the creation of a European Capital of Local Trade at the plenary session of January 2023; underlines that this achievement is an excellent result for the Committee on Petitions, noting that this project has been successfully included as a preparatory action in the 2024 budget, with a total budget of EUR 3 million; recalls that the project to create a European Capital of Small Retail (ECSR) was officially presented by the Commission in Barcelona in December 2023;

Changed:C. whereas in 2023, the number of users supporting one or more petitions on Parliament’s Petitions Web Portal was 26 331, which represents a considerable increase compared to the 22 441 users recorded in 2022 (both numbers are considerably lower than the 209 272 supporters recorded in 2021); whereas the number of clicks in support of petitions also increased slightly in 2023, reaching a total of 29 287 (compared with 27 927 in 2022 and 21217 7876876 in 2021);

Changed:I. whereas the information submitted by petitioners in their petitions and during committee meetings, along with the Commission’s assessments and the replies from the Member States and other bodies, also provide valuable input for the work of other parliamentary committees, given that admissible petitions are forwarded to the relevant committee for an opinion or for information; whereas, therefore, petitions can also play a role in the legislative process, providing concrete feedback on the impact of EU policies and enabling policies to address the emerging needs;

Changed:P.Q. whereas in February 2023, the Petitions Web Portal was revamped and relaunched to align it with current expectations and make it easier for residents of the Member States to exercise their right to submit petitions to Parliament; whereas the updated Petitions Portal 2.0 integrated seamlessly with Parliament’s web publishing tool, enabling faster and simpler content updates and new features (including seven ‘Quick Start Guides’ that provide clear, step-by-step instructions for submitting, tracking and supporting petitions); whereas a new search engine powered by elastic search technology enhanced the user experience by delivering more accurate results efficiently with the resultleading ofto athe new portalportal’s prioritising a truly citizen-centred approach; whereas during 2023 all petitions were prepared and published in a timely manner, within a few days of their adoption, and all internal and external requests for support on the use and content of the Petitions Portal were replied to successfully, in a timely manner and in all languages;

Changed:1. Emphasises the fundamental role of the Committee on PetitionsPetition’s fundamental role in protecting and promoting the rights of EU citizens and residents by ensuring that petitioners’ concerns and complaints are examined in a timely, effective and appropriate manner and that petitioners are informed about the actions taken and progress made on their petitions; recalls that all petitions are treated through an open, democratic and transparent petition process;

Changed:11.15. Recalls that cooperation with other committees in Parliament is essential for the comprehensive treatment of petitions; notes that in 2023, 34 requests for opinion (corresponding to 31 petitions) and 223 requests for information were sent to other committees; notes that of the 34 opinions requested, only 25 answers were received by the end of 2023 (in 14 cases an opinion was providedprovided, while in 10 cases the committee decided not to draft an opinion and on four occasions no official decision has been communicated); recalls that petitioners are informed of decisions to request opinions from other committees for the treatment of their petitions; underlines that parliamentary committees should step up their efforts to actively contribute to the examination of petitions by providing their expertise so as to enable Parliament to respond more swiftly and comprehensively to citizens’ concerns;