The European Commission has declared 2013 European Year of Citizens to mark the 20th anniversary of the Citizenship of the Union enforced by virtue of the Treaty of Maastricht on 1 Nov. 1993. In connection with this the Committee on Petitions in the European Parliament has discussed its ideas about the ways the anniversary should be marked. Bulgarian MEP from the group of the European People’s Party Maria Nedelcheva who is also member of the Committee, said that declaring 2013 European Year of Citizens was a message to them about the commitment of institutions for lifting barriers. It is aimed to facilitate EU citizens free movement and residence across EU coupled with guaranteed access to comprehensive information about their rights.
With the reforms of the EU and the enforcement of the Treaty of Lisbon on 1 December 2009, a European Citizens’ Initiative was introduced, as a follow-up of the Citizenship of the Union. This is a new format of public involvement into making the EU policies. It allows 1 million citizens from at least a quarter of EU member states to draw up a petition on a problem of great importance and urge the EC to amend existing legislation or move to law-making in connection with it. This petition should be organized by a Citizen Committee with at least seven citizens from at least seven member countries. The time frame from collecting signatures for the petition is one year. After that the EC is given three months to consider the petition and make a decision about the citizens’ demand.
What is the situation with the European Citizens’ Initiative today? Listen to Maria Nedelcheva in an exclusive interview for Radio Bulgaria.
“What we are now looking forward to, is to see this instrument enforced in its pragmatic dimensions. Starting from 1 March we expect the submission of the first citizens’ initiatives. What is more worrying however is that we do not have access to information. There is no transparency as to what stage the procedure has reached, and how successful member countries have been in its implementation. I can identify a few key issues here. In the first place, this is the way of submission of the European Citizens’ Initiative. Secondly, it is key how long it will take the European Commission to rule whether the problem raised by citizens is within its competences. Only then the initiative can be given the green light. Another issue: what happens with the collection of signatures of citizens and how are they checked? What is the national level body responsible for this? Are there options of collecting signatures online apart from the hardcover copy? I guess that those are vital issues and the strange thing is that they are not being thoroughly discussed. We have been very vocal saying what powerful instrument is given to citizens with the European Citizens’ Initiative that enables them to change the agenda of the European Commission. At this stage however, there should be more clarity. Otherwise the European Citizens’ Initiative might be used for purposes that counter European values and principles.”
This is an important point for Bulgaria too.
What initiatives will be held locally to mark the European Year of Citizens? “There are a few initiatives planned. One immediate priority is trying to amend an injustice that bars Bulgarian and Romanian workers from the labor markets of a few EU member countries. Fact is that eight member states have extended the ban for Bulgarian and Romanian workers until 2013. In this way they fail to perform their treaties with two countries, Bulgaria and Romania. Various texts clearly indicate that those countries can make a decision to introduce labor market restrictions for Bulgarians and Romanians based on strong arguments and apparent facts proving that Bulgarians and Romanians do pose a threat to their labor markets. So far they have not provided arguments and facts, so we have to go on fighting to eliminate this injustice.”
Another important highlight during the European Year of Citizens has to do with young people. “We are all aware of the indisputable success of programmes such as Erasmus or Leonardo da Vinci”, MEP Maria Nedelcheva recalls. “Young people need to come in touch with foreign European cultures and thus enrich their skills and know how. So, for them one of the basic rights of EU citizens – that of free movement – is vital. A host of administrative barriers have grown into a big problem for the validation of education certificates and qualifications.”
Maria Nedelcheva also says that further facilitation of access to multilingual information in justice via the gateway eJustice is a priority of the Committee on Petitions in connection with the European Year of Citizens. It is aimed at better knowledge of rules and procedures meaning that citizens receive better justice. Another highlight of the European Year of Citizens is protection of consumers, tourists and passengers. Europe of citizens is impossible to achieve without the young, Bulgarian MEP Maria Nedelcheva contends. So, the Youth in Action Programme will become a further guarantee for faster elimination of barriers to the free movement of the young, problems with validation of education certificates and qualifications, limiting labor mobility and other problems.
Translated by Daniela Konstantinova
