Committee on Petitions
As stated by the European Union's Treaty, it is a fundamental right of every EU citizen to file a petition. The Committee on Petitions thus offers European citizens the right to adress the European Parliament in case of suspected violations of their individual rights. The Committee is dedicated to secure simultaneously democracy and proximity to its citizens. These are the reasons why I am engaged in this Committee.
The right of everyLink to the Committee on Petitions (more)
Link to file a petition (
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Bücher für blinde Menschen
Brüssel, 3. April 2013
Artikel 21 der UN-Konvention garantiert Menschen mit Behinderung besondere Rechte in Bezug auf Meinungsfreiheit und Zugang zu Informationen. Die Lage blinder und sehbehinderter Menschen betreffend dem Zugang zu Literatur ist nach wie vor prekär. Insbesondere die Problematik der kommerziellen Verfügbarkeit („commercial availability“) steht einem fairen und gleichberechtigten Zugang von blinden und sehbehinderten Menschen zu Informationen entgegen und erschwert die Arbeit der Behindertenverbände beträchtlich.
Nachfolgend aufgeführt ist die Frage an die Kommission, wie die Rechte von Menschen mit Behinderungen gewährleistet werden können sowie die dazugehörige Antwort der Kommission.
Frage:
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+WQ+E-2013-000512+0+DOC+XML+V0//DE
Antwort:
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getAllAnswers.do?reference=E-2013-000512&language=DE
On the case of the Austrian child (abducted in April 2012)
Strasbourg, 8 February 2013
On April 3, 2012 the young, only 5-year-old Austrian boy Oliver W. was brutally kidnapped from his habitual residence in Graz.
“The case went through the media and only a few weeks later it was described to us in an email, basically asking us MEPs for help to get the boy back to his mother”, recalls MEP Angelika Werthmann.
Read more...
Exchange of views with Commissioner Janez Potocnik
Brussels, 22 November 2011
Year by year, way too many petitions are submitted on the environmental protection - in 2010 the number had been 245. Usually, the objections concern shortcomings in the executions of environmental impact assessment studies or waste management.
During the exchange of views with Janez Potocnik, Commissioner for Environment, MEPs expressed their distress of the Commissions' attitude to 'wait-and-see' and not to interfere until the problem evolves. The Commissioner stated that EU environmental legislation is excellent in theory, but insufficient in its implementation by the Member States. 20 to 50 persent of the citizens do not enjoy the air quality guaranteed by EU-legislation, whereas non-compliance causes costs up to the amount of 50 billion Euros each year. Mentioned as an example of positive reaction, the Commissioner referred to the rehabilitation of the area of a former steal enterprise in the Port of Cork/Eire. The public has been informed online of every step taken in the clearance of toxic residues - he would like to have such an approach as a general rule.
Accordingly, he indicated that he will focus on the implementation of EU law within the Seventh Environment Action Programme, by improving monitoring, data quality and transparency.
The discussion on the application of the Charter on Fundamental Rights continues...
Brussels, 22 November 2011
After the Seminar on the application of the Charter on Fundamental Richts that took place on October 6, the Committee on Petitions announced its decision to continue an open discussion on this issue and to connect it with the ongoing discussion conducted by the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE).
Brussels, 22 November 2011
In the Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO), responsible for the drafting of the regulation on the citizens' initiative, amendments were tabled proposing that initiatives which may not meet the formal requirements should be submitted to the Committee on Petitions and treated as such.
The Committee now wants to make sure that amendments of this kind do not restrict the future role of the Committee concerning citizens' initiatives.
