Petitions committee. 2002-2003 annual report

The European Parliament adopted a resolution based on the own-initiative report drafted by Laura GONZALEZ ALVAREZ (EUL/NGL, Spain) on the work of the Petitions Committee during the parliamentary year 2002-2003. The report was tabled for plenary by Maria Luisa BERGAZ CONESA (EUL/NGL, Spain). (Please see the summary dated 10/06/03.) Parliament stated that the success achieved through petitions regarding the effect of Europe on the life of individual citizens makes it essential to consider carefully the best way of improving the effectiveness and transparency of all procedures for the examination and processing of petitions received. Therefore, it called for more flexible and rapid procedures adapted to the substance of replies to petitioners, so as to make them swifter and more effective, even at the expense of other factors such as multilingualism. Furthermore, Parliament asked the Commission to pursue its efforts - which have already produced appreciable results - to rationalise and accelerate internal procedures in response to requests for information concerning petitions. To this end, Parliament felt that there should be a more rapid response regarding matters clearly outside the remit of the Union or, on the contrary, where infringement proceedings against a Member State have already been commenced. There must be separate and specific treatment of petitions ruled admissible over three years previously.�