92002E1438

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1438/02

by Maurizio Turco (NI) to the Commission

(15 May 2002)

Subject: Information concerning the partnership between the EU and EU-Student Vote in connection with the election of a European Student Council

The pilot project EU-Student Vote, www.eusv.org, is organising the first on-line European election between 9 and 23 May, to enable millions of European students to elect the first European Student Council, which will represent students in the European institutions.

One of the electoral lists, the European Antiprohibitionist Students, www.easyvote.tk, points out, in a reasoned report, the fact that because of the mechanisms used there is a real danger of false registration, there are no guarantees that those who vote will be entitled to do so and the lists of candidates cannot necessarily communicate with the electors, which means that the first great experiment in democratic on-line voting will actually be off-line and undemocratic.

Following this complaint, the European Antiprohibitionist Students list has been deleted from the website and in effect excluded from the election, whilst the forum for discussion between students has also been cancelled.

Since the European Union is a partner in this initiative, can the Commission say:

- what the terms of the partnership are, i.e. does the Union fund the pilot project EU-Student Vote or one of its partners for a project designed to elect European student representatives;

- whether the European Union has undertaken or intends to give any form of formal recognition, even if only symbolic, to the European Student Council which would be elected in these elections using the current procedures;

- what forms of control it has exercised or intends to exercise as partner in the EU-Student Vote project?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(10 June 2002)

The EUSV project is a private project that does not benefit from any financial support from the Commission.

In 2001 the EUSV submitted requests for financial support to the Commission. However, after careful assessment of the applications, both Directorate General (DG) Education and Culture and DG Information Society rejected it.

In April 2001, following regular and common procedures, the organisers were informed of the failure of their applications.

The European Student Council that would be elected by this project will not receive any form of recognition by the Commission.

In the Higher Education sector, the Commission intends to continue its dialogue with student associations which are members of the European Liaison Group, presently composed by the European Student Information Bureau (ESIB), l'Association des Etats généraux des étudiants de l'Europe (AEGEE) and the Erasmus Student Network (ESN). For questions linked to the youth policies in general, the Commission cooperates with the European Youth Forum, a platform gathering several European and national associations.