WRITTEN QUESTION E-0435/00

by Camilo Nogueira Román (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(23 February 2000)

Subject: Commission proposal on the European Parliament in the planned reform of the Treaties

In the document approved by the European Commission pursuant to Article 48 of the Treaty on European Union for the Intergovernmental Conference to amend the Treaties, it is proposed that the number of Members of the European Parliament be maintained at 700, as established in Article 189 of the Treaty of Amsterdam, and that a number of Members may be elected from lists presented throughout the Union. If these proposals were approved, nations without states and European peoples such as Galicia, whom I represent, having stood for a specific list, and others in states like Spain, the United Kingdom and Belgium, which have their own specific national political parties, would suffer, both quantitatively and qualitatively, in terms of their representation in Parliament and their participation in the European institutions.

Has the Commission given due consideration to this issue, which concerns the political and cultural diversity of Europe, for which due respect must be shown? Does the Commission intend to consider alternative proposals aimed at solving this serious problem?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(10 March 2000)

In its Opinion on the Intergovernmental Conference on institutional reform(1), the Commission argued that the Community would greatly benefit if a number of Members of the European Parliament were elected from European lists. Even if this suggestion were taken up, the vast majority of Members would continue to be elected in national constituencies. In this respect the Commission felt that it was for Parliament itself to propose new arrangements for allocating seats. It would also point out that the way in which different components of a Member State are represented in the European Parliament depends largely on the electoral system used, and that under Article 190(4) (formerly Article 138) of the EC Treaty it is the prerogative of Parliament to devise a uniform electoral procedure for the elections.

(1) Adapting the institutions to make a success of enlargement, Commission Opinion in accordance with Article 48 of the Treaty on European Union on the calling of a Conference of Representatives of the Governments of the Member States to amend the Treaties, COM(00) 34 final.