91998E0527

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0527/98 by Iñigo Méndez de Vigo (PPE) to the Commission (2 March 1998)

Subject: European Parliament elections

Article 8b of the Maastricht Treaty concerning citizenship of the Union stipulates that 'every citizen of the Union residing in a Member State of which he is not a national shall have the right to vote and to stand as a candidate in elections to the European Parliament in the Member State in which he resides, under the same conditions as nationals of that state'.

With a view to the European Parliament elections to be held in October 1999, are there any Member States where residents who are nationals of other Member States are not able to exercise the right to vote?

Joint answer to Written Questions E-0525/98 and E-0527/98 given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission (7 April 1998)

Directive 93/109/EC of 6 December 1993 has been transposed by all the Member States and was applied at the time of the June 1994 elections. Sweden, Austria and Finland applied it on the occasion of the first European Parliament elections held in their countries in 1995 and 1996.

The Honourable Member is asked to refer to the Commission report of 7 January 1998 to Parliament and the Council on the application of the Directive on voting rights of EU citizens living in a Member State of which they are not nationals in European Parliament elections ((COM(97) 731 final. )).