Thursday 06 Mar 2014 @ 11:25
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New regulation on the funding of European political parties: a leap for European democracy
Yesterday the Permanent Representatives Committee approved the agreement reached with the European Parliament on the regulation on the statute and funding of European political parties and European political foundations on 25 February.
The regulation constitutes a breakthrough in institutional issues. Discussions on this proposal have lasted almost two years spanning throughout four Presidencies. This file was a priority in the institutional field for the Greek Presidency, which worked hard and fast in order to secure agreement before the European elections.
The Greek Presidency considers that the new regulation constitutes a qualitative leap for European representative democracy as it will enable truly transnational European political parties to play their role in bridging the gap between national and EU politics.
The main innovations of the new Regulation are the following:
• establishment of European legal personality for European political parties and European political foundations, with the visibility and all legal consequences that this entails.
• Reinforced control of respect to EU values, as laid down in the Treaties on the European Union.
• Verification of the requirement for granting European legal status, registration and eventual de-registration of European political parties, will be managed by an independent Authority, in consultation with a committee of independent persons.
• Increased flexibility for funding of European political parties and European political foundations. In particular, the donation ceiling from natural or legal persons will be increased to 18.000 Euros. Furthermore, European political parties will have the possibility to carry-over unused funds to the next year, a very useful element in particular in view of election years.
It should be stressed that the draft regulation will not entail an increase of the share of EU budget allocated to European political parties (in 2013 it was € 33.9 million). The co-financing rate from the EU budget will also remain unchanged: 85%.
• While ensuring protection of personal data, the necessary transparency requirements are also part of the draft Regulation.
The new Regulation will now have to be formally adopted by the plenary of the European Parliament and subsequently by the Council.
Although the new Regulation will not be in force for the 2014 European elections, we believe that it will send a powerful message to European citizens, in view of the European elections.
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