04/04/2011

A European Statute for European political parties
Improving efficiency and transparency

By Theo Georgitsopoulos, Greek Press Adviser

European political parties play a significant role in promoting EU priorities, implementing EU decisions and building a better environment for EU citizens. Currently there are ten political parties at the European level, of which the European People's Party, formed in 1976, is one. But there has been some criticism of the rules governing them. Greek MEP, Marietta Giannakou, has written an evaluation of their situation today and wants to enhance the European political party system. She notes that European political parties as they stand currently are not in a position to fully play their role. So she is calling for the adoption of a special and uniform European legal statute for European political parties and their foundations, enabling them to acquire legal personality under EU law. The adoption of this statute would be a first step in improving their regulatory framework.

The legal background

European political parties should raise European political awareness and express the will of EU citizens. This is clearly expressed as their main objective in the Treaty of Lisbon, to further create a 'political space' at EU level, a European democracy. The applicable Regulation, as amended in 2007, provides the framework for the improved functioning of European political parties, their political foundations and for their transparent funding. But up until now there has been no specific political or fiscal statute governing them.

Marietta Giannakou is responsible in Parliament's Constitutional Affairs Committee for writing an evaluation of the existing Regulation and proposals to incorporate new recommendations from the European Parliament's Secretary General. She is in favour of modifications that will simplify the organisational function of European political parties and that will lead to the creation of a transnational party system.

The Giannakou report

Only national or regional parties should be entitled to set up a European political party. Recognition of regionally-elected representatives should be retained only for regions with legislative powers. Furthermore, a European political party should be represented by at least one Member in the European Parliament in order to be eligible for funding. Amongst other modifications, Ms Giannakou considers that the current system of grants is inappropriate and calls for the creation of a new title in the Financial Regulation dedicated specifically to the funding of European political parties and foundations. She believes a party's ability to self-finance is a sign of their vitality and wants to raise the present limit of donations from 12 000 Euro to 25 000 Euro, with obligatory disclosure of the donor.

A European statute

All the proposals in her report are oriented towards a better organisational structure and aim at more efficiency in the active role of political parties at EU level. The key element of her report is the request for a European statute for European political parties under EU law, something already foreseen in the amended Regulation, and it is now the time to pave the way for its adoption. Ms Giannakou sets the guidelines and general principles under which European political parties and their foundations should be acting in the future.