Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the statute and funding of European political parties and European political foundations

The Treaty on European Union states in its Article 10 that "political parties at European level contribute to forming European political awareness and to expressing the will of citizens of the Union". Article 12(2) of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union expresses the same principle.

The right to freedom of association at all levels, for example in political and civic matters, and the right to freedom of expression, which includes the freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers, are fundamental rights of every citizen of the Union.

It is therefore in the interests of the citizens of the European Union that a European representative democracy can flourish. Truly transnational European political parties and political foundations are key to articulating the voices of the citizens at European level.

This proposal for a Regulation aims to encourage and assist the European political parties and their affiliated political foundations by creating conditions that allow them to grow and pursue their endeavour to reach out to European citizens, to represent and express their views and opinions, and to provide a stronger link between European civil society and the European institutions, in particular the European Parliament.

EUR-Lex: COM(2012)499: Follow the progress of this document through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2012:499:FIN

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