| Author (Corporate) | Council of the European Union |
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| Publisher | Official Journal of the European Union |
| Series Details | L278 |
| Publication Date | 16/07/2018 |
| Content Type | Legislation |
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Summary: The Council of the European Union adopted on 13 July 2018 a Decision amending the 1976 Electoral Act which lays down a number of common rules concerning elections to the European Parliament. The discussions within the Council were based on a proposal adopted by the European Parliament in November 2015. Further information: The legislative initiative proposes amendments to the EU electoral law with a view to increasing the democratic dimension of the European elections and the legitimacy of the EU decision-making process. It aims to improve the citizens' participation in the election process and to bring Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) closer to their voters. The Parliament's Conference of Presidents authorised in February 2015 the drawing up of a legislative initiative report on the reform of the electoral law of the European Union, based on Article 223(1) TFEU. In November 2015, the Parliament adopted a Resolution based on the report which puts forward amendments to the Act of September 1976 concerning the election of MEPs by direct universal suffrage. Certain national parliaments expressed criticism of the EP proposals. On the side of the Council, the General Affairs Working Party discussed the European Parliament's legislative initiative during five successive Presidencies. The European Parliament progressively increased the pressure in early 2018. The Council's committee of permanent representatives adopted the draft decision on 7 June and the Parliament gave its consent on 4 July. |
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| Source Link | Link to Main Source http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2018/994/oj |
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| Subject Categories | Politics and International Relations |
| Subject Tags | European Parliament Elections |
| Keywords | Electoral Law |
| International Organisations | European Union [EU] |
