EU Commission vicePresidents Reding+Cefcovic to EuroFora: Timely Clarify+prepare key 2014 EUElection

*Strasbourg/EU Parliament/Angelo Marcopolo/- Two important EU Commission's vice-Presidents, in charge, inter alia, also of EU Citizenship/Fundamental Rights and of Inter-Institutional relations, Viviane Reding and Maros Sefcovic, respectively, replying to an "EuroFora" Question, urged EU Parliament, Member States and Political Parties to Timely "Clarify" the new European Political and Legal landscape of the forthcoming, crucial 2014 EU Elections in order to boost EU Citizens' active involvement in Topical EU Debates on pan-European issues affecting their lives.
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- "Given the particular importance of 2014 EU Elections, and the fact that some relevant developments (for their preparation) are already expected from the Summer (2013), do you think that the pre-electoral campaign should start Sooner than usual ?"

- "In fact, what's your opinion about the Timing of the (2014 EU Elections') Campaign ?", "EuroFora" asked the 2 competent EU Commission's vice-Presidents, after the publication of a collective EU Commission Recommendation asking to boost European Political aspects in Citizens' debates before the final votes.  

 
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    - "I hope that by Summer (2013) we (EU Parliament, Commission and Council) will have an Agreement on the (Draft Rules) about the Legal  Status of EU Political Parties", EU Commission's vice-President in charge of Institutions, replied to "EuroFora'"s question.

    + "Because, of course,  we (EU) need some Time for the Transposition into the National Legal Orders", Sefcovic explained.

    - "But, naturally, the Decision when to Start the Political Campain for the European Parliament's Election, which will be, of course, on 2014, it's up to the Political Parties", he concluded.
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    - "Let's not mix up things", because, in fact, "there are 2 Elements" in this regard, clarified also the EU Commissioner in charge of Citizenship, experienced Viviane Reding, in her own subsequent reply to "EuroFora"s Question :     

    - "The First is the (EU Draft) Directive, that we (EU Commission) presented several Months ago, and no that's about the Legal status of European Parties".

    => - "Now that's what we have to bring to a good End", she said in reply to "EuroFora"s question 2 Days before the  EU Parliament's Constitutional Commission discusses and Votes on a relevant Draft Report prepared by the leader of the Greek Delegation, experienced MEP and former Minister, Marietta Yiannakou, (comp. recent relevant statements by Yiannakou to "EuroFora"), in Strasbourg on Thursday.

     + And this must be done "Before the Electoral Campaign Starts, because we want to have Clarified Everything, to be Transparent, to be Clear. Not to be Discussions about these questions anymore , so that the Parties can concentrate on the (EU) Election campaign", Reding stressed.

    - But, "when will Start the (EU) Election Campaign, that's their Business !". Because its up to "Political Parties (to) decide when European Elections will take place".
    - "But, I hope that everyone Together will say When will be the (EU Parliament's 2014) Elections Day. Because (even) the Date of the (EU) Elections has yet to be Fixed. It's not yet fixed !", she topically reminded, (considering f.ex. UK's often different Agenda)..           

 
    - In this regard, "the (EU) Parliament has made 2 Proposals, but even there a Decision has yet to be reached between the (EU) Member States", EU Commission's vice-President Reding observed.
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- "We (EU) are still at the Begining of a Journey. There are some in EU Parliament and in the Member States that always dreamt about TransNational Lists. F.ex. "Greens"' co-Chair, Daniel Kohn-Bendit, and/or UK Liberal Andrew Duff, etc. - "One Day we (EU) shall have them, but not yet in 2014", she regretted.

+ Others dream that we can elect the EU Commission's President by popular Vote". But, "for this we need a Treaty Change", which will prepare EU Commission to become something "like an EU Government" in Future. However, "one Day, this will come !".

    But, In the meantime, "we are Now in an Intermediary Stage". "We are in the stage where, for the 1st time, (EU) Elections will take plave under the New Treaty of Lisbon", (which was signed on 2007 and entered into force on 2010). "So that needs to be done in an ordered way, (and) with the Best Results possible, hoping that (already) this will lead to a more European Discussion", as she expressed the wish.

    - "I have been elected in EU Parliament 5 times in a row", and, so, "I have some Experience with EU Parliament's Elections", reminded the many times re-elected former mainstream MEP from Luxembourg.

    - Regrettably, those ("EU") Elections' "Topics are often very Local, very National. Very Rarely European. It's not bad to have Local Topics. But having Only Local Topics, is Not enough", she criticized.  

    - "That's why, also, having the umbrella of European Parties, showing that's our party, will show that each National Party is inside a European Family", which has something to say in the European Campaign.

    -"Whether this will be a Success Story, I don't know. But, what I know now, is that, as thing stood until now, (EU Citizens') Participation is Going Down and down !", she denounced, criticizing a phenomenon which appeared only since 1999, (i.e. when Turkey's controversial and unpopular EU bid started for the 1st time in History, inevitably making a Majority of EU People fear that some risk to Treat them as bad as Turkey does vis a vis its own, according to abudant revelations  of Grave Human Rights' Violations by Ankara's State Agents many times condemned by ECHR in Strasbourg).

    => "We (EU) want to Reverse this Trend", Reding stressed, speaking after the 2009 1st signs of deceleration of the participation fall, which had been much sharper on 1999-2004.

    - So, "one of the reasons for which we have made 2013 the Year of EU Citizens, is also in order to incite MEPs, Political leaders, Heads of State/Government, Leaders of EU Institutions, etc. to Go Out and Speak with the People", to Discuss and Inform them about their Rights to Discuss EU issues even Outside of Electoral Campaigns (as "EuroFora's main, traditional stance advocates since 1997-2007). And that' s also a Preparation in order to have a more Wide European Debate take place, when the Political Parties will start their campaign" in view of the 2014 EU Elections.
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    Recent Statistical Data reportedly confirm that EU Citizens would become anew interested to participate in EU Elections (as they already did between 1979-1999) if they were regularly well informed about EU Decisions which affect their lives even more now, Reding revealed earlier in Strasbourg with new EuroBarometer Polls.

    "EuroFora"s traditional stance is that interested EU Citizens' public Debates should be engaged (using adequately New Information/Communication Technologies) during EU's Decision-Making process on the most important Measures which affect their lives, (i.e. providing a "Motor" able to stimulate genuine and socio-politically useful, democratic exchange of views between all those concerned by EU's actions, ... or inaction).
   
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EU Recommendation for the preparation of 2014 EU Elections
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In particular, Reding made it clear that, even if EU Council still proposes a candidate for EU Commission's new President, who has to be endosed by a Majority of MEPs, nevertheless, according to the New EU Lisbon Treaty (2010), he must be chosen while "taking into account" EU Parliament's point of view : 

Together with Maro Sefcovic, Reding presented a Recommendation adopted collectively by the Commission earlier today in Strasbourg, on the Preparation of 2014 EU Parliament's Elections, in which they ask EU Member States' Governments and Political Parties to "the make known President they support", as wel as, for parties, to "make clear in all campaign materials to which European political party they are affiliated", and to "inform voters during the campaign about their candidate for President of the (EU) Commission".

Finally, all 27 EU "Member States should agree on a (1) common Day for the European Elections", while "polling stations closing at the same Time", (instead of remaining spread our over a period of 4 Days, as it's the case until now).

In this way, "we could see candidates participating in TV debates informing citizens about their political programmes. Voters would be better informed about the Issues at stake in the European Parliament elections", and, f.ex., " If they know who the candidates (for EU Commission's presidency)  are, citizens will have a real choice and an opportunity for a real debate around political Figures", "so as to encourage a Europe-wide and informed debate(s)" on both, the 2013 EU Recommendation concludes.

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+ Sefcovic : 14 EU Citizens' Initiatives running  on 2013.
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    + Sefcovic added that, meanwhile, EU Commission had also kick-started since mid-2012 the possibility for EU Citizens to lodge "Initiatives" supported by 1 Million SIgnatures from various EU Countries for Draft EU Decisions to be debated and eventually decided by EU Commission, EU Parliament and Council (comp. various precedent Statements by Commissioner Sefcovic to "EuroFora" on EU Citizens' Initiative), according to the New Institutional Tool introduced by the EU Lisbon Treaty (2010), so that, now, at the Beginning of 2013, there are "more than 14" ECI running at this time, one having already gathered the required number of certified signatures, so that this new process of Direct Popular Involvement in PanEuropean Decision Making should soon start developing relevant EU Debates and practical conclusions, already Before, but in the run-up to the 2014 EU Parliament Elections.