Changes from report parliamentary committee draft to plenary report

Added17. Underlines the specific protection role played by the Committee on Petitions within the EU in the framework of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; points to the committee’s important ongoing work in connection with petitions concerning issues related to disabilities; recalls that reference to petitions on the need for an EU-wide disability card has been included in Directive (EU) 2024/2841 establishing the European Disability Card and European Parking Card; underlines that petitions can significantly contribute to the legislative process;

Removed16. Acknowledges the European Ombudsman’s regular contributions to the work of the Committee on Petitions throughout the year; firmly believes that the Union’s institutions, bodies and agencies must ensure consistent and effective follow-up to the recommendations of the Ombudsman;

Added18. Recalls the fact that relations with the European Ombudsman represent one of the responsibilities conferred on the Committee on Petitions by Parliament’s Rules of Procedure; highlights the Committee on Petitions’ role in the election process of the European Ombudsman, in particular in organising the public hearing with all eligible candidates, held on 3 December 2024, which was open to all Members of the European Parliament, thus giving them the democratic and transparent opportunity to exchange views with the candidates and assess their independence, qualifications and professionalism as well as their vision for the office of the European Ombudsman within the EU institutional architecture; welcomes Parliament’s constructive cooperation with the European Ombudsman, with whom the Committee on Petitions shares the objectives of ensuring the transparency, professionalism and integrity of the EU institutions vis-à-vis European citizens, as well as its involvement in the European Network of Ombudsmen;

Removed17. Notes that, despite the parliamentary recess due to the European elections, the Committee on Petitions expressed its position and made recommendations on important issues raised in petitions, including adopting two mission reports following fact-finding visits;

Added19. Encourages the continued regular contributions of the European Ombudsman to the work of the Committee on Petitions throughout the year; firmly believes that the Union’s institutions, bodies and agencies must ensure consistent and effective follow-up to the recommendations of the Ombudsman; emphasises the essential role of the European Ombudsman in promoting transparency, good administration and the protection of citizens’ rights; calls for closer cooperation between the Committee on Petitions and the Ombudsman’s office;

Added20. Notes that, despite the parliamentary recess due to the European elections, the Committee on Petitions expressed its position and made recommendations on important issues raised in petitions, including adopting two mission reports following fact-finding visits held in the second half of 2023, namely a mission to Ireland on mica buildings and a mission to Spain on linguistic immersion in Catalonia; stresses the importance of the implementation by the Catalonian authorities of the recommendations made by the Committee on Petitions in its report of 19 March 2024, intended to safeguard the linguistic rights of students and their families;

Added21. Notes the growing number of petitions relating to education policy, particularly the recognition of teaching qualifications across Member States; highlights, in this regard, the Committee on Petition’s Oral Question to the Commission on the working conditions of teachers in the EU; is alarmed by the Commission’s oral reply confirming that teacher shortages are a serious challenge, which is also reflected in the recent PISA results, with not even one Member State managing to improve their performance in basic skills; calls, in this respect, on the Commission and the Member States to significantly increase their efforts towards improving their school education systems while also increasing the attractiveness of the teaching profession, including through funding and programmes;

22. Welcomes the adoption of Parliament’s resolution of 10 April 2024 on the handling of heavy goods vehicles at border crossing points based on Petition 0146/2023;

Change 25

Changed19.23. Underlines that the Petitions Web Portal is an essential tool for ensuring a smooth, efficient and transparent petitions process; welcomes the improvementimprovements made onto the portal for the benefit of petitioners and stresses that efforts to make the portal more accessible must be continued, including making it more accessible for sign language users as requested in petition 1056/2016 and for persons with disabilities; notes that the Petitions Web Portal has beenis one of Parliament’s most visited websites, thus serving as a first point of contact with Parliament for many EU citizens;

24. Instructs its President to forward this resolution and the report of the Committee on Petitions to the Council, the Commission, the European Ombudsman, and the governments and parliaments of the Member States, their petitions committees and their national ombudsmen or similar competent bodies.