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Wednesday, 24 September 2008 - Brussels OJ edition

Priorities of the European Parliament for the legislative and work programme of the Commission for 2009 (debate)
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  Evelyne Gebhardt (PSE). - (DE) Mr President, Madam Vice-President, citizens' scepticism about the European Union can be felt very strongly nowadays, and there is a reason for that. It is due to the policies which have been pursued over recent years and the way in which they have been conveyed to citizens.

For that reason, it is extremely important for the European Commission and other EU institutions to gear policy-making far more strongly towards the lives of citizens and to convey the impression and demonstrate to them that the European Union is genuinely doing something for its citizens.

To that end, it is also important – for example, in our analyses of what is needed – to focus more strongly on what we should be doing. For example, a consumer scoreboard is a very important instrument which must be further expanded so that we can take better account of citizens' concerns and interests in this area.

The second point which is also important in this context is better monitoring of the impacts of EU legislation. It is not enough simply to assess the economic impacts. We need clear impact assessments in the social sphere as well, so that we are aware of how the legislation that we are forging is impacting on citizens, and so that we can demonstrate that what we know what we want and what we are doing, and that what we are doing can generate positive outcomes for their lives.

It is also important to grant the same rights to citizens throughout the EU. I would therefore urge you to work on the further development of class actions and common legal entitlements. That would send out a very important signal to citizens.

 
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