Deadline for collecting statements of support for ‘Mum, Dad & Kids’ citizens' initiative
24.3.2017
Question for written answer E-002026-17
to the Commission
Rule 130
Kazimierz Michał Ujazdowski (ECR)
On 16 December 2016, the Polish Ministry of Digital Affairs asked the Commission to take a position on whether the deadline for collecting statements of support for ‘Mum, Dad & Kids’ citizens’ initiative could be extended, taking into account the problems with a certification procedure for a computer system used to collect the statements online. On 8 February 2017, Vice-President Frans Timmermans stated in his reply that the deadline for collecting statements of supports for this initiative had expired on 11 December 2016.
In light of this:
- 1.Why did the Commission challenge Parliament’s position, as expressed in the report of 7 October 2015, by refusing to set the deadline for signature collection as 3 April 2017? In its report, Parliament requested organisers of citizens’ initiatives to determine on their own the beginning and end of the period for collecting statements of support.
- 2.How would the Commission justify different treatment of EU citizens’ initiatives, given the extension of the deadline for collecting statements of supports for initiatives registered in 2012 (the first pool)?