Rule 227 : Examination of petitions

1.   Admissible petitions shall be considered by the committee responsible for petitions in the course of its normal activity, either through discussion at a regular meeting or by written procedure. Petitioners may be invited to participate in meetings of the committee if their petition is to be the subject of discussion, or they may ask to be present. The right to speak shall be granted to petitioners at the discretion of the Chair.

2.   With regard to an admissible petition, the committee may decide to submit a short motion for a resolution to Parliament, provided that the Conference of Committee Chairs is informed in advance and there is no objection by the Conference of Presidents. Such motions for resolutions shall be placed on the draft agenda of the part-session to be held no later than eight weeks after the adoption of those motions for resolutions in the committee. They shall be put to a single vote. The Conference of Presidents may propose to apply Rule 160, failing which those motions for resolutions shall be put to the vote without debate.

3.   Where, with regard to an admissible petition, the committee intends to draw up under Rule 54(1) an own initiative report dealing with, in particular, the application or interpretation of Union law or proposed changes to existing law, the committee responsible for the subject-matter shall be associated in accordance with Rule 56 and Rule 57. The committee shall without a vote accept suggestions for parts of the motion for a resolution received from the committee responsible for the subject-matter where those suggestions deal with the application or interpretation of Union law or changes to existing law. If the committee does not accept such suggestions, the committee responsible for the subject matter may table them directly in plenary.

4.   Signatories may lend support to, or withdraw support from, an admissible petition on the Petitions Portal. That portal shall be made available on Parliament's website.

5.   The committee may request assistance from the Commission particularly in the form of information on the application of, or compliance with, Union law and information or documents relevant to the petition. Representatives of the Commission shall be invited to attend meetings of the committee.

6.   The committee may ask the President to forward its opinion or recommendation to the Commission, the Council or the Member State authority concerned for its action or response.

7.   The committee shall report to Parliament annually on the outcome of its deliberations and, where appropriate, on the measures taken by the Council or the Commission on petitions referred to them by Parliament.

When consideration of an admissible petition has been concluded, it shall be declared closed by a decision of the committee.

8.   The petitioner shall be informed of all relevant decisions taken by the committee and the reasons thereof.

9.   A petition may be re-opened by committee decision, if relevant new facts relating to the petition have been brought to its attention and the petitioner so requests.

10.   By a majority of its members, the committee shall adopt guidelines for the treatment of petitions in accordance with these Rules of Procedure.