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Petitions
European Parliament
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I. Eligibility and requirements

1.1 Why submit a petition to the European Parliament?

The right to petition the European Parliament is set out in Article 227 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and Article 44 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. It guarantees that any citizen of the European Union, or resident in a Member State, may, individually or in association with others, at any time submit a petition to the European Parliament on a subject which comes within the European Union's fields of activity and which affects them directly. Any legal person (for example a company, organisation or association) with its registered office in the European Union may also exercise this right of petition.

Your petition may take the form of a complaint, a request or an observation concerning problems related to the application of EU law or an appeal to the European Parliament to adopt a position on a specific matter. Your petition may therefore give the European Parliament the opportunity to call attention to any infringement of a European citizen's rights by a Member State, local authorities or other institutions.

1.2 Who can submit a petition?

You can submit a petition if you are:

  • a citizen of the European Union;
  • resident in  a European Union Member State;
  • a legal person with its registered office in a European Union Member State.

You can submit your petition either individually or in association with other citizens or persons.

If your petition is signed by several natural or legal persons, the signatories can designate a representative and/or deputy representatives who will be regarded as the petitioners. If no such representatives have been designated, the first signatory or another appropriate person will be regarded as the petitioner by the European Parliament.

1.3 What subject can your petition concern?

The subject of the petition must relate to a matter which comes within the Union’s field of activity. This might for example concern:

  • your rights as a European citizen as set out in the Treaties;
  • environmental matters;
  • consumer protection;
  • free movement of persons, goods and services;
  • internal market;
  • employment issues and social policy;
  • recognition of professional qualifications;
  • other problems related to the implementation of EU law.

1.4 How should I draft my petition?

Your petition should be comprehensive and include all facts relating to the issue, but should omit unnecessary detail. It should be written in a clear and legible manner, or otherwise it will be declared inadmissible. It should not contain offensive or obscene language.

1.5 Can I appeal a court decision before the European Parliament?

Please note that the European Parliament cannot overturn decisions taken by the competent authorities of Member States. The European Parliament is not a judicial body and is not empowered to carry out legal investigations, hand down judgments or overturn judgments of Member State courts of law.

1.6 Can I obtain information from the Committee on Petitions?

Requests for information are not dealt with by the Committee on Petitions of the European Parliament, nor are general comments on EU policy. If you want to find out more about the activities, powers and organisation of the European Parliament, you can contact the Citizens' Enquiries Unit (Ask EP).

1.7 Where can I lodge a complaint on maladministration by EU institutions or Member State administrations?

The European Parliament cannot investigate complaints against EU institutions or bodies. According to Article 228 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, complaints on maladministration by the institutions and bodies of the European Union should be addressed to the European Ombudsman.

Please note that the European Parliament and the European Ombudsman cannot investigate complaints against national, regional or local administrations in Member States, even when the complaints are about EU matters. Many of these complaints can be addressed to national or regional ombudsmen or committees on petitions in national or regional parliaments. Contact details for all national ombudsmen are available on the European Ombudsman's website.

 

1.8 In which language should I write my petition?

A petition must be written in one of the official languages of the European Union.

1.9 How do I submit a petition?

Petitions can be submitted in two ways:

a. electronically through the PETI portal:

If you wish to submit a petition through this website, please read the information and instructions given under the section “How do I submit a petition on PETI portal” carefully and then complete the online form.

b. by post to the following address

European Parliament

Chair of the Committee on Petitions

c/o PETI Secretariat
Rue Wiertz 60
1047 Brussels

BELGIUM

If you wish to submit a petition in 'paper' form, there is no form to be filled in or standard format to be followed.

It is important to note that your petition must: 

  • include your name, nationality and permanent address (in the case of a collective petition, it must include the name, nationality and permanent address of the representative or, at least, the first signatory);
  • be signed.

Your petition may include attachments, including copies of any supporting documents you may have.

IMPORTANT!

Please note that the European Parliament will not process:

  • petitions submitted by fax;
  • petitions submitted by email;
  • petitions submitted by any means of communication other than the PETI Portal or by post;
  • petitions in written form that do not contain the above information;
  • petitions that are unsigned.