Electoral rights in the EU

12 February 2015
E-002368-15
Question for written answer
to the Commission
Rule 130
Alfred Sant (S&D)

Subject: Electoral rights in the EU

Question(s)

With regard to the right of EU citizens living in a Member State other than their own to vote and stand as a candidate in European Parliament elections in their country of residence, the Commission is asked to answer the following:
1. Can it provide figures on the number of voters and candidates in each Member State that have exercised their electoral rights in a Member State other than their own?
2. Can it provide figures on the number of EU citizens in each Member State who have experienced problems in exercising their electoral rights in the last European Parliament elections?
3. Has it any plans to publish a report on this issue?

Answer given by Ms Jourová (25.6.2015)

It is up to Member States to collect data on the number of Union citizens who voted at the elections to the European Parliament in their country of residence. Member States generally collect data on turnout for both nationals and mobile EU citizens without distinction.

On 8 May 2015 the European Commission issued a report on the 2014 European Parliament elections[1]. The report is based, inter alia, on data provided by the Member States. The following figures on the number of mobile EU citizens who registered to vote in their Member State of residence for the elections to the European Parliament in 2014 are available to the Commission: Belgium 68,771; Bulgaria 68; Cyprus 7,712; Czech Republic 682; Denmark 15,940; Estonia 1,191; Finland 7,341; France 245,063; Germany 172,110; Greece 13,098; Hungary 1,605; Ireland 71,735; Italy 80,356; Latvia 326; Lithuania 278; Luxembourg 24,258; Malta 7,868; Netherlands 48,169; Portugal 8973; Romania 592; Slovakia 33; Slovenia 668; Spain 337,748; Sweden 49,092; UK 160,000. As for candidates, the following figures are availableto the Commission: Austria 15; Belgium 31; Bulgaria 0; Croatia 0; Cyprus 0; Czech Republic 6; Denmark 0; Estonia 3; Finland 1; France 24; Germany 30; Greece 7; Hungary 1; Ireland 1; Italy 2; Latvia 0; Lithuania 0; Luxembourg 3; Malta 0; Netherlands 5; Poland 3; Portugal 3; Romania 2; Slovakia 1; Slovenia 0; Spain 16; Sweden 3; UK 13.

Regarding EU citizens who have experienced problems in exercising their electoral rights in their Member State of residence in the last European Parliament elections, no specific data for each Member State are available to the Commission.

1. http://ec.europa.eu/justice/citizen/files/report_european_parliament_elections_2014_en.pdf

Maltese Version – E-002368/2015 Suġġett: Drittijiet elettorali fl-UE
Fir-rigward tad-dritt taċ-ċittadini tal-UE li qegħdin jirrisjedu fi Stat Membru barra dak tagħhom, li jivvutaw u li joħorġu bħala kandidati fl-elezzjonijiet tal-Parlament Ewropew fil-pajjiż ta’ residenza tagħhom, il-Kummissjoni hija mitluba twieġeb għal dan li ġej:
1. Tista’ tipprovdi figuri dwar in-numru ta’ votanti u kandidati f’kull Stat Membru li eżerċitaw id-dritt elettorali tagħhom fi Stat Membru barra dak tagħhom?
2. Tista’ tipprovdi figuri dwar in-numru ta’ ċittadini tal-UE f’kull Stat Membru li esperjenzaw problemi meta eżerċitaw id-drittijiet elettorali tagħhom fl-aħħar elezzjonijiet tal-Parlament Ewropew?
3. Għandha xi pjanijiet biex tippubblika rapport dwar din il-kwistjoni?

Tweġiba mogħtija mis-Sinjura Jourová (25.6.2015)

Huwa f’idejn l-Istati Membri biex jiġbru d-dejta dwar l-għadd ta’ ċittadini tal-Unjoni li vvutaw fl-elezzjonijiet għall-Parlament Ewropew fil-pajjiż ta’ residenza tagħhom. B’mod ġenerali l-Istati Membri jiġbru d-dejta dwar l-għadd ta’ votanti mingħajr ma jagħmlu distinzjoni bejn ċittadini residenti fil-pajjiż tagħhom u l-oħrajn ġejjin minn Stat Membri oħra.

Fit-8 ta’ Mejju 2015 il-Kummissjoni Ewropea ħarġet rapport dwar l-elezzjonijiet tal-Parlament Ewropew tal-2014. Dan ir-rapport huwa bbażat, inter alia, fuq dejta mogħtija mill-Istati Membri. Il-Kummissjoni għandha dawn iċ-ċifri li ġejjin dwar l-għadd ta’ ċittadini mobbli tal-UE li rreġistraw sabiex jivvutaw fl-Istat Membru ta’ residenza tagħhom għall-elezzjonijiet tal-Parlament Ewropew fl-2014: Il-Belġju 68,771; Il-Bulgarija 68; Ċipru 7,712; Ir-Repubblika Ċeka 682; Id-Danimarka 15,940; L-Estonja 1,191; Il-Finlandja 7,341; Franza 245,063; Il-Ġermanja 172,110; Il-Greċja 13,098; L-Ungerija 1,605; L-Irlanda 71,735; L-Italja 80,356; Il-Latvja 326; Il-Litwanja 278; Il-Lussemburgu 24,258; Malta 7,868; In-Netherlands 48,169; Il-Portugall 8973; Ir-Rumanija 592; Is-Slovakkja 33; Is-Slovenja 668; Spanja 337,748; L-Isvezja 49,092; Ir-Renju Unit 160,000. Fil-każ ta’ kandidati, iċ-ċifri li ġejjin huma disponibbli għall-Kummissjoni: L-Awstrija 15; Il-Belġju 31; Il-Bulgarija 0; Il-Kroazja 0; Ċipru 0; Ir-Repubblika Ċeka 6; Id-Danimarka 0; L-Estonja 3; Il-Finlandja 1; Franza 24; Il-Ġermanja 30; Il-Greċja 7; L-Ungerija 1; L-Irlanda 1; L-Italja 2; Il-Latvja 0; Il-Litwanja 0; Il-Lussemburgu 3; Malta 0; In-Netherlands 5; Il-Polonja 3; Portugall 3; Ir-Rumanija 2; Is-Slovakkja 1; Is-Slovenja 0; Spanja 16; L-Isvezja 3; Ir-Renju Unit 13.

Il-Kummissjoni ma għandha l-ebda dejta speċifika għal kull Stat Membru rigward ċittadini tal-UE li kellhom xi problemi biex jeżerċitaw id-drittijiet elettorali tagħhom fl-Istat Membru ta’ residenza tagħhom fl-aħħar elezzjonijiet għall-Parlament Ewropew.