The Committee on Petitions (PETI) operates differently from other committees as its agenda is set by citizens through the petitions they submit. This means, first and foremost, that we need to be flexible and prepared for any events that come our way.
In 2019, no one could have predicted that the incoming parliamentary term would be dominated first by the Covid-19 pandemic and then Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. PETI received many petitions related to health security, vaccinations, certificates, refugees, and high energy prices.
However, based on the experience of previous terms, we can expect that issues related to environmental protection and the rule of law will be on our agenda in the coming term.
PETI plays an important role in making the European Parliament accessible to citizens and bolstering its public image – particularly as the recent election has shown that the EU institutions are not always well received by citizens. As chair, I will focus on the efficient handling of petitions, ensuring that citizens don’t have to wait long to hear from us and that as many as possible can attend our committee meetings.
There is typically a high level of political debate in the petitions committee: citizens often highlight issues of great national importance, which stir strong emotions among the representatives of individual member states. My role will be to calm these emotions and work towards compromise, taking into account the views of all members of the committee.
Following the recent reform of the European Parliament’s Rules of Procedure, much has changed about the way committees operate, but one thing remains the same: the petitions committee is the first point of contact for citizens to report their concerns and complaints about what they believe is not working properly. This gives the Committee the potential to have a significant impact on legislation.
Take the issue of people with disabilities, around which PETI has been a leading voice. Over the years, we have received many petitions about the challenges faced by people with disabilities and calls for the introduction of a European disability card. At the end of the last term, we managed to complete work on a directive on this issue, and our committee’s voice was considered.
We will pay close attention to the selection of a new European ombudsman, with Emily O’Reilly soon to leave the role. O’Reilly has set a very high bar, and I hope that her successor will continue her work of ensuring the transparency and accountability of the EU institutions, bodies, offices and agencies. PETI will work closely with the new ombudsman to assist them in this task.