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Location: European Union
European Union
2009
EET
Parliamentary
elections
EU institutions and Member States could consider conducting voter information about the EP elections on a continuous basis, not only immediately before the next EP elections. Furthermore, the EP may consider continuing its own awareness raising activities until immediately before election days as long as there is no risk of perceptions of partisanship or politicization. The involvement of MEPs running for re- election, or their parties, in awareness raising events during or shortly before the campaign for EP elections could be perceived as selective and as providing unfair campaign opportunities for these MEPs and their political parties.
Recommendation # in final report:
1
Type of recommendation:
Priority
Thematic area:
Campaign
Secondary thematic area:
Campaign
Type of change required:
Practice
Status of implementation:
Not evaluated
Final report heading:
Election Campaign
European Union
2009
EET
Parliamentary
elections
Consideration should be given to ensuring harmonization of eligibility requirements for candidates in EP elections.
Recommendation # in final report:
2
Type of recommendation:
Priority
Thematic area:
Legal Framework
Secondary thematic area:
Candidate Registration
Type of change required:
Legal
Status of implementation:
Not evaluated
Final report heading:
Legal Framework and Electoral System
European Union
2009
EET
Parliamentary
elections
To ensure equality of the vote, the EU could consider adopting minimum standards on voting rights for EP elections. Such a review could include consideration of voting rights for EU residents not holding citizenship of any State.
Recommendation # in final report:
3
Type of recommendation:
Priority
Thematic area:
Legal Framework
Secondary thematic area:
Voter Registration
Type of change required:
Legal
Status of implementation:
Not evaluated
Final report heading:
Legal Framework and Electoral System
European Union
2009
EET
Parliamentary
elections
EU Member States should review their legislation regarding voting rights for prisoners and other persons deprived of liberty in line with case law of the European Court of Human Rights, and with the principles identified by the Venice Commission and the UN Human Rights Council.
Recommendation # in final report:
4
Type of recommendation:
Priority
Thematic area:
Voter Registration
Secondary thematic area:
Legal Framework
Type of change required:
Legal
Status of implementation:
Not evaluated
Final report heading:
Legal Framework and Electoral System
European Union
2009
EET
Parliamentary
elections
In EU Member States where individuals do not enjoy the right to run as candidates in European Parliament elections, the Member States could consider amending their legislation to allow them to do so, in accordance with paragraph 7.5 of the 1990 OSCE Copenhagen document.
Recommendation # in final report:
5
Type of recommendation:
Priority
Thematic area:
Candidate Registration
Secondary thematic area:
Legal Framework
Type of change required:
Legal
Status of implementation:
Not evaluated
Final report heading:
Legal Framework and Electoral System
European Union
2009
EET
Parliamentary
elections
In order to ensure increased transparency and accountability, consideration should be given in all EU Member States to enacting a regulatory framework for the disclosure and auditing of party financing and expenditures, to be accompanied by an enforcement mechanism.
Recommendation # in final report:
6
Type of recommendation:
Priority
Thematic area:
Campaign Finance
Secondary thematic area:
Legal Framework
Type of change required:
Legal
Status of implementation:
Not evaluated
Final report heading:
Legal Framework and Electoral System
European Union
2009
EET
Parliamentary
elections
EU Member States should consider reviewing their campaign finance legislation to ensure that it takes into account the campaign activities of Euro-parties.
Recommendation # in final report:
7
Type of recommendation:
Priority
Thematic area:
Campaign Finance
Secondary thematic area:
Legal Framework
Type of change required:
Legal
Status of implementation:
Not evaluated
Final report heading:
Legal Framework and Electoral System
European Union
2009
EET
Parliamentary
elections
It is suggested that further consideration be given by the EP and EU Member States to harmonizing the date of the EP election day, as this would address the challenges posed under the current system.
Recommendation # in final report:
8
Type of recommendation:
Priority
Thematic area:
Electoral System
Secondary thematic area:
Legal Framework
Type of change required:
Sub-legal
Status of implementation:
Not evaluated
Final report heading:
Legal Framework and Electoral System
European Union
2009
EET
Parliamentary
elections
Additional efforts should be made to improve the process of the exchange of information on registered voters among Member States. The exchange of information about Community voters should be extended beyond bilateral exchanges, and the data should be harmonized and sufficiently detailed to allow accurate identification of Community voters and prevent possible multiple voting.
Recommendation # in final report:
9
Type of recommendation:
Priority
Thematic area:
Election Administration
Secondary thematic area:
Voter Registration
Type of change required:
Practice
Status of implementation:
Not evaluated
Final report heading:
Election Administration
European Union
2009
EET
Parliamentary
elections
EU Member States could consider ensuring that their national laws on public media provide for an independent media monitoring mechanism, with specific responsibility for assessing whether media regulations are respected during the election campaign period.
Recommendation # in final report:
10
Type of recommendation:
Priority
Thematic area:
Media
Secondary thematic area:
Campaign
Type of change required:
Legal
Status of implementation:
Not evaluated
Final report heading:
Media
European Union
2009
EET
Parliamentary
elections
Consideration should be given to introducing amendments into election legislation in order to ensure adequate access and co-operation for domestic and international observers, in line with OSCE commitments.
Recommendation # in final report:
11
Type of recommendation:
Priority
Thematic area:
Citizen and International Observation
Secondary thematic area:
Citizen and International Observation
Type of change required:
Legal
Status of implementation:
Not evaluated
Final report heading:
Election Observation
European Union
2024
SEAM
Parliamentary
elections
To ensure equal suffrage rights, conditions and rules for the right to vote and to be elected would benefit from further harmonization across Member States, in particular equal suffrage rights for persons with disabilities in elections to the European Parliament should be guaranteed.
Recommendation # in final report:
1
Type of recommendation:
Priority
Thematic area:
Legal Framework
Secondary thematic area:
Participation of Persons with Disabilities
Type of change required:
Legal
Status of implementation:
Not evaluated
Final report heading:
Legal Framework and Electoral System
European Union
2024
SEAM
Parliamentary
elections
To enhance public confidence in the electoral process, electoral contestants should refrain from incitement to hatred or using intolerant or discriminatory rhetoric towards migrants and other vulnerable groups. Public officials and authorities at the national and EU level should promptly condemn and where relevant investigate such instances.
Recommendation # in final report:
2
Type of recommendation:
Priority
Thematic area:
Campaign
Secondary thematic area:
Campaign
Type of change required:
Practice
Status of implementation:
Not evaluated
Final report heading:
Election Campaign
European Union
2024
SEAM
Parliamentary
elections
To effectively facilitate women’s participation in public and political life, comprehensive legal, institutional, and educational efforts challenging the existing gender stereotypes about the role of women and men in politics should be undertaken by the authorities at all levels.
Recommendation # in final report:
3
Type of recommendation:
Priority
Thematic area:
Participation of Women
Secondary thematic area:
Participation of Women
Type of change required:
Practice
Status of implementation:
Not evaluated
Final report heading:
Electoral Participation of Women
European Union
2024
SEAM
Parliamentary
elections
To achieve full political participation by all citizens, EU and national stakeholders should continue their efforts to eliminate barriers and facilitate the exercise of electoral rights for members of minority communities, including their participation both as voters and candidates. Effective strategies include implementing internal political party mechanisms which promote minority participation, adjusting electoral thresholds to facilitate minority representation, and providing electoral materials and information in accessible formats in minority languages.
Recommendation # in final report:
4
Type of recommendation:
Priority
Thematic area:
Participation of National Minorities
Secondary thematic area:
Participation of National Minorities
Type of change required:
Legal
Status of implementation:
Not evaluated
Final report heading:
Electoral Participation of National Minorities
European Union
2024
SEAM
Parliamentary
elections
Continuous efforts should be made in close co-operation with disabled persons’ organizations, to ensure persons with disabilities can vote autonomously, including ensuring the premises and layout of polling stations are suitable for independent access and providing electoral information in formats accessible to persons with disabilities, including voters with visual impairments.
Recommendation # in final report:
5
Type of recommendation:
Priority
Thematic area:
Participation of Persons with Disabilities
Secondary thematic area:
Election Day
Type of change required:
Practice
Status of implementation:
Not evaluated
Final report heading:
Electoral Participation of Persons with Disabilities
European Union
2024
SEAM
Parliamentary
elections
Member States should reinforce effective protection of journalists from threats and intimidation. Considerations should be given to strengthening the capacity of the law enforcement bodies to ensure swift investigation of online and offline cases of pressure on journalists and media outlets in order to avoid impunity for crimes that are linked to journalism.
Recommendation # in final report:
6
Type of recommendation:
Priority
Thematic area:
Media
Secondary thematic area:
Media
Type of change required:
Practice
Status of implementation:
Not evaluated
Final report heading:
Media
European Union
2024
SEAM
Parliamentary
elections
The laws of EU Member States should be revised to explicitly guarantee the access of citizen and international observers to all stages of the electoral process, in line with international commitments.
Recommendation # in final report:
7
Type of recommendation:
Priority
Thematic area:
Citizen and International Observation
Secondary thematic area:
Election Day
Type of change required:
Legal
Status of implementation:
Not evaluated
Final report heading:
Election Observation
European Union
2024
SEAM
Parliamentary
elections
To facilitate inclusive electoral participation, relevant institutions should continue exploring alternative voting methods which duly comply with OSCE commitments and other international standards.
Recommendation # in final report:
8
Type of recommendation:
Other
Thematic area:
Election Administration
Secondary thematic area:
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)
Type of change required:
Legal
Status of implementation:
Not evaluated
Final report heading:
Election Administration
European Union
2024
SEAM
Parliamentary
elections
Blanket deprivation of suffrage rights of citizens serving a prison sentence and restrictions based on legal capacity should be reviewed in line with international obligations.
Recommendation # in final report:
9
Type of recommendation:
Other
Thematic area:
Voter Registration
Secondary thematic area:
Participation of Persons with Disabilities
Type of change required:
Legal
Status of implementation:
Not evaluated
Final report heading:
Voter Registration
European Union
2024
SEAM
Parliamentary
elections
Authorities should continue efforts to facilitate voting by mobile EU citizens through timely notification and raising of awareness about the possibility for mobile citizens to vote and the deadlines for voter registration.
Recommendation # in final report:
10
Type of recommendation:
Other
Thematic area:
Voter Registration
Secondary thematic area:
Election Administration
Type of change required:
Practice
Status of implementation:
Not evaluated
Final report heading:
Voter Registration
European Union
2024
SEAM
Parliamentary
elections
In Member States where it is currently not the case, candidate registration should allow for independent candidates, in line with OSCE commitments and international standards.
Recommendation # in final report:
11
Type of recommendation:
Other
Thematic area:
Candidate Registration
Secondary thematic area:
Legal Framework
Type of change required:
Legal
Status of implementation:
Not evaluated
Final report heading:
Candidate Registration
European Union
2024
SEAM
Parliamentary
elections
In order to enhance respect for freedom of association and expression, the legal framework should be amended to allow voters to sign in support of more than one electoral contestant in each election in the EU Member States that currently apply such restriction.
Recommendation # in final report:
12
Type of recommendation:
Other
Thematic area:
Candidate Registration
Secondary thematic area:
Legal Framework
Type of change required:
Legal
Status of implementation:
Not evaluated
Final report heading:
Candidate Registration
European Union
2024
SEAM
Parliamentary
elections
Effective measures should be undertaken, including by political parties, in order to promote inclusive participation of candidates from under-represented groups, including women, persons with disabilities and youth.
Recommendation # in final report:
13
Type of recommendation:
Other
Thematic area:
Candidate Registration
Secondary thematic area:
Participation of Women
Type of change required:
Practice
Status of implementation:
Not evaluated
Final report heading:
Candidate Registration
European Union
2024
SEAM
Parliamentary
elections
Legislation and practice should be aligned to prevent any potential existing of perceived conflict of interest of candidates holding official positions with the EU institutions as well as any unwanted misuse of institutional resources during campaign. Any suspicion of violations should be proactively investigated and established wrongdoings properly sanctioned.
Recommendation # in final report:
14
Type of recommendation:
Other
Thematic area:
Campaign
Secondary thematic area:
Campaign Finance
Type of change required:
Legal
Status of implementation:
Not evaluated
Final report heading:
Election Campaign
European Union
2024
SEAM
Parliamentary
elections
Members States should pursue their efforts to implement DSA and AI regulations aimed at countering disinformation and manipulative content, including the use of deepfakes, in collaboration with technology and social media companies, media outlets and non-state actors.
Recommendation # in final report:
15
Type of recommendation:
Other
Thematic area:
Campaign
Secondary thematic area:
Campaign
Type of change required:
Legal
Status of implementation:
Not evaluated
Final report heading:
Election Campaign
European Union
2024
SEAM
Parliamentary
elections
Political parties should strengthen their efforts to foster inclusivity, including by adopting binding policies to place women in leading positions on candidate lists and integrating gender considerations into their policy proposals.
Recommendation # in final report:
16
Type of recommendation:
Other
Thematic area:
Participation of Women
Secondary thematic area:
Candidate Registration
Type of change required:
Practice
Status of implementation:
Not evaluated
Final report heading:
Electoral Participation of Women
European Union
2024
SEAM
Parliamentary
elections
Violence against women in the campaign should be recognised by political parties and institutions as a barrier to women’s active political participation. Consideration should be given to introducing or strengthening existing proactive and preventive measures against such actions.
Recommendation # in final report:
17
Type of recommendation:
Other
Thematic area:
Participation of Women
Secondary thematic area:
Campaign
Type of change required:
Practice
Status of implementation:
Not evaluated
Final report heading:
Electoral Participation of Women
European Union
2024
SEAM
Parliamentary
elections
Member States and European institutions should continue their efforts to foster the political participation of young persons in elections by adopting appropriate strategies and conducting active information campaigns, including targeted voter education for first-time voters.
Recommendation # in final report:
18
Type of recommendation:
Other
Thematic area:
Participation of Youth
Type of change required:
Practice
Status of implementation:
Not evaluated
Final report heading:
Electoral Participation of Youth
European Union
2024
SEAM
Parliamentary
elections
The European Parliament could consider collecting data on a voluntary basis among its elected members to assess the diversity and inclusivity of the parliament.
Recommendation # in final report:
19
Type of recommendation:
Other
Thematic area:
Participation of Persons with Disabilities
Secondary thematic area:
Participation of Persons with Disabilities
Type of change required:
Practice
Status of implementation:
Not evaluated
Final report heading:
Electoral Participation of Persons with Disabilities
European Union
2024
SEAM
Parliamentary
elections
To facilitate meaningful participation, contestants should be encouraged to take steps to make their platforms, programmes, campaign materials and messages in formats accessible to persons with various types of disabilities and authorities should consider proactive measures to support contestants in making their campaigns more accessible.
Recommendation # in final report:
20
Type of recommendation:
Other
Thematic area:
Participation of Persons with Disabilities
Secondary thematic area:
Campaign
Type of change required:
Practice
Status of implementation:
Not evaluated
Final report heading:
Electoral Participation of Persons with Disabilities
European Union
2024
SEAM
Parliamentary
elections
Rules regarding funding sources, donation and expenditure limits, and third-party financing, should be introduced or enhanced where currently lacking, and contradictions between national and EU regulations regarding campaign finance should be eliminated.
Recommendation # in final report:
21
Type of recommendation:
Other
Thematic area:
Campaign Finance
Secondary thematic area:
Campaign Finance
Type of change required:
Legal
Status of implementation:
Not evaluated
Final report heading:
Campaign Finance
European Union
2024
SEAM
Parliamentary
elections
To enhance transparency, European political parties and national parties, where it is not the case, should be required to open a dedicated bank account for campaign purposes and to provide specific pre- and post-election campaign finance reports, that would disclose all types of campaign income and expenditures. Reasonable thresholds for disclosure of the identity of donors should be set. Reports should be submitted in electronic and user-friendly format and should be published immediately upon the submission.
Recommendation # in final report:
22
Type of recommendation:
Other
Thematic area:
Campaign Finance
Secondary thematic area:
Campaign Finance
Type of change required:
Legal
Status of implementation:
Not evaluated
Final report heading:
Campaign Finance
European Union
2024
SEAM
Parliamentary
elections
Once introduced, campaign finance reports of European political parties and, where appropriate, of national parties, should be promptly reviewed and audited by relevant institutions. The findings of the audits should be published in a timely manner. To enhance the transparency and effectiveness of campaign finance oversight, the oversight institutions should be granted adequate resources and the necessary investigatory powers.
Recommendation # in final report:
23
Type of recommendation:
Other
Thematic area:
Campaign Finance
Secondary thematic area:
Campaign Finance
Type of change required:
Sub-legal
Status of implementation:
Not evaluated
Final report heading:
Campaign Finance
European Union
2024
SEAM
Parliamentary
elections
In order to enhance the scope of the information available for voters and promote balanced and impartial reporting in the news and current affairs programmes, public broadcasting services should be further strengthened to ensure that their system of appointment of the management and oversight bodies does not undermine their editorial independence and provides for a systematic, reliable, and apolitical system of funding.
Recommendation # in final report:
24
Type of recommendation:
Other
Thematic area:
Media
Secondary thematic area:
Media
Type of change required:
Sub-legal
Status of implementation:
Not evaluated
Final report heading:
Media
European Union
2024
SEAM
Parliamentary
elections
In order to protect media pluralism and prevent the undue influence of state funding on media outlets, state advertising should be allotted based on predetermined, clear, objective and transparent criteria which are applied equitably across different types of media. Transparency requirements should apply to both the public institutions distributing state advertising funds and media outlets receiving these funds.
Recommendation # in final report:
25
Type of recommendation:
Other
Thematic area:
Media
Secondary thematic area:
Media
Type of change required:
Legal
Status of implementation:
Not evaluated
Final report heading:
Media
European Union
2024
SEAM
Parliamentary
elections
In order to effectively guarantee freedom of expression, Member States should move towards decriminalizing defamation and libel, review civil sanctions for defamation to ensure a proportionate and reasonable remedy, and provide for safeguards against abusing defamation legislation.
Recommendation # in final report:
26
Type of recommendation:
Other
Thematic area:
Media
Secondary thematic area:
Media
Type of change required:
Legal
Status of implementation:
Not evaluated
Final report heading:
Media
European Union
2024
SEAM
Parliamentary
elections
To ensure effective remedies are available during elections, it is recommended to further enhance the election dispute resolution processes. This includes introducing the possibility of judicial review with public hearing at all stages of the electoral process and establishing timely deadlines for filing and adjudicating such appeals.
Recommendation # in final report:
27
Type of recommendation:
Other
Thematic area:
Election Dispute Resolution (EDR)
Secondary thematic area:
Election Dispute Resolution (EDR)
Type of change required:
Legal
Status of implementation:
Not evaluated
Final report heading:
Election Dispute Resolution