Legal provisions of COM(2011)489 - European Year of Citizens (2013) - Main contents
Please note
This page contains a limited version of this dossier in the EU Monitor.
| dossier | COM(2011)489 - European Year of Citizens (2013). |
|---|---|
| document | COM(2011)489  |
| date | November 21, 2012 |
Contents
- Article 1 - Subject matter
- Article 2 - Objectives
- Article 3 - Initiatives involved
- Article 4 - Coordination and implementation at Union level
- Article 5 - Financial provisions
- Article 6 - International cooperation
- Article 7 - Protection of the Union's financial interests
- Article 8 - Monitoring and evaluation
- Article 9 - Entry into force
- Article 10 - Addressees
Article 1 - Subject matter
Article 2 - Objectives
2. On the basis of paragraph 1, the specific objectives of the European Year of Citizens shall be:
| (a) | to raise Union citizens’ awareness of their right to move and reside freely within the Union and, in that context, of all other rights guaranteed to Union citizens, without discrimination, including their right to vote in local and European elections in any Member State in which they reside; |
| (b) | to raise awareness among Union citizens, including young people, about how they can tangibly benefit from Union rights, as well as about policies and programmes that exist to support the exercise of those rights; |
| (c) | to stimulate debate about the impact and potential of the right of freedom of movement and residence, as an inalienable aspect of Union citizenship, with a view to stimulating and strengthening active civic and democratic participation of Union citizens, in particular in civic forums on Union policies and European Parliament elections, thereby reinforcing societal cohesion, cultural diversity, solidarity, equality between women and men, mutual respect and a sense of a common European identity among Union citizens, based on the core values of the Union, as enshrined in the TEU and the TFEU and in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. |
Article 3 - Initiatives involved
| (a) | initiating information, media coverage, education and awareness-raising campaigns targeted at the general public and more specific audiences; |
| (b) | exchanging information and sharing experience and good practices among Union, national, regional and local authorities and other public and civil society organisations; |
| (c) | organising conferences, hearings, including by means of the internet, and other events to promote debate and raise awareness of the importance and benefits of the right of freedom of movement and residence, and more generally on the concept of Union citizenship and the rights attached to it; |
| (d) | using the existing multilingual participatory tools to stimulate the active involvement of civil society organisations and of citizens in the European Year of Citizens, including such direct democracy tools as the citizens’ initiative and public consultations; |
| (e) | strengthening the role and visibility of existing tools for informing citizens, including modern information and communication technology tools, such as the multilingual Europe Direct information centres and Your Europe web portal as key elements of a ‧one-stop-shop‧ information system relating to Union citizens’ rights; |
| (f) | strengthening the role and visibility of problem-solving tools, such as SOLVIT, in order to enable Union citizens to make better use of, and defend their rights, under Union law; |
| (g) | providing Union citizens with information about the European Parliament's Committee on Petitions and the European Ombudsman in order to enable them to make better use of, and defend their rights under, Union law; and |
| (h) | promoting the EU Citizenship Report, which is to be based on a thorough debate and active contributions by citizens and stakeholders, and which is to identify further obstacles preventing Union citizens from fully exercising Union citizenship rights and to promote appropriate strategies to remove those obstacles. |
2. Details of the initiatives referred to in paragraph 1 are set out in the Annex.
3. The Commission and the Member States may identify other activities which could contribute to objectives of the European Year of Citizens set out in Article 2 and allow the name of the European Year of Citizens to be used in promoting those activities in so far as they contribute to achieving those objectives.
4. In the context of initiatives organised in the framework of the European Year of Citizens, consideration shall be given to identifying obstacles to the exercise of the rights by the Union citizens and to promoting appropriate ways and strategies to remove those obstacles, as well as to promoting inter-cultural understanding of discrimination and fighting against it. Synergies shall therefore be sought between those initiatives and existing tools and programmes in the field of fundamental rights, citizens’ rights, employment and social affairs, education and culture.
Article 4 - Coordination and implementation at Union level
2. The Commission shall convene meetings of representatives of European or civil society organisations, or bodies that are active in the field of citizenship and that defend citizens’ rights or promote education and culture, and other stakeholders, to assist the Commission in implementing the European Year of Citizens at Union level.
3. The Commission shall endeavour to exploit possible synergies between different thematic European years, by evaluating achievements, monitoring persistent gaps and providing statistical data, where appropriate, thus ensuring effective implementation of the aims of European years.
4. The Commission shall implement this Decision at Union level.
Article 5 - Financial provisions
2. Measures which are Union-wide in nature, referred to in Part B of the Annex, may be subsidised by the general budget of the Union.
Article 6 - International cooperation
Article 7 - Protection of the Union's financial interests
2. For the Union actions financed under this Decision, the notion of irregularity referred to in Article 1(2) of Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2988/95 shall mean any infringement of a provision of Union law or any breach of a contractual obligation resulting from an act or omission by an economic operator which has, or would have, the effect of prejudicing the general budget of the Union by an unjustified item of expenditure.
3. The Commission shall reduce, suspend or recover the amount of financial assistance granted for an action if it finds irregularities, particularly non-compliance with the provisions of this Decision or of the individual decision or contract granting the financial support in question, or if it transpires that, without Commission approval having being sought, the action has undergone significant change that conflicts with its nature or with its implementing conditions.
4. If the time limits have not been observed or if only part of the allocated financial assistance is justified by the progress made with implementing an action, the Commission shall request the beneficiary to submit observations within a specified period. If the beneficiary does not give a satisfactory answer, the Commission may cancel the remaining financial assistance and demand repayment of sums already paid.
5. Any amount unduly paid shall be repaid to the Commission. Interest shall be added to any sums not repaid in due time under the conditions laid down in the Financial Regulation.