EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: COMMITTEE BACKS CALL FOR UNIFORM VOTING METHOD.

• Position: Brief Article

Assent procedure does not permit a vote for or against. MEPs therefore expressed their positions in "preambles" to the Recommendation. They call in particular for the establishment of a single European constituency permitting the election of a certain number of MEPs at the 2009 elections. Likewise, they argue that by this deadline it will be necessary to respect the principle of parity between men and women, in order to guarantee a balanced representation of the two sexes.MEPs also believe that during future election campaigns, European political parties should announce candidates for the Presidency of the Commission, which they propose should be elected - or invested - by the European Parliament. Regarding the date for elections, MEPs regret the Council's failure to agree on a precise date, even though they welcome the fact that by extending the proposed period for elections, it should be possible to set a date in May, as proposed by the European Parliament. In order to increase voter participation, MEPs propose that the Member...