On 21 May, the full house of the European Parliament said that the European Parliament elections should take place from 22 to 25 May, 2014.
According to the report by the MEP Carlo Casini (EPP, IT) the Council together with the Parliament’s Committee on Constitutional Affairs proposed the 22 – 25 election date because the dates on which the elections would ordinarily have been held would have coincided with the Whitsun bank holiday weekend. Moreover, according to the press release, the May elections will give the new Parliament time to prepare for the election of the European Commission President in July.
The resolution for the European parliament elections was passed by 601 votes to 31, with 16 abstentions. Now the Council of Ministers has to decide on the election period dates by a unanimous vote, which it is expected to take place in June.
Prior to the 2014 European Parliament elections, there is the possibility for the establishment of new rules regarding the EU political parties. On 16 April, the Committee on Constitutional Affairs decided that the rules on founding and funding EU political parties should be revised to improve their visibility, transparency and effectiveness and enhance the European character of the parliamentary elections.
Rapporteur Marietta Giannakou (EPP, EL) had commented. “This new legislation will strengthen the actual involvement of EU citizens in the EU affairs. For EU citizens, a European political party with a legal personality is a strong representative body of EU citizens' interests. Citizens can be more actively involved in political life. We are now starting the trilogue with the European Commission and the Council to have the new rules in force on time,” before the European parliament elections of 2014.
