Memo: Vice-President Reding welcomes European Parliament support to improve 2014 elections

European Commission Vice-President Viviane Reding on 4 July 2013 welcomed a vote by the European Parliament to back recommendations presented by the Commission to boost turnout in 2014’s European elections.

Members of the European Parliament voted by 507 to 120 (and 18 abstentions) to support a resolution on the Duff report, which also takes up key recommendations from the Commission on improving the organisation of the next European Parliament elections – due to take place on 22-25 May 2014.

The recommendations mean that European political parties should nominate a candidate for Commission President in the 2014 elections and that national political parties should display their European political party affiliation during the campaign. The Commission put forward the recommendations on 12 March 2013 to better inform voters about the issues at stake in European elections, encourage a Europe-wide debate, and ultimately improve voter turnout.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background Information: Duff report: improving the organisation of the elections to the European Parliament in 2014 http://www.europeansources.info/record/speech-duff-report-improving-the-organisation-of-the-elections-to-the-european-parliament-in-2014/

ESO: Background information: 2014 European Parliament Elections: Commission recommends that political parties nominate candidate for Commission President http://www.europeansources.info/record/2014-european-parliament-elections-commission-recommends-that-political-parties-nominate-candidate-for-commission-president/

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