Press Release: The Council adopts new rules on European political parties

The Council of the European Union adopted on the 29 September 2014 new rules on the statute and funding of European political parties, following a first-reading agreement reached with the European Parliament. The rules cover a regulation aimed at helping European political parties and their affiliated political foundations to play their role of expressing the political will of EU citizens and a regulation adjusting the financial regulation to the specific needs of European political parties.

European political parties and their affiliated political foundations that wish to benefit from the European legal status need to fulfill certain conditions. These include notably a minimum representation in at least a quarter of the EU member states (i.e. in seven in the EU 28) and the respect of the values on which the European Union is founded (e.g. human dignity, democracy, the rule of law, human rights).

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: New rules on funding EU political parties and foundations http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-new-rules-on-funding-eu-political-parties-and-foundations-2/

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