Press Release: Electoral period for next European Parliament to be advanced

The Permanent Representatives Committee today (12.3.2013) endorsed a draft Council decision bringing forward the period of the next European Parliament's elections from 5-8 June to 22-25 May 2014. The draft decision's main objective is to ensure optimal conditions for the elections and hereby to strengthen the European Parliament's legitimacy. It also responds to a request by the European Parliament. In 2005 the Parliament asked to bring forward the date of the election to May so that it can better organise itself to expedite the election of the new Commission President and avoid the beginning of the summer vacation in several
member states.