European Political Parties must remain pan-European!

EGP Resolution adopted at the 37th EGP Congress, Vienna, 2-3 June 2023

European Political Parties must remain pan-European! 
 

Since late 2021, a recast of the regulation 1141 on the statute and funding of European political parties and foundations (EUPPFs) has been underway. What might sound technical, will have a massive impact on the future of the European Green Party: current developments inside the European Council would make equal membership for parties from non-EU countries impossible. This goes against our very self-understanding: The European Green Party is a dedicated pan-European movement that goes beyond the current borders of the European Union. While we have been strongly supportive of the reform’s efforts to address current legal uncertainties and to set up a regulatory framework that is up to the challenge of current political times, these developments are extremely worrisome. 

The current position of the European Council in the ongoing negotiations is to introduce a separate membership category for those parties that are located outside of the European Union. Furthermore, member parties from outside the EU would be deprived of their voting rights within EUPPFs. Finally, representatives of non-EU parties would not be allowed to hold any office of executive power within a European political party or foundation. This goes against the core identity of the European Greens. The concerns raised by the Council about foreign interference are to be taken extremely seriously. As European Greens, we have always been clear in our commitment to protect our democratic structures and values against foreign interference. We continue to support measures that limit or prevent foreign interference as well as continue to call for the highest possible standards to ensure transparency of European political parties and foundations. 

Scandals like “Qatargate”, which we as Greens have condemned strongly, show that unfortunately EU institutions and its politicians can be permeable to corruption and foreign interference and that we should do our utmost to put preventive measures in place. 

We are however convinced that the proposed exclusion of parties from outside the EU in decision-making and executive positions of EUPPFs is not the right answer, and we have worked together closely with the Green Group in the European Parliament, but also national governments with Green representation, to move this reform forward. 

It is our conviction that European political parties and foundations, have a vital role to play in further developing the European demos. 

From its inception, EGP has been a pan-European movement that actively engages with EU and non-EU members. 

In times when Europe stands united in its solidarity with Ukraine, as well as with those fighting Russian threats, from Tbilisi to Chisinau and other Eastern Partnership countries; when our dedication to a European future of the Western Balkan states cannot be timid, we believe, EUPPFs are essential bridge builders to stay engaged and foster democratic, pro-European forces on the ground and contribute to strengthening their ties to EU processes and values. 

European political parties and foundations should have a vital role to keep and deepen the EU’s relationships with the United Kingdom, Norway as well as Switzerland and Iceland, and support members in their efforts to (re-)join the EU. 

Therefore, the European Green Party: 

• Reaffirms its commitment to its non-EU members and to cross-border cooperation needed to address the massive political challenges ahead adequately. 
• Strongly opposes the current proposal by the European Council to create a separate membership for non-EU member parties, some of which are founding members of the EGP, and to exclude them from any decision-making processes within a European political party or foundation. 
• Notes that many members of the European Green Party and other EUPPFs represent EU candidate states.  
• Opposes the political signal being sent to European neighbouring countries and their citizens of the increased walling-off of the European Union and its member states, which provides fertile ground for anti-EU propaganda, especially from the Russian regime and its allies. 
• Voices its concerns that excluding political parties and organisations from the Caucasus region, Belarus, and Russia from EUPPFs by default will hamper efforts to strengthen and consolidate a democratic and open civil society in these countries in the future. 

• Claims the right to self-determination of European political parties and foundations and the need for an inclusive democratic internal decision-making of European political parties and foundations. 
• Calls on the European Council and the member states to engage in an active and constructive dialogue with the European Commission and European Parliament as well as the EUPPFs, to ensure real strong safeguards are explored to prevent foreign interference in an appropriate manner. 
• Remains committed to the standards and rules set for EUPPFs to closely monitor, and in good faith, its own membership to ensure all members, whether from EU or non-EU countries, are compliant to prevent any foreign interference or other misconduct. 
• Continues to closely work with the Green Group in the European Parliament, its member parties in national governments, and others, to engage in a constructive dialogue throughout these negotiations in order to reach a deal in the coming months. 
• Reminds the other EUPPFs of democratic and pro-European political families of the commitment to pan-Europeanism and calls on them to engage with their counterparts in the European Parliament and member states as much as possible in this reform.