OneSeat.eu: 1 million citizens do care

Press release, 18 September 2006, for immediate release

Today the oneseat.eu campaign has reached its goal of one million signatures! Jan Seifert, President of JEF-Europe (the Young European Federalists), welcomes the great support for strengthening the European Parliament and congratulates the organisers of the campaign for their success. Oneseat.eu is the first initiative ever to reach support by 1 million signatures. According to article 47 of the draft Constitutional Treaty the Commission has to take up an issue which is petitioned for by one million citizens of the Union.

"The oneseat.eu campaign has shown that European citizens do care about the European Union and its chamber, the European Parliament" declared the delighted president of JEF. "One million citizens call for an end of the annual waste of 200 million Euros for a symbol that stands for waste rather than investment."

"It is a scandal that MEPs do not even have a say over their own working place." Jan Seifert continued "By signing up for oneseat.eu European citizens explicitly asked the Commission and the European leaders to take an open stand in regards to the question of the Strasbourg seat. JEF has supported the initiative and agrees with the organisers in putting an end to the Strasbourg seat. The European Parliament needs one seat and this has to be in Brussels, the site of the other institutions."

"The oneseat.eu campaign has also shown that the new instrument of a European citizens initiative based on article 47 of the Constitutional Treaty is a necessary instrument to give the citizens ownership of the European project. It is now time to move forward and make the citizens initiative legally enforceable as part of a European Constitution." Seifert demanded.

ENDS