Petizione: per un Parlamento europeo pulito

Dear MEP, I’m writing to request the amendment of the Act on the election of representatives of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage, annexed to the Council Decision 76/787/ECSC, EEC, Euratom of 20 September 1976 (the “Act”) to preclude the European Parliament to be accessed by convicted people. I trust that convicted people must not be able to stand for elections and become Members of the European Parliament. As you may be aware, the Act does not contain a specific rule on this, and it simply refers to the national laws of the EU Member States. As a matter of fact, in several Member States there is no specific law preventing convicted people to stand as candidates and be elected in the Parliament. As an example, in Italy there is no such law: in fact, Italy is on the top list for number of people that are sitting on both the Italian and the European Parliament despite the fact that they have been sentenced and found guilty. I know that in Autumn 2008 the Afco Committee started a revision of the Act, namely regarding the minimum age for voters and candidates. I trust a provision preventing convicted people from being elected and from sitting in the European Parliament must be adopted [see Article 190 EC Treaty]. Here below you will find some examples of people convicted in Italy (and abroad) that are currently sitting at the EU Parliament: Some examples: - Aldo Patriciello (EPP): Convicted to four months for illegal financing: in the beginning of the 90s he gave 16 million of italian lires to a “political friend”. He has never been jailed. -Mario Borghezio (EFD): In 2005, he was found guilty of arson, for having set fire to the belongings of some immigrants sleeping under a bridge in Turin during a vigilante raid, sentenced to 2 months and 20 days imprisonment, commuted to a fine of 3.040 euros. He has never been jailed. - Vito Bonsignore (EPP): Convicted to 2 years of prison for attempted bribery for the contract the hospital of the italian city of Asti. He has never been jailed. - Nick Griffin (NI): Convicted for incitement to racial hatred for material denying the Holocaust. - Jean Marie Le Pen (NI): Convicted several times for racism or inciting racial hatred. And the list is even longer… I consider that this matter falls within the priorities of the legislative term of this European Parliament as evidenced by the public survey published on April 2009 on the European Parliament website (Page 12: “A large percentage of Italians want the candidate eligibility criteria to be revised; this was also the case with most Europeans..”). For all the above reasons, I’m addressing this request to you, trusting in your sensitivity toward this issue. I urge you to consider an amendment to the Act in the above mentioned manner. I’m confident that any EU citizen has the right to obtain that the position of Member of the European Parliament should not be accessible to any convicted people. I look forward to receiving an answer from you. Thank you very much for your consideration. Best regards