The Parliamentary Committee for Constitutional Affairs (AFCO) today adopted by a large majority (17 votes against 7 and 1 abstention) the report of Andrew DUFF (LibDem, UK) to amend the European electoral system. The symbolic element of the report consists of 25 deputies elected in a single European constituency on the basis of transnational lists.

Andrew Duff, ALDE coordinator in AFCO, said: "This report is the result of a compromise but a compromise useful for the emergence of an EU-wide democracy. Now every citizen will have two ballots in hand. He can vote for his/her national list and for a transnational list to further strengthen his preference. This being said, I hope his preference will be for pro-Europeans MEPs. This system will also require a review of the allocation of seats in Parliament so that the demographic reality of the EU, calculated by Eurostat before each election, is given more consideration. "

Guy Verhofstadt, ALDE group leader and member of the AFCO Committee, said: "Now the ball is in the Council's court. The election of transnational deputies clearly meets a need to further politicise the European debate. Europe needs politicians who are fully committed to the emergence of a political union. Member states have to take their responsibility: Do they want to see the emergence of a European participatory democracy or do they prefer to retain a system that promotes confrontation between nation states ? "

After approval by plenary (possibly in March), the report amending the 1976 Act on Election of Members of European Parliament by universal suffrage will be forwarded to the Council under the relevant TEU Article.