Doc. 8397
28 April 1999

Voting rights of the people of Gibraltar in elections to the European Parliament

Motion for a recommendation

presented by Mr Colvin and others

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only the members who have signed it

1.       It is anomalous that throughout the European Union 18 000 people only are denied their democratic right to vote in European Parliament elections.

2.       Gibraltar is geographically part of the continent of Europe and is in membership of the European Union.

3.       All citizens in all European Union states, including those of Portuguese, French and Spanish overseas territories, but excepting those of British overseas territories, are entitled to vote in elections to the European Parliament.

4.       The European Court of Human Rights has recently ruled that the voting rights of Gibraltarians under Article 3 of Protocol No. 1 should be secured "regardless of whether the elections were purely domestic or European".

5.       Consequently, the Assembly recommends that the Committee of Ministers:

i.       acknowledges the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights handed down on 18^th February 1999;

ii.       invites the Government of the United Kingdom to take all necessary steps to implement the judgment forthwith;

iii.       informs all other European Union member states of its decision and urges them to co-operate in the implementation of the ECHR judgment.

Signed : ¹

Colvin, United Kingdom, EDG

Atkinson, United Kingdom, EDG

Aytaman, Turkey, EDG

Bartos, Czech Republic, EDG

Belohorska, Slovakia, EDG

Billing, Sweden, EDG

Brand, United Kingdom, LDR

Chapman, United Kingdom, EDG

Cusimano, Italy, EDG

Dromberg, Finland, EDG

Eltz, Croatia, EDG

Etherington, United Kingdom, SOC

Gill, United Kingdom, EDG

Goodlad, United Kingdom, EDG

Goulet, France, EDG

Hancock, United Kingdom, LDR

Hornikova, Czech Republic, EDG

Keltosova, Slovakia, EDG

Libicki, Poland, EDG

Manchulenko, Ukraine, EDG

Mignon, France, EDG

Nemcova, Czech Republic, EDG

Ouzky, Czech Republic, EDG

Paleckova, Czech Republic, EDG

Ragnarsdottir, Iceland, EDG

Schreiner, France, EDG

Sinka, Latvia, EDG

Tanik, Turkey, EDG

Taylor J.D., United Kingdom, EPP/CD

Tekir, Turkey, EDG

Tiuri, Finland, EDG

Tkac, Slovakia, EDG

Townend, United Kingdom, EDG

Turini, Italy, EDG

Wilshire, United Kingdom, EDG

Yemets, Ukraine, EDG

¹        SOC: Socialist Group

      EPP/CD: Group of the European People’s Party

      EDG: European Democratic Group

      LDR : Liberal, Democratic and Reformers’ Group

      UEL: Group of the Unified European Left

      NR: not registered in a group