In the European Parliament, the Committee on Petitions (PETI) is in charge of receiving, considering and following up on the petitions submitted by EU Citizens and organisations. Petitions can be submitted to call the attention of the Parliament on a subject that affects them directly and falls within the EU’s field of activity. These can be citizens’ rights, environment, consumer protection or free movement. Petitions can take the form a complaint, a request or an observation.

The petition can be a call to the European Parliament to adopt a position on a specific matter or to draw attention to any infringement of your rights by a Member State, local authority and other institution.

Once the petition is submitted, the Committee will check its admissibility and will treat it.  There can be different outcomes: the Committee can ask the Commission to conduct a preliminary investigation on your petition (when the petition concerns the application of EU law); ask national authorities for information or clarifications; prepare and submit reports and resolutions to be voted in Plenary (exceptional); conduct fact-finding visit to the country or region concerned and issue a report with observations and recommendations; suggest alternative means of redress or place the petition in the Committee’s agenda and discuss it in a meeting.

The Petitions Committee does not have investigatory nor enforcement powers and it can only adopt non-binding recommendations. Nevertheless, it can be a good tool to draw political attention to specific matters.

• Any individual or organisation in the EU can submit a petition to the Committee. The petition can be submitted electronically through the PETI portal or by traditional post to the Committee’s Adress: European Parliament, Chair of the Committee on Petitions, c/o PETI Secretariat Rue Wiertz 60, 1047 Brussels, BELGIUM.
• In case you choose the second option, there is no standard form to be filled and it should include your name, nationality, permanent address, signature and supporting documents (more information on how to submit a petition).
• The Committee of Petitions can take complaints from all levels of government, which is not the case for the European Commission and Ombudsman.
• Although the Petitions Committee does not have the capacity to enforce legislation, it can be a tool to bring public and political attention to a specific issue. Having the European Parliament carrying out an inquiry, site visit or adopting a resolution calling Member States and European Institutions to act, can be a good way to raise awareness about the shortcomings of existing policies and laws.
• While Committee revises the petition and drafts the resolution you need to be ready to provide background information to the MEPs. Once there is a resolution, is good to reach out to MEPs so they understand the problem at stake and vote favourably.

In order to increase visibility, you can ask people to formally support your petition by filling in the relevant information in the Petition’s Online Portal. However, you have to bear in mind that the Committee will base its considerations and decisions only on the merits of the content of the petition, irrespective of the number of signatories or supporters.

• European Parliament resolution on the protection of persons with disabilities: in October 2021, following the amount of petitions received on disability issues in the Petitions Committee, the European Parliament adopted a resolution with a series of recommendations to the European Commission and its Member States touching disability related issues such as free movement, accessibility, discrimination, employment and education.
• Rights of persons with disabilities in the Covid-19 crisis: in 2020, Inclusion Europe submitted a petition to the Petitions Committee to draw the attention to the situation of people with intellectual disabilities and their families during the time of Covid-19 pandemic and calling for disability related services as a matter of priority. The petition was deemed admissible and therefore was heard by the Members Committee. As a result, in July 2020, the Commission was asked to provide more information and the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the situation of persons with intellectual disabilities during covid-19. Inclusion Europe chose the Petition Committee because, in a moment of crisis, this type of petitions could help raise awareness among the MEPs. The petition triggered debates, discussions between institutions and the resulting parliamentary resolution was sent to competent ministries at national level (more information on Inclusion Europe’s Petition to the European Parliament).
• Ratification of Marrakesh Treaty: in 2011, the European Blind Union and its British member Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) submitted a petition on access by blind people to books and other printed products. This petition aimed at promoting the accession of the EU to the Marrakesh Treaty, which was being blocked by some Member States. The Petitions Committee examined the petition, which led to a European Parliament Resolution on the Ratification of Marrakesh Treaty in 2016. This resolution called the Council to swiftly ratify the Treaty. In this case, the Petition was used to put pressure on Member States.
• Tabling petitions in national sign–languages: in 2016 the European Union of the Deaf (EUD) tabled a petition asking the European Parliament to allow deaf persons to submit petitions in their national sign language. To date, the only possibility offered to deaf people is to table petitions in one of the 24 EU official languages, without consideration given to the 30 national sign languages that co-exist within the European Union. The petition is currently being assessed by the MEPs who, in the course of several meetings, are studying the feasibility of introduction such option.