Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/2007 of 29 September 2025 on the request for registration of the European citizens’ initiative entitled Ethical selection of European representatives, pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2019/788 of the European Parliament and of the Council (notified under document C(2025) 6500)

Official Journal EN of the European Union L series 2025/2007 2.10.2025 COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION(EU) 2025/2007 of 29 September 2025 on the request for registration of the European citizens’ initiative entitled ‘Ethical selection of European representatives’, pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2019/788 of the European Parliament and of the Council (notified under document C(2025) 6500) (Only the Italian text is authentic) THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, Having regard to Regulation (EU) 2019/788 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 April 2019 on the European citizens’ initiative(1), and in particular Article 6(4) thereof, Whereas: (1) A request for registration of a European citizens’ initiative entitled ‘Ethical selection of European representatives’ was submitted to the Commission on 30 June 2025. The aim of the initiative, as expressed by the organisers, was to call on the Commission to propose legislation ‘introducing common criteria for ethical, transparent and verifiable selection of candidates for European public office’. (2) By letter of 28 July 2025 (C(2025) 5234 final), pursuant to Article 6(4) of Regulation (EU) 2019/788, the Commission informed the group of organisers that as regards the request for registration submitted on 30 June 2025, the requirements for registration set out in Article 6(3), first subparagraph, points (a), (d) and (e), of that Regulation were fulfilled and that Article 6(3), first subparagraph, point (b), thereof was not applicable. However, the Commission also explained that the initiative did not fulfil the requirement set out in Article 6(3), first subparagraph, point (c), of Regulation (EU) 2019/788 because the Commission does not have the power to propose legislation introducing common criteria for the selection of candidates for European public office, given that the members of the Union institutions are appointed following procedures established in primary law. (3) The Commission therefore informed the organisers pursuant to Article 6(4), first subparagraph, of Regulation (EU) 2019/788 that they could either amend the initiative to take into account the Commission’s assessment, or maintain, or withdraw, the initial initiative in accordance with Article 6(4), second subparagraph, of Regulation (EU) 2019/788. (4) On 29 August 2025, the group of organisers submitted an amended initiative. (5) The aims of the amended initiative, as expressed by the organisers, are to call on the Commission to: (i) ‘issue a recommendation under Article 292 TFEU calling on the Member States and political parties to introduce minimum standards on ethics, psychological fitness and competence for the internal selection of candidates to stand in European and national elections’; (ii) adopt ‘a voluntary European Code of Ethics’ for candidates; and (iii) launch ‘a public awareness and education campaign’. An annex to the initiative provides further details on its background, its subject matter and its objectives. The organisers have also submitted a draft legal act as part of their registration request. (1) OJ L 130, 17.5.2019, p. 55, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2019/788/oj. ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2025/2007/oj 1/2EN OJ L, 2.10.2025 (6) Concerning the first measure, namely that the Commission issue a recommendation ‘calling on the Member States and political parties to introduce minimum standards on ethics, psychological fitness and competence for the internal selection of candidates to stand in European and national elections’, the Commission concludes that the initiative does not call on the Commission to submit a proposal for a legal act of the Union for the purpose of implementing the Treaties. Therefore, this measure does not fulfil the legal requirement in Article 6(3), first subparagraph, point (c), of Regulation (EU) 2019/788. Moreover, even if the registration request were to be interpreted as to cover the submission by the Commission of a proposal for a Council recommendation to introduce such minimum standards, the provisions mentioned by the organisers do not give the Union the competence to adopt such a recommendation. Furthermore, Article 223 TFEU, which grants the Council, following a proposal by the European Parliament, the competence to lay down the provisions necessary for the election of the Members of the European Parliament, grants no role to the Commission. It follows that the Commission has no power to submit a proposal for a Council recommendation to introduce minimum standards for the selection of candidates for elections. (7) Similarly, the Commission concludes that the second and third measures, by which the organisers call on the Commission to adopt ‘a voluntary European Code of Ethics’ for candidates and to launch ‘a public awareness and education campaign’, do not call on the Commission to submit a proposal for a legal act of the Union for the purpose of implementing the Treaties. Therefore, these measures do not fulfil the legal requirement in Article 6(3), first subparagraph, point (c), of Regulation (EU) 2019/788. (8) For those reasons, the initiative entitled ‘Ethical selection of European representatives’ manifestly falls outside the framework of the Commission’s powers to submit a proposal for a legal act of the Union for the purpose of implementing the Treaties within the meaning of Article 6(4), third subparagraph, point (c), of Regulation (EU) 2019/788. (9) The request for registration should therefore be refused, HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: Article 1 The European citizens’ initiative entitled ‘Ethical selection of European representatives’ shall not be registered. Article 2 This Decision is addressed to the group of organisers of the citizens’ initiative entitled ‘Ethical selection of European representatives’, represented by Gian Elio DE MARCO and Jean-Pierre SAULNIER acting as contact persons. Done at Brussels, 29 September 2025. For the Commission Maroš ŠEFČOVIČ Member of the Commission 2/2 ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2025/2007/oj