06/03/2015 Standing Committee
At a meeting in Paris, the PACE Standing Committee has proposed a set of measures to be taken by member States with a view to improving the democratic participation of diasporas in Europe. The resolution adopted today on the basis of a report by Andrea Rigoni (Italy, ALDE) calls on member States to introduce the right to vote and to stand in local and regional elections for foreigners after a maximum residence period of five years. The Assembly also proposes that a parliamentary network on diaspora policies be established.
Governments have to play a key role in engaging diasporas in decision-making processes, the parliamentarians said, while underlining that diasporas’ right to democratic participation is a fundamental condition for their political integration.