Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič will later today present proposals to establish a legal statute and funding mechanism for European political parties and foundations.

Sir Graham Watson MEP, President of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party said: “I welcome the fact that for the first time in the history of European integration, European political parties and European political foundations will have a true European legal statute.”

“The proposal goes much further than the simple recognition of the role of European political parties in European integration as in the Maastricht Treaty.”

“This morning, European Commission President José Manuel Barroso called for a European political space where each party will put up a candidate for Commission President; European Liberals have already been preparing for this,” he said.

“European political parties are the key to strengthening Europe and today’s Commission’s proposals are a step in the right direction.”

Andrew Duff MEP (Liberal Democrat, UK), coordinator for the ALDE group in the Constitutional Affairs Committee, said: “I welcome the Commission's move, at the request of the European Parliament, to bring forward plans to strengthen EU level political parties.”

“Left to their own devices, national political parties have undoubtedly failed to sustain European integration in a democratic and efficient manner.”