The public hearing ‘A reflection on the EP Committee on Petitions and the petitions’ systems of third countries’ focuses on the analysis, comparison and best practices of the EU petitions’ system and of the petitions’ systems of selected non-European countries.

Less than a year before the European elections, and in the context of an ongoing process of reforming the European Parliament, the Committee on Petitions believes it is timely and appropriate to organise a hearing to analyse, compare and present best practices between the EU petitions' system and selected non-EU countries with shared democratic values. The aim of the hearing is to look at the legal, institutional and procedural framework and to exchange best practices between the EU system and these countries. Moreover, this hearing is an opportunity to gather evidence on how citizens can bring forward their concerns and problems through petitions to their elected representatives and institutions, and to share best practices that could inspire the EU system to become more efficient and ever closer to the citizens.