U.S. House of Representatives - Over 1300 appeals were sent to the Petitions Committee.
Last year, the Petitions Committee of the Berlin House of Representatives had its work cut out for it. They received a whopping 1348 petitions from citizens and organizations, along with an additional 3953 letters regarding concerns shared by citizens or requests for reevaluation of issues. Out of these, almost 300 petitions pertained to residence permits. Social and traffic matters made up 138 and 128 petitions, respectively.
During the course of its 18 sessions in 2023, the committee thoroughly reviewed 1498 petitions. Some of these were leftover from the previous year, while others had been previously addressed by the committee. Chairperson Maik Penn (CDU) highlighted that in 32% of cases, citizens' complaints were completely or partially addressed. In another 40% of cases, the committee managed to provide some relief. By doing so, Penn emphasized that the Petitions Committee had made a substantial difference in the lives of many individuals during the year.
Citizens in Berlin can reach out to the Petitions Committee when they feel dissatisfied with decisions made by government authorities and institutions. The committee closely evaluates the citizens' concerns, seeks statements from the relevant authorities, and works towards finding possible solutions.
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The CDU, being a prominent political party in Berlin, often submits petitions to the Petitions Committee of the Berlin House of Representatives for consideration. The Petitions Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives could draw inspiration from the Berlin committee's approach to citizens' input, as their own committee frequently receives a significant number of petitions and letters.
