Regulation (EU) 2019/788 on the European Citizens’ Initiative

Summary:

Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 April 2019 revising Regulation (EU) No 211/2011 on the European Citizens' Initiative (ECI).

Further information:

In September 2017 the European Commission presented a proposal to amend Regulation (EU) No 211/2011 on the European Citizens' Initiative (ECI). The revision aims to enhance citizens' participation in the democratic life of the European Union by allowing them to request the Commission directly to submit a proposal for legal acts of the Union for the purpose of implementing the Treaties.

The European Parliament's relevant committee adopted a position and decision to engage in interinsitutional negotiations on 20 June 2018. The Council of the European Union adopted its general approach on the proposal on 26 June.

Background:

The ECI enables at least one million EU citizens, coming from at least seven Member States, to invite the Commission to propose a legal act on matters where it has competence to do so. The ECI was introduced by the Lisbon Treaty as a tool to foster citizen participation and to bring the EU closer to its citizens.

The European Commission adopted a report on the application of the Regulation in 2015, three years after it came into force. A number of challenges were identified and a set of technical studies were launched. Since then, the ECI instrument has been subject to a review process by different stakeholders, including through a European Parliament resolution. There was also a public consultation which preceded the formal adoption of this proposed reform.

Official

EUR-Lex: COM(2017)482: Proposal for a Regulation on the European citizens’ initiative https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2017:482:FIN

EUR-Lex: SWD(2017)294: Commission Staff Working Document accompanying COM(2017)482 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=SWD:2017:294:FIN

European Parliament: Legislative Observatory: Procedure File on European Citizens' Initiative http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil-mobile/fiche-procedure/2017/0220(COD)

European Parliament: Legislative Train: Review of the European Citizens' Initiative regulation http://www.europarl.europa.eu/legislative-train/theme-union-of-democratic-change/file-jd-review-of-the-european-citizens-initiative-regulation

European Commission: Press Release, 15/09/2017: Democracy Package: reform of Citizens' Initiative and political party funding http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-17-3187_en.htm

Council of the European Union: Press Release, 26/06/2018: Encouraging participation: Council ready to launch talks on a revised European Citizens' Initiative https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2018/06/26/encouraging-participation-council-ready-to-launch-talks-on-a-revised-european-citizens-initiative/

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Commentary and Analysis

Euronews, 30/08/2017: Europe needs citizen lobbyists to help shape our continent [Opinion] http://www.euronews.com/2017/08/30/view-europe-needs-citizen-lobbyists-to-help-shape-our-continent

EUObserver, 13/09/2017: A 'citizen scenario' for the future of Europe [Opinion] https://euobserver.com/opinion/139006

The ECI Campaign, 15/09/2017: Successful ECIs must be given a fair chance of having a political impact http://www.citizens-initiative.eu/successful-ecis-must-given-fair-chance-political-impact/

EPRS: Briefing, June 2018: Revising the European Citizens' Initiative http://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_BRI(2017)614627

EUObserver, 26/10/2018: Does EU really want to make citizen politics work? [Opinion] https://euobserver.com/opinion/143215

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