Buzek on the European Citizens' Initiative
The President of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek welcomed today's decision of the European Parliament to adopt rules for the Citizens' initiative, which will allow EU citizens to propose new EU legislation, provided they can muster one million signatures from at least seven countries within a year.
"This is a milestone in the development of European democracy. I warmly encourage the European public to make use of the European Citizen's Initiative to bring matters of their concern to the top of the European agenda.
The Citizen's initiative will establish a direct link between the citizens and the European institutions, helping to bridge the gap between them and ensuring that the EU institutions address the concrete problems, which are of importance to them.
The Citizens' initiative will constitute a unique exercise in democracy on an EU-wide scale".
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Background:
The European Parliament has made the Citizens' initiative more user-friendly than initially proposed. Among other things, the Commission will check the admissibility of an initiative right at the outset, rather than after the collection of 300,000 signatures, as originally proposed. The minimum number of Member States from which signatures must be obtained was reduced from one third to one fourth, and a proper follow-up will now be guaranteed, including an invitation to the Commission and a public hearing in the European Parliament.
Following the adoption by Parliament the rules now need to be voted by the full Council. It is expected to happen before the end of 2010.
The Member States then have 12 months to transpose the new rules into their national laws, and the first citizens' initiatives could be launched by the end of 2011.
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For further information:
Robert A. Golański
Deputy Spokesman
Mobile: +32 475 751 663
Charlotte Du Rietz
Mobile: +32 498 981 366