Citizens' Initiative

European Citizens' Initiative Week: CoR proposes Citizen ENgagement in the EU Network (CitizEN) as a springboard for the European Citizens' Initiatives

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, November 18, 2020
Direct democracy, European Union, Politics of the European Union, Law, Initiatives, Political philosophy, European Committee of the Regions, Regionalism, European Citizens' Initiative, Citizens' Initiative, Initiative, ECI

European Citizens' Initiatives help mobilise citizens around a common cause and foster the creation of pan-European debates.

Key Points: 
  • European Citizens' Initiatives help mobilise citizens around a common cause and foster the creation of pan-European debates.
  • He stressed that the European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) facilitates and underpins CoR's political priority of bringing Europe closer to its people.
  • The CoR is committed to supporting ECIs which fall into its political remits and which are deemed politically relevant for local and regional authorities.
  • They could also be integrated in the CitizEN - Citizen Engagement in the EU Network a tool proposed by the European Committee of the Regions which aims at involving citizens in policy-making.
  • TheEuropean Citizens Initiative Weekis looking back on the first year of the reformed rules of the European Citizens' initiative which applied on 1 January 2020.
  • The European Citizens Initiatives could be one component of this network".
  • The CoR adopted anopinionon the new regulation on the European Citizens Initiative in March 2018 (rapporteur was Luc van den Brande BE/EPP).

Council adopts temporary measures related to the European Citizens’ Initiative

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Wednesday, July 15, 2020
Direct democracy, Political philosophy, Organizations, Contents, Politics of the European Union, European Citizens' Initiative, European Union constitutional law, Initiatives, European Union, Citizens' Initiative, Initiative, European Commission

The Council today adopted a regulation extending several deadlines linked to the European Citizens' Initiative due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Key Points: 
  • The Council today adopted a regulation extending several deadlines linked to the European Citizens' Initiative due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • The Commission can further extend the collection period for initiatives, if necessary as a result of public health measures related to COVID-19, to a maximum of two years in total.
  • If the organisers of initiatives agree to this, they can participate remotely in meetings with the Commission and the European Parliament and in the public hearing concerning their initiative.
  • Background

    Under the EU treaties, the European Commission has the sole right of legislative initiative, with exceptions in only a few areas.