The European Commission is bracing itself for the prospect of politically sensitive requests from EU citizens once a key direct-democracy clause contained in the Lisbon Treaty takes effect.
Under the rules, signatures from 1 million EU citizens on any issue obliges the commission to consider a legislative proposal in the area.
How to implement the relatively detail-free article – hailed as a key step in overcoming the EU’s democratic deficit, has been exercising legal minds within the commission since well before the treaty came into place.
On Tuesday, administration commissioner Maros Sefcovic laid out the requirements for exercising the citizens initiative, which he hopes to have up and running by December.
“I truly believe that the citizens’ initiative is a real step forward in the democratic life of Europe,” he said, adding that it would get citizens “more interested in Brussels.”
The commission is suggesting that the one million signatures must come from at least a third of member states (nine) and reach a certain threshold in each of countries concerned. The voting age is set at the same age as for voting in the European elections.
Signatures can be collected over a one-year period but the organisers should ask the commission whether the request is admissible after 300,000 signatures have been gathered from three member states. Admissibility will be judged on whether the request falls within the commission’s powers.
