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BackThis week, the Commission presented the long awaited Proposal on the European Citizens’ Initiative. This will give one million European citizens the opportunity to ask the Commission to submit certain legislative proposals. However, this is by no means as easy as it sounds. Some hurdles have to be overcome first. The threshold values, for example, with regard to minimum numbers of Member States and citizens per country have to be exceeded. In contrast, there are supposed to be no restrictions at all with regard to the way statements of support will be collected.
Further information:
Proposal of the Commission for a Regulation on the Citizens’ Initiative
AK position paper on the Green Paper on the European Citizens’ Initiative
The minimum number of required signatories in Austria would be 14,250
The main elements for a Citizens’ Initiative have now been decided. An initiative must be supported by a minimum of one million citizens from at least one third of the Member States. In each of these Member States, the minimum number of required statements of support would be calculated by multiplying the number of members of this Member State in the European Parliament by a factor of 750. Hence, at least 14,250 signatures would have to be collected in Austria. Originally, the Commission had planned to set the threshold value of the required statements of support at 0.2 % of the total population of a Member State. Faced with loud criticism, however, it decided it moved away from this idea. The minimum age of those, which confirm their support, would be the age at which the citizens obtain the active right to vote in European elections. In Austria, this age is 16 years. Planned initiatives must be registered in an online register, which has been made available by the Commission. The registration might be rejected if the initiative is clearly directed against the fundamental values of the EU.
No rules planned for collecting statements of support
The methods used to collect the statements of support are not subject to any restrictions. Hence, the collecting process can be dealt with flexibly. An interesting approach, which, however, leaves the question open as to whether the process is manipulation-proof. In order to prevent manipulations, the proposal leaves it to the Member States, what kind of checks they are carrying out to determine the validity of the statements of support. The Commission has random checks in mind. Whether all Member States agree with this, remains to be seen.
Form for statement of support requires obligatory provision of passport, ID card or social security number
In accordance with the proposal on the Citizens’ Initiative, the organiser will be responsible for the collection of the statements of support. However, only those forms may be used for this purpose, which conform to the model, proposed by the Commission. Apart from the name of the signatory, his/her address, birth of date and place, it is obligatory to provide the passport, ID card or social security number. The latter might be met with a certain amount of resistance, because many citizens are not prepared to disclose such personal data to an unknown person.
Parliament and Council also have a say in the matter
Although the Commission has made the legislative proposal on the Citizens’ Initiative, it is now the turn of the Council and Parliament to find common agreement so that the instrument of the Citizens’ Initiative, as planned by the Commission, can come into force soon. The first Citizens’ Initiatives will show whether the citizens really have been provided with the option to help shaping EU policy. Many suspect that this is not the case, because an obligation of the Commission, to submit proposals based on the Citizens’ Initiative, cannot be derived from the present Commission proposal.
The main elements for a Citizens’ Initiative have now been decided. An initiative must be supported by a minimum of one million citizens from at least one third of the Member States. In each of these Member States, the minimum number of required statements of support would be calculated by multiplying the number of members of this Member State in the European Parliament by a factor of 750. Hence, at least 14,250 signatures would have to be collected in Austria. Originally, the Commission had planned to set the threshold value of the required statements of support at 0.2 % of the total population of a Member State. Faced with loud criticism, however, it decided it moved away from this idea. The minimum age of those, which confirm their support, would be the age at which the citizens obtain the active right to vote in European elections. In Austria, this age is 16 years. Planned initiatives must be registered in an online register, which has been made available by the Commission. The registration might be rejected if the initiative is clearly directed against the fundamental values of the EU.
No rules planned for collecting statements of support
The methods used to collect the statements of support are not subject to any restrictions. Hence, the collecting process can be dealt with flexibly. An interesting approach, which, however, leaves the question open as to whether the process is manipulation-proof. In order to prevent manipulations, the proposal leaves it to the Member States, what kind of checks they are carrying out to determine the validity of the statements of support. The Commission has random checks in mind. Whether all Member States agree with this, remains to be seen.
Form for statement of support requires obligatory provision of passport, ID card or social security number
In accordance with the proposal on the Citizens’ Initiative, the organiser will be responsible for the collection of the statements of support. However, only those forms may be used for this purpose, which conform to the model, proposed by the Commission. Apart from the name of the signatory, his/her address, birth of date and place, it is obligatory to provide the passport, ID card or social security number. The latter might be met with a certain amount of resistance, because many citizens are not prepared to disclose such personal data to an unknown person.
Parliament and Council also have a say in the matter
Although the Commission has made the legislative proposal on the Citizens’ Initiative, it is now the turn of the Council and Parliament to find common agreement so that the instrument of the Citizens’ Initiative, as planned by the Commission, can come into force soon. The first Citizens’ Initiatives will show whether the citizens really have been provided with the option to help shaping EU policy. Many suspect that this is not the case, because an obligation of the Commission, to submit proposals based on the Citizens’ Initiative, cannot be derived from the present Commission proposal.
Further information:
Proposal of the Commission for a Regulation on the Citizens’ Initiative
AK position paper on the Green Paper on the European Citizens’ Initiative