European citizens’ initiative

The European citizens' initiative the European Union's first direct-democracy mechanism, was put into effect on 2 April 2012. It allows one million citizens from at least one quarter of the EU member states to invite the European Commission from to bring forward proposals for legal acts in areas where the Commission has the power to do so.

This initiative was introduced by the Lisbon Treaty. The organisers of a citizens' initiative, a citizens' committee composed of at least seven EU citizens who are resident in at least seven different member states, will have one year to collect the necessary statements of support. The number of statements of support has to be certified by the competent authorities in the member states. The Commission will then have three months to examine the initiative and decide how to act on it.

According to the European Commission’s vice-president Maroš Šefčovič, “this new right will open a new chapter in the democratic life of the EU. Not only will it provide a direct gateway for citizens to make their voices heard in Brussels, it will also encourage real cross-border debates about EU issues.”