European Citizens’ Initiative: origins, evolution and the future of participatory democracy.

Abstract

The work stems from a research on citizens’ involvement into the activities of the European Union, as a solution to the widespread sense of disaffection, lack of trust towards the institutions, increasing rate of democratic deficit and low level of EU legitimacy. With this regard, the work focuses on the European citizens’ initiative, which was firstly introduced in 2009 with the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty as one of the main novelties in reforming the role of the institutions and the decision-making process, namely considered as the first supranational instrument of participatory democracy. Through this tool, citizens may invite the European Commission to submit any proposal, which falls within the scope of its powers, on matters where the intervention of the Union is most needed. Firstly, the research develops from presenting the legislative framework of the ECI by tracing its legal basis into the Treaties and assessing the historical development of the principle of participatory democracy. Secondly, an overview on the functioning of the European Citizens’ Initiative is given by reporting the procedures and conditions for the submission of a citizens’ initiative set out in Regulation (EU) no 211/2011. Thirdly, the work focuses on the assessment of the first five years of experiences of ECI by juxtaposing the main constrains which have been faced with the opportunities and options of increasing its potential as presented by the recently published European Commission Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European citizens' Initiative. Finally, throughout the whole work, reference is made to the characteristics and possibilities of the ECI to better represent the future of participatory democracy.