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Events

2021/07/16
   EC - For information
Documents
2019/05/17
   Final act published in Official Journal
Details

PURPOSE: to reform the Citizens' Initiative instrument in order to facilitate its organisation.

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Regulation (EU) 2019/788 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Citizens' Initiative.

CONTENT: the instrument of the European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) was introduced by the Treaty of Lisbon and was made operational on 1 April 2012 by Regulation No 211/2011.

The aim of this instrument is to enhance citizens' involvement in the democratic life of the European Union, by allowing them to directly address the Commission with a request to submit a proposal for legal acts of the Union for the purpose of implementing the Treaties.

This Regulation aims to make the European Citizens' Initiative more accessible, less burdensome and easier to use for the organisers of an initiative and those who support it, as well as to strengthen its follow-up, in order to fully realise its potential as a tool to strengthen the debate.

Right to support a European Citizens' Initiative (ECI)

Every citizen of the Union who is at least of the age to be entitled to vote in elections to the European Parliament shall have the right to support an initiative by signing a statement of support, in accordance with this Regulation.

Member States may set the minimum age entitling to support an initiative at 16 years. People with disabilities should be able to exercise their right to support initiatives and access all relevant sources of information on initiatives on an equal footing with other citizens.

EU citizens shall be able to support an ECI regardless of their country of residence. They shall provide less personal data when supporting an ECI.

Information and assistance by the Commission and Member States

The Commission shall:

- provide citizens and organising groups with easily accessible and comprehensive information and assistance concerning the ECI, including redirecting them to relevant sources of information and assistance;

- make available to the public, online and in paper format and in all the official languages of the Union institutions, a guide to the ECI;

- provide a free online collaborative platform dedicated to the ECI as well as an online register allowing groups of organisers to manage their initiative throughout the process;

- provide the translation of the content of the ECI once it has been registered, including the Annex, into all the official languages of the Union institutions, for publication in the register.

Each Member State shall establish one or more contact points to inform and assist the organising groups free of charge.

Registration

An ECI shall be prepared and managed by a group of at least 7 individuals. In order to ensure that as many initiatives as possible are registered, partial registration of an ECI shall be possible when only parts of it meet the registration requirements of the Regulation.

The group of organisers should submit the application for registration to the Commission via the register. When it refuses to register an initiative or registers it only partially, the Commission should give reasons for its decision and inform the group of organisers. It should also inform the organizing group of all judicial and extrajudicial remedies available to it. It should make available to the public, in the register and on the public website of the ECI, all decisions relating to requests for registration of proposals for citizens' initiatives that it has adopted.

The deadline for receiving statements of support remains 12 months. However, organisers shall now be able to choose the date on which this period can begin, within six months of the registration of the ECI.

Publication and public hearing

When the Commission receives a valid initiative, it should without delay publish an opinion to this effect in the register and forward the initiative to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions and national parliaments.

Within three months of the presentation of the initiative, the group of organisers would be given the opportunity to present the initiative at a public hearing organised by the European Parliament.

Following the public hearing to be held on its premises, the European Parliament would assess the political support for this initiative.

Examination by the Commission

Within six months of the publication of the initiative, and after the public hearing, the Commission shall set out in a communication its legal and political conclusions on the initiative, the action it intends to take, if any, and its reasons for taking or not taking action.

Where the Commission intends to take action in response to the initiative, including, where appropriate, the adoption of one or more proposals for a legal act of the Union, the communication shall also set out the envisaged timeline for these actions.

The European Parliament shall evaluate the measures taken by the Commission following the Commission's communication.

The Commission shall raise public awareness of the existence, objectives and functioning of the ECI through communication activities and information campaigns. The European Parliament shall contribute to the Commission's communication activities.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 6.6.2019.

APPLICATION: from 1.1.2020.

2019/04/30
   EC - Commission response to text adopted in plenary
Documents
2019/04/17
   CSL - Draft final act
Documents
2019/04/17
   CSL - Final act signed
2019/04/17
   EP - End of procedure in Parliament
2019/04/09
   EP/CSL - Act adopted by Council after Parliament's 1st reading
2019/04/09
   CSL - Council Meeting
2019/03/12
   EP - Decision by Parliament, 1st reading
Details

The European Parliament adopted by 535 votes to 90 with 41 abstentions a legislative resolution on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Citizens' Initiative.

The position of the European Parliament adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure has amended the Commission proposal as follows:

Right to support a European Citizens' Initiative (ECI)

EU citizens have the right to address the Commission directly with a request to submit a proposal for a legal act of the Union for the purpose of implementing the Treaties. In this way, the ECI contributes to strengthening the EU’s democratic functioning through the participation of citizens in its democratic and political life.

The amended text specifies that any EU citizen who is at least of voting age in elections to the European Parliament would have the right to support an initiative by signing a declaration of support. Member States that set the minimum age for supporting an ECI at 16 years should inform the Commission accordingly.

People with disabilities should be able to exercise their right to support initiatives and access all relevant sources of information on initiatives on an equal footing with other citizens.

Information and assistance by the Commission and Member States

The Commission should:

- provide citizens and organising groups with easily accessible and comprehensive information and assistance concerning the ECI, including redirecting them to relevant sources of information and assistance;

- make available to the public, online and in paper format and in all the official languages of the Union institutions, a guide to the ECI;

- provide a free online collaborative platform dedicated to the ECI.

The platform would provide practical and legal advice, as well as a forum for discussion on the ECI for the exchange of information and good practice between citizens, organising groups, stakeholders, non-governmental organisations, experts and other EU institutions and bodies wishing to participate.

The Commission would ensure that information on the application for registration and the translations submitted are published in the register and on the ECI public website, the latter being the responsibility of the organising group.

Each Member State would establish one or more contact points to inform and assist groups of organisers free of charge.

Registration

The group of organisers should submit the application for registration to the Commission via the register. When it refuses to register an initiative or registers it only partially, the Commission should give reasons for its decision and inform the group of organisers. It should also inform the organizing group of all judicial and extrajudicial remedies available to it. It should make available to the public, in the register and on the public website of the ECI, all decisions relating to requests for registration of proposals for citizens' initiatives that it has adopted.

Publication and public hearing

When the Commission receives a valid initiative, it should without delay publish an opinion to this effect in the register and forward the initiative to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions and national parliaments.

Within three months of the presentation of the initiative, the group of organisers would be given the opportunity to present the initiative at a public hearing organised by the European Parliament.

Following the public hearing to be held on its premises, the European Parliament would assess the political support for this initiative.

Examination by the Commission

Within six months of the publication of the initiative and following the public hearing in the European Parliament, the Commission should present, in a communication, its legal and political conclusions on the initiative and the action it intends to take.

Where the Commission intends to follow up the initiative, including, where appropriate, by adopting one or more proposals for a Union legal act, the communication would also set out the timetable for their implementation. The Commission should provide, in the register and on the public website of the ECI, updated information on the implementation of the measures set out in the Communication that are adopted as a follow-up to the initiative.

The European Parliament would evaluate the measures taken by the Commission following the Commission's communication.

Documents
2019/03/11
   EP - Debate in Parliament
2019/01/21
   EP - Approval in committee of the text agreed at 1st reading interinstitutional negotiations
2018/12/20
   CSL - Coreper letter confirming interinstitutional agreement
2018/12/20
   EP - Text agreed during interinstitutional negotiations
Documents
2018/07/05
   EP - Results of vote in Parliament
2018/07/05
   EP - Committee decision to enter into interinstitutional negotiations confirmed by plenary (Rule 71 - vote)
2018/07/02
   EP - Committee decision to enter into interinstitutional negotiations announced in plenary (Rule 71)
2018/06/27
   EP - Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading
Details

The Constitutional Affairs Committee adopted the report by György SCHÖPFLIN (EPP, HU) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European citizens’ initiative.

The committee recommended that the European Parliament’s position adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure should amend the Commission proposal as follows:

Right to support a European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) : the proposal aims to replace Regulation 211/2011 on the citizens’ initiative in order to improve the way the ECI operates, the main strategic objectives being to make the ECI more accessible, less burdensome and easier to use for organisers and supporters.

Members considered that citizens residing in Member States other than those of their nationality shall have the right to support an initiative either in their Member State of residence or in the Member State of which they are nationals. The Member States and the Commission shall adopt all the necessary provisions to facilitate the exercise by persons with disabilities of their right to support a citizens' initiative.

Information and assistance by the Commission and Member States : the Commission shall, upon request, provide to citizens and groups of organisers easily accessible, clear, accurate and comprehensive information about and appropriate expert and legal assistance in connection with the European citizens’ initiative.

The Commission shall make available an online collaborative platform to support the exchange of information and best practices between stakeholders including groups of organisers, independent experts, NGOs and other institutions and bodies of the Union. The online collaborative platform shall be user-friendly and accessible to people with disabilities.

Each Member State shall establish one or more digital and physical dedicated ECI contact points to provide practical and legal information, advice and assistance to groups of organisers who are setting up a European citizens’ initiative.

Group of organisers : the members of the group of organisers shall be citizens of the Union, of the age to be entitled to vote in elections to the European Parliament and residents of at least one quarter of the Member States . Throughout the organisational phase preceding the registration of a proposed citizens’ initiative, the organisers may request the support of the ECI contact points, Europe Director of the Commission’s ECI services.

Registration : where it refuses to register or only partially registers an initiative, the Commission shall inform the group of organisers in full detail of the reasons for its decision , enabling the group of organisers to make a detailed assessment of the grounds for the Commission’s refusal, including the suggested legal basis or bases.

Publication and public hearing : within three months after the submission of the initiative, the group of organisers shall be given an opportunity to present the initiative at a public hearing in the European Parliament , in the interest of generating a Union-wide public debate on the proposed initiative.

The European Parliament shall organise the public hearing on its premises. Representatives of the Council, the Commission, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, representatives of civil society, the social partners and national parliaments could participate in the hearing. The presence of at least one member of the College of Commissioners shall be assured.

Commission review : within six months after the publication of the initiative, and after the public hearing, the Commission shall set out in a communication full details of its legal and political conclusions on the initiative, the action it intends to take, and an exhaustive and clear statement of the reasons for taking or not taking action.

In the event of a successful citizens’ initiative, the Commission shall, within 12 months after the publication of the initiative, submit to the European Parliament and to the Council a proposal for a legal act in response to the initiative.

After the 12 month period, the European Parliament shall assess the actions taken by the Commission in order to follow-up to its communication on the ECI.

Transparency : the group of organisers shall provide, for the publication in the register, and as the case may be on their campaign website, clear, accurate and comprehensive information on the sources of support and funding for the initiative exceeding 500 euros per sponsor. Sponsors and corresponding amounts shall be clearly identifiable. It shall also communicate the names of the organisations assisting them on a voluntary basis.

The Commission shall be entitled to perform random checks on the information submitted in respect of the sources of support and funding, to assess the quality of the information provided and to request additional clarifications from the groups of organisers. The Commission shall ensure full transparency of funding and sponsorship information through quality checks, alerts and complaints system so as to ensure that funding and sponsorship information provided by ECI organisers are correct.

In order to support the organisation of citizens' initiatives, an annual appropriation shall be allocated from the Union budget.

Documents
2018/06/26
   CSL - Council Meeting
2018/06/20
   EP - Vote in committee, 1st reading
2018/06/20
   EP - Committee decision to open interinstitutional negotiations with report adopted in committee
2018/05/18
   EP - Committee opinion
Documents
2018/05/17
   EP - Amendments tabled in committee
Documents
2018/04/27
   EP - Committee opinion
Documents
2018/04/15
   PT_PARLIAMENT - Contribution
Documents
2018/03/23
   CofR - Committee of the Regions: opinion
Documents
2018/03/09
   EP - Committee draft report
Documents
2018/03/01
   SK_PARLIAMENT - Contribution
Documents
2017/12/13
   CZ_SENATE - Contribution
Documents
2017/11/22
   EP - PREDA Cristian Dan (PPE) appointed as rapporteur in PETI
2017/11/05
   DE_BUNDESRAT - Contribution
Documents
2017/10/10
   EP - DZHAMBAZKI Angel (ECR) appointed as rapporteur in CULT
2017/10/02
   EP - Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading
2017/09/28
   EP - SCHÖPFLIN György (PPE) appointed as rapporteur in AFCO
2017/09/13
   EC - Document attached to the procedure
2017/09/13
   EC - Legislative proposal published
Details

PURPOSE: to reform the European Citizens’ Initiative in order to facilitate its organisation.

PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: The European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council.

BACKGROUND: the instrument of the European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) was introduced by the Treaty of Lisbon and was made operational on 1 April 2012 by Regulation No 211/2011 .

The aim of this instrument is to enhance citizens' involvement in the democratic life of the European Union , by allowing them to directly address the Commission with a request to submit a proposal for legal acts of the Union for the purpose of implementing the Treaties.

Since its first report on the application of the Regulation adopted in 2015, the Commission has implemented a series of non-legislative measures to facilitate the use of the instrument by organisers and citizens and to mitigate the main problems identified, namely:

the difficulties encountered by the organisers in the registration phase including the high rate of refusals to register proposed citizens’ initiatives; the complexity for organisers of initiatives to collect statements of support , as evidenced by the low rate of successful initiatives; differences in requirements for personal data of signatories; low number of initiatives reaching the one million threshold and the limited impact so far generated by citizens' initiatives.

The resolution of the European Parliament of 28 October 2015 highlighted a number of problems and called for the revision of Regulation (EU) No 211/2011 and the adoption of a package of amendments to improve the functioning of the ECI.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT: no impact assessment has been carried out. The Commission notes, however, that technical and practical measures to simplify the ECI should reduce the administrative burden for both organisers and Member States.

CONTENT: the proposal seeks to replace Regulation No 211/2011 with a view to improving the way the ECI operates, with the main policy objectives of:

making the ECI more accessible, less burdensome and easier to use for organisers and supporters; achieving the full potential of the ECI as a tool to foster debate and participation , including that of young people, at European level and to bring the EU closer to its citizens.

Concretely, the proposal:

stipulates the right of every citizen of the Union of at least 16 years of age to support an initiative by signing the statement of support; introduces the requirement to make available an online collaborative platform for the ECI providing a discussion forum as well as information and advice to organisers, support to organisers with regard to the translation of the main elements of their initiatives into all official languages ​​of the Union for publication in the Register; provides for the requirements for the organisers of initiatives, including the formation, composition and responsibilities of the group of organisers composed by at least seven citizens of the Union entitled to vote in the elections to the European Parliament and residents of at least seven Member States; provides that statements of support may only be collected after an initiative has been registered and establishes the requirements for the registration or refusal of initiatives; clarifies that statements of support for initiatives may be collected online or in paper form and that only forms which comply with the models set out in Annex III of the Regulation may be used to collect statements of support. Personal data to be provided by the signatory would be reduced; introduces the requirement for the Commission to set-up and operate, by 1 January 2020, a central online collection system made available free of charge to organisers of registered initiatives and allowing citizens to provide support to initiatives online; stipulates the possibility for organisers to set up their own individual online collection systems , the security and technical features for these systems and the procedure for the verification by the competent national authorities in the Member States; provides that each Member State shall verify and certify the statements of support signed by their nationals; lays down the conditions and time limits for the submission of initiatives to the Commission; sets out the publication and public hearing phase for initiatives submitted to the Commission and sets out the conditions for the public hearing at the European Parliament within three months from the submission of the initiative by the organisers; obliges the Commission to receive the group of organisers at an appropriate level as well as to set out in a Communication its legal and political conclusions on the initiative , the actions it intends to take, if any, and its reasons for taking or not taking action; provides for awareness-raising and communication activities on the ECI to be carried out by the Commission.

BUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS: the specific budgetary implications of the proposal relate to a number of online systems for the European citizens’ initiative which the Commission will put in place and make available free of charge to citizens and organisers.

The estimated impact on expenditure (in commitment appropriations) is estimated at EUR 2.050 million for 2019 and EUR 2.140 million for 2020 . For administrative expenditure, the impact is estimated to EUR 1.071 million per year.

Documents

Activities

Votes

A8-0226/2018 - György Schöpflin - Décision d'engager des négociations interinstitutionnelles 05/07/2018 12:16:25.000 #

2018/07/05 Outcome: +: 475, -: 154, 0: 6
DE PL RO IT FR BE GB HU BG SK ES CZ PT AT HR DK SI MT LV FI LU EE LT NL IE CY SE ?? EL
Total
88
44
26
57
69
20
56
18
13
13
36
16
17
17
11
13
8
6
7
11
6
6
7
20
9
5
16
1
18
icon: PPE PPE
171

United Kingdom PPE

2

Denmark PPE

For (1)

1

Finland PPE

2

Luxembourg PPE

3

Estonia PPE

For (1)

1

Lithuania PPE

1

Ireland PPE

3

Sweden PPE

2
icon: S&D S&D
170

Czechia S&D

2

Croatia S&D

2

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1

Malta S&D

3

Latvia S&D

1

Luxembourg S&D

For (1)

1

Estonia S&D

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1

Lithuania S&D

1

Netherlands S&D

2

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1

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4
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63

Romania ALDE

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1

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1

Portugal ALDE

1

Croatia ALDE

2

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1

Latvia ALDE

1

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1

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3

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3

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1

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3
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61

Romania ECR

2

Italy ECR

1

Bulgaria ECR

1

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1

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1

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1

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1

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1

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1

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1
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18

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2

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1

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NI

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1
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32

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1

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2

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1

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4
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32

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1

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1
icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL
41

Italy GUE/NGL

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1

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1

Czechia GUE/NGL

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1

Portugal GUE/NGL

3

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1

Finland GUE/NGL

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1

Netherlands GUE/NGL

3
4

Cyprus GUE/NGL

2

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1
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
46

Italy Verts/ALE

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1

Belgium Verts/ALE

2

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5

Hungary Verts/ALE

2

Austria Verts/ALE

3

Croatia Verts/ALE

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1

Denmark Verts/ALE

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1

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1

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1

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1

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1

Estonia Verts/ALE

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1

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1

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1

Sweden Verts/ALE

3

A8-0226/2018 - György Schöpflin - Vote 12/03/2019 12:55:08.000 #

2019/03/12 Outcome: -: 501, +: 146, 0: 17
IE CY DK AT EL LU EE SE HU LV SI MT FI SK LT HR CZ PT BE BG NL IT ES GB RO FR PL DE
Total
9
6
13
17
13
6
6
19
13
8
8
6
13
12
10
11
19
21
18
17
26
60
47
64
27
61
44
88
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
50

Denmark Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Austria Verts/ALE

3

Luxembourg Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Estonia Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Sweden Verts/ALE

3

Hungary Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Latvia Verts/ALE

1

Slovenia Verts/ALE

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1

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1

Lithuania Verts/ALE

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1

Croatia Verts/ALE

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1

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2

Netherlands Verts/ALE

2

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1

France Verts/ALE

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6
icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL
43

Ireland GUE/NGL

3

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2

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1

Sweden GUE/NGL

For (1)

1

Finland GUE/NGL

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1

Czechia GUE/NGL

2

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3

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2

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1
icon: EFDD EFDD
37

Lithuania EFDD

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1

Czechia EFDD

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1

France EFDD

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5

Poland EFDD

1

Germany EFDD

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1
icon: NI NI
14

Denmark NI

1

Hungary NI

For (1)

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2

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1

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For (1)

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2

France NI

Against (1)

1

Poland NI

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2

Germany NI

1
icon: ENF ENF
29

Austria ENF

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4

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1

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4

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3

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1

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1
icon: ECR ECR
68

Cyprus ECR

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1

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3

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1

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2

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1

Finland ECR

2

Slovakia ECR

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3

Lithuania ECR

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1

Croatia ECR

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1

Czechia ECR

2

Belgium ECR

3

Bulgaria ECR

2

Netherlands ECR

2

Romania ECR

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1
icon: ALDE ALDE
65

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1

Denmark ALDE

3

Austria ALDE

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1

Luxembourg ALDE

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1

Estonia ALDE

3

Latvia ALDE

1

Slovenia ALDE

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1

Lithuania ALDE

2

Croatia ALDE

2

Portugal ALDE

1

United Kingdom ALDE

Against (1)

1

Romania ALDE

3
4
icon: S&D S&D
171

Ireland S&D

Against (1)

1

Cyprus S&D

2
3

Greece S&D

3

Luxembourg S&D

Against (1)

1

Estonia S&D

Against (1)

1

Hungary S&D

Abstain (1)

4

Latvia S&D

Against (1)

1

Slovenia S&D

Against (1)

1

Malta S&D

3

Finland S&D

2

Slovakia S&D

3

Lithuania S&D

2

Croatia S&D

2

Czechia S&D

For (1)

4

Belgium S&D

3

Bulgaria S&D

For (1)

Abstain (1)

4

Netherlands S&D

3
icon: PPE PPE
185

Cyprus PPE

Against (1)

1

Denmark PPE

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1

Greece PPE

1

Luxembourg PPE

3

Estonia PPE

Against (1)

1

Finland PPE

3

Belgium PPE

Against (2)

Abstain (1)

3

United Kingdom PPE

2

A8-0226/2018 - György Schöpflin - Am 61 12/03/2019 12:55:22.000 #

2019/03/12 Outcome: +: 535, -: 90, 0: 41
DE PL ES RO GB FR IT AT BE BG NL FI PT HU CZ SK SE HR DK LT LV SI LU EE MT CY IE EL
Total
87
45
49
27
65
65
57
17
18
17
26
13
21
13
18
12
19
11
13
10
8
8
6
6
6
6
9
12
icon: PPE PPE
188

United Kingdom PPE

2

Belgium PPE

Abstain (1)

3

Denmark PPE

For (1)

1

Luxembourg PPE

3

Estonia PPE

For (1)

1

Cyprus PPE

1

Greece PPE

1
icon: S&D S&D
168

Netherlands S&D

3
3

Croatia S&D

2

Latvia S&D

1

Slovenia S&D

For (1)

1

Luxembourg S&D

For (1)

1

Estonia S&D

For (1)

1

Malta S&D

3

Cyprus S&D

2

Ireland S&D

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1

Greece S&D

2
icon: ALDE ALDE
65

Romania ALDE

3

United Kingdom ALDE

1

Austria ALDE

For (1)

1

Portugal ALDE

1

Croatia ALDE

2
2

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1

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icon: ECR ECR
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For (1)

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For (1)

Against (1)

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2

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Against (1)

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For (1)

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For (1)

1

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1

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Against (1)

1
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
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France Verts/ALE

Against (1)

6

Italy Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Austria Verts/ALE

3

Belgium Verts/ALE

2

Netherlands Verts/ALE

2

Finland Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Hungary Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Sweden Verts/ALE

3

Croatia Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Denmark Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Lithuania Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Latvia Verts/ALE

1

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For (1)

1

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For (1)

1

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For (1)

1
icon: NI NI
14

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1

Poland NI

Against (1)

2

United Kingdom NI

For (1)

Against (1)

2

France NI

Abstain (1)

1

Italy NI

Against (1)

1

Hungary NI

2

Denmark NI

1
icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL
43

United Kingdom GUE/NGL

Against (1)

1

Italy GUE/NGL

2

Netherlands GUE/NGL

3

Finland GUE/NGL

For (1)

1

Czechia GUE/NGL

2

Sweden GUE/NGL

Abstain (1)

1

Denmark GUE/NGL

Against (1)

1

Cyprus GUE/NGL

2

Ireland GUE/NGL

3
icon: ENF ENF
33

Germany ENF

Against (1)

1

Poland ENF

Abstain (1)

1

United Kingdom ENF

4

Belgium ENF

Abstain (1)

1

Netherlands ENF

4
icon: EFDD EFDD
37

Germany EFDD

Against (1)

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1
AmendmentsDossier
524 2017/0220(COD)
2018/03/06 PETI 244 amendments...
source: 619.134
2018/03/26 CULT 116 amendments...
source: 619.375
2018/05/17 AFCO 164 amendments...
source: 620.899

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)

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events/12/summary
  • PURPOSE: to reform the Citizens' Initiative instrument in order to facilitate its organisation.
  • LEGISLATIVE ACT: Regulation (EU) 2019/788 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Citizens' Initiative.
  • CONTENT: the instrument of the European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) was introduced by the Treaty of Lisbon and was made operational on 1 April 2012 by Regulation No 211/2011.
  • The aim of this instrument is to enhance citizens' involvement in the democratic life of the European Union, by allowing them to directly address the Commission with a request to submit a proposal for legal acts of the Union for the purpose of implementing the Treaties.
  • This Regulation aims to make the European Citizens' Initiative more accessible, less burdensome and easier to use for the organisers of an initiative and those who support it, as well as to strengthen its follow-up, in order to fully realise its potential as a tool to strengthen the debate.
  • Right to support a European Citizens' Initiative (ECI)
  • Every citizen of the Union who is at least of the age to be entitled to vote in elections to the European Parliament shall have the right to support an initiative by signing a statement of support, in accordance with this Regulation.
  • Member States may set the minimum age entitling to support an initiative at 16 years. People with disabilities should be able to exercise their right to support initiatives and access all relevant sources of information on initiatives on an equal footing with other citizens.
  • EU citizens shall be able to support an ECI regardless of their country of residence. They shall provide less personal data when supporting an ECI.
  • Information and assistance by the Commission and Member States
  • The Commission shall:
  • - provide citizens and organising groups with easily accessible and comprehensive information and assistance concerning the ECI, including redirecting them to relevant sources of information and assistance;
  • - make available to the public, online and in paper format and in all the official languages of the Union institutions, a guide to the ECI;
  • - provide a free online collaborative platform dedicated to the ECI as well as an online register allowing groups of organisers to manage their initiative throughout the process;
  • - provide the translation of the content of the ECI once it has been registered, including the Annex, into all the official languages of the Union institutions, for publication in the register.
  • Each Member State shall establish one or more contact points to inform and assist the organising groups free of charge.
  • Registration
  • An ECI shall be prepared and managed by a group of at least 7 individuals. In order to ensure that as many initiatives as possible are registered, partial registration of an ECI shall be possible when only parts of it meet the registration requirements of the Regulation.
  • The group of organisers should submit the application for registration to the Commission via the register. When it refuses to register an initiative or registers it only partially, the Commission should give reasons for its decision and inform the group of organisers. It should also inform the organizing group of all judicial and extrajudicial remedies available to it. It should make available to the public, in the register and on the public website of the ECI, all decisions relating to requests for registration of proposals for citizens' initiatives that it has adopted.
  • The deadline for receiving statements of support remains 12 months. However, organisers shall now be able to choose the date on which this period can begin, within six months of the registration of the ECI.
  • Publication and public hearing
  • When the Commission receives a valid initiative, it should without delay publish an opinion to this effect in the register and forward the initiative to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions and national parliaments.
  • Within three months of the presentation of the initiative, the group of organisers would be given the opportunity to present the initiative at a public hearing organised by the European Parliament.
  • Following the public hearing to be held on its premises, the European Parliament would assess the political support for this initiative.
  • Examination by the Commission
  • Within six months of the publication of the initiative, and after the public hearing, the Commission shall set out in a communication its legal and political conclusions on the initiative, the action it intends to take, if any, and its reasons for taking or not taking action.
  • Where the Commission intends to take action in response to the initiative, including, where appropriate, the adoption of one or more proposals for a legal act of the Union, the communication shall also set out the envisaged timeline for these actions.
  • The European Parliament shall evaluate the measures taken by the Commission following the Commission's communication.
  • The Commission shall raise public awareness of the existence, objectives and functioning of the ECI through communication activities and information campaigns. The European Parliament shall contribute to the Commission's communication activities.
  • ENTRY INTO FORCE: 6.6.2019.
  • APPLICATION: from 1.1.2020.
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  • date: 2017-10-02T00:00:00 body: EP type: Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading committees: body: EP shadows: group: S&D name: KAUFMANN Sylvia-Yvonne group: ECR name: MESSERSCHMIDT Morten group: ALDE name: GOERENS Charles group: GUE/NGL name: SPINELLI Barbara group: Verts/ALE name: TERRICABRAS Josep-Maria group: EFD name: CASTALDO Fabio Massimo group: ENF name: ANNEMANS Gerolf responsible: True committee: AFCO date: 2017-09-28T00:00:00 committee_full: Constitutional Affairs rapporteur: group: EPP name: SCHÖPFLIN György body: EP responsible: False committee: CULT date: 2017-10-10T00:00:00 committee_full: Culture and Education rapporteur: group: ECR name: DZHAMBAZKI Angel body: EP responsible: False committee_full: Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs committee: LIBE body: EP responsible: False committee: PETI date: 2017-11-22T00:00:00 committee_full: Petitions rapporteur: group: EPP name: PREDA Cristian Dan
  • date: 2018-06-20T00:00:00 body: unknown type: Committee decision to open interinstitutional negotiations with report adopted in committee
  • date: 2018-06-20T00:00:00 body: EP type: Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading committees: body: EP shadows: group: S&D name: KAUFMANN Sylvia-Yvonne group: ECR name: MESSERSCHMIDT Morten group: ALDE name: GOERENS Charles group: GUE/NGL name: SPINELLI Barbara group: Verts/ALE name: TERRICABRAS Josep-Maria group: EFD name: CASTALDO Fabio Massimo group: ENF name: ANNEMANS Gerolf responsible: True committee: AFCO date: 2017-09-28T00:00:00 committee_full: Constitutional Affairs rapporteur: group: EPP name: SCHÖPFLIN György body: EP responsible: False committee: CULT date: 2017-10-10T00:00:00 committee_full: Culture and Education rapporteur: group: ECR name: DZHAMBAZKI Angel body: EP responsible: False committee_full: Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs committee: LIBE body: EP responsible: False committee: PETI date: 2017-11-22T00:00:00 committee_full: Petitions rapporteur: group: EPP name: PREDA Cristian Dan
  • date: 2018-06-26T00:00:00 body: CSL type: Council Meeting council: General Affairs meeting_id: 3629
  • body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&mode=XML&reference=A8-2018-0226&language=EN type: Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading title: A8-0226/2018 type: Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading committees: body: EP shadows: group: S&D name: KAUFMANN Sylvia-Yvonne group: ECR name: MESSERSCHMIDT Morten group: ALDE name: GOERENS Charles group: GUE/NGL name: SPINELLI Barbara group: Verts/ALE name: TERRICABRAS Josep-Maria group: EFD name: CASTALDO Fabio Massimo group: ENF name: ANNEMANS Gerolf responsible: True committee: AFCO date: 2017-09-28T00:00:00 committee_full: Constitutional Affairs rapporteur: group: EPP name: SCHÖPFLIN György body: EP responsible: False committee: CULT date: 2017-10-10T00:00:00 committee_full: Culture and Education rapporteur: group: ECR name: DZHAMBAZKI Angel body: EP responsible: False committee_full: Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs committee: LIBE body: EP responsible: False committee: PETI date: 2017-11-22T00:00:00 committee_full: Petitions rapporteur: group: EPP name: PREDA Cristian Dan date: 2018-06-27T00:00:00
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council
  • body: CSL type: Council Meeting council: General Affairs meeting_id: 3685 url: http://register.consilium.europa.eu/content/out?lang=EN&typ=SET&i=SMPL&ROWSPP=25&RESULTSET=1&NRROWS=500&DOC_LANCD=EN&ORDERBY=DOC_DATE+DESC&CONTENTS=3685*&MEET_DATE=09/04/2019 date: 2019-04-09T00:00:00
  • body: CSL type: Council Meeting council: General Affairs meeting_id: 3629 url: http://register.consilium.europa.eu/content/out?lang=EN&typ=SET&i=SMPL&ROWSPP=25&RESULTSET=1&NRROWS=500&DOC_LANCD=EN&ORDERBY=DOC_DATE+DESC&CONTENTS=3629*&MEET_DATE=26/06/2018 date: 2018-06-26T00:00:00
docs
  • date: 2017-09-13T00:00:00 docs: url: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=SWD:2017:0294:FIN:EN:PDF title: EUR-Lex title: SWD(2017)0294 type: Document attached to the procedure body: EC
  • date: 2018-03-09T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=COMPARL&mode=XML&language=EN&reference=PE618.206 title: PE618.206 type: Committee draft report body: EP
  • date: 2018-03-23T00:00:00 docs: url: https://dm.cor.europa.eu/CORDocumentSearch/Pages/redresults.aspx?k=(documenttype:AC)(documentnumber:4989)(documentyear:2017)(documentlanguage:EN) title: CDR4989/2017 type: Committee of the Regions: opinion body: CofR
  • date: 2018-04-27T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=COMPARL&mode=XML&language=EN&reference=PE618.293&secondRef=02 title: PE618.293 committee: CULT type: Committee opinion body: EP
  • date: 2018-05-17T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=COMPARL&mode=XML&language=EN&reference=PE620.899 title: PE620.899 type: Amendments tabled in committee body: EP
  • date: 2018-05-18T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=COMPARL&mode=XML&language=EN&reference=PE615.473&secondRef=02 title: PE615.473 committee: PETI type: Committee opinion body: EP
  • date: 2018-12-20T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/commissions/afco/lcag/2019/12-20/AFCO_LA(2019)000441_EN.pdf title: GEDA/A/(2019)000441 type: Coreper letter confirming interinstitutional agreement body: CSL
  • date: 2019-04-17T00:00:00 docs: url: http://register.consilium.europa.eu/content/out?lang=EN&typ=SET&i=ADV&RESULTSET=1&DOC_ID=[%n4]%2F19&DOC_LANCD=EN&ROWSPP=25&NRROWS=500&ORDERBY=DOC_DATE+DESC title: 00092/2018/LEX type: Draft final act body: CSL
  • date: 2019-04-30T00:00:00 docs: title: SP(2019)393 type: Commission response to text adopted in plenary
  • date: 2017-12-14T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.connefof.europarl.europa.eu/connefof/app/exp/COM(2017)0482 title: COM(2017)0482 type: Contribution body: CZ_SENATE
  • date: 2017-11-06T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.connefof.europarl.europa.eu/connefof/app/exp/COM(2017)0482 title: COM(2017)0482 type: Contribution body: DE_BUNDESRAT
  • date: 2018-04-16T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.connefof.europarl.europa.eu/connefof/app/exp/COM(2017)0482 title: COM(2017)0482 type: Contribution body: PT_PARLIAMENT
  • date: 2018-03-02T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.connefof.europarl.europa.eu/connefof/app/exp/COM(2017)0482 title: COM(2017)0482 type: Contribution body: SK_PARLIAMENT
events
  • date: 2017-09-13T00:00:00 type: Legislative proposal published body: EC docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/docs_autres_institutions/commission_europeenne/com/2017/0482/COM_COM(2017)0482_EN.pdf title: COM(2017)0482 url: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexplus!prod!DocNumber&lg=EN&type_doc=COMfinal&an_doc=2017&nu_doc=0482 title: EUR-Lex summary: PURPOSE: to reform the European Citizens’ Initiative in order to facilitate its organisation. PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council. ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: The European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council. BACKGROUND: the instrument of the European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) was introduced by the Treaty of Lisbon and was made operational on 1 April 2012 by Regulation No 211/2011 . The aim of this instrument is to enhance citizens' involvement in the democratic life of the European Union , by allowing them to directly address the Commission with a request to submit a proposal for legal acts of the Union for the purpose of implementing the Treaties. Since its first report on the application of the Regulation adopted in 2015, the Commission has implemented a series of non-legislative measures to facilitate the use of the instrument by organisers and citizens and to mitigate the main problems identified, namely: the difficulties encountered by the organisers in the registration phase including the high rate of refusals to register proposed citizens’ initiatives; the complexity for organisers of initiatives to collect statements of support , as evidenced by the low rate of successful initiatives; differences in requirements for personal data of signatories; low number of initiatives reaching the one million threshold and the limited impact so far generated by citizens' initiatives. The resolution of the European Parliament of 28 October 2015 highlighted a number of problems and called for the revision of Regulation (EU) No 211/2011 and the adoption of a package of amendments to improve the functioning of the ECI. IMPACT ASSESSMENT: no impact assessment has been carried out. The Commission notes, however, that technical and practical measures to simplify the ECI should reduce the administrative burden for both organisers and Member States. CONTENT: the proposal seeks to replace Regulation No 211/2011 with a view to improving the way the ECI operates, with the main policy objectives of: making the ECI more accessible, less burdensome and easier to use for organisers and supporters; achieving the full potential of the ECI as a tool to foster debate and participation , including that of young people, at European level and to bring the EU closer to its citizens. Concretely, the proposal: stipulates the right of every citizen of the Union of at least 16 years of age to support an initiative by signing the statement of support; introduces the requirement to make available an online collaborative platform for the ECI providing a discussion forum as well as information and advice to organisers, support to organisers with regard to the translation of the main elements of their initiatives into all official languages ​​of the Union for publication in the Register; provides for the requirements for the organisers of initiatives, including the formation, composition and responsibilities of the group of organisers composed by at least seven citizens of the Union entitled to vote in the elections to the European Parliament and residents of at least seven Member States; provides that statements of support may only be collected after an initiative has been registered and establishes the requirements for the registration or refusal of initiatives; clarifies that statements of support for initiatives may be collected online or in paper form and that only forms which comply with the models set out in Annex III of the Regulation may be used to collect statements of support. Personal data to be provided by the signatory would be reduced; introduces the requirement for the Commission to set-up and operate, by 1 January 2020, a central online collection system made available free of charge to organisers of registered initiatives and allowing citizens to provide support to initiatives online; stipulates the possibility for organisers to set up their own individual online collection systems , the security and technical features for these systems and the procedure for the verification by the competent national authorities in the Member States; provides that each Member State shall verify and certify the statements of support signed by their nationals; lays down the conditions and time limits for the submission of initiatives to the Commission; sets out the publication and public hearing phase for initiatives submitted to the Commission and sets out the conditions for the public hearing at the European Parliament within three months from the submission of the initiative by the organisers; obliges the Commission to receive the group of organisers at an appropriate level as well as to set out in a Communication its legal and political conclusions on the initiative , the actions it intends to take, if any, and its reasons for taking or not taking action; provides for awareness-raising and communication activities on the ECI to be carried out by the Commission. BUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS: the specific budgetary implications of the proposal relate to a number of online systems for the European citizens’ initiative which the Commission will put in place and make available free of charge to citizens and organisers. The estimated impact on expenditure (in commitment appropriations) is estimated at EUR 2.050 million for 2019 and EUR 2.140 million for 2020 . For administrative expenditure, the impact is estimated to EUR 1.071 million per year.
  • date: 2017-10-02T00:00:00 type: Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading body: EP
  • date: 2018-06-20T00:00:00 type: Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading body: EP
  • date: 2018-06-20T00:00:00 type: Committee decision to open interinstitutional negotiations with report adopted in committee body: EP
  • date: 2018-06-27T00:00:00 type: Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&mode=XML&reference=A8-2018-0226&language=EN title: A8-0226/2018 summary: The Constitutional Affairs Committee adopted the report by György SCHÖPFLIN (EPP, HU) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European citizens’ initiative. The committee recommended that the European Parliament’s position adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure should amend the Commission proposal as follows: Right to support a European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) : the proposal aims to replace Regulation 211/2011 on the citizens’ initiative in order to improve the way the ECI operates, the main strategic objectives being to make the ECI more accessible, less burdensome and easier to use for organisers and supporters. Members considered that citizens residing in Member States other than those of their nationality shall have the right to support an initiative either in their Member State of residence or in the Member State of which they are nationals. The Member States and the Commission shall adopt all the necessary provisions to facilitate the exercise by persons with disabilities of their right to support a citizens' initiative. Information and assistance by the Commission and Member States : the Commission shall, upon request, provide to citizens and groups of organisers easily accessible, clear, accurate and comprehensive information about and appropriate expert and legal assistance in connection with the European citizens’ initiative. The Commission shall make available an online collaborative platform to support the exchange of information and best practices between stakeholders including groups of organisers, independent experts, NGOs and other institutions and bodies of the Union. The online collaborative platform shall be user-friendly and accessible to people with disabilities. Each Member State shall establish one or more digital and physical dedicated ECI contact points to provide practical and legal information, advice and assistance to groups of organisers who are setting up a European citizens’ initiative. Group of organisers : the members of the group of organisers shall be citizens of the Union, of the age to be entitled to vote in elections to the European Parliament and residents of at least one quarter of the Member States . Throughout the organisational phase preceding the registration of a proposed citizens’ initiative, the organisers may request the support of the ECI contact points, Europe Director of the Commission’s ECI services. Registration : where it refuses to register or only partially registers an initiative, the Commission shall inform the group of organisers in full detail of the reasons for its decision , enabling the group of organisers to make a detailed assessment of the grounds for the Commission’s refusal, including the suggested legal basis or bases. Publication and public hearing : within three months after the submission of the initiative, the group of organisers shall be given an opportunity to present the initiative at a public hearing in the European Parliament , in the interest of generating a Union-wide public debate on the proposed initiative. The European Parliament shall organise the public hearing on its premises. Representatives of the Council, the Commission, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, representatives of civil society, the social partners and national parliaments could participate in the hearing. The presence of at least one member of the College of Commissioners shall be assured. Commission review : within six months after the publication of the initiative, and after the public hearing, the Commission shall set out in a communication full details of its legal and political conclusions on the initiative, the action it intends to take, and an exhaustive and clear statement of the reasons for taking or not taking action. In the event of a successful citizens’ initiative, the Commission shall, within 12 months after the publication of the initiative, submit to the European Parliament and to the Council a proposal for a legal act in response to the initiative. After the 12 month period, the European Parliament shall assess the actions taken by the Commission in order to follow-up to its communication on the ECI. Transparency : the group of organisers shall provide, for the publication in the register, and as the case may be on their campaign website, clear, accurate and comprehensive information on the sources of support and funding for the initiative exceeding 500 euros per sponsor. Sponsors and corresponding amounts shall be clearly identifiable. It shall also communicate the names of the organisations assisting them on a voluntary basis. The Commission shall be entitled to perform random checks on the information submitted in respect of the sources of support and funding, to assess the quality of the information provided and to request additional clarifications from the groups of organisers. The Commission shall ensure full transparency of funding and sponsorship information through quality checks, alerts and complaints system so as to ensure that funding and sponsorship information provided by ECI organisers are correct. In order to support the organisation of citizens' initiatives, an annual appropriation shall be allocated from the Union budget.
  • date: 2019-01-22T00:00:00 type: Approval in committee of the text agreed at 1st reading interinstitutional negotiations body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/commissions/afco/inag/2018/12-20/AFCO_AG(2018)632949_EN.pdf title: PE632.949 url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/commissions/afco/lcag/2019/12-20/AFCO_LA(2019)000441_EN.pdf title: GEDA/A/(2019)000441
  • date: 2019-03-11T00:00:00 type: Debate in Parliament body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20190311&type=CRE title: Debate in Parliament
  • date: 2019-03-12T00:00:00 type: Results of vote in Parliament body: EP docs: url: https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=31348&l=en title: Results of vote in Parliament
  • date: 2019-03-12T00:00:00 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P8-TA-2019-0153 title: T8-0153/2019 summary: The European Parliament adopted by 535 votes to 90 with 41 abstentions a legislative resolution on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Citizens' Initiative. The position of the European Parliament adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure has amended the Commission proposal as follows: Right to support a European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) EU citizens have the right to address the Commission directly with a request to submit a proposal for a legal act of the Union for the purpose of implementing the Treaties. In this way, the ECI contributes to strengthening the EU’s democratic functioning through the participation of citizens in its democratic and political life. The amended text specifies that any EU citizen who is at least of voting age in elections to the European Parliament would have the right to support an initiative by signing a declaration of support. Member States that set the minimum age for supporting an ECI at 16 years should inform the Commission accordingly. People with disabilities should be able to exercise their right to support initiatives and access all relevant sources of information on initiatives on an equal footing with other citizens. Information and assistance by the Commission and Member States The Commission should: - provide citizens and organising groups with easily accessible and comprehensive information and assistance concerning the ECI, including redirecting them to relevant sources of information and assistance; - make available to the public, online and in paper format and in all the official languages of the Union institutions, a guide to the ECI; - provide a free online collaborative platform dedicated to the ECI. The platform would provide practical and legal advice, as well as a forum for discussion on the ECI for the exchange of information and good practice between citizens, organising groups, stakeholders, non-governmental organisations, experts and other EU institutions and bodies wishing to participate. The Commission would ensure that information on the application for registration and the translations submitted are published in the register and on the ECI public website, the latter being the responsibility of the organising group. Each Member State would establish one or more contact points to inform and assist groups of organisers free of charge. Registration The group of organisers should submit the application for registration to the Commission via the register. When it refuses to register an initiative or registers it only partially, the Commission should give reasons for its decision and inform the group of organisers. It should also inform the organizing group of all judicial and extrajudicial remedies available to it. It should make available to the public, in the register and on the public website of the ECI, all decisions relating to requests for registration of proposals for citizens' initiatives that it has adopted. Publication and public hearing When the Commission receives a valid initiative, it should without delay publish an opinion to this effect in the register and forward the initiative to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions and national parliaments. Within three months of the presentation of the initiative, the group of organisers would be given the opportunity to present the initiative at a public hearing organised by the European Parliament. Following the public hearing to be held on its premises, the European Parliament would assess the political support for this initiative. Examination by the Commission Within six months of the publication of the initiative and following the public hearing in the European Parliament, the Commission should present, in a communication, its legal and political conclusions on the initiative and the action it intends to take. Where the Commission intends to follow up the initiative, including, where appropriate, by adopting one or more proposals for a Union legal act, the communication would also set out the timetable for their implementation. The Commission should provide, in the register and on the public website of the ECI, updated information on the implementation of the measures set out in the Communication that are adopted as a follow-up to the initiative. The European Parliament would evaluate the measures taken by the Commission following the Commission's communication.
  • date: 2019-04-09T00:00:00 type: Act adopted by Council after Parliament's 1st reading body: EP/CSL
  • date: 2019-04-17T00:00:00 type: Final act signed body: CSL
  • date: 2019-04-17T00:00:00 type: End of procedure in Parliament body: EP
  • date: 2019-05-17T00:00:00 type: Final act published in Official Journal docs: title: Regulation 2019/788 url: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexplus!prod!CELEXnumdoc&lg=EN&numdoc=32019R0788 title: OJ L 130 17.05.2019, p. 0055 url: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:L:2019:130:TOC
other
  • body: EC dg: url: http://ec.europa.eu/info/departments/secretariat-general_en title: Secretariat-General commissioner: TIMMERMANS Frans
procedure/Legislative priorities
  • title: Joint Declaration 2018 url: https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/thematicnote.do?id=2063000&l=en
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  • 05/07/2018 Decision to enter into interinstitutional negotiations confirmed by plenary (Rule 69c)
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    • group: EPP name: PREDA Cristian Dan
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    • group: EPP name: PREDA Cristian Dan
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      • PURPOSE: to reform the European Citizens’ Initiative in order to facilitate its organisation.

        PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.

        ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: The European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council.

        BACKGROUND: the instrument of the European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) was introduced by the Treaty of Lisbon and was made operational on 1 April 2012 by Regulation No 211/2011.

        The aim of this instrument is to enhance citizens' involvement in the democratic life of the European Union, by allowing them to directly address the Commission with a request to submit a proposal for legal acts of the Union for the purpose of implementing the Treaties.

        Since its first report on the application of the Regulation adopted in 2015, the Commission has implemented a series of non-legislative measures to facilitate the use of the instrument by organisers and citizens and to mitigate the main problems identified, namely:

        • the difficulties encountered by the organisers in the registration phase including the high rate of refusals to register proposed citizens’ initiatives;
        • the complexity for organisers of initiatives to collect statements of support, as evidenced by the low rate of successful initiatives;
        • differences in requirements for personal data of signatories;
        • low number of initiatives reaching the one million threshold and the limited impact so far generated by citizens' initiatives.

        The resolution of the European Parliament of 28 October 2015 highlighted a number of problems and called for the revision of Regulation (EU) No 211/2011 and the adoption of a package of amendments to improve the functioning of the ECI.

        IMPACT ASSESSMENT: no impact assessment has been carried out. The Commission notes, however, that technical and practical measures to simplify the ECI should reduce the administrative burden for both organisers and Member States.

        CONTENT: the proposal seeks to replace Regulation No 211/2011 with a view to improving the way the ECI operates, with the main policy objectives of:

        • making the ECI more accessible, less burdensome and easier to use for organisers and supporters;
        • achieving the full potential of the ECI as a tool to foster debate and participation, including that of young people, at European level and to bring the EU closer to its citizens.

        Concretely, the proposal:

        • stipulates the right of every citizen of the Union of at least 16 years of age to support an initiative by signing the statement of support;
        • introduces the requirement to make available an online collaborative platform for the ECI providing a discussion forum as well as information and advice to organisers, support to organisers with regard to the translation of the main elements of their initiatives into all official languages ​​of the Union for publication in the Register;
        • provides for the requirements for the organisers of initiatives, including the formation, composition and responsibilities of the group of organisers composed by at least seven citizens of the Union entitled to vote in the elections to the European Parliament and residents of at least seven Member States;
        • provides that statements of support may only be collected after an initiative has been registered and establishes the requirements for the registration or refusal of initiatives;
        • clarifies that statements of support for initiatives may be collected online or in paper form and that only forms which comply with the models set out in Annex III of the Regulation may be used to collect statements of support. Personal data to be provided by the signatory would be reduced;
        • introduces the requirement for the Commission to set-up and operate, by 1 January 2020, a central online collection system made available free of charge to organisers of registered initiatives and allowing citizens to provide support to initiatives online;
        • stipulates the possibility for organisers to set up their own individual online collection systems, the security and technical features for these systems and the procedure for the verification by the competent national authorities in the Member States;
        • provides that each Member State shall verify and certify the statements of support signed by their nationals;
        • lays down the conditions and time limits for the submission of initiatives to the Commission;
        • sets out the publication and public hearing phase for initiatives submitted to the Commission and sets out the conditions for the public hearing at the European Parliament within three months from the submission of the initiative by the organisers;
        • obliges the Commission to receive the group of organisers at an appropriate level as well as to set out in a Communication its legal and political conclusions on the initiative, the actions it intends to take, if any, and its reasons for taking or not taking action;
        • provides for awareness-raising and communication activities on the ECI to be carried out by the Commission.

        BUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS: the specific budgetary implications of the proposal relate to a number of online systems for the European citizens’ initiative which the Commission will put in place and make available free of charge to citizens and organisers.

        The estimated impact on expenditure (in commitment appropriations) is estimated at EUR 2.050 million for 2019 and EUR 2.140 million for 2020. For administrative expenditure, the impact is estimated to EUR 1.071 million per year.

      activities/1/committees/0/date
      2017-09-28T00:00:00
      activities/1/committees/0/rapporteur
      • group: EPP name: SCHÖPFLIN György
      committees/0/date
      2017-09-28T00:00:00
      committees/0/rapporteur
      • group: EPP name: SCHÖPFLIN György
      activities/1
      date
      2017-10-02T00:00:00
      body
      EP
      type
      Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
      committees
      procedure/dossier_of_the_committee
      AFCO/8/11016
      procedure/stage_reached
      Old
      Preparatory phase in Parliament
      New
      Awaiting committee decision
      activities/0/commission/0
      DG
      Commissioner
      TIMMERMANS Frans
      other/0
      body
      EC
      dg
      commissioner
      TIMMERMANS Frans
      activities
      • date: 2017-09-13T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/docs_autres_institutions/commission_europeenne/com/2017/0482/COM_COM(2017)0482_EN.pdf title: COM(2017)0482 type: Legislative proposal published celexid: CELEX:52017PC0482:EN body: EC type: Legislative proposal published commission:
      committees
      • body: EP responsible: True committee_full: Constitutional Affairs committee: AFCO
      • body: EP responsible: False committee_full: Culture and Education committee: CULT
      • body: EP responsible: False committee_full: Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs committee: LIBE
      • body: EP responsible: False committee_full: Petitions committee: PETI
      links
      other
        procedure
        reference
        2017/0220(COD)
        subtype
        Legislation
        legal_basis
        Treaty on the Functioning of the EU TFEU 024-p1
        stage_reached
        Preparatory phase in Parliament
        summary
        Repealing Regulation (EU) No 211/2011
        instrument
        Regulation
        title
        European citizens’ initiative
        type
        COD - Ordinary legislative procedure (ex-codecision procedure)
        subject
        1.20 Citizen's rights