Want to Have a Say in How the EU is Run? Now’s your Chance, as Oireachtas Committee Calls for Views on the European Citizens' Initiative 19th Dec 09. A new EU Citizens' initiative which would allow citizens to have a direct input into EU policy is currently being put together. As part of the consultation process, the Oireachtas Committee on European Affairs is looking for suggestions and ideas from the public.
The Lisbon Treaty introduced a new form of public participation in European Union policy which aims to give a stronger voice to EU citizens by allowing one million people who are nationals of a number of Member States to directly put a petition the European Commission to bring forward an initiative of interest to them. However, before citizens can start exercising this new right, a few ground rules and procedures have to be laid down in an EU regulation. Questions such as how many signatures should be needed before a petition can be heard? How many countries must the signatories be from? How old must signatories be? As part of the consultation to help find answers to these questions, the Committee will be meeting with the Irish MEPs, next Friday, 22nd January.
Committee Chairman, Bernard Durkan TD said; “Often the EU is accused of being distant and that its policies are formulated by faceless bureaucrats in Brussels. I believe this process will go some way towards addressing this claim and will add a new dimension to European democracy. Through this initiative every citizen in every member state of the EU can have a direct input in the course the EU takes. We urge members of the public to contact us with their proposals and contribute to making a real difference in how Europe is organised.” A copy of the European Commission’s Green Paper on a European Citizen’s Initiative is available on the Oireachtas website www.oireachtas.ie and www.euaffairs.ie
