Brussels, 10/02/2010 (Agence Europe) - European Ombudsman P. Nikiforos Diamandouros has issued a contribution to the public consultation on the European Citizens' Initiative (ECI). He has called on the Commission to ensure that this important new form of public participation in EU policy shaping works in the most transparent and citizen-friendly way possible. Under the terms of the ECI, which was introduced by the Lisbon Treaty, one million citizens who are nationals of a significant number of member states can call directly on the European Commission to bring forward legislative proposals in an area of EU competence.
Diamandouros made a number of points which, he feels, will help make the ECI work effectively in practice. Among these, he says that registration of an initiative should not become a bureaucratic or political hurdle. Also, organisers of initiatives will have to provide information about funding and participating organisations, according to the Ombudsman. He also suggests that a six-month deadline by which the Commission should examine a citizens' initiative is reasonable. Finally, the Commission should present its legal conclusions concerning the admissibility of an initiative separately from its political conclusions regarding the substance of the initiative.
The public consultation on the ECI ended on 31 January 2010. The Commission will hold a Stakeholder Hearing on the ECI in Brussels on 22 February. It will then make a proposal for the adoption of a regulation on the procedures and conditions for the citizens' initiative. It intends to have the ECI system in operation in early 2011. (V.L.B./transl.rt)