01/04/2010 (Agence Europe) - The Europa-Union Deutschland has welcomed the European citizens' initiative, that was brought in by the Lisbon Treaty and allows citizens to make new legislative proposals, but has called for the criteria for its use to be eased. In its proposal on the implementation of the citizens' initiative, presented on 31 March (see EUROPE 10110), the European Commission says that the support of at least one million signatories from at least one third of member states should be required. “The number of states required, one third, is too high and should be reduced,” says former MEP and Europa-Union member Sylvia Yvonne Kaufmann in a press release. However, she is pleased that the Commission intends to have the citizens' initiative in force before the end of the year. (H.B./transl.rt)