European Citizens’ Initiative: What’s Next? (Conclusions of an international expert group discussion) Iveta Kazoka, Centre for Public Policy PROVIDUS “Open.

European Citizens’ Initiative: What’s Next?

(Conclusions of an international expert group discussion)

Iveta Kazoka, Centre for Public Policy PROVIDUS“Open Europe: Open Data for Open Society”18th-19th of February, 2015, Riga & Jelgava

Since 2012: Agenda setting initiatives on

European Union level (where signatures can also be collected online)

Review in 2015!

Three initiatives simultaneously: a success story?

International expert discussion on February 18 in Jelgava, Latvia

Experience of national-level agenda setting initiatives for Latvia, Finland, Estonia, United

Kingdom: 3 initiatives simulatenously is NOT a success!

Risk avoidance (irregularities, bad decisions)

Citizen engagement

EU Treaties: «Not less than one million citizens who are nationals of a significant number of Member States may take the initiative of inviting the European Commission,

within the framework of its powers, to submit any appropriate proposal on matters where citizens

consider that a legal act of the Union is required for the purpose of implementing the Treaties.«

National level requirements: much more general!

Until today: only two initiatives have succeeded in getting a response from EC

… but a good will has been there to explore other means of action!

… there has also been some follow-up

Risk avoidance (irregularities, bad decisions)

Citizen engagement

Registration requirements to start collecting signatures for an initiative?

High standards for verifying the identity of a signatory?

Obligatory citizens’ committee?

Strict requirements for protection of personal data?

User friendly?

Learning from national level e-petitioning portals: UK, Latvia, Finland+

http://openeci.eu/

What’s next?

• February 26, 2015. ECI expert hearing in European Parliament

• April 1015. European Commission’s ECI review report

THANK YOU!

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