The European Citizens' Initiatives: Into new democratic territory

With the European Citizens’ Initiative (Article 11.4. in the new Lisbon Treaty of the European Union) we enter a new territory for modern democracy.

For the first time, the principle of representative democracy, based on both indirect and direct democracy will become a political practice on the transnational level. However, such a historic step, which is closely watched by observers from across the globe, raises many questions regarding the future provisions (implementation regulation), the opportunities (the attidude by EU institutions and citizens groups alike) and the infrastructure (the support and assistance arrangements).

This book offers an entry point into the new and exciting democratic territory of the European Citizens Initiative and outlines the cornerstones and key features of both the procedure to be adapted by the EU in 2010 and the future use of the new tool from 2011.

Experts on modern direct democracy also provide the foundations for the development of an initial transnational infrastructure - the European Citizens’ Office.