European citizens’ initiatives 

Do you have concrete ideas to improve the EU? The European Citizens’ Initiative is a tool introduced in the Lisbon Treaty that allows people to ask the European Commission to propose legislation or other measures in areas within its remit.

Get together with people from other EU countries and seek support for your proposals. If you get enough people across the EU to support your idea, you will discuss it with the European Commission and be invited to make your case in the European Parliament, before the Commission decides on what action to take.

The organisers of an initiative must include at least seven EU citizens, resident in at least seven member states. They have one year to get the support of one million people from at least seven EU countries. In each EU country, the initiative must clear a minimum threshold of signatories.

Signatures can be collected on paper or online and must be certified by the competent authorities in the member states concerned.

If the initiative reaches the threshold, organisers will be invited to a hearing at the European Parliament to present their ideas. Afterwards, Parliament may decide to debate further and adopt a resolution on these ideas.

The Commission has six months to examine successful initiatives and decide how to act. The European Parliament may assess the measures taken by the Commission.

Find out more on the website dedicated to European citizens’ initiatives. It includes detailed explanations of the steps that organisers should take and a database of ongoing and completed initiatives.


Further information:

Regulatory framework

https://europa.eu/citizens-initiative/how-it-works/regulatory-framework_en