Andrew Duff Welcomes Political Agreement On European Citizens' Initiative
December 1, 2010 8:00 AM
Originally published by Andrew Duff MEP
Originally published by Andrew Duff MEP
Following the trialogue yesterday evening which reached a political agreement on the European Citizens' Initiative, UEF President Andrew DUFF said:
"Agreement on the Citizens' Initiative is a very good way to celebrate the first anniversary of the entry into force of the Lisbon treaty.
"The decision to insist that the million signatures must come from at least a quarter of the states means that the initiatives will be truly federal in character.
"Likewise, the decision to return to the Treaty wording to describe the scope of an initiative is much better than the previous drafts which were too narrow in their interpretation of the Treaty.
"The way is now clear for a formal legislative agreement between Council and Parliament before Christmas. Those involved in the negotiations from both Parliament's side and the Council presidency should be congratulated.
"The Citizens' Initiative is a huge step forward in boosting the popular legitimacy of the European Union."
END
Editors Note: The European Citizens Initiative (ECI) permits a million signatories to request the European Commission to take a specific course of action.
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