Lisbon Treaty: Citizen initiative

Article 8 B [11] discussed below

4. 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.

The procedures and conditions required for such a citizens' initiative shall be determined in accordance with the first paragraph of Article 21 [36] of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.

YES: Article 8b introduces the ‘citizens initiative' by which one million EU citizens can put items on the agenda of the European Commission. It establishes a principle which later treaties may be able to build on to increase further citizens' powers in the EU.  (Fine Gael).

Commentary : This seems vacuous since all it allows is one million citizens to “invite”  the EU Commision  to consider a proposal. There is nothng to obstruct one citizen or a million citizens as things stand to “invite”  the EU Commision or any other body to consider anything.