Publikation | 14.11.2011
Steckbrief: The European Citizens' Initiative (ECI)
With the treaty of Lisbon, the EU has created another tool to strengthen participatory democracy in
the European Union which complements the existing tools of direct democracy – the right to
petition and the right of appeal to the European ombudsman.
Citizens of the EU may now suggest legislative initiatives to the European Commission and are thus capable of influencing political decisions in the EU in a more direct way.