Citizens' Initiative will come into effect in December 2010

11.20.00am GMT Wed 11th Nov 2009

The European Liberals and Democrats welcome the launch of the consultation process today by the European Commission with the publication of the Green Paper on Citizens' Initiative, relating to the implementation of article 11, paragraph 4 of the Treaty on the European Union. This represents in the eyes of the ALDE Group, real progress in participatory democracy in Europe.

Andrew DUFF (Lib Dem, UK), ALDE Coordinator on the Constitutional Affairs Committee declared "The Commission's Green Paper asks all the right questions about how to promote, run and respond to the new citizens' initiative. It will be important to strike a balance between technical verification and political expediency.

He continued "ALDE wants the procedures to be as permissive as possible and for them to be put in place by December next year. This important new instrument of participatory democracy will be used by very many citizens to stimulate united democratic action across Europe."