Editing Popular initiative (section)

==== European Union ====
{{main|European Citizens' Initiative}}
The rejected [[Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe#Parliamentary power and transparency|Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe]] (TCE) included a limited indirect initiative right (Article I-46(4)). The proposal of introducing the [[European Citizens' Initiative]] (ECI) was that 1,000,000 citizens, from minimal numbers of different member states, could invite the executive body of the [[European Union]] (EU), the [[European Commission]], to consider any proposal "on matters where citizens consider that a legal act of the Union is required for the purpose of implementing the Constitution." The precise mechanism had not been agreed upon. Critics underlined the weakness of this right of initiative, which did not ultimately entail any vote or referendum.

A similar scheme under the same name, European Citizens' Initiative (ECI), has been put forward in the now ratified European [[Lisbon Treaty]] (which entered into force on 1 December 2009), enabling a limited indirect initiative right.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://bookshop.europa.eu/eubookshop/download.action?fileName=NA7809931ENC_002.pdf&eubphfUid=10740063&catalogNbr=NA-78-09-931-EN-C |title=EU Bookshop - Not found! |website=bookshop.europa.eu |access-date=2 February 2022 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120708193731/http://bookshop.europa.eu/eubookshop/download.action?fileName=NA7809931ENC_002.pdf&eubphfUid=10740063&catalogNbr=NA-78-09-931-EN-C |archive-date=8 July 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref> It follows very similar rules to the ones outlined in the European Constitution, requiring the signatures of 1,000 000 European Nationals. These citizens would thereby obtain the same right to request the Commission to submit a legislative proposal as the Council has had since the establishment of the [[European Communities]] in 1957.<ref>{{cite web|author=cs - čeština |url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+TA+P6-TA-2009-0389+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN |title=Texts adopted - Thursday, 7 May 2009 - Implementation of the citizens' initiative - P6_TA-PROV(2009)0389 |publisher=Europarl.europa.eu |access-date=2012-09-14}}</ref> This, however, does require that the signatures come from a "significant number" of Member States. It is suggested that this significant number will need to be around a quarter of member states, with at least 1/500 of the citizens in those member states supporting the initiative. With the variety of languages within the European Union, this creates a significant hurdle for people to navigate. The treaty also makes it clear that right of initiative should not be confused with the right to [[petition]], particularly since a petition is directed to Parliament<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/parliament/public/staticDisplay.do?id=49&pageRank=3&language=en |title=Parliament : Petitions |publisher=Europarl.europa.eu |date=2000-12-18 |access-date=2012-09-14}}</ref> while a citizens' initiative is directed to the Commission; whereas a petition is a method of remonstrance, usually focussing on perceived infringements of European Law, an initiative is a grassroots proposal for new legislation. In 2013 the subjects of ongoing open initiatives of the European Citizens' Initiative are e.g. about "water and sanitation as a human right" (against [[Water privatization]]), "30 km/h - making the streets liveable!" ([[Traffic calming]] in towns), "[[Universal basic income#Petitions, polls and referendums|Unconditional Basic Income]]" (UBI - Exploring a pathway towards emancipatory welfare conditions), or to "End [[Ecocide]] in Europe" (to give the Earth Rights).<ref>[http://ec.europa.eu/citizens-initiative/public/initiatives/ongoing?lg=en ''Open initiatives''] at the European Citizens' Initiative official register of The European Commission (often translated in EU-languages). Retrieved 2013-09-05.</ref>

It remains to be seen if the ECI evolves into a full initiative or remains in its present state of a ''de facto'' petition.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/secretariat_general/citizens_initiative/ |title=European Citizens' Initiative on the European Commission's web |publisher=Ec.europa.eu |access-date=2012-09-14}}</ref><ref>European Citizens' Initiative on the initiator's web:<br />[http://www.citizens-initiative.eu/ citizens-initiative.eu]<br />[http://www.democracy-international.org/eci.html democracy-international.org/eci.html]</ref>