INIȚIATIVA CETĂȚENEASCĂ EUROPEANĂ – EXPRESIE A PRINCIPIULUI DEMOCRAȚIEI PARTICIPATIVE LA NIVELUL UNIUNII EUROPENE

Until the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon, the citizens of the Member States of the European Union were participating in the democratic life of the European Union by their recognized right to submit petitions to the European Parliament and the right to address the European Ombudsman. The Treaty on the European Union (TEU) reinforces the citizenship of the Union and enhances the democratic functioning of the Union providing, among others, that every citizen must have the right to participate in the democratic life of the Union through a European citizens’ initiative. This procedure gives the citizens the opportunity to directly contact the European Commission, by presenting to the Commission an application whereby it is invited to initiate a proposal for a legislative act of the Union in view of implementing the Treaties, the procedure being similar to the right conferred to the European Parliament under Article 2251 of the Treaty on the functioning of the European Union (TFEU) and on the right conferred to the Council under Article 2412 of the TFEU.