Source: European Parliament
The European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) is an important instrument of participatory democracy in the EU, allowing one million citizens residing in one quarter of the Member States to invite the Commission to submit a proposal for a legal act to implement the EU Treaties. Since the application of a 2011 Regulation establishing detailed procedures for the ECI, eleven initiatives have been successfully submitted to the Commission. As of January 2020, new rules apply to make the ECI more accessible.