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Transnational ‘Babystep’: The European Citizens’ Initiative

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Citizens’ Initiatives in Europe

Part of the book series: series ((CDC))

Abstract

The Lisbon Treaty (EU, 2007) has introduced the first element of transnational direct democracy: the European Citizens’ Initiative (Article 11.4). In principle, the new EU Treaty endorses the concept of a more genuinely representative democracy for the modern world — one which is based equally on indirect (parliamentarian) and direct (participative) agenda-setting and decision-making.1 When it comes to the way in which it is to be legally implemented, however, it represents just a first tentative step in direct-democratic agenda-setting. In spring 2011 the regulation (EU, 2011) entered into force, and from 1 April 2012 on registration will be open for the first European Citizens’ Initiatives (ECIs).

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Authors
  1. Bruno Kaufmann
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Political Science, University of Turku, Finland

    Maija Setälä (Academy Research Fellow) (Academy Research Fellow)

  2. Department of Political Science, Philipps University, Marburg, Germany

    Theo Schiller (Emeritus Professor of Political Science) (Emeritus Professor of Political Science)

Copyright information

© 2012 Bruno Kaufmann

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Kaufmann, B. (2012). Transnational ‘Babystep’: The European Citizens’ Initiative. In: Setälä, M., Schiller, T. (eds) Citizens’ Initiatives in Europe. Challenges to Democracy in the 21st Century series. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230369900_13

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