SilverKnight
04-09-2012, 07:03 PM
E.U. Seeks to Involve Citizens in Law-Making
By PAUL GEITNER
Published: April 9, 2012
New York Times
Link to source: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/09/world/europe/09iht-brussels09.html
Brussels - Often attacked as out of touch with the concerns of ordinary people, the European Union took a major step at the start of this month to try to narrow its so-called democratic deficit by giving citizens a shot at proposing laws themselves.
So what do Europeans want?
Some big labor unions are backing a proposal to declare access to water and sanitation a human right. Environmentalists want to reinstate a de facto ban on genetically modified crops. Other groups seek a European Obesity Day, to legalize gay marriage, and to declare work-free Sundays throughout the 27-nation bloc.
There is a proposal from a youth-oriented group seeking a “euro tax” to pay for the debts racked up by their elders, as well as another with the self-explanatory name of “Say No to E.U. Tax.”
Tony Venables, director of the European Citizen Action Service, a nonprofit group that is working with E.U. agencies to promote the initiative, said the process was expected to start slowly but would probably become “more ambitious” as word of it spread.
“I think what we’ll see over time is European law that is more value-driven, not just technical,” he said.
Backers call the European Citizens’ Initiative, which opened April 1, a historic step toward more participatory democracy. But others see any real change in the European Union — where passing laws takes months or years of horse-trading both inside Brussels and among the various national capitals — as still a long way off, if it comes at all.
The initiative needs a million signatures before the proposal can be offered for law. The cost, which some groups estimate at a euro per signature, is prohibitive for all but the biggest players, critics say. Potential signatories, they add, may be scared off by the requirement to give personal details such as their national identification number or date and place of birth.
“Data requirements for the citizens’ initiative are far too restrictive,” said Jorgo Riss, the European director for Greenpeace.
While the initiative is “a good idea in principle,” he said, “in reality one million euros will go a lot further to lobby” the European Commission, which in the end retains the sole right to actually draft an E.U. law.
In fact, some lobbyists are already trying to jump on the citizens’ bandwagon, pitching their services to businesses seeking to influence legislation.
“The European Citizens’ Initiative: a new tool in your public affairs armory,” was how Bell Pottinger Public Affairs titled a pitch on its Web site last month.
For its part, the commission promises to consider business-sponsored initiatives like any others, but says that it has also built in requirements such as “full transparency of funding” to safeguard against abuses.
“We were conscious that this might be an issue,” said Antonio Gravili, a commission spokesman. The commission will “add all that into the balance” when it decides whether an initiative is worth pursuing, he said.
Indeed, there are many criteria that any group has to clear. The commission can reject anything it deems “manifestly abusive, frivolous or vexatious” or “contrary to the values of the Union.” Those rejected have a right to appeal.
“Our expectation is that we will register most proposals, although that, of course, remains to be seen, because this is a new experiment, after all,” Mr. Gravili said.
Once a proposal gets the green light, organizers have a year to gather their signatures, which must come from at least seven countries, with a minimum number from each. A successful signature drive then leads to public hearings.
Even then, the commission is not obligated to draft a law, but is only “invited” to do so.
Maros Sefcovic, the European commissioner overseeing the process, said a good deal of preparation went into making it easier for people to gather signatures across borders, including providing open source software compatible with most social media sites, such as Facebook, Google+, Twitter and Dailymotion.
Outside organizations such as the Fondation EurActiv PoliTech, a foundation registered in Belgium, have set up Web sites such as Initiative.eu to help people organize across borders and forge coalitions.
Yet the biggest challenge remains raising awareness, which, Mr. Sefcovic said, was probably best done by people excited about a cause.
“I believe that the major tool for raising awareness will be the initiatives themselves,” he said.
By PAUL GEITNER
Published: April 9, 2012
New York Times
Link to source: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/09/world/europe/09iht-brussels09.html
Brussels - Often attacked as out of touch with the concerns of ordinary people, the European Union took a major step at the start of this month to try to narrow its so-called democratic deficit by giving citizens a shot at proposing laws themselves.
So what do Europeans want?
Some big labor unions are backing a proposal to declare access to water and sanitation a human right. Environmentalists want to reinstate a de facto ban on genetically modified crops. Other groups seek a European Obesity Day, to legalize gay marriage, and to declare work-free Sundays throughout the 27-nation bloc.
There is a proposal from a youth-oriented group seeking a “euro tax” to pay for the debts racked up by their elders, as well as another with the self-explanatory name of “Say No to E.U. Tax.”
Tony Venables, director of the European Citizen Action Service, a nonprofit group that is working with E.U. agencies to promote the initiative, said the process was expected to start slowly but would probably become “more ambitious” as word of it spread.
“I think what we’ll see over time is European law that is more value-driven, not just technical,” he said.
Backers call the European Citizens’ Initiative, which opened April 1, a historic step toward more participatory democracy. But others see any real change in the European Union — where passing laws takes months or years of horse-trading both inside Brussels and among the various national capitals — as still a long way off, if it comes at all.
The initiative needs a million signatures before the proposal can be offered for law. The cost, which some groups estimate at a euro per signature, is prohibitive for all but the biggest players, critics say. Potential signatories, they add, may be scared off by the requirement to give personal details such as their national identification number or date and place of birth.
“Data requirements for the citizens’ initiative are far too restrictive,” said Jorgo Riss, the European director for Greenpeace.
While the initiative is “a good idea in principle,” he said, “in reality one million euros will go a lot further to lobby” the European Commission, which in the end retains the sole right to actually draft an E.U. law.
In fact, some lobbyists are already trying to jump on the citizens’ bandwagon, pitching their services to businesses seeking to influence legislation.
“The European Citizens’ Initiative: a new tool in your public affairs armory,” was how Bell Pottinger Public Affairs titled a pitch on its Web site last month.
For its part, the commission promises to consider business-sponsored initiatives like any others, but says that it has also built in requirements such as “full transparency of funding” to safeguard against abuses.
“We were conscious that this might be an issue,” said Antonio Gravili, a commission spokesman. The commission will “add all that into the balance” when it decides whether an initiative is worth pursuing, he said.
Indeed, there are many criteria that any group has to clear. The commission can reject anything it deems “manifestly abusive, frivolous or vexatious” or “contrary to the values of the Union.” Those rejected have a right to appeal.
“Our expectation is that we will register most proposals, although that, of course, remains to be seen, because this is a new experiment, after all,” Mr. Gravili said.
Once a proposal gets the green light, organizers have a year to gather their signatures, which must come from at least seven countries, with a minimum number from each. A successful signature drive then leads to public hearings.
Even then, the commission is not obligated to draft a law, but is only “invited” to do so.
Maros Sefcovic, the European commissioner overseeing the process, said a good deal of preparation went into making it easier for people to gather signatures across borders, including providing open source software compatible with most social media sites, such as Facebook, Google+, Twitter and Dailymotion.
Outside organizations such as the Fondation EurActiv PoliTech, a foundation registered in Belgium, have set up Web sites such as Initiative.eu to help people organize across borders and forge coalitions.
Yet the biggest challenge remains raising awareness, which, Mr. Sefcovic said, was probably best done by people excited about a cause.
“I believe that the major tool for raising awareness will be the initiatives themselves,” he said.