Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2010-03-24-Speech-3-091"
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"en.20100324.13.3-091"2
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"Mr President, Mr López Garrido, Commissioner Šefčovič, ladies and gentlemen, I believe that we have, at this point, a major opportunity for Europe, this shared Europe of ours, that began with treaties between States – the classical instrument of foreign policy, in which the citizens were more or less spectators – to now increasingly become a Europe of the citizens.
What we are discussing today is the first instrument that provides for direct citizen participation at the European level. I think it is clear to everyone what an opportunity this offers, in particular, for the creation, for the gradual development, of the likes of a European public, a European
which this Europe does need, as we continue to debate matters in France, in Italy, in Portugal, in Germany
thus, essentially more or less separately. As far as relates to the citizens, there are hardly any Europe-wide debates at all. A European citizens’ initiative of this kind could help to bring such debates about, however, and it could help to overcome, to some extent, Europeans’ feelings that Brussels is a long way away and that they – the citizens – have no voice in Brussels. What we are doing here is creating a first instrument that will allow the citizens to make their voices heard in Brussels. The crucial thing, however, is what form we give it. I want to make the point very clearly that it has not yet been determined whether this measure will ultimately be a success or a disappointment. That depends on the form that we choose for this measure.
I can well understand, Commissioner Šefčovič, that you are unable to present details to us today, as I know that you have not completely made your mind up yet. We do have an opportunity, here, however, to perhaps briefly put a couple of points on record together. There is, therefore, one very particular point that I would like to bring up.
For me, the success of this will rise and fall by the fact that the Commission proposal or at least, ultimately, what is decided as a legislative proposal here, not only contains hurdles and stipulations that citizens must observe, but also stipulates that the Commission must seriously work on a citizens’ initiative that has reached it, as, in my view, it would be extraordinarily frustrating if a million citizens had signed such an initiative and, in the end, the whole thing just disappeared, silently and unceremoniously, into a wastepaper basket. We need three levels of admissibility checking. Firstly, the formal level: does it have the necessary signatures? Secondly, the legal level: is the matter at hand one of the competences of the European Union, does it not violate current law? Then, finally, we need a content-based check, and, in this regard, I think it is important that the citizens are invited to this examination, that there is a hearing, that they are valued and their concerns are discussed, and that they do not just receive some
letter from on high. This is by way of encouragement.
Briefly, I have a second piece of encouragement to mention. One third, or nine Member States, seems to me – and seems to us in this House collectively – to be too high. Parliament has declared itself in favour of a quarter, and this figure must be seen in conjunction with the second hurdle, namely the hurdle within the Member States. In the talks that we have had, I proposed that this be graduated depending on the size of the Member States, as it makes a major difference whether a large or a small State is involved, and I see that there is openness to this proposal.
Due to the time constraints, I cannot now go into any other points. I hope that we can together bring this first instrument of transnational democracy into being."@en1
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