1. Basic EU requirements for a really productive transnational Citizens Initiative Process (CIP) A Dialoge For Europe Project First Meeting, Frankfurt a.M., 1.9.06 by Andreas Gross, Pol.Sc./MP/PACE/ADD www.andigross.chwww.andigross.ch info@andigross.ch

2. 1.The DD essentials: What do we have to look for 2. EU is more than a big Nation’s state: EU specific DD needs 3.EU- DD needs a EU constitutio- nal base and a special EU directive 4. The Commissions DD responsibilities 5. What the member states may do to support EU DD 6. The difficulty of the transformation from an elite driven to a citizen oriented polity

3. 1. 1. We have to contribute to the over- coming of the input part of the EU legitimacy deficit  No citizen participation (Powerless)  Elite domination (Social distance)  Centralistic and bureaucratic (strcD  No common public sphere (emot.D)  No common identity (Cult. Distanc)  No feeling of togethernesness

4. 1. 2. We have to keep in mind what DD is all about and why we want to implement it:  Communication and Deliberation  Sharing of power  Public and individual learning  Citizens acting and more transparency  Integration of diversity by respecting it  Legitimacy by convincing  More identification  More openness conc.. policy and actors

5. 1. 3. Every design of DD on any level has to be done with the idea of enabling such outcomes  Low level of initiating signature requirements  Free signature gathering: Best place for Com.  Consistency between ID and DD  No antidelib. Quorums for majority formation  DD is more than a counting process  DD processes needs time in order to realise aims  Fairness and equal chances in pubic sphere  Cooperation between inst., no confrontation

6. 2.1. The EU is more than a big nation’s state: Specific problems for transnational, paneuropean DD building  many people have a size problem in EUD  many are already nat and reg frustrated: They cant imagine a transnational DD Polity  We face a structural transformation challenge and a historical innovation  The EU is not yet a real federation with clear power sharing procedures  The EU is not yet even a parliamentary D  Not everybody is a GCC (globally communicate citizen)

7. 2.2. We cant start EU DD with a perfect all included DD - we have to try to realise a sustainable beginning  Only the most needed and basics of the DD set: Const. Found Ref. + optional const. Ref + Legislative Initiative + Peoples Motion for the EP (?)  Respect the fears and sceptics  Respond carefully to transnat. Challg.  Build a cooperative DD EU Culture  Double vote (states+citizens) has to be decided on constitut.level

8. 2.3. From the start of the EU-DD the specific transnational challenges have to be matched  Avoid geographical and social one- sidedness  Against NGO-Elitism and dominance (Neither oli- nor ngogarchy)  Incentives for transborder and transnational as transinstitutional communication and integration  Make listen, what others say

9. 3.1. EU-DD needs a clear “const.” base and a specific Directive conc.procedures and rights (Disc initiating proposals in order to complete propositions f.2ndM)  Constit Initiative and opt Const.Referenda with numbers of sign and timeframe (NsTf)  Legal Initiative and superopt, legislat. Constructive Ref (NsTf)  People‘s Motion to EP and the new EU-Com. With clear rights (Public Debate, public answ)  Qualification Initiative and Referendum (1.st phase of 1 and 2 in order to qualify for help)

10. 3.2. Concrete examples for EU -DD - Rights-Design: The Legislat. Initiative  1 Million of of minimally sign.out 5 nations with at least 10 % each (Passeport/IDnumber for ID)  If 5 nations more (minim.10%), 100’000 sign. Less  Qualification with 50‘000 sign. Out of at least 5 states with minim.10%

11. 3.3.The rights you get from the EU-Com after submission of a Qualific.Iniv (QI)  Translation Voucher (20 lang./ max signs)  Website-Building-Support  Train&Flight vouchers for public meetings in Bxles and elswhere  A Howtodo-Handbook with clear Guidelines how to get the signatures together  Commions offices in the capitals are supposed to support you  National papers advert. voucher

12. 3.4. Expl for time-setting in a EU DR for a legislative citizens initiative and how to come to a Europ.Referendum Vote  Starting point: Register in the EU-DD-Office in Bx  For Qualifying you have 12 months  For realising the Real In. you have another 12 m.  The Com. has to make a report within 6 m.  The Council has to formulate a position in 6m  After Com and Council’s P. the EP has 12 months to debate, make up a decision and evt. a counter proposal  With another 1 Mio signatures the citizens can ask a European referendum vote on this issue

13. 3.5. Other specific elements of the European DD-Process  100 people out a at least 15 EU countries have to sign as the responsible Initiative Core-Team  There names are published with their project in all EU Documents and the formula where people of one country may sign  A EU-Commissions Citizens office is advising and supporting by mail and Telex. All interested europ.citizens  For the second final Init. You get the same support as for the initiating one  After completing the final In. You get a campaign-vou- cher (Trsp/Transl/Adv/) etc in a value of 1 Mio of Euros

14. 5. How Member states may support the EU Direct Democracy Building and Practising  Support development and public discussions of such ideas and projects  Create Future-of-Democracy-Houses in every town with citizen infrastructure  Create EU-Democracy-Websites where citizens may find whatever is ongoing  Support EU-Democratic-Actors at home with travel/transl/public-vouchers

15. 6. Such a EU-Direct- Democratic- Polity would mean:  European Politicians overcome there elitist attitudes and start to listen&discus&learn  The period, when the EU was a elite project, ended - it started to be a citizens hope and positive issue  The best of every country was tried to be implemented on European level  Unity&Diversity as well as real social Euro- pean integration and identification got a push

16. 7. Such fundamental transnational Direct Democracy Building and EU Transformations are not be found subito  This needs time and careful deliberations  Actions on all levels time and a sustainable commitment of many over a long time  Alliances with different people who would use these rights differently  Concrete examples how this would make a difference in the daily life of ordinary peoples