Citizens' initiative

The Council reached agreement on a general approach on a draft regulation aimed at making it possible for EU citizens to call for legislative proposals to be made on a specific issue.

It asked the presidency to start negotiations with the European Parliament, on the basis of the general approach, so as to enable the regulation to be adopted at first reading.

The initiative, one of the main innovations of the Treaty of Lisbon, will enable citizens to ask the Commission to bring forward legislative proposals if the signatories to such a demand number at least one million and come from a significant number of Member States.