European citizens’ initiative: Commission’s power to adopt delegated acts

PURPOSE: to make a targeted amendment to Regulation (EU) 2019/788 concerning the Commission's power to adopt delegated acts.

PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council.

BACKGROUND: Article 23 of Regulation (EU) 2019/788 on the European citizens' initiative empowers the Commission to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 24 of that Regulation to amend its Annexes within the scope of the provisions of that Regulation relevant to those Annexes. Article 24(2) of Regulation (EU) 2019/788 conferred this delegation of power on the Commission for a period of five years, which expired on 6 June 2024. Regulation (EU) 2019/788 should be amended to provide for an indeterminate period of empowerment.

CONTENT: this proposal for a regulation amends Article 24(2) of Regulation (EU) 2019/788 to provide for an empowerment of the Commission to adopt delegated acts for an indeterminate period.

There is a need for the Commission to have the power to amend the Annexes to Regulation (EU) 2019/788 by means of delegated acts to adapt them to future needs. In particular, Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2019/788 sets out the minimum number of signatories per Member State in order for an initiative to be valid. That minimum number of signatories per Member State, needs to be updated whenever the composition of the European Parliament changes by means of a European Council decision adopted on the basis of Article 14(2) of the Treaty on European Union.