Basic EU requirements for a really productive transnational Citizens Initiative Process (CIP)

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.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 needs3.EU- DD needs a EU constitutio-nal base and a special EU directive4. The Commissions DD responsibilities5. What the member states may do to support EU DD6. 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 DDis 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 hasto 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’sstate: 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 haveto 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.proceduresand 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 alegislative 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