Regulatory framework

Treaty references

Treaty on European Union, Article 11(4)

Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, Article 24

Rules

General rules (from 1 January 2020) – Regulation (EU) 2019/788

Rules on online signature collection (from 1 January 2020) – Regulation (EU) 2019/1799

Initiatives that were registered up until 31 December 2019 are still partly governed by the old rules:

• General rules – Regulation (EU) No 211/2011
• Online signature collection – Regulation (EU) No 1179/2011

Notice on transitional arrangements on the new Regulation on the European citizens’ initiative, applicable as of 1 January 2020:

See also History of the European citizens’ initiative.

Commission review

The European Commission is required to periodically review how the European citizens’ initiative is working. It sets out its findings in reports to the European Parliament and the Council. 

The Commission adopted its first report on the application of  Regulation (EU) 2019/788 on 6 December 2023.  

The reports on the application of the first ECI Regulation (Regulation (EU) No 211/2011) are available on the History page of the European citizens’ initiative.

Committee

The role of the committee is to help the Commission with technical specifications for individual online collection systems (set out in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1799).

For information on the meetings of the committee, go to the Commission Comitology Register.

Expert group

The role of the expert group is to coordinate with EU countries how the European citizens’ initiative is implemented.

The group is composed of representatives from the relevant national authorities.

More information on the meetings of the expert group.