European Union: Regulation on EU citizens' initiative, further encouragement of European civil rights.

On 16 February 2011 Jànos Martonyi on behalf of the European Council and Jerzy Buzek President of the European Parliament signed into law the Regulation on the citizens' initiative on legislation matters. The regulation, which fulfills the requirements mentioned by article 11 of the Lisbon Treaty, declares the right of legislative initiative to at least one million European citizens from at least one fourth of its state members. Matters coinciding with the competence of the European Commission can be the only subject of the citizens' initiative, excluding questions about the seat of the European Parliament or the working languages of the European institutions. This democratic institute of direct representation will be available from March 2012. The form of the petition can be either paper based or electronically submitted.

http://www.eu2011.hu/files/bveu/documents/EP_citizens_initiative_16022011EN.pdf