European Citizens’ Initiative for the minorities in Europe launched

On the initiative of the Hungarian minority in Romania –FUEN-member “Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania” (RMDSZ) and supported by the “South Tyrolean People’s Party” (SVP) – FUEN-member from South Tyrol – the idea of engaging in a European Citizens’ Initiative for the minorities in Europe was launched. At the 2011 FUEN Congress in Eisenstadt/Željezno the idea was unanimously endorsed by the FUEN-members.


At this moment negotiations are going on about the practical implementation of the European Citizens’ Initiative of the minorities.


The European Citizens’ Initiative is an instrument of direct democracy in the European Union that was introduced with the Lisbon Treaty. Since 1 April 2012 citizens have the chance to use it.


The citizens’ initiative enables citizens of the EU to ensure that the European Commission will deal with a specific issue.


With statements of support from at least one million EU citizens, from at least seven Member States, the Commission can be called upon to propose a legal act on a subject for which measures have to be taken according to the initiators. The citizens of the Union are put on a same footing as the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, who enjoy this right according to Article 225 and Article 241 TFEU.