PRESS RELEASE

Brussels/Strasbourg, 10 April 2003

Necessary elements of direct democracy for the EU

The intergroup "European Constitution" in its meeting in Strassbourg on April 8 debated draft Articles 33-37 "Democratic Life of the Union" as proposed by the Praesidium of the Convention. These articles are a disappointment because they only repeat, by and large, articles from the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and the existing European Treaties. They do not envisage new forms of democratic participation of the citizens. Moreover, new media and new means of communication have been forgotten completely.

The members of the European Parliament demanded, in addition to representative democracy, also instruments of direct democracy in the European Union. The Union's citizens should be given the possibility to initiate both European petitions for a referendum and European referenda. Apart from the participation in the five-yearly European elections, this would offer another chance of directly taking part in European politics. European petitions and referenda would stimulate the interest of the people in European politics and help to build political networks from the Baltics to the Mediterranean.

The European deputies called for clear rules for the social and civil dialogue in the EU. The social partners and also orgnised civil society should be given the possibility to conduct a structured dialogue with the European institutions.

The Intergroup European Constitution demanded that in order to change the Constitution, a new Convention should be called. This democratic instrument should institutionalise future constitutional deliberations.

Further information:
Contact Jo LEINEN, tel: 0032 2 284 7842 or 0033 388 17 7842 – email: jleinen@europarl.eu.int