European Commission registers 'People4Soil'

The European Commission has today taken the decision to register People4Soil European Citizens' Initiative which aims to "recognise soil as a shared heritage that needs EU level protection and develop a dedicated legally binding framework covering the main soil threats."

The registration of the initiative will take place on 12 September. This will start a one-year process of collection of signatures in support of the proposed European Citizens' Initiative by its organisers.

The Commission's decision to register the Initiative´s concerns is only the legal admissibility of the proposal. The conditions for admissibility, as foreseen by the European Citizens' Initiative Regulation, are that the proposed action does not manifestly fall outside the framework of the Commission's powers to submit a proposal for a legal act, that it is not manifestly abusive, frivolous or vexatious and that it is not manifestly contrary to the values of the Union.

The Commission concluded today that the legal conditions for the registration of the two European Citizens' Initiatives were fulfilled. The Commission has not analysed the substance of the initiatives at this stage.

Should either of the European Citizens' Initiatives receive one million statements of support within one year, from at least seven different Member States, the Commission will have to react within three months. The Commission can decide either to follow the request or not follow the request and in both instances would be required to explain its reasoning.

Background

European Citizens' Initiatives (ECI)  were introduced with the Lisbon Treaty and launched as an agenda-setting tool in the hands of citizens in April 2012, upon the entry into force of the European Citizens' Initiative Regulation which implements the Treaty provisions.

Once formally registered, a European Citizens' Initiative allows one million citizens from at least one quarter of EU Member States to invite the European Commission to propose a legal act in areas where the Commission has the power to do so.

If – and only if – a registered European Citizens' Initiative receives the signatures of one million validated statements of support from at least seven Member States, the Commission must decide whether or not it would act, and explain the reasons for that choice.

For more information

Full text of the proposed 'People4Soil' ECI (available from 12 September 2016)