EUROPEAN CITIZENS’ INITIATIVE: NEW RULES, NEW TREND?

This article will focus on the European citizens' Initiatives (ECIs) reform which will enter into force on 1 January 2019. Starting with an analysis of EU legal sources, this article will first highlight the rising interest in the most prominent participatory democratic instrument at the EU level; in a second step, it will present the actual outcomes of ECIs launched so far, highlighting some criticisms regarding the functioning of the process. In the conclusion, it will illustrate the recent reform introduced by Regulation 2019/788, questioning whether the new changes will enhance the participation of Civil Society and citizens in the EU integration process as a possible remedy to bridge the gap between supranational governance and citizens.