Does participatory governance hold its promises?

Abstract

"With the ratification of the Reform Treaty, the European Union will be based on two complementary principles: the principle of representative democracy and the principle of participatory democracy. Even though the two respective sub-headings in the draft Constitutional Treaty (Article I, 46 and Article I, 47) have been omitted, the Intergovernmental Conference did not introduce any change in substance. Article 11 of the Reform Treaty pledges to give citizens and representative associations a voice 'in all areas of Union action', and to 'maintain an open, transparent and regular dialogue with representative associations and civil society', and it demands that the Commission 'carry out broad consultations with parties concerned in order to ensure that the Union's actions are coherent and transparent'. With Clause 4, it now also endows citizens with the right to initiate an action. However, first, that action is of one type only, i.e., 'where citizens consider that a legal act of the Union is required for the purpose of implementing the Treaties'. Second, that action is valid only when 'not less than one million citizens who are nationals of a significant number of Member States' engage in it. Third, and most importantly, that action is only an invitation to the Commission, one which the Commission is not obliged to accept." (excerpt)