Is there any improvement on civil society dialogue in the Lisbon Treaty?
Title II TEU sets out provisions on democratic principles and is the first legal base for participatory democracy in an EU Treaty. Improvements: a. All European institutions are obliged to maintain an “open, transparent and regular dialogue” with civil society. Moreover, ‘every citizen shall have the right to participate in the democratic life of the Union’ (Article 10-11 TEU). b. The Commission is obliged to carry out broad consultations with the parties concerned. This could relate to citizens organizations from developing countries in the case of a law on development cooperation. Furthermore, the ‘institutions shall, by appropriate means, give citizens and representative associations the opportunity to make known and publicly exchange their views in all areas of Union action’ (Article 11 TEU). c. A group of at least 1.000.000 citizens from various Member States can invite the Commission to submit a proposal under a new Citizens’ Initiative (Article 11(4) TEU). Its practical details
