Outgoing EU Chair Spanish EU Minister Garrido to EF on Citizens Initiative: Admissibility open issue

Out-going EU Chairman in office, Spanish Minister for EU Affairs, Diego Lopez Garrido, speaking to "EuroFora" after a debate on the Conclusion of the January - June 2010 Spanish EU Presidency at EU Parliament's Constitutional Committee, late Monday Evening in Strasbourg, stressed that, on the most far-reaching New Institution since the December 2009 entry into force of EU Lisbon Treaty : the EU Citizens' New Right to lodge a Legislative Initiative, even if a basic "Consensus" was initially found inside EU Council, despite some controversies, nevertheless, there are still several Outstanding Issues which remain yet to be solved, and, in particular, "on the Admissibility" of EU Citizens' future moves.
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- "We have achieved a (certain) Consensus" (inside EU Council), at least on main Principles, the Spanish Minister observed, obviously referring to a recent EU Council's partially controversial debate and decision, taken at nearby Luxembourg, to forward an initial Draft hammered out with EU Commission, to EU Parliament for Public Debate and Vote.

- However, now "this Question should be developed by the (incoming) Belgian EU Presidency" (7-12/2010), Lopez Garrido acknowledged, particularly after the Objections and Critical Observations made eben in Public by several EU Member Governments' representatives at EU Council, including, among many others, also France, Germany, Lithuania, etc. (V AGG Notes).

 - On "EuroFora"'s Question, asking him to explain :   - "Which are the Points which should be worked out most of all ?", the experienced out-going EU Chairman-in-office clearly replied  : - "Mostly on the Admissibility", as he said in conclusion of his 6 Months-long efforts in this area.
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Indeed, there was "a Debate on Admissibility" of EU Citizens' Initiative inside EU Council, where EU Member "States were diverging" in their views. "But, finally, they agreed" on a 1st Draft, Lopez Garrido  observed previously.

Earlier he stressed that EU Citizens' Initiative was "the most Important Change introduced by EU Lisbon Treaty", and observed that, despite some initial disagreements, after EU Commission presented a 1st, initial compromise Draft, an Informal EU Council "finally adopted it with only 1 (one) Country voting against : the Czech Republic, (while other EU Countries made some Critical Observations on certain points which remain to be solved), so that the ball is now at the field of "EU Parliament; at- the moment, for Debate" and vote.

 - "At the moment", according to this Draft, " it's possible for EU Citizens, if they gather at least 100.000 Signatures, to request from EU Commission to declare the Admissibility" of a Popular Initiative,. And it's only possible for EU Commission to refuse its Admissibility if an EU Citizens' Initiative obviously stands out of its Legal Competences, he observed.

However, the Spanish EU Minister didn't seem today as Ambitious as he was in the Past, when he initially had declared to "EuroFora" that he hoped for EU Citizens' Initiative to start being prepared "in 1 (one) Month" ! (See :relevant "EuroFora"'s publication at the beginning of 2010) :

- Indeed, now, Lopez Garrido told EU Parliament's Constitutional affairs Committee that he finds "Ideal" if "a 1st Reading in EU Parliament" takes place "within the (incoming) Belgian EU rotationg Presidency"; i.e. between July and  December 2010.

In other words, EU Citizens' Initiative risks to be practically postponed until mid 2011 or even later-on, towards 2012..

Because, usually, a "1st Readinng in EU Parliament" is followed by a return to EU Council (via EU Commission) for a new internal Debate and may be anew Vote among EU Member States' Governments, before a Final, 2nd Vote by MEPs, followed by a Trilateral EU Governments - Parliament - Commission signing of the New Legal Instrument, probably somewhere in Srtasbourg in the foreseeable Future.

 However, EU Parliament's Constitutional Committee had recently scheduled to examine an initial 1st Draft from its Rapporteurs, experienced MEP Alain Lamassoure, former EU Minister of France and current Chairman of EU Parliament's Budget's Committee (EPP/ChristianDemocrat), together with Hungarian Socialist MEP, and vice-Chairwoman of the Constitutional Committee, Zita Gurmai, during its Next Week's meeting, on Monday, July 12. 

(NDLR : See. also NewsDrafts already sent earlier to "EuroFora"'s Donors/Subscribers also on several other issues surrounding recent Developments on EU Citizens' Initiative, including EU Rapporteurs Lamassoure's and Gurmai's,, as well as of EU Commission's vice-President, in charge of Inter-Institutional affairs Sefcovic' s statements to "EuroFora")