FUNCTIONAL PECULIARITIES OF THE EUROPEAN CIVIL INITIATIVE AS AN INNOVATIVE FORM OF POLITICAL PARTICIPATION IN THE EUROPEAN UNION

Abstract

The article provides a comprehensive study of the process of forming the functional features of the European Civil Initiative (ECI) as an innovative format of political participation in the European Union. The theoretical and methodological framework of the study was the principles and conceptual provisions of the theory of participatory democracy and the definition of a dialogue model of political participation as a process of exchange of opinions, judgments, proposals between interested subjects of the political process based on the principles of open partnership between the authorities and citizens, in which they act as equal subjects political relations. Based on this, it has been established that the ECI format is inherently an instrument for deepening the political dimension of European citizenship and is based on the principles of participatory democracy. The possibility of introducing the EGI format into the political process was prepared by the long experience of using consultations with civil society institutions, which contributed to the formation of a more balanced and transparent process of developing European policy, improving the quality of public perception of politics as a process to which everyone can join. However, the concentration of European political institutions on dialogue with the institutionalized public gradually ousted from this process the citizen as a subject of politics and increased the distance between him and the EU institutions. Therefore, the ECI was positioned as a way to bring the political institutions of the EU closer to citizens. It has been proven that since the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, the ECI has been designated in the official political discourse of the EU as one of the most visible and concrete innovations that affect the quality of EU policy. It is substantiated that the ECI technology contributes to the maximum involvement of citizens in the formation of the political agenda and the discursive space of European politics through participation in public debates at the level of the European Parliament when discussing the initiative; ensures deepening of integration processes at the level of aggregation of interests and needs of EU citizens and conducting joint campaigns to support initiatives; ensures the integrity of the multi-level dialogue between EU citizens, European and national political institutions. The ECI has given a new dimension to European democracy, complementing the set of rights associated with EU citizenship and deepening the transparency of the European public space.