Ein neues Instrument für die EU-Bürger zur politischen Teilhabe in der EU, mit einem Vergleich mit

This paper deals with the European Citizens' Initiative, a new instrument of participation of EU citizens in the political life of the European Union introduced by the Treaty of Lisbon. The European Citizens' Initiative will be explained step by step, dogmatically classified with a view to other citizen participation instruments possible in the EU, and critically examined and appreciated with regard to its challenges, opportunities and limitations. Furthermore, the first experiences with this still young instrument for political participation in the EU are examined. Finally, the paper includes a comparison between the European Citizens' Initiative and the Swiss popular initiative.