The Spanish State Secretary for European Affairs, Diego López Garrido, stated at the close of the first day of the informal meeting of ministers for European Affairs, currently taking place in La Granja, that the Spanish presidency has received the “full support” of the 27 Member States for the promotion of the citizens’ legislative initiative. The ministers’ backing also extends to the EU’s accession to the European Convention on Human Rights and the development of the solidarity clause.

The three initiatives are set forth in the Treaty of Lisbon, which came into effect on 1 December of last year. The Spanish presidency, which considers the implementation of the Treaty a priority, aims to give EU action a citizen-centred approach.

La Granja (Segovia) is hosting the first informal meeting of ministers of the Spanish Presidency. All ministers for Europe of the member states are discussing issues like the implementation of Treaty of Lisbon and the broad lines of the joint programme of the trio of presidencies. 

The citizens’ legislative initiative enables one million citizens who are nationals of a significant number of Member States to call directly on the European Commission to bring forward a proposal for new legislation that is of interest to them in an area they believe should be regulated at the European level.

The ministers agreed that the “significant number of Member States” will be one third of the total. They also discussed the matter of signature authentication and the time at which an initiative is to be admitted, with the aim of preventing fraudulent use of the system as well as proposals that are contrary to the values of the Union.

On the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, all the representatives who spoke at the meeting voiced their support for the EU’s signing of the document and for the necessary negotiations with the Council of Europe to commence.

The Spanish presidency expressed its satisfaction with the progress of the sessions, which included the presentation of the priorities for the General Affairs Council, one of the ten configurations of the Council of the European Union.

The ministers also addressed the issue of the creation of the European External Action Service, which they agreed should be constituted on the basis of geographical and institutional balance. All the Member States should be suitably represented, as well as the Commission, the Parliament and the Council.