THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 211/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 2011 on the citizens' initiative(1), and in particular Article 4 thereof,
Whereas:
(1) The subject matter of the proposed citizens' initiative entitled ‘Actions on Climate Emergency’ refers to the following: ‘We call on the European Commission to strengthen action on the climate emergency in line with the 1,5° warming limit. This means more ambitious climate goals and financial support for climate action.’
(2) The objectives of the proposed citizens' initiative refer to the following: ‘The EU shall adjust its goals (NDC) under the Paris Agreement to an 80 % reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, to reach net-0 by 2035 and adjust European climate legislation accordingly. An EU Border Carbon Adjustment shall be implemented. No free trade treaty shall be signed with partner countries that do not follow a 1,5° compatible pathway according to Climate Action Tracker. The EU shall create free educational materials' for all member curricula about the effects of climate change.’
(3) The Treaty on European Union (TEU) reinforces citizenship of the Union and enhances further the democratic functioning of the Union by providing, inter alia, that every citizen is to have the right to participate in the democratic life of the Union by way of a European citizens' initiative.
(4) To this end, the procedures and conditions required for the citizens' initiative should be clear, simple, user-friendly and proportionate to the nature of the citizens' initiative so as to encourage participation by citizens and to make the Union more accessible.
(5) The Commission has the power to present proposals for legal acts of the Union for the purpose of implementing the Treaties on the following matters:
for action to be taken to achieve the objectives of preserving, protecting and improving the quality of the environment and of promoting measures at international level to deal with regional or worldwide environmental problems, and in particular combating climate change, on the basis of Article 192(1) and (2), read in conjunction with Article 191(1), first and fourth indents of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU);
for implementation of the common commercial policy, on the basis of Article 207 TFEU.
(6) For these reasons, the proposed citizens' initiative does not manifestly fall outside the framework of the Commission's powers to submit a proposal for a legal act of the Union for the purpose of implementing the Treaties in accordance with Article 4(2)(b) of the Regulation.
(7) Furthermore, the citizens' committee has been formed and the contact persons have been designated in accordance with Article 3(2) of the Regulation and the proposed citizens' initiative is neither manifestly abusive, frivolous or vexatious nor manifestly contrary to the values of the Union as set out in Article 2 TEU.
(8) The proposed citizens' initiative entitled ‘Actions on Climate Emergency’ should therefore be registered,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
The proposed citizens' initiative entitled ‘Actions on Climate Emergency’ is hereby registered.
This Decision shall enter into force on 23 September 2019.
This Decision is addressed to the organisers (members of the citizens' committee) of the proposed citizens' initiative entitled ‘Actions on Climate Emergency’, represented by Mr Thomas EITZENBERGER and Ms Astrid Cecilie BUDOLFSEN acting as contact persons.
Done at Brussels, 4 September 2019.
For the Commission
Frans Timmermans
First Vice-President