A proposal published by the European Commission on 23 July 2026 seeks to amend Regulation (EU) 2019/788 on the European citizens' initiative (ECI) to grant the Commission the power to adopt delegated acts for an indefinite period, replacing the previous five-year delegation that expired on 6 June 2024. The amendment would allow the Commission to update the annexes to the regulation, particularly Annex I listing minimum signatory numbers per Member State, whenever the European Parliament's composition changes under Article 14(2) TEU.
The proposal, now before the Council, is based on Article 24 TFEU and falls under exclusive Union competence with no budgetary impact. It would enter into force on the twentieth day after publication in the Official Journal. The Commission argues that a permanent delegation is necessary to ensure timely updates to signatory thresholds without the risk of the delegation lapsing, as occurred in June 2024. The previous five-year delegation had been set in the original 2019 regulation, and its expiry left the Commission without the legal basis to adjust the thresholds via delegated acts.
For EU citizens and civil society organisations, the change could streamline the ECI process by ensuring signatory thresholds are kept current with the European Parliament's composition, potentially making it easier to launch initiatives. However, some may view the indefinite delegation as a reduction in parliamentary oversight, as the European Parliament and Council would no longer have a built-in review period for the delegation itself. For the Commission, the permanent power reduces administrative burden and uncertainty. For Member States, the impact is minimal as the thresholds are adjusted proportionally to Parliament seats. The proposal is expected to be examined by the Council's working party on information exchange and data protection (DAPIX) in the coming months, with the European Parliament as co-legislator.