Czech Republic, EU -- (PRESS RELEASE) -- The long-awaited Citizens’ Initiative mechanism in the Lisbon Treaty took a step towards realisation this week when one of the critical obstacles to the Treaty’s ratification was surpassed. Objections from the Czech Republic to the EU charter of fundamental rights, a provision in the Treaty, led to a surprising announcement from Czech President Vaclav Claus last week that he intended to veto the Treaty if his country was not allowed to opt-out of the welfare provisions set out for all EU citizens in the charter.
The announcement drew critical responses from EU officials and diplomats, who pointed out that the president should be in no position to make such demands given both houses of his state’s parliament had ratified the proposed Treaty. Nevertheless, determined to see the Treaty ratified and implemented for the new year, EU leaders granted the Czechs the exception, appeasing the last barrier to seeing the Treaty passed in every member state.
This latest development ensures that the Right2Bet campaign will continue in its objective of marking the first petition to make use of the Citizens’ Initiative, a mechanism brought in by the Lisbon Treaty, which allows for direct democratic action to lobby the European Commission. The Citizens’ Initiative ensures that if a petition of one million signatures is presented to the Commission, it must “consider that a legal act of the Union is required for the purpose of implementing the Treaties”. The body must therefore take into account the popular demands of the EU citizenry when a campaign generates enough support. This new mechanism has ensured a race for many political campaigns to attract a million signatures in order to claim the coveted landmark of the first successful movement to make use of this new democratic tool.
The Right2bet campaign seeks to enforce EU laws on free trade and put an end to the Commission’s tolerance of state governments restricting consumer choice to monopolistic bookmakers, as well as opening up the market to betting exchanges.
The petition can be found at www.right2bet.net
About right2bet
- right2bet is a EU wide campaign asking people to petition for the right to choose their online betting provider, irrespective of which Member State they operate from. Everyone in the EU should have the right to choose and not have it decided for them.
- right2bet stands for freedom of choice and against the injustice of some current European laws. Sign the petition today at www.right2bet.net
- right2bet is an open, industry-wide campaign initially funded by Betfair. All gaming operators and interested parties are invited to sign-up and support it.
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