While acknowledging the success of petitions, Committee President Francine Closener highlighted the imperative need for rule revisions during Wednesday’s session at the Chamber of Deputies. Central to these improvements is the pursuit of greater transparency for citizens interested in submitting petitions.
Closener emphasised the importance of clarifying the criteria for petition admissibility and ensuring the authenticity of petitioners. To achieve this, future petitioners will be required to provide their social security numbers.
Additionally, the threshold for signatures required to prompt a public debate on a petition will be raised. Closener elaborated, stating, “The current threshold stands at 4,500 signatures, a figure established eleven years ago. At that time, it represented 0.6% of the population, including cross-border workers. Given the demographic shifts since then, an adjustment to the threshold is warranted.”
The Committee plans to convene with the Government IT Centre (CTIE) to obtain an overview of the register of natural persons. Subsequent meetings will focus on finalising regulatory amendments to streamline the petition process.
