Strumenti di partecipazione democratica dell'Unione europea: bilancio e prospettive dell'Iniziativa dei cittadini europei

The project of European integration promoted in the Schuman Declaration of 1950 may appear to many to be inadequate to respond to the current needs of European citizens, thus appearing lacking in certain ways and for various reasons, so much so that it has generated harsh criticism from public opinion. The last decades have seen the rise of various issues regarding the functioning and effectiveness of the European system and in particular, its tools for democratic participation. The objective of the paper is to analyze the path taken so far by the European Union regarding the democratic participation processes of the Union, analyzing in particular the provisions regarding the European citizens' initiative. Starting from the European legal framework of reference and observing the evolution of the instruments, it will be possible to take stock of their effectiveness, also considering their positive aspects and limitations. What are the successes, challenges and future that will concern them?