IV. Part II - Instruments of participation

     A.        Petitions (Articles 6-8)

With regard to the Bill, it should be welcomed that the principles concerning petitions are laid down in primary legislation (instead of the Provincial Council’s internal rules of procedure). Even if petitions are in substance not binding on the addressee, time limits for the handling of petitions as well as electronic publication of pending petitions are adequate means to the full realisation of the citizen’s (legal) right to petition. Referring to referendums held at a request of a section of the electorate and to popular initiatives, the Venice Commission' Code of Good Practice on Referendums stresses that time limits prescribed by law must be observed as the authorities might be tempted to draw out the process until the question is no longer relevant.^[1] The same is true for any other form of request by parts of the electorate, such as petitions.

[1]Code of Good Practice, Explanatory memorandum, paragraph 18.