The EU and the Civil Society. Romania Where Does It Stand?

The Treaty of Lisbon adds a new dimension to the legislative process in the European Union through what is called the Citizens. Initiative. Trying to decrease the democratic deficit with which the European Union is confronted with, the Citizens. Initiative implies that a mature and responsible European civil society should arise along with an European public sphere. The main question of my article is how Romania's civil society would handle this challenge and how would it cope with the role of a partner at a European level. First of all, I would like to make a short analysis of the civil society at the European level. Second, I shall take into account the civil society as it is presented in Romania, describing how it acted during the process of integration to the European Union. Last but not least, I shall approach from a theoretical perspective this new provision in the Treaty of Lisbon, trying to answer the question whether a European civil society would decrease the democratic deficit or not.