Facilitating the participation of EU citizens in the Brexit negotiation process

Given the significant future impact of Brexit on the Union, citizens and
other stakeholders have not merely relied on the established mechanisms
of representative democracy, but have been seeking and actively using any
available means for information and direct participation. This chapter aims to
examine the available mechanisms for citizens and representative associations
to scrutinise and participate in the Brexit negotiations at the European Union
(EU) level. Effective citizen scrutiny and participation presuppose transparency
and access to information. It is therefore first examined what means have been
used to inform the public throughout the process. Subsequently, the different
institutional forms of EU citizens’ direct participation in the context of the
Brexit negotiations are examined. As an overall aim, this chapter assesses the
standards which the Brexit negotiations have set and the shortcomings which
remain with respect to openness, transparency and citizens’ involvement at the
EU level.