BCIR helps you sleep better !

We all  need "tools" of direct democracy like this.

Governments of the city-state of Berlin and its neighbour-Land Brandenburg aim to respond to increased air traffic by building greater airport capacity. Inner-city airports have either been closed down (Tempelhof) or are scheduled to close soon (Tegel). To compensate, a plan has been launched to expand an airport on the south-east city boundary, Schoenefeld (to be known as "Willy Brandt" airport). People living around this airport are resigned to the fact that air traffic will increase but they want to limit the nuisance of noise and pollution. So, there is a movement to limit night flights.

The Land Brandenburg and the city-state of Berlin are each federal states with their own government. In both Lands, citizen campaigns have exploited the RIGHT TO DIRECT DEMOCRACY in attempts to bring in law which would limit night flying.

In Brandenburg, early December 2012, a "Volksbegehren" (people's wish, a legal demand for a referendum like a citizens' initiative) to limit night flights jumped an important hurdle. To trigger a referendum, a citizens' proposal must be endorsed by at least eighty thousand voters. This hurdle was easily jumped after more than 106,000 people signed up. Brandenburg's population is about 2.5 million.

According to the law, the proposal (to limit night flights) must be debated in the Land's parliament in Potsdam. Parliament may agree to make the proposal into law. If parliament rejects the citizens' proposal then a ballot (referendum, Volksentscheid) of all Brandenburg's citizens must be held to decide the matter.

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Direct Democracy Regulations in Land Brandenburg, Federal Republic of Germany.

Hurdle to instigate referendum: 4 percent.

Time allowed to collect endorsements: 4 months (only in government offices, collection in public places not allowed).

Referendum quorum: One quarter of all voters must agree with a proposal to make or change law. Higher hurdles have been set for matters of constitution.
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Campaign for direct democracy in Britain
I&R ~ GB Citizens' Initiative and Referendum
http://www.iniref.org/  Link to site index