57In that regard, it must, in the first place, be noted that it is clear from the very wording of Article 11(4) TEU that an ECI is designed to ‘invite’ the Commission to submit an appropriate proposal for the purpose of implementing the Treaties, and not, as claimed by the appellants, to oblige that institution to take the action or actions envisaged by the ECI concerned. That textual interpretation is confirmed by the wording of Article 2(1) of Regulation No 211/2011, which defines a ‘citizens’ initiative’ as an initiative submitted to the Commission, in accordance with that regulation, ‘inviting’ the Commission to submit a proposal such as that specified in Article 11(4) TEU. It is clear moreover from the wording of Article 10(1)(c) and from recital 20 of that regulation that, when the Commission receives an ECI, it is to set out the action that it intends to take, if any, and its reasons for taking or not taking action, which confirms that the submission by the Commission of a proposal for an EU act in response to an ECI is optional.
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