In particular, the involvement of citizens and civil society in the development of public policy and regulations will be ensured through a new Law on Public Participation in the Decision-Making Process, which has been approved by the government. This initiative is expected to make the decision-making process more transparent and provide citizens with greater opportunities to participate in the development of public policies. They will be able to participate at all stages of the development, adoption, and amendment of regulations and policy documents. Public participation will be supported through two digital platforms. Publishing consultations on will become mandatory, and citizens will be able to track the entire consultation process. The platform will be used to promote citizen initiatives and direct citizen participation in decision-making. The bill extends the timeframes for public participation so that citizens and interested organizations have more time to analyze proposals and submit recommendations. During the initiation phase, the minimum period will be 10 business days for regulatory acts and 15 business days for policy documents. After drafts are developed, the consultation period will increase to at least 15 business days for regulatory acts and 20 business days for policy documents. The bill also introduces a citizens’ initiative mechanism, through which citizens will be able to propose solutions to issues of public interest based on a clear and transparent procedure. The law will apply to all central and local public authorities, including the parliament, the president, the government, autonomous public bodies, and authorities in administrative-territorial units with special status. The new provisions will take effect on January 1, 2027, and the citizens’ initiative mechanism will become effective on January 1, 2028. // July 22, 2026 – InfoMarket.