News

1. 29/04/2013 - A set of guidelines and recommendations for the practical implementation of the European Citizens’ Initiative, intended for the use of competent national authorities and organisers, is now available. They cover the various stages of the ECI procedure, from registration with the Commission through to the verification of statements of support.
2. 31/10/2012 - As a response to issues faced by the organisers during the start-up phase, the Commission has decided that it will exceptionally accept the statements of support collected until 01/11/2013 for all currently registered initiatives.
3. 31/10/2012 - First European citizens' initiative running on Commission's servers, "Fraternité 2020", can now start collecting statements of support online, following the certification of their system by the competent national authority of Luxembourg - Press release
4. 04/09/2012 - The first initiative - right2water - has started collecting statement of supports online. Its online system has been successfully set up with a private host provider and certified by the competent national authority. Press release
5. 17/08/2012 - Exceptional assistance by the Commission in the start-up phase. To help get the first European citizens' initiatives off the ground, the Commission has, as an exceptional measure, offered its own servers to organisers having a hard time finding a host provider, and is assisting them all the way in preparing for the certification of their online collection system by the competent national authority. See 18 July ESPRESSO and link to joinup.eu.
6. 11/05/2012 - The first European citizens' initiatives have been registered; the collection of signatures supporting them can now start. Find out here what these initiatives propose.
7. 08/05/2012 - Press release
8. 31/03/2012 - Message by Maroš Šefčovič, Vice-President of the European Commission
9. 30/03/2012 - The minimum numbers of signatories per Member State have been modified to take into account the change in the basis for calculation (the number of Members of the European Parliament per Member State). Check the new numbers.
10. 30/03/2012 - Corrigenda to the Regulation on the citizens' initiative will soon be published in 19 languages, in particular as regards the statement of support forms. This will also be incorporated in the Commission software for which a new release will take place this week. Potential organisers should make sure to use this updated version in their system

More information

• Guide to the European Citizens' Initiative
• Legislative framework
• Implementation at national level
• Other ways of having your say
• Useful links