The Commission registered a new citizens’ initiative called ‘Save the Planet by shifting taxation from labour to greenhouse gas emissions’ on 13 May.
Organisers call on the Commission to strengthen the ‘Fit for 55’ package and EU carbon pricing system, among other goals. The collection period should open within the next 6 months. Read the details by clicking ‘more’.
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Lesen Sie den Newsletter auf Deutsch. Klicken Sie unten auf die Schaltfläche ‘more’ und wählen Sie dann auf der neuen Seite das Globus-Symbol aus, um die deutsche Übersetzung auszuwählen.
A kind reminder: this newsletter has automatic machine translation into 23 EU languages. Want to switch languages? Click ‘more’ and select the language of your choice at the top of the page. Thanks for keeping in mind this is machine generated.
Talking to people about the ECI sometime soon? We’ve got you covered! An updated powerpoint presentation is available on the communication materials page. Click ‘more’ to check it out.
On 12 April, the ECI Forum team was present at the LevelUP! Youth event hosted at the European Parliament in Brussels. Through an engaging simulation, enthusiastic young participants delved into the foundations of the ECI and had the opportunity to pitch their own ECI proposals and vote for their favourite.
If you want the ECI Forum team to speak in your event or at your university, please contact us at eciforum@ecas.org.
Discover the keys to success when it comes to ECIs. From strategic collaboration to media mastery, many ideas were shared by seasoned experts and campaigners at the 2024 ECI Day workshop titled "How to Look for Partners".
Discover insights from Rebeka Hevesi, legal advisor to Member of the European Parliament Anna Donáth, on the proposed ECI 'Creation of a European Environment Authority’ and its potential to enforce binding decisions across EU borders in the ECI Forum’s latest blog post.
The ECI Facebook Group is one year old and counts 1,5K members! We want your feedback on improving it by participating in a brief survey. It only takes a few minutes, and your input will be confidential.
In the past month, we’ve welcomed two new ECI Ambassadors to our network.
Our ECI Ambassadors are vital in helping to make available information about the ECI at national and local level and empower citizens to make use of their EU citizenship rights. Our newest ECI Ambassadors come from Europe Direct Centres and have expertise in participatory democracy.
We would like to welcome:
If you would like to find out more about our ECI Ambassador programme, visit the ECI website by clicking ‘more’.
Good news regarding signing citizens’ initiatives with electronic IDs (eID)!
The regulation should enter into force in the coming weeks. It will be fully implemented by 2026.
Concretely, the EU Digital Identity Wallet will allow citizens to identify and authenticate themselves online to a range of public and private services, create free digital signatures or store and share digital documents. Using the wallet will always remain voluntary.
Following the July 2023 reply of the Commission to the ‘Save Cruelty-Free Cosmetics’ citizens’ initiative, work on the ‘roadmap to phase out animal testing for chemical safety assessments’ is progressing. The ECI organisers were invited to a workshop as part of the process. Read ‘more’ by clicking below.
In addition, a public consultation on sharks and marine ecosystems is running until 4 June 2024. This is part of the follow-up to the ‘Stop Finning – Stop the Trade’ citizens’ initiative.
The citizens’ initiative ‘EU Live Bus Stop Info’ opens for signature collection on 26 April. Organisers have 1 year to collect 1 million signatures.
You can support a total of 9 citizens’ initiatives at the moment. Check them out by clicking ‘more’.
On 10 April, the Commission registered a new citizens’ initiative called 'My Voice, My Choice: For Safe and Accessible Abortion'. The campaign aims to offer ‘the people of Europe the chance to make women's lives freer, safer, and better; wherever they live in our union, whatever conditions they may find themselves in.’
The organisers proceeded to open the signature collection period on 24 April. Learn ‘more’ about this initiative.
Lire le bulletin en français. Cliquez sur le bouton 'more' ci-dessous, puis sur la nouvelle page (en haut de la page) cliquez sur l’icône du globe pour sélectionner la traduction française.
Lesen Sie den Newsletter auf Deutsch. Klicken Sie unten auf die Schaltfläche ‘more’ und wählen Sie dann auf der neuen Seite das Globus-Symbol aus, um die deutsche Übersetzung auszuwählen.
A kind reminder: this newsletter has automatic machine translation into 23 EU languages. Want to switch languages? Click ‘more’ and select the language of your choice at the top of the page. Thanks for keeping in mind this is machine generated.
The Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) programme has launched a call for proposals to strengthen democratic transition from authoritarian and totalitarian rule to democracy in different European countries. There is emphasis on (re-)building and strengthening society based on the rule of law, democracy and fundamental rights in the EU. All eligible candidates are invited to apply by 6 June 2024 through the Funding and Tender Portal.
An info session will be held on 18 April, register by clicking ‘more’.
Join us in improving the ECI Forum by participating in a brief survey. It takes only a few minutes, and your input will be confidential.
The survey is available in all EU languages.
Tuesday 5 March was ECI Day 2024 – a yearly event on the ECI organised by the European Economic and Social Committee and its partners.
This year, it was held as part of the EESC’s first Civil Society Week, entitled ‘Rise Up for Democracy!’. Two workshops were organised by the ECI Forum, designed to help potential ECI organisers learn from the experience of previous initiatives and find support for their own.
Read reflections from ECI Ambassador Bruno Kaufmann on the 'critical assessments’ of the ECI and the potential the ECI holds for the future of democracy. Click ‘more’.
On 13 March, the ECI Forum team welcomed a group of students from the University College Dublin to present the European Citizens’ Initiative as a tool for participatory democracy and how the ECI Forum supports organisers in launching their initiatives.
The ECI Forum continues to directly engage with university students. Would you like us to make a presentation at your university? Contact the ECI Forum at eciforum@ecas.org.
In her Master's thesis, "The European Citizens' Initiative: A Pathway towards transnational democracy in Europe?", Italian student Paola Ladisa critically examines the European Citizens' Initiative, highlighting its strides in fostering citizen engagement and its challenges in fully realising its transformative potential for transnational democracy in Europe. Discover the key arguments and insights from her research in this article for the ECI Forum.
Get tips on running a successful European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) campaign in our latest blog post! Gain insights and advice directly from ECI experts and campaigners, shared during an online ECI Forum’s ‘world café’ event, covering everything from communications to fundraising and community-building in a multilingual, transnational context.
Join the European Citizens’ Initiative Official Group on Facebook. This group gives you access to frequent updates, and you can post about your ECI experience.
