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As of today, 1 July, the EU Digital COVID Certificate Regulation enters into application. This means that EU citizens and residents will now be able to have their Digital COVID Certificates issued and verified across the EU. 21 Member States as well as Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein had already started to issue certificates ahead of today's deadline, and five EU countries are starting today. From 19 July 2021, Ireland plans to operate the EU Digital COVID Certificate for travel originating within the EU and EEA from Monday 19 July - technical testing is currently taking place.

A public hearing on the citizens’ initiative to ban the use of cages for farm animals took place in the European Parliament (EP) on 15 April. Organisers Olga Kikou and Leopoldine Charbonneaux presented the initiative’s objectives after opening statements from chairpersons of the AGRI and PETI Committees Norbert Lins (EPP, DE) and Dolors Montserrat (EPP, ES) and Commission Vice-President for Values and Transparency Věra Jourová. “Instead of using cages, we call on the EU to (...) move to alternative systems, which are already in existence, such as barns, organic systems, free range or free farrowing”, said Ms Kikou. Animal welfare and financial support for farmers during a transition period were key elements of the lively debate, involving many MEPs and Commissioners Kyriakides and Wojciechowski. This is the 6th initiative to have been submitted to the European Commission, after collecting more than 1 million signatures. Read more or watch the hearing below.

Another initiative, registered at the end of April, focuses on using existing commercial rooftops as space for green garden areas. Most rooftops are barren and not used for a specific purpose. The organising team - coming from Belgium, Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria and Slovenia – want larger corporations to install rooftop gardens. They argue this will improve environmental benefits and increase awareness about reaching a healthy balance between protecting our environment and the economy. Learn more about the newly registered initiative by visiting our website.

A group of students from the College of Europe submitted a new citizens’ initiative which was registered by the European Commission on 21 April: the Civil Servant Exchange Program (CESP). Taking inspiration from the Erasmus exchange programme, the proposal includes giving civil servants the opportunity to work in a similar field in a different Member State for 2 to 12 months. The proposal includes teachers, hospital staff, prison staff, judges, police officers, administrative staff, etc. under the umbrella of ‘civil servants’. The initiative aims to foster exchange of best practices and strengthen freedom of movement for workers at all levels. Striving for a new spirit of unity, the organisers say: ‘As European students and future civil servants, we believe that exchanges should not stop once studies come to an end.’