Come and join us in the beautiful Bulgarian mountains at Uzana Poljana Fest. Combine learning more about participatory democracy in the EU with a great day out!
Where: Gabrovo, Bulgaria.
The ECI is coming to Slovakia this summer – specifically the Pohoda Festival. Join us in the EU Fun Zone, organised by the European Commission Representation in Slovakia. You can play ECI games, meet ECI Ambassadors and volunteers, test your knowledge, share your ideas, and win a prize!
Where: Airport Trenčín
Learn more about the European Citizens’ Initiative at the upcoming INmusic festival in Zagreb. Visitors can meet an ECI Ambassador and volunteers at the stand of the Representation of the European Commission in Croatia. Check out the video booth and other activities available – you can both discover the ECI and share your own ideas.
Join our engaging webinar on empowering citizen participation in the European Union: 'Unlocking Engagement: Strategies for Reaching and Activating the Unengaged for Your ECI'.
We will explore overcoming barriers, using digital tools, and activating grassroots movements to drive successful European Citizens' Initiatives (ECIs) to shape EU policy.
There are two occasions to learn more about the ECI in Germany coming up! At the Democracy Festivals in Berlin (24-26 May) and Bonn (25 May), you can find us as part of the stands hosted by the Commission Representation in Germany.
Our ECI Ambassador and volunteers look forward to welcoming you with a quiz and opportunities to share ideas and questions! Entrance is free.
Join the ECI Forum at the Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy in Bucharest for an ECI Bootcamp on ‘how to start an ECI’! Learn the essential steps of launching an ECI and engage in interactive activities to gain real-life understanding of the ECI lifecycle. The bootcamp lasts from 17:30-19:00.
This Global Forum is brought to you by Democracy International.
Register today!
Join the ECI Forum at the Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy in Bucharest for a Bootcamp on ‘how to organise an ECI’! Analyse the best practices of successful ECI organisers and engage in interactive activities to gain real-life understanding of the ECI lifecycle.
This Global Forum is brought to you by Democracy International.
Register today!9 May is Europe Day – and the celebrations are extra special this year!
With the upcoming EP elections, 20th anniversary of several Member States joining our Union and more – there are many Europe Day celebrations happening across the EU.
On Saturday, 4 May, you can visit the ‘Strengthening Our Democracy’ village and talk to European Commission officials about the ECI at the Open Day in Brussels (Rue de la Loi 200).
The ECI will also be featured at events across Europe. Check out what’s happening and when in your country.
Save the date for ECI DAY 2024! On 5 March 2024, the event will be part of the first Civil Society Week organised by the EESC.
In light of the upcoming elections in June 2024, this flagship event will gather people of all ages and backgrounds, including youth, journalists and EU institutions, to discuss the different threats and challenges to safeguarding democratic values. One of the main topics will be the ECI, as it’s one the main tools that allow EU citizens to make their voice heard on key issues.
Are you a current or future organiser? Join us for an online ECI World Café to receive peer-to-peer advice from former successful organisers on all your campaign questions, including fundraising, community building, communications, and more!
More information below.
At the EARLALL webinar ‘Promoting Democratic Engagement of young people at the local and regional level’ on 15 December, you can find out more about the European Citizens’ Initiative and how regions, local authorities and all citizens can benefit. Bonus point: reinforcing the importance of democratic engagement in the lead up to the European elections.
On 8 November, Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius met with the organisers of ‘Save Cruelty-free Cosmetics - Commit to a Europe without Animal Testing', to discuss the Commission’s reply to the initiative. As announced in its reply, the European Commission has started work on a roadmap to phase out animal testing for chemical safety assessments.
A hybrid workshop involving interested stakeholders, including the organisers of the initiative, will take place on 11-12 December to provide ideas and discuss possible approaches for the uptake of non-animal methods in chemical legislation.
The European Citizens’ Initiative will be at the Silesian Science Festival in Katowice, Poland, with a presentation on the ECI and a stand where visitors can learn more about open initiatives, as well as about the 'EU Democracy in Action - Have Your Say with the European Citizens' Initiative' toolkit for schools. Don’t miss your chance to pass by and learn more about the ECI!
Tune in for the ‘30 years of EU citizenship rights’ online event, organised by the European Commission on November 28 at 19:00 CET. Join the event to explore the benefits that come with being an EU citizen and the significance of EU citizenship rights; there will be a fun quiz to test your EU knowledge and a prize for the winners!
On Thursday, 23 November, the ECI Forum will host a webinar ‘What is the ECI and Why Should I Care?’. This webinar will focus on the process of the ECI, testimonials from current and past organisers and the support tools available to organisers.
Civil society organisations are pivotal for the ECI. To further promote the ECI to civil society around Europe, an online welcome session for CSOs is planned for Tuesday 14 November to present the first-ever ECI Welcome Packet aimed for them.
The session on “ImagineEU: Toolkit and school competition on EU democracy & European Citizens’ Initiative” will present the toolkit for high school pupils on democratic participation in the EU, focusing on the European Citizens’ Initiative. (See our previous webinar on the toolkit here). The introduction of the toolkit is accompanied by the 'ImagineEU' competition for high schools, inviting pupils to come up with their ideas for new initiatives.
Where: Brussels (SQUARE Meeting Centre)
When: 12 October, 12.30
Format: EU Regions Talks
Join the session on “ImagineEU: Toolkit and school competition on EU democracy & European Citizens’ Initiative”. The toolkit introduces high school pupils to the topic of democratic participation in the EU, focusing on the European Citizens’ Initiative. The introduction of the toolkit is accompanied by the 'ImagineEU' competition for high schools, inviting pupils to come up with their ideas for a better Europe.
Where: Brussels (SQUARE Brussels Meeting Centre)
When: 12 October, 12.30
Don’t miss the webinar ‘How to budget your European Citizens’ Initiative with input from successful ECI campaigners’. Its aim is to understand how to collect and effectively allocate funds in an ECI campaign. Bonus content: input from 3 successful ECI campaigners!
When: 11 October 2023, 14:30 CET
Click ‘more’ to get more info and register.
Mark your calendars for the next ECI Forum webinar ‘How to Engage Young People’ on 28 September. This webinar will focus on the role of young people in the ECI, specifically how to get them to sign ECIs, and how young people can launch an ECI or be active volunteers. More information will be available in September on the ECI Forum.
