European Citizens’ Initiative

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Organisers of the European citizens' initiative ‘Save cruelty free cosmetics – commit to a Europe without animal testing’ met with Members of the European Commission (Věra Jourová, Vice-President of the European Commission for Values and Transparency, and Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for Internal Market) on 17 March.

The organisers presented the three objectives of the initiative in depth, together with their ideas on how to transition to animal-free science. This meeting took place after the initiative became the 9th valid ECI to reach more than 1 million statements of support.

The Commission is analysing the initiative and has until 25 July 2023 to present its official reply.

On 27 March, ‘Stop Finning – Stop the trade’ initiative organisers, scientists and industry representatives spoke in a public hearing at the European Parliament. The organisers presented the reasons behind their call for banning the trade of loose shark fins, referring to the important role of sharks in marine ecosystems and the high demand for shark fins on international markets.

Commission Vice-President Věra Jourová and Commissioner for Environment and Oceans Virginijus Sinkevičius participated in the hearing.

Watch the Parliament’s video extracts or the full recording.

During the debate on the ECI ‘Save bees and farmers!’ in the plenary session of the European Parliament on 16 March, the ECI was widely acclaimed as an important tool to influence EU decision-making.

Commissioner McGuiness considered that such support from EU citizens confirms that the Commission is on the right track with its two proposals on nature restoration and the sustainable use of pesticides. She called on Members to keep this ECI in mind when deciding on the two proposals. While Members of the Parliament shared the general objectives of the citizens’ initiative in the long term, their views on how to achieve these objectives differed widely.

On 22 March, the European Commission registered a new citizens’ initiative called ‘‘End the Horse Slaughter Age’. Initiative organisers call on the Commission for a law to ban the slaughter of horses, and for laws to stop long-distance transportation of horses across Europe for slaughter and to protect horses excess work or hard training.

This is the 3rd citizens’ initiative registered in 2023. Organisers have six months to start the collection of support – aiming for 1 million signatures from at least 7 EU countries.

Every year celebrations take place for Europe Day across the EU.

On Saturday, 6 May, you can visit the ECI stand at the physical Open Day in Brussels – if you are in town, come to meet the ECI team in the Berlaymont (Rue de la Loi 200) between 10 am and 6 pm.

Find a local event in your area here.

Calling all educators! Activate your class with the European Citizens' Initiative toolkit - a webinar for teachers is scheduled for Thursday, 11 May 2023, 18:30 – 19:30 CET.

Be the first to know about a new toolkit aimed to teach high school students about active citizenship and the European Citizens’ Initiative. Hear first-hand from a teacher who piloted the 4-unit lesson plan.

The webinar will be held in English. Registration will open in April.

Introducing a new way to connect and interact with organisers, stakeholders and interested citizens through the European Citizens’ Initiative Facebook Group!

Join the group today! As a member of this group, you will be able to stay informed, share information, news and events concerning the ECI in general and specific initiatives.

We look forward to connecting with you there.

On 1 April, the ECI celebrates its 11th anniversary! This date marks the day when the first ECI regulation started to apply. Did you know that since 2012 nearly 100 initiatives were registered and received some 18 million signatures? To find out more and to spread the word about this unique participatory tool, head over to our Communication material page for videos and factsheets in all EU official languages.

Eglė Celiesiene, who leads the Lithuanian College of Democracy for the last 10 years, joined the ECI Ambassador programme recently. The mission of the College of Democracy is the initiation of positive social changes through fundamental and applied research, as well as related initiatives and programmes in the spheres of social development, education and children's wellbeing. One example is the two-year ERASMUS+ Digital Inclusion for all learners (DI4all) project. It aims to combat disinformation through education and training.

Joining the ECI Ambassador programme means “making a positive impact on the lives of European citizens and help bring about positive change. I will be able to raise awareness through social media, our website as well as events and workshops with Lithuanian NGOs”.

Meet your ECI Ambassadors by clicking ‘more’ below.

Did you miss the webinar ‘Collecting Signatures Online – What you need to know about the Central Online Collection System with testimonials from successful ECIs’?

Watch the webinar here.

This webinar provided practical information and guidance on collecting signatures online with a focus on the Central Online Collection System from the IT Project Officer responsible and personal experience of an organiser of a successful initiative.

‘Crucially, rural depopulation threatens the loss of cultural heritage practices, rural traditions and, in some cases, minority languages or dialects.’

Learn more about why this threat is important to EU citizens and what the organisers of the 'Protect Rural Heritage' initiative are fighting for. This blog post outlines the key reasons why the organisers launched this ECI and what it wants to achieve.

Read this blog post by clicking ‘more’.

Is there a time limit for the Commission to answer a valid citizens’ initiative?

Yes! The Commission has 6 months - from the date the initiative was submitted with proof of 1 million valid signatures – to issue a communication. This answer outlines the measures the Commission plans to take, if any, as well as justifications and a timeline of next steps. The communication is published in all EU official languages on the ECI website.

The Commission also notifies the European Parliament, the EU Council, the European Economic and Social Committee, and the Committee of the Regions, as well as all national parliaments in the EU.