European Citizens’ Initiative

Wrapping up a fantastic year full of milestones! We had 4 official Commission replies to ECIs (a record!), published a review report on ECI 2020-2023, launched an educational toolkit, as well as the very first ‘ImagineEU’ video competition for schools, reached 1100 members on the ECI Facebook group and almost 140k subscribers to this newsletter!

Enough of bragging...we wish you a great holiday period, a wonderful end of the year and an even more amazing start of next year, hoping it will be as rewarding as this one.

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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.

On 7 December, the Commission replied to Fur Free Europe, the 10th valid citizens’ initiative. Backed by over 1.5 million citizens, its organisers calledfor prohibiting the keeping and killing of animals for fur production and prohibiting the sale of fur.

As a first step the Commission has asked EFSA’s a scientific opinion (by March 2025) on the welfare of animals farmed for fur. Based on the outcome, it will communicate on next steps (proposal for a ban of fur production or alternative solutions).

The full reply is available on our website.

On 6 December, we published the review of the revised European Citizens' Initiative regulation. This report highlights the benefits brought to ECI organisers and supporters through a more accessible and user-friendly framework.

Check some key facts and figures for the period since 2020 and read the full report on our website.

They are talking about us! The European Citizens’ Initiative was recently mentioned in several publications and reports around participatory democracy and citizenship.

The latest Eurobarometer showed that 64% of European citizens are aware of the right to participate in a European citizens’ initiative. In addition to this, the ECI was featured in the citizenship report 2023 and guide for new EU citizens.

Find us at page 10 of the guide! Discover more by clicking ‘more’.

The public voting of the ‘ImagineEU’ video competition is now open – until 28 January. Nearly 400 school teams presented, in short videos, their concrete ideas that could benefit citizens across the EU – similarly to the ECI.

Check the videos produced by the students (you can sort by topic or country) and vote for your favorite ones.

A new version of the Central Online Collection System is available! Users might have already noticed improvements in the look and feel, for example, the new map of Europe with information on support numbers. As use of electronic identification (eID) is more popular than ever, users can now easily see which national eID scheme they can use.

Calling all civil society organisation – The CERV (Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values) programme launched the 2024 ‘Union values’ call with 74.5 million EUR available to support local, regional and/or national civil society organisations! With a substantial increase of the budget (from 51 to 74.5 million EUR), the aim of this call is to protect, promote and raise awareness of fundamental rights and EU values.

Discover more about this call by subscribing to the ‘DG Justice Newsletter on funding opportunities & funded projects’.

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.

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.

Ending the year in style! The ECI Facebook group reached 1100 members in 2023 and more and more discussions are posted by users.

Road to 2000! Join by clicking on ‘more’ below and help us grow the ECI community.

Communication about the European Citizens’ Initiative would not be the same without the support of our Ambassadors. Whether it is at external events, on social media, through blogs or more, our voice is heard also thanks to them.

Visit our website and check what they are doing online!

Dive into the latest blog post featuring Elise Fleury, the Campaign Lead at Eurogroup for Animals, as she discusses the ‘Fur Free Europe’ initiative and the key factors for success in an interview for the ECI Forum.

Discover the latest insights on the ECI in the Forum’s new blog post! The Commission's comprehensive review acknowledges the ECI Forum for its support to initiative organisers, with positive assessments and feedback from the consultations.

Dive into the details of the report, explore ECI successes, and learn about the European Parliament's ideas for improvement.

The ‘European Citizens’ Initiative Info Packet for Civil Society Organisations’, developed in collaboration with CSOs across the EU, is a comprehensive guide that provides insights on launching and supporting ECIs, fostering a united approach to citizen engagement. Dive into the essential information tailored for CSOs, by CSOs, on the ECI Forum’s homepage.

Already voted for your favorite videos and want to make some noise about the competition? A promotional video is now available on our website!

Download it or share from the ECI Facebook group.