European Citizens’ Initiative

On 6 February, the European Commission partially registered a new citizens’ initiative. Two of the three objectives were considered legally admissible.

The initiative, ‘European Cannabis Initiative’, asks to foster access to medical cannabis throughout the EU and to allocate the necessary resources for researching cannabis for its therapeutic uses.

Organisers have 6 months to open the initiative for signature collection, aiming to reach 1 million signatures of support.

Organisers of the citizens’ initiative ‘Preservation and development of Ukrainian culture, education, language, and traditions in EU states’ started their signature collection period on 13 February.

They call for the Commission to help “bridge cultural gaps and empower Ukrainian cultural and linguistic heritage in the EU community, fostering a sense of belonging and promoting integration for Ukrainian refugees”. The initiative has 1 year to collect 1 million signatures.

You can read more about its objectives on our website.

See all 11 ECIs collecting support.

On 9 February Stella Kyriakides, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, accompanied by Commission staff from relevant departments, received representatives of the successful European citizens’ initiative 'Fur Free Europe'.

In the meeting Commissioner Kyriakides presented the Commission's response to this initiative, adopted on 7 December 2023, and replied to the questions of the organisers.

On 22 February, the Court of Justice delivered its judgment in case C-54/22 P, Romania v Commission. The Commission’s 2019 decision to partially register the European citizens’ initiative ‘Cohesion policy for the equality of the regions and sustainability of the regional cultures’ is upheld following the dismissal of Romania’s appeal.

On 22 February, the European Commission published a call for evidence seeking views and expertise concerning trade of loose shark fins.

The aim is to ensure the best informed, participatory and transparent way of deciding on the follow-up to the 2023 European citizens’ initiative ‘Stop Finning – Stop the Trade’.

In January 2024, the Commission adopted new minimum hygiene standards for materials and products that come into contact with drinking water. These hygiene standards are an important milestone in the implementation of the recast Drinking Water Directive and represent further follow-up to the successful 2013 a 'Right2Water' citizens’ initiative.

Congratulations to the three winning teams of the ImagineEU video competition!

Winning teams come from France, Italy and Romania. They are invited to Brussels in March for an award ceremony. A big thank you to all students and teachers who took part – we enjoyed your innovative ideas, creative presentation, and enthusiasm!

Watch the winning videos by clicking ‘more’.

The 2024 edition of European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) Day will take place on Tuesday, 5 March in a completely new framework.

At #ECIDay2024, you can engage with EU institutions, civil society organisations, ECI organisers and other stakeholders for ECI-related panel discussions and practical "how-to" workshops.

More information and registration in the links below. Registration closes Tuesday, 27 February.

Build a robust network of partners and volunteers before launching your European citizens' initiative for greater success, as recommended by the successful ‘Stop Finning – Stop the Trade’ campaign.

Discover their strategy that garnered 1.1 million signatures.

Claudia Taccani, spokesperson of the International Organisation for Animal Protection (OIPA), shares insights on how ECIs can empower citizens to advocate for animal rights through initiatives like ‘Vegan Meal’ and ‘End the Horse Slaughter Age’. Read more about OIPA's positive experience and their commitment to transforming citizens' voices into legislative measures for the protection of animals.

You can also watch a ‘Meet and Greet’ video with Claudia.

ECI Day gathers potential, current, and future ECI organisers and stakeholders to exchange information and learn from one another. The ECI Forum team is hosting several sessions at ECI Day – get a sneak peek in this blog post.

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. Take part.

Are you following the latest ECI community updates online? Join, post and engage with the ECI Facebook group today.

The Commission aims to inform young people between 16 and 23 years old about the upcoming European elections and other ways for young people to engage with the EU – including the ECI. Check out the flyer in electronic or print form – available in 24 official EU languages.

There’s a new one-stop-shop for citizens’ engagement at EU level. Explore the ways you can contribute to EU policies. In addition to the ECI, EU citizens can contribute to public consultations and the new citizens’ engagement platform.