"European Citizens’ Initiative Newsletter" Newsletter Issues

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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.

We hope you enjoy!

7th successful initiative – ‘Save bees and farmers!’ (26/10/2022)

'Save bees and farmers! Towards a bee-friendly agriculture for a healthy environment' became the 7th successful European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) on 10 October. It has reached 1,054,973 validated statements of support from EU citizens, with thresholds attained in 11 countries.

The initiative calls on the Commission to propose legal measures to phase out synthetic pesticides by 2035, to restore biodiversity and to support farmers in this transition.

Organisers will meet with the Commission to discuss the initiative in the coming weeks. A public hearing will also be organised by the European Parliament. The Commission has until 7 April 2023 to present its official reply, outlining the actions it intends to take.

New Initiative registered – 'European citizens’ initiative for VEGAN MEAL’ (26/10/2022)

On 18 October the Commission registered a European citizens' initiative called 'European citizens' initiative for VEGAN MEAL’.

Organisers call on the Commission to present a proposal requiring private and public places selling food and drinks in Europe to always and explicitly make a vegan alternative available.

Press ‘more’ for the press release.

Open for signatures – 'Focus on Specific Learning Disabilities’ (26/10/2022)

On 27 October, the ‘Focus on Specific Learning Disabilities on EU Level’ initiative opened its signature collection. Organisers call on the Commission to present a proposal for common European guidelines on how to detect and address learning disabilities, and to ensure a better integration of people with such disabilities within educational systems.

Citizen survey: Share your opinion (26/10/2022)

Would you tell us more about your experiences with the ECI and yourself?

We have launched a short citizens’ survey about the European Citizens’ Initiative. Its results will feed into the Commission’s review of the functioning of the ECI. Questions cover a variety of topics – from knowledge of how the ECI works to whether you have ever wanted to start a new ECI, and more. Share your views today, in the language of your choice, by clicking ‘more’.

ECI at the Thessaloniki Film Festival (03/11/2022)

Between 3 and 13 November attendees of the Thessaloniki Film Festival can watch the new ECI video in person.

ECI at the Korzo Národní (17/11/2022)

For those in Czechia, don't miss the opportunity to learn more about the ECI at Korzo Národní on 17 November. An ECI Ambassador will be present to meet you at the ECI stand!

New ECI video (26/10/2022)

Focusing on your right to engage in topics that matter to you, this new video explains how the ECI can help citizens get involved at EU level. Available with subtitles [CC] in all official EU languages – check it out on our homepage or the Audiovisual portal by clicking ‘more’.

ECI Ambassadors Spotlight: Meet Despina and Nikos from I.R.T.E.A. (Greece) (26/10/2022)

The Institute of Research & Training on European Affairs (I.R.T.E.A.) from Greece joined the ECI Ambassador programme earlier this year and is represented by Despina Papadaki and Nikos Antonakakis.

I.R.T.E.A. promotes innovative actions and policies on European issues, including open dialogue between Greek civil society and EU officials. They have given presentations to more than 500 young people this year. “As part of our work with young people, we make a link to the ECI – citing it as a ‘good practice’. We have noticed that citizens often hesitate before embracing digital participatory tools, but once they know about the importance of the ECI, they are eagerly waiting for the next initiative.”

One tip for communicating about the ECI: “Stay consistent! People need and want to be informed by us at every step of ECI, otherwise they won’t engage.”

Meet your ECI Ambassadors by clicking ‘more’ below.

Insider tip – messages that matter (26/10/2022)

Only 2 in 5 EU citizens has heard of the European Citizens’ Initiative (Eurobarometer, 2021). So the next time someone asks you “what is the ECI?”, here is one way to respond:

“The European Citizens’ Initiative is a participatory democracy tool that gives EU citizens the right to have a say in EU policies that affect them. You have the right to sign any open citizens’ initiative or start one. Check out the current initiatives.”

More facts and communication tips can be found in a powerpoint presentation added to the Communication Material page in October. Find out ‘more’.

New blog posts (26/10/2022)

Check out the new blog posts on the ECI Forum.

‘The students behind EcoScore: You can have an impact even if you do not reach 1 million signatures’, provides advice from organisers of the European Ecoscore initiative. Read or watch their interview.

Read about ECI Day 2022 in ‘ECI as a teenager – what lies ahead?’.

Check out other blog posts on the ECI Forum by clicking ‘more’.

Webinar recording – focused on the online ECI course (26/10/2022)

Did you miss the webinar on ‘Essential skills for organising a European Citizens’ Initiative’?

Watch the webinar here.

ECI experts Elisa Lironi and Daniela Vancic present THE skills that make a good ECI organiser great and answer participants’ questions. This webinar relates to the online course: Essential Skills for European Citizens' Initiative Organisers. The interactive course helps you learn about the process and practice of developing successful ECIs.

Learn about the ECI at your university (26/10/2022)

The ECI Forum continues to directly engage with university students. In an online lecture, ECI experts discuss the potential of participatory democracy in Europe generally, and the ECI as an important tool more specifically. More than 200 students attended sessions organised in the past year.

An upcoming exchange is scheduled with students from the University of Gothenburg.

Would you like us to make a presentation at your university? Contact the ECI Forum via eciforum@ecas.org.

Did you know…? From our FAQs (26/10/2022)

What are the requirements to submit a valid initiative to the European Commission?

Once an organiser group receives the last certificate of valid signatures from the national competent authorities, the group has 3 months to submit their initiative to the European Commission. You are required to send the submission form via your organiser account. You must also include copies of all the certificates from the national authorities that confirm you’ve collected the minimum number of signatures. Delivering all the individual signatures to the Commission is NOT required.

Language settings: lire en français / auf Deutsch lesen / leer en español ... (29/09/2022)

Dear readers,

On 7 and 28 September the European Commission registered three new European citizens’ initiatives. Discover them below.

A kind reminder: this newsletter has automatic machine translation into 23 EU languages. Want to switch languages? Click here to select the language of your choice at the top of the page. Thanks for keeping in mind this is machine-generated.

We hope you enjoy!

New Initiative registered – Every European House equipped with 1 kw photovoltaic and 0.6 kw wind turbines (29/09/2022)

On 7 September, the Commission registered a new citizens initiative called ‘Every European house equipped with 1 kw photovoltaic and 0.6 kw wind turbines using EU funding’ which aims to reduce the CO2 footprint of each household and change public perception on green energy.

As of 30 September, this initiative is open for signatures. Find out more in the press release.

New Initiative registered – Protect the EU’s Rural Heritage, Food Security and Supply (29/09/2022)

A second citizens’ initiative was registered on 7 September, titled ‘Protect the EU’s Rural Heritage, Food Security and Supply’. Organisers call on the Commission to modernise its rural commitments to food security, the supply of agriculture materials and the protection of the values and livelihoods of a rural way of life.

Organisers have 6 months to start the collection of support – aiming for 1 million signatures from at least 7 EU countries. Click ‘more’ to read the press release.

New Initiative registered – Focus on Specific Learning Disabilities on EU Level (29/09/2022)

On 28 September, the Commission registered the 8th European citizens’ initiative in 2022. The ‘Focus on Specific Learning Disabilities on EU Level’ initiative requests the Commission to facilitate access to education of people with specific learning disabilities (i.e. dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia). Organisers call on the Commission to present a proposal for common guidelines on how to detect and address learning disabilities, and to ensure a better integration of people with such disabilities within the educational system.

Click ‘more’ to read the press release.

‘Voters without Borders’ ECI speaks at the European Parliament (29/09/2022)

The Committee of Petitions of the European Parliament listened to a presentation from a representative of the closed initiative 'Voters without Borders' during its 8 September meeting.

Watch the recording by clicking ‘more’.

Status of support per Initiative – Congratulations for reaching milestones! (29/09/2022)

To be considered by the European Commission, citizens’ initiatives require 1 million valid signatures. Initiatives collecting over 1 million signatures should submit the statements of support for verification to national authorities.

Several initiatives reached the following significant milestones.

• Over 350,000:

  - Fur Free Europe

• Over 300,000:

  - Ban Fossil Fuel Advertising and Sponsorships

• Over 60,000:

  - Ensuring Common Commercial Policy conformity with EU Treaties and compliance with international law

  Visit our website to learn more about all ongoing initiatives. Two initiatives close on 4 October (‘Ban Fossil Fuel Advertising and Sponsorships’ and ‘Civil Servant Exchange Programme’).

New episode! CitizenCentral podcast (29/09/2022)

In a new episode of CitizenCentral podcast we talk with several young Europeans under 26 years old! They share how they feel about voting, EU policymaking, citizen activism and the European Citizens’ Initiative. We also talk to the (young) organisers of the ‘Ending the aviation fuel tax exemption in Europe’ initiative, and two experts.

Tune in and discover the podcast on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify, and SoundCloud. Subscribe and share with your networks today! Tell us what you think about the podcast series in this survey.

Upcoming Webinar – Essential skills for organisers (19/10/2022)

What are the essential skills for organising a European citizens' initiative?

Join us on 19 October (12:30-13:30 CET) as ECI experts Elisa Lironi and Daniela Vancic present THE skills that make a good ECI organiser great. Elisa and Daniela have been supporting ECI organisers since 2015, and this webinar builds on the ECI Forum's interactive online course 'Essential Skills for European Citizens' Initiative Organisers'.

This interactive online course gives participants the opportunity to learn at their own pace, under the guidance of experts in the field.

To register for a space, please send an email to: ECIforum@ecas.org

Online ECI Model – listen to a mock ECI European Parliament hearing (14/10/2022)

The University of Göttingen will host the second ECI Model from 11 to 15 October 2022 in the context of the Erasmus+ project ECI from A to Z. Students from the universities of Coimbra, Iasi, Vigo, and Göttingen will participate in a simulation of the submission process of a European Citizens’ Initiative, the public hearing with the European Parliament, and the meeting with the European Commission. The event is part of the Erasmus Days ‘Democracy Live’. Anyone is welcome to join online the public hearing session on the ECI from A to Z Facebook page on Friday, 14 October, starting at 10:00 CET.

Read about the previous edition of the ‘ECI from A to Z’ project in this blog article.

ECI at LevelUp! In Brussels (28/10/2022)

LevelUp! is a 2-day event organised by the European Youth Forum at the European Parliament in Brussels. 1,200 young change makers are invited to develop their advocacy, organising and communication skills – and to stop by the ECI stand! You can put your knowledge to the test, speak with ECI Ambassadors and more on 28-29 October.

ECI at the Thessaloniki Film Festival (04/11/2022)

Between 4-14 November attendees of the Thessaloniki Film Festival can watch the new ECI video in person.

ECI Ambassadors Spotlight: Meet Yilly Pacheco, ECI from A to Z (30/09/2022)

We asked Yilly, one of our new ECI Ambassadors, about her work. This is what she had to say:

“With my team from the Erasmus+ Project “ECI from A to Z,” we promote civic engagement and active citizenship in the universities of Göttingen (Germany), Coimbra (Portugal), Vigo (Spain), and Iasi (Romania) by offering online and on-site training about the European Citizens’ Initiative to students from bachelor and master programs. We also develop peer-learning activities to discuss key topics in the EU agenda, conduct research, and more.

I want to engage new universities from all over Europe and replicate our project in different countries. As an ECI Ambassador, I also want to be a contact point for academia, civil society and ECI-related institutions to spread the word on ECI in different sectors.”

One tip for communicating about the ECI: “Keep talking! The first challenge we have regarding ECI is to overcome the awareness gap: to empower people by making them aware of their role as citizens in the EU! The message is clear: ECI exists; you count; your opinion matters. Take the initiative!”

Meet your ECI Ambassadors by clicking ‘more’ below.

New blog posts on the ECI Forum (29/09/2022)

Check out the new blog posts on the ECI Forum.

‘In Anatomy of a miracle: how the last 20 days of the Stop Finning EU campaign became a gamechanger’, you can read about how the ‘Stop the Finning Stop the Trade’ citizens’ initiative overcame challenges to reach 1 million signatures.

‘To all potential organisers out there: Go for it because it’s really worth it and you can learn a lot!’, is the advice from a ‘Civil Servant Exchange Program’ initiative organiser. Read or watch his interview.

Read other blog posts on the ECI Forum by clicking ‘more’.

Did you know…? From our FAQs (29/09/2022)

What are the requirements to form a group of ECI organisers? “7 EU citizens” is only part of the answer. Do they need to be 7 different nationalities, or reside in 7 different countries? Are any people excluded?

In fact, an organiser group must contain at least 7 EU citizens old enough to vote in European Parliament elections and living in at least 7 different EU countries. People with the same nationality can be part of an organiser group – as long as they live in different countries. Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) cannot be part of the group of 7.

Summer updates & language settings (30/08/2022)

Dear readers,

We hope you have had relaxing summer holidays. Below you will find a recap of ECI updates from July and August, as well as events for the autumn. Catch up on the latest blogs and read about the newest citizens’ initiative.

Reminder: this newsletter has automatic machine translation into 23 EU languages. Want to switch languages? Click here to select the language of your choice at the top of the page. Thanks for keeping in mind this is machine-generated. We hope you enjoy!

Open for signatures – Good clothes, Fair pay (30/08/2022)

‘Good Clothes, Fair Pay’ initiative organisers started the signature collection period on 19 July. The organisers have 6 objectives for legislation requiring companies in the garment and footwear sector to carry out due diligence in respect of living wages in their supply chains.

New Initiative registered – Tobacco-free environment and first European tobacco-free generation by 2030 (30/08/2022)

On 24 August, the Commission registered another European citizens’ initiative. The ‘Call to achieve a tobacco-free environment and the first European tobacco-free generation by 2030’ requests the Commission to propose legal acts that end the sale of tobacco and nicotine products to citizens born since 2010. The initiative also invites specific measures to achieve tobacco-free and butts-free beaches, riverbanks and national parks, to extend outdoor vapor-free spaces, and to further restrict tobacco advertising.

This is the 5th citizens’ initiative registered in 2022. Organisers have 6 months to start the collection of support.

5 initiatives closed over the summer (30/08/2022)

The ‘Save cruelty free cosmetics’ initiative will close its signature collection at midnight (CET) on 31 August.

Other initiatives closed in the summer: - ‘European EcoScore’ - ‘Civil society initiative for a ban on biometric mass surveillance practices’ (Reclaim Your Face) - ‘Right to Cure’ - ‘ECI for Unconditional Basic Income’

Some initiative organisers have shared the impact and outcomes of their efforts, despite not reaching 1 million signatures. Read about experiences of ‘Reclaim Your Face’, ‘ECI for Unconditional Basic Income’, and ‘Voters Without Borders’. These initiatives examine their political power during the ECI experience and look forward to what happens next.

Status of support per Initiative – Congratulations for reaching milestones! (30/08/2022)

To be considered by the European Commission, citizens’ initiatives require 1 million valid signatures. Initiatives collecting over 1 million signatures should submit the statements of support for verification to national authorities.

Several initiatives reached the following significant milestones.

• Over 950,000:

  - Save cruelty free cosmetics – commit to a Europe without animal testing

• Over 275,000:

  - Ban Fossil Fuel Advertising and Sponsorships

  - Fur Free Europe

• Over 60,000:

  - Ensuring Common Commercial Policy conformity with EU Treaties and compliance with international law

  If you’d like to support any of the ongoing initiatives, please visit our website.

WATCH: 10 years of ECI (30/08/2022)

The European Economic and Social Committee made a video to showcase 10 years of the ECI. Check it out on our history page. Pay attention – former organisers and avid ECI supporters might catch a glimpse of themselves!

ECI at the Prinsjesfestival, the Hague (17/09/2022)

On 17 September you can meet with ECI representatives at the PrinsjesMarkt in The Hague, Netherlands. Take our quiz, learn about ongoing initiatives and share your ideas.

ECI at the Cyprus Forum (29/09/2022)

For those in Cyprus, don't miss the opportunity to learn more about the ECI at the Cyprus Forum on 29 and 30 September. High-level speeches on citizens’ participation in democracy will be given by EU representatives, and ECI Ambassadors will be present to meet you at the ECI stand! Book your ticket now.

Upcoming Webinar – Essential skills for organisers (19/10/2022)

What are the essential skills for organising a European citizens' initiative?

Join us in October as ECI experts Elisa Lironi and Daniela Vancic present THE skills that make a good ECI organiser great. Elisa and Daniela have been supporting ECI organisers since 2015, and this webinar builds on the ECI Forum's online course 'Essential Skills for European Citizens' Initiative Organisers'.

Date: Wednesday, 19 October 12:30 – 13:30 CET. To register for a space, please send an email to: ECIforum@ecas.org

CitizenCentral podcast is back for season 2 (30/08/2022)

Join us as we meet Europeans in search of sustainable solution in a new episode of “CitizenCentral”! ‘ReturnThePlastics’ and ‘Green VAT’ ECIs are featured in the episode, as well as climate and sustainability experts.

Tune in and discover the podcast on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify, and SoundCloud. Subscribe and share with your networks today!

Tell us what you think about the podcast series in this survey.

Test your knowledge with the ECI quiz! (30/08/2022)

Challenge yourself or engage your audience with a short quiz on the ECI! This 7-question quiz is now available on the website in all official EU languages.

Will you get a perfect score?

New blog posts (30/08/2022)

Check out several new blog posts on the ECI Forum! In Make it Known, Make it Fun, Show Them the Impact! you can read about a workshop held during ECI Day 2022, when ECI organisers, policy experts and practitioners discussed ideas for connecting young people to the ECI.

Speaking of young people, 8 proposals were made by nearly 70 university students taking part in the Erasmus+ project ‘ECI from A to Z’. Discover the 8 proposals and read about how the students participate in a ‘mock ECI process’: ‘ECI Model’: How Students Learn to Become Active European Citizens in Practice.

Finally, the city of Rennes, France is taking their ECI experiment one step further – and looking for partners in other member states to join a REAL organising team to submit a citizens’ initiative linked to migrant dignity. Read more: Looking for co-organisers to launch a new ECI promoting European citizenship and fighting for migrants’ dignity.

Read other blog posts on the ECI Forum by clicking ’more’.

New ideas shared on ECI Forum (30/08/2022)

Are you interested in knowing what European citizens are discussing – in relation to ECIs and EU policies? Join the ECI Forum. The latest discussion threads cover the topics on the role of parliament in the digital age, participatory democracy and migration and discrimination. Discuss with your fellow citizens here.

ECI online course – at your own pace (30/08/2022)

Do you want to learn more about the process and practice of developing a successful European citizens’ initiative?

Check out the upgraded online course: ‘Essential Skills for European Citizens' Initiative Organisers’.

This interactive online course gives participants the opportunity to learn at their own pace, under the guidance of experts in the field.

Did you know…? From our FAQs (30/08/2022)

Do you know what ideas are eligible to become European citizens’ initiatives?

An idea must be within the competences of the EU – as defined in Articles 2-6 of the Treaty on the functioning of the European Union. For example, you can propose ideas linked to consumer protection, energy, transport, research and innovation, humanitarian aid and development cooperation, education and youth, non-discrimination, and more!

Check out this infographic, and for a full list, click ‘more’ below.

1 initiative registered and 3 closed for signatures in June (24/06/2022)

• The Commission registered a new European citizens' initiative entitled ‘Good Clothes, Fair Pay’ on 1 June. Initiative organisers call for legislation requiring companies in the garment and footwear sector to carry out due diligence in respect of living wages in their supply chains. They announced that they will open signature collection on 19 July. Learn more about the initiative’s 6 objectives.
• The (extended) signature collection period finished in June for two citizens’ initiatives: ‘Voters without Borders, Full Political Rights for EU Citizens’ and ‘Start Unconditional Basic Incomes (UBI) throughout the EU’.
• One initiative decided to withdraw from collecting before the official closing date: ‘Freedom to Share’.

European citizens’ initiatives feed policy proposal on pesticides use (24/06/2022)

On 22 June the Commission made a proposal for renewed pesticides rules to meet the goal of reducing by 50% the use and risk of chemical pesticides by 2030. It drew inspiration, among others, from two European citizens’ initiatives (each with more than 1 million signatures) and citizens’ proposals at the Conference on the Future of Europe, mentioned in the proposal's foreword.

These were, on one hand, the successful 2017 ‘Ban glyphosate and protect people and the environment from toxic pesticides’ initiative with a view for a pesticide-free future, and on another, the initiative ‘Save bees and farmers! Towards a bee-friendly agriculture for a healthy environment’ (under verification of signatures by Member States authorities) aiming to phase out synthetic pesticides in EU agriculture by 2035.

Watch the recording of the press conference by clicking ‘more’.

Belgium – the fifth country to allow supporting ECIs below the age of 18 (27/06/2022)

Minimum age to support European citizens’ initiatives corresponds to the age to be entitled to vote in elections to the European Parliament. Belgium has lowered the minimum voting age for these elections from 18 to 16 for all EU citizens living in the country. This measure will enter into force on 1 May 2023. As of this moment, young people aged 16-18 will also be able to support European citizens’ initiatives.

New update of the Central Online Collection System  (24/06/2022)

The Central Online Collection System has new features to improve functionality for ECI organisers. The sample social media messages have more formatting options, and the initiatives’ logos can be displayed in Facebook messages. In addition, organisers can easily download the latest metrics, find translations added in the user feedback pages and there is better guidance for citizens entering an incorrect postal code. 

Finally, feedback shared in a survey by people supporting the initiatives will allow the Commission to prepare other future improvements. The majority of open initiatives use COCS, and all new initiatives registered from 1 January 2023 will be required to use it. 

Status of support per Initiative – Congratulations for reaching milestones!   (24/06/2022)

The organisers of European citizens’ initiatives are obliged to inform the European Commission of the number of collected statements of support (both online and on paper) at least every two months. This information is then made visible on our website.  

Congratulations to those organisers whose initiatives reached certain milestones recently:

• Over 650,000:

  - Save cruelty free cosmetics – commit to a Europe without animal testing

• Over 250,000:

  - Right to Cure

  - Ban Fossil Fuel Advertising and Sponsorships

• Over 150,000:

  - Fur Free Europe

• Over 70,000:

  - Civil society initiative for a ban on biometric mass surveillance practices (Reclaim your face)

• Over 50,000:

  - Ensuring Common Commercial Policy conformity with EU Treaties and compliance with international law.

  If you’d like to support any of the ongoing initiatives, please visit our website.

ECI Day 2022 highlights  (24/06/2022)

The 2022 edition of the ECI Day, organised by the European Economic and Social Committee and its partners on 2 June, focused on the theme "European Citizens' Initiative 10 years on: ready for the future?".  

The workshop on the Central Online Collection System (COCS) allowed to present new features of the COCS and to collect feedback from users and stakeholders for the continuous improvement of the system. The workshop on 'Successful initiatives: when NGOs across the EU unite for a common cause' gave several insights into civil society's engagement with the ECI. 

Read more in the conclusions prepared by the European Economic and Social Committee, or watch the full recording.

Meet the ECI in France! (29/06/2022)

The ECI is being featured at several festivals in France this summer!

If you’re in Marseille for the Delta festival - a three-day music, sport, and arts festival – you can visit the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) stand and learn more about how to actively get involved in participatory democracy in the EU. Come meet ECI Ambassadors from Mouvement Europeen and Democratie Ouverte who will share their experience and answer your questions, challenge your friends to the ECI quiz, and learn how the ECI can help you have a say on issues that matter for Europe and the world.

The ECI will also be present at the European Commission’s stands at the Les Eurokeennes (Belfort, 30 June – 3 July), Vieilles Charrues (Carhaix, Bretagne, 14-17 July), and Rock En Seine (Saint-Cloud, Île-de-France, 25-28 August) festivals. 

Upcoming ECI Forum webinar – effective campaigning (06/07/2022)

Interested in learning how to do effective campaigning during challenging times due to external circumstances?  

Join us online Wednesday, 6 July as communication expert, John Holland, and ECI organiser from ‘Stop Finning – Stop the Trade’ , Nils Kluger, share their expertise and experiences. Starting at 12:30 CET – this webinar lasts 1 hr 15 min.

To register to this webinar please send an email to: ECIforum@ecas.org

Find further information on the webinar by clicking ‘more’ below.

The ECI is coming to Denmark and the Netherlands! (24/06/2022)

Mark your calendars for two more opportunities to meet the ECI in person this summer! Currently confirmed opportunities include:

• The Political Festival of Europe – 25-28 August in Mariager, Denmark
• The Prinsjesfestival – 14-15 September in The Hague, Netherlands

  More information will be added to the ECI website in due time.

New podcast series in preparation - share your views!  (24/06/2022)

With 7 episodes released in season 1 and production for season 2 kicking off, we invite you to share your views on the 'CitizenCentral' podcast. This survey takes approximately 8-10 minutes and is open until 15 July – click more below.

Calling on CSOs for feedback  (24/06/2022)

Summer survey! If you’re a civil society representative, we want to know your organisation’s perspectives about the European Citizens’ Initiative. We only need 5 minutes of your time. Click ‘more’ below.   

Online course  (24/06/2022)

Curious to learn more about the process and practice of developing a successful European citizens’ initiative?  

Check out the new and improved online course: Essential Skills for European Citizens' Initiative Organisers (click more below). This interactive online course gives participants the opportunity to learn under the guidance of experts in the field.  

New video with organisers  (24/06/2022)

Check out the latest video with current ECI organisers in the ECI Forum LEARN page. Meet-and-greet with five organisers of the following citizens’ initiatives: ‘Civil Servant Exchange Programme’, ‘European EcoScore’, and ‘Save Cruelty Free Cosmetics’.

New blog posts  (24/06/2022)

Check out the new blog post on the ECI Forum: "Young Italians Test the European Citizens Initiative as a Tool to Mobilise for the Climate” .  Maria Pia Napoletano, a youth professional and coordinator of the Young European Ambassadors (YEA) initiative, outlines how participants learned about the ECI and simulated starting their own initiatives during the workshop.

This event was a part of the #TheGreenTrack campaign, launched in 2022 by the European Commission to amplify youth voices and participation in relation to environmental issues, and organised by YEA.

Check out other blog posts on the ECI Forum by ECI organisers and experts: https://europa.eu/citizens-initiative-forum/blog_en

Updated infographic: Data from the ECI (24/06/2022)

The ECI Forum has updated an infographic where you can find interesting facts and figures on citizens’ initiatives between 2012 and 2022, their organisers (country of origin and residence, age) or funding.

For instance, did you know that more than 1.4 million people - in Germany, France and Italy alone -signed ECIs through the Central Online Collection System between January 2020 and May 2022? Find more figures in the PDF by clicking ‘more’.

Read this newsletter in all official EU languages! (25/05/2022)

Dear readers,

This newsletter has a new feature – automatic machine translation into 23 EU languages! Want to switch languages? Click here to select the language of your choice at the top of the page. Make sure to look for the icon similar to the picture here.

Thanks for keeping in mind this is machine-generated and a few technical bugs are still being worked out!

Open for signature collection: ‘Fur Free Europe’ (25/05/2022)

Organisers of the ‘Fur Free Europe’ initiative launched their signature collection period on 18 May. They now have 1 year to collect 1 million signatures.

This initiative asks the Commission to prohibit the keeping and killing of animals for fur production and to stop products containing farmed animal fur from entering the EU market.

Read more about the organisers’ objectives by clicking ‘more’.

Initiatives closing soon (25/05/2022)

Two citizens’ initiatives will close their signature collection period in June: ‘Voters without Borders, Full Political Rights for EU Citizens’ and ‘Start Unconditional Basic Incomes (UBI) throughout the EU’. If you’d like to learn more about these initiatives, listen to CitizenCentral podcast episodes 2 and 4 or visit their pages to read more.

Status of support per Initiative – Congratulations for reaching milestones! (30/05/2022)

The organisers of European citizens’ initiatives are obliged to inform the European Commission of the number of collected statements of support (both online and on paper) at least every two months. This information is then made visible on our website.

Congratulations to those organisers whose initiatives reached certain milestones recently:

• Over 575,000:

  - Save cruelty free cosmetics – commit to a Europe without animal testing

• Over 250,000:

  - Right to Cure

• Over 225,000:

  - Start Unconditional Basic Incomes (UBI) throughout the EU

• Over 200,000:

  - Ban Fossil Fuel Advertising and Sponsorships

• Over 90,000:

  - Fur Free Europe

• Over 70,000:

  - Civil society initiative for a ban on biometric mass surveillance practices (Reclaim your face)

• Over 50,000:

  - Ensuring Common Commercial Policy conformity with EU Treaties and compliance with international law

  If you’d like to support any of the ongoing initiatives, please visit our website.

Discover the European Citizens’ Initiative – recording available (25/05/2022)

Fear not if you missed the webinar “Discover the European Citizens’ Initiative” on Tuesday, 3 May.

We had a nice turnout of people from across Europe. Speakers Silvia Kersemakers (European Commission) and Elisa Lironi (European Citizen Action Service) gave an overview of the rights the ECI offers, and the assistance provided by the ECI Forum. Initiative organisers Marina Konstantinidi (ReturnthePlastics), Michele Gianella (Start UBI throughout the EU), Elsa Kraemer (European EcoScore) and Olga Kikou (End the Cage Age) spoke about their respective ambitions and experiences.

The event was recorded as part of the European Commission Open Days online. Watch the recording and view the presentation slides by clicking ‘more’ below.

ECI at the Commission’s Open Day 2022 (25/05/2022)

The European Citizens’ Initiative helped welcome visitors to the European Commission’s Open Day on 7 May. Visitors could take a short quiz on the ECI (currently available in EN/FR/DE/NL, with more languages coming soon), look at ongoing initiatives on the homepage and ask questions to the Commissions’ team working on the ECI.

Listen to a short interview by one colleague made at the Open Day (in French).

The Commission’s headquarters was visited by over 8,000 people. In addition to learning about the EU in general (and the ECI in particular!), participants had the opportunity to interact with ‘Youth,’ ‘Green’ and ‘Digital’ thematic areas, test their knowledge with quizzes, watch live music and dance performances, and more.

Click ‘more’ to take the quiz yourself!

Looking forward to ECI Day on 2 June to celebrate the 10 years of the ECI! (02/06/2022)

Participants are gathering for the 10th Anniversary of EDI day, hosted by the European Economic and Social Committee on 2 June. The event will be opened by EESC president Christa Schweng, and Dubravka Šuica, Vice-President of the European Commission for Democracy and Demography.

This is a hybrid event. For those who are unable to attend in person, you can watch an online livestream starting at 9:30 CET, or follow updates on the ECI Forum’s social media channels. Tune in throughout the day to follow along!

We want your opinion! Survey on CitizenCental podcast (30/05/2022)

We are conducting a survey on the ECI podcast CitizenCentral. With 7 episodes released in season 1 and production for season 2 kicking off, we’d like to take this opportunity to hear from you. This survey takes approximately 8-10 minutes and closes on 23 June. Click ‘more’ to contribute!

You can catch up on season 1 of CitizenCentral on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify, and SoundCloud.

Questions from the ECI Forum to civil society organisations: when do you support an ECI? (30/05/2022)

Calling all civil society organisations: we want to know your experience and perspective regarding the European Citizens’ Initiative! How do you choose to support, or not support, an initiative? Let us know by taking part in this short survey, deadline: 31 July.

ECI Ambassadors Spotlight: Meet Karl-Hendrik Pallo from the Estonian Cooperation Assembly & Rahvaalgatus (30/05/2022)

Karl-Hendrik joined the ECI Ambassador programme in early 2022. He had the idea to develop a subpage about the ECI that complements his organisation’s existing website focused on participatory democracy at local and national levels in Estonia. Rahvaalgatus.ee (‘The Citizens Initiative Portal’) enables citizens to write proposals, hold discussions and send petitions to the Estonian Parliament and local government. In Estonia, if a proposal gets 1,000 signatures, the Parliament must take it into consideration. “Our mission is to popularise this tool in Estonia as a way to start a constructive dialogue between citizens and politicians. In this sense the ECI has a very similar message and is a tool to help people participate directly in the political process.”

“We have noted that there are a lot of similar initiatives at the Estonian level and the EU level. Using Europe Day as a hook, we published different trivia and facts about the ECI on social media and in our newsletter. Country-specific details and statistics are the best hook to talk about the ECI, so the more access we have to statistics, the better.”

Karl-Hendrik enjoys being an ECI Ambassador because: “I like to be able to contribute to wider use of this tool as I see real value in a truly working participatory democracy. It is something that can make Brussels feel closer than it normally does and make people more interested in EU politics.”

Meet your ECI Ambassadors by clicking more below.

A new version of the ECI Infographic (30/05/2022)

Check out the latest data and figures on European citizens’ initiatives in the updated ECI infographic. Learn about the demographics of ECI organisers (age and nationality), the number of signatures per country, the amount of funding successful initiatives received... and more!

Click ‘more’ to access the figures!

Newly updated online course on the European Citizens’ Initiative (30/05/2022)

Interested in learning how to develop a successful European Citizens’ Initiative?

Check out the newly updated online course: ‘Essential Skills for European Citizens' Initiative Organisers'.

The course provides participants with an opportunity to learn about the process and practice of developing European citizens’ initiatives in an interactive online environment, under the guidance of established experts.

Successful participants will receive a Certificate upon completion of the course.

The ECI Forum reaches out to universities (30/05/2022)

The ECI Forum continues to directly engage with young people – in May with students at the University of Latvia. The ECI Forum discussed the potential of participatory democracy in Europe generally, and the ECI as a tool more specifically. The next exchange is with students from the University of Wroclaw (Poland).

Would you like us to make a presentation at your university and exchange with you and other students? Contact the ECI Forum via eciforum@ecas.org

New ideas shared on ECI Forum (30/05/2022)

Interested in knowing what EU citizens are discussing about? Join the ECI Forum and check the latest discussion threads covering topics such as the role of parliament in the digital age, migration and discrimination, unity within Europe and social policy.

Discuss with your fellow citizens by clicking more below.

Did you know...? Signing citizens’ initiatives with eIDs (30/05/2022)

When you give your support for a European citizens’ initiative online, you need to fill in specific details. For many people, there are two options: you can either fill in your details manually, or you can connect through your national eID system to have the data automatically filled in.

Currently 13 Member States offer the possibility of using the eID system active nationally (for example ‘Itsme’ in Belgium and ‘CIE’ or ‘SPID’ in Italy). Completing the form automatically with eID not only saves you time, but it ensures that data is correct – reducing the possibility of human error. This is important when the 1 million+ signatures collected are verified by the national authorities before organisers can officially submit the initiative.

Learn more below.

Last chance to register: ECI Day on 2 June (16/05/2022)

Join the ECI Day to celebrate 10 years of the ECI!

Looking back over the past 10 years, this event, hosted by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), will be opened by EESC president Christa Schweng, and Dubravka Šuica, Vice-President of the European Commission for Democracy and Demography. Participants will discuss the ECI's successes, its challenges, and what its future will look like.

Information on the programme, including sessions on successful citizens’ initiatives, the Central Online Collection System (COCS) and the ECI ‘for the next generation’ is found in the agenda.

This is a hybrid event - join us in Brussels or online! Register before 20 May at 12:00 CET.

ECI Network Gathering - 'Connecting your ideas in Brussels' - 1 June (16/05/2022)

Call for expressions of interest from multipliers in under-represented EU countries

To mark the 10th anniversary of the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI), the ECI team in the European Commission is organising a special event in Brussels to bring together people who contribute to the promotion and awareness raising of the ECI around the European Union. The ECI Network Gathering – Connecting your ideas in Brussels, on the afternoon of 1 JUNE 2022, brings together ECI National Contact Points, ECI ambassadors, representatives of the ECI Forum as well as experts from the European institutions and other relevant stakeholders.

To ensure a good geographical representation, we are offering a few sponsored places to multipliers who have already promoted the ECI from the following countries: Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal and Romania.

In this interactive meeting, participants will have the chance to meet other people involved in communicating about the ECI, share experiences and tips on communicating about active citizenship/democracy in general and the ECI in particular, and make suggestions regarding how we all could most effectively work together to make the ECI better known.

Would you like to join? Please send a short motivation and evidence of past promotional activities to SG-ECI-COMMUNICATION@ec.europa.eu. Additionally, we ask you to register as soon as possible and at the latest by 23 May 2022, using the online registration form (link below). The form password is: ECI2022.

This gathering is organised in parallel with the ECI DAY 2022 conference on 2 June.

New ECI registered: ‘End the Slaughter Age’ (27/04/2022)

The European Commission registered a new European citizens’ initiative called ‘End the Slaughter Age’ on 27 April. Organisers are asking to exclude livestock farming from activities eligible for agricultural subsidies and to include [in subsidies] ethical and ecological alternatives, such as cell farming and plant proteins. Their second aim is for the Commission to create incentives for the production and sale of plant-based products and those produced by cell farming.

After having their initiative registered by the Commission, organisers have 6 months to start the collection of the required 1 million signatures from at least 7 EU countries.

Learn more about this citizens’ initiative in the press release or by clicking ‘more’ below.

How can civil society organisations make use of the European Citizens' Initiative? (27/04/2022)

The Fundamental Rights Agency organised on 6 April the webinar “European Citizens' Initiative: how can civil society organisations make use of it?”. Representatives from the European Commission, the ECI Forum, and two ECI organisers (‘Reclaim your Face’ and ‘Voters without borders’) spoke.

Organisers described what they’ve achieved through launching an ECI – even if the process towards collecting 1 million signatures is ongoing. Running an ECI provides an opportunity to ‘open doors’ and work with politicians from many parties and on various levels. It also helped organisers start conversations on their topics and encourage people to take action.

A recording of the webinar is here.

Rennes takes the initiative! Get inspired by a city in action (27/04/2022)

The city of Rennes in France has been conducting a participatory experiment with residents since the autumn of 2021. Les Rennais prennent l’Initiative (‘Rennes citizens take the initiative’), a project launched by Labo Europe, invites citizens to build a European citizens’ initiative together around key themes.

A Citizen Factory was set up alongside 6 thematic workshops, with nearly 400 people taking part. This led to a total of 97 contributions submitted and a shortlist of 12 proposals. Residents of Rennes have until 30 April to vote for their favourite. After which, partners in other EU Member States will be sought to create an organiser group which can formally submit the project as a European Citizens’ Initiative.

Check out the full project by clicking ‘more’ below (in French).

Discover the European Citizens’ Initiative (webinar on 3 May) (03/05/2022)

Discover how to make a difference with the European Citizens’ Initiative during a webinar on Tuesday, 3 May 2022, 18:00 – 19:30 CET.

You will find out all about this unique participatory democracy tool, meet and interact with people who have started initiatives and get your questions answered.

The webinar will be held in English. You can register via the link below. The event will be recorded and offered as part of the European Commission Open Days online. You can also visit the ECI stand at the physical Open Days in Brussels – if around, come to meet the ECI team in the Berlaymont (Rue de la Loi 200) on 7 May between 10 am and 6 pm.

Join the ECI Day on 2 June to celebrate the 10 years of the ECI! (02/06/2022)

Looking back on the past 10 years, this event hosted by the European Economic and Social Committee will discuss the ECI successes, its challenges, and what its future will look like. As part of the event, a workshop on the Central Online Collection System (COCS) will be organised by the European Commission with the support of the ECI Forum.

In the context of the European Year of Youth, particular attention will be focused on young people's participation in the ECI, with a view to making suggestions on what can be done to encourage them to embrace this opportunity and make their voice heard in the EU policy-making process.

This is a hybrid event - join us in Brussels or online! Registration will open at the beginning of May.

Mark the ECI’s 10th anniversary with us! (27/04/2022)

1 April 2022 marked the 10th anniversary of the ECI, marking the date the first ECI regulation started to apply. That’s why, throughout the year, we will honor 10 years of the European Citizens’ Initiative and we invite you all to use this milestone as an opportunity to raise awareness about this unique instrument of transnational democracy. Head over to our Communication material page for resources in all EU official languages to help spread the word. Share your activities with us: SG-ECI-COMMUNICATION[at]ec.europa.eu.

ECI Ambassadors Spotlight: Meet Iva Gjuric Smrekar from Lota's box (27/04/2022)

We asked Iva, one of our ECI Ambassadors from Croatia, a few questions about her work. This is what she has to say:

“Becoming an ECI Ambassador gives our organisation, Lota’s Box, opportunities to talk more often and more efficiently about participatory democracy at national and international level. A lot of our work consists of virtual exchanges and non-formal learning, and we have incorporated ECI activities into as much as we can. We use media channels to announce new initiatives and when signing starts for initiatives. Our international network is strengthening as well, bringing added value to our local work. Recently, we contributed to an article about the ECI in national newspapers and I was invited as a speaker to a panel organised by the Croatian News Agency about participatory democracy in March.”

Shout out to the ECI organisers: “For organisers, it takes a lot of time and energy to pass the full ECI process. We should be thankful for your enthusiasm - you are trying to build a better future through your creative ideas and concepts.”

Meet your ECI Ambassadors by clicking ‘more’ below.

Status of support per Initiative – Congratulations for reaching milestones! (27/04/2022)

The organisers of European citizens’ initiatives are obliged to inform the European Commission of the number of collected statements of support (both online and on paper) at least every two months. This information is then made visible on our website.

Congratulations to those organisers whose initiatives reached certain milestones recently:

• Over 525,000:

  - Save cruelty free cosmetics – commit to a Europe without animal testing

• Over 250,000:

  - Right to Cure

• Over 200,000:

  - Start Unconditional Basic Incomes (UBI) throughout the EU

  - Ban Fossil Fuel Advertising and Sponsorships

• Over 70,000:

  - Civil society initiative for a ban on biometric mass surveillance practices (Reclaim your face)

  If you’d like to support any of the ongoing initiatives, please visit our website.

Insights from the in-person campaigning online workshop (27/04/2022)

Did you miss the ECI Forum workshop on 12 April exploring tips on in-person signature collection? Read on for some initial insights.

When it comes to in-person campaigning, ECI organisers Balász Tárnok (‘Minority SafePack’) and Olga Kikou (‘End the Cage Age’), as well as local and national initiative organisers agreed on two critical factors for grabbing people’s attention:

• 1. Hold physical stands to access pedestrians for direct signatures
• 2. Create a simple, captivating message to engage people on the street.

  In addition, mobilising volunteers to commit time and effort can make a big difference to a campaign’s success. Participants were also advised to collect 10 % more signatures than the 1 million thresholds, just as a back-up measure.

New blog post on the Forum: European Democracy Passport (27/04/2022)

Kinga Joó, Member of the European Economic and Social Committee, outlines the opportunities for citizens to engage in Europe. The European Democracy Passport provides an overview on how participation and engagement can take place. Among such opportunities, obviously: the European Citizens’ Initiative. As every year, the EESC organises the 2022 ECI Day. Read more about all of this in Kinga Joó's blog post on the ECI Forum.

Call for tenders: ECI Forum management (27/04/2022)

The European Commission has launched a tender procedure for the management of the European Citizens’ Initiative Online Collaborative Platform (ECI Forum). The procurement documents, including the tender specifications, are available on the TED eTendering website.

Organisations interested in this contract are invited to submit a tender in one of the official languages of the European Union by 31 May 2022.

New ideas shared on the ECI Forum! (27/04/2022)

If you want to know what European citizens are discussing - in relation to the ECI and EU policies, you should join the ECI Forum. The latest discussion threads cover the topics of strategic independence, social policy, energy and EU passports. Join in and discuss with your fellow citizens today!

The ECI Forum reaches out to universities (27/04/2022)

The ECI Forum continues to directly engage with university students. ECI experts take the opportunity to discuss the potential of participatory democracy in Europe generally, and the ECI as a tool more specifically. An upcoming exchange is scheduled with students from the University of Latvia.

Would you like us to make a presentation at your university too and exchange with you and other students? Contact the ECI Forum via eciforum[at]ecas.org

Did you know...? Collecting signatures online for your ECI is made easy by the COCS! (27/04/2022)

Collecting signatures is a vital part of your ECI campaign. Until the end of 2022, registered initiatives have two options for collecting signatures online – the Commission’s Central Online Collection System (COCS) or using their own system.

The Central Online Collection System offers quick and easy set-up, full compliance with technical, security and data protection standards and can be used free of charge by organisers. Do you have questions or suggestions for further improvements? Join the dedicated workshop at the ECI Day on 2 June.

You can also check out a quick comparison of your options by clicking ‘more’ below – so you make an informed decision before getting started.

Open for signature collection: ‘Win It on the Pitch’ (30/03/2022)

Organisers of the ‘Win It on the Pitch’ initiative started the signature collection period on 13 March. This citizens’ initiative calls for adopting a Council Recommendation on protecting the model of sport (especially football) in Europe, based on values, solidarity, sustainability, and open competitions.

Learn more below.

New ECI registered: ‘Fur Free Europe’ (30/03/2022)

The European Commission decided to register a new European citizens’ initiative called ‘Fur Free Europe’ on 16 March. Organisers are asking to prohibit the keeping and killing animals for fur production and to stop products containing farmed animal fur from entering the EU market.

After registering an ECI, organisers have 6 months to start the collection of 1 million signatures from at least 7 EU countries. Learn more about this citizens’ initiative in the press release or by clicking ‘more’ below.

European Parliament’s resolution discusses the European Citizens’ Initiative, among other tools (30/03/2022)

In its March plenary session, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on three instruments for engaging citizens, including the ECI. The resolution, entitled “Engaging with citizens: the right to petition and refer to the European Ombudsman, the European Citizens’ Initiative” was prepared by the Committee on Petitions.

See the full text of the resolution by clicking ‘more’.

‘Save Bees and Farmers’ ECI presents at plenary session of the European Economic and Social Committee (30/03/2022)

The European Economic and Social Committee gave the floor during the 23 March plenary session to the initiators of the European citizens' initiative ‘Save bees and farmers! Towards a bee-friendly agriculture for a healthy environment’, which has been backed by some 1.2 million people across the EU.

Helmut Burtscher-Schaden, GLOBAL 2000 – Friends of the Earth Austria, made the case for the phase-out of synthetic pesticides by 2035, restoring biodiversity and supporting farmers in the transition towards a bee-friendly agriculture. While many members congratulated the organisers for their achievement and showed support for their objectives, there were also voices underlining the potential negative impact of the measures proposed on farmers and food systems and calling for a stronger involvement of farmers in the debates.

Click 'more' to view the recording.

Mark the ECI’s 10th anniversary with us! (30/03/2022)

This whole year we honor 10 years of the European Citizens’ Initiative. Whether you want to mark the day the Regulation about the ECI entered into force (1 April), the day the first citizens’ initiative was registered (9 May) or use the ‘ECI Day’ of the European Economic and Social Committee and partners (2 June) - we hope you will join us in marking this special milestone.

Head over to our Communication material page for resources in all EU official languages to help spread the word. Share your activities with us: SG-ECI-COMMUNICATION[at]ec.europa.eu

Fundamental Rights Agency’s webinar about the ECI (06/04/2022)

The Fundamental Rights Agency organises a webinar on “European Citizens' Initiative: how can civil society organisations make use of it?” on 6 April at 10:00 CET.

This webinar will help understand what the ECI is and discuss how to use citizens’ initiatives for civil society’s advocacy. Organisers of ECIs in the field of fundamental rights will present their case and there will be room for discussion during this webinar lasting 1 hr 45 minutes. Representatives of organisations and interested individuals are welcome.

Register below.

Online workshop on in-person campaigning: 12 April (12/04/2022)

With Covid-19 restrictions slowly lifting across Europe, there will be greater possibilities to campaign for a European citizens’ initiative in person and a greater opportunity to collect signatures on paper.

This online workshop will look at local successful initiatives and their approaches to in-person campaigning as well as review the paper signature collection strategies from former successful European citizens’ initiatives. The workshop will also look at the practicalities of collecting signatures on paper, as well as offer best practices of campaign websites from successful campaigners.

Join us if you are a current or potential European citizens’ initiative organiser and need campaigning advice. The workshop takes place 12 April, 15-16:15 CET.

Workshop in Italy: Youth Participation & ECI to counteract climate change (30/04/2022)

Do you want to become an ‘expert climate activist’? Then join Young European Ambassadors in the EU for a hands-on workshop in Rome on Saturday, 30 April.

The workshop (10:00 – 17:00) – created for and by young people – aims to showcase experiences of youth participation to counteract climate change. A practical activity on the European Citizens’ Initiative will be an important part of the event, inviting participants to develop their own ideas. Former ECI organisers will also share their experience.

This event is in Italian (and English). Registration is open between 1 and 10 April. Read more details by clicking ‘more’ below.

Webinar: Discover the European Citizens’ Initiative - 3 May (03/05/2022)

Taking the initiative matters! Join us to discover how to make a difference with the European Citizens’ Initiative on Tuesday, 3 May 2022, 18:00 – 19:30 CET.

This webinar is for European citizens who want to find out about this unique participatory democracy tool. You can meet and interact with people who have started initiatives, ask your questions and more.

The webinar will be held in English. Registration is open below. The event will be recorded and included as part of the European Commission Open Days online. You can also visit the ECI stand at the physical Open Days in Brussels on 7 May.

European Year of Youth: young people discover the ECI (30/03/2022)

Young people can shape the EU agenda with the European Citizens’ Initiative. Many young people are organisers of past and ongoing initiatives and for many, taking part in an ECI has been a life-changing experience. For the occasion of the European Year of Youth, we want to make more young people aware of their right to get involved with the European Citizens’ Initiative. That’s why information about the ECI can now be found on the policy initiatives section of the European Youth Portal.

Take part in the European Year of Youth by sharing this with the young people around you.

Listen to CitizenCentral: the podcast of citizens changing Europe! (30/03/2022)

CitizenCentral puts a spotlight on the people behind European citizens’ initiatives. Organisers, policy experts and citizens share their views about the topics raised by various initiatives.

The most recent episode features the ‘Freedom to Share’ and ‘Right to Cure’ initiatives and intellectual property rights specialists.

Tune in and discover the podcast on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify, and SoundCloud.

If you enjoy CitizenCentral, you may also like other podcasts by the European Commission, including “Europe Calling” and “Food for Europe”.

ECI Ambassadors Spotlight: Meet Daniela Vancic from Democracy International (30/03/2022)

We asked Daniela a few questions about her work as an ECI Ambassador and this is what she has to say:

“Democracy International believes that the European Union needs more direct citizens’ participation in political decision-making, and the European Citizens’ Initiative is the perfect starting point for increasing people power! I enjoy promoting and activating European democracy and citizenship by sharing the latest ECI news and regularly organising events, workshops and activities with ECI community members.

I am (positively) surprised to meet people all across the EU from all walks of life who are just as passionate and nerdy about European democracy as I am! At the same time, I find it challenging that there is not enough EU-wide media coverage about the ECI when there are great and positive stories to share.”

One tip for ECI organisers: “Start early, build a strong network, and find creative and effective ways to multiply your campaign message.”

Meet your ECI Ambassadors by clicking ‘more’ below.

Status of support per Initiative – Congratulations for reaching milestones! (30/03/2022)

The organisers of European citizens’ initiatives are obliged to inform the European Commission of the number of collected statements of support (both online and on paper) at least every two months. This information is then made visible on our website.

Congratulations to those organisers whose initiatives reached certain milestones recently:

• Over 425,000:

  - Save cruelty free cosmetics – commit to a Europe without animal testing

• Over 250,000:

  - Right to Cure

• Over 175,000:

  - Start Unconditional Basic Incomes (UBI) throughout the EU

  - Ban Fossil Fuel Advertising and Sponsorships

• Over 60,000:

  - Civil society initiative for a ban on biometric mass surveillance practices (Reclaim your face)

  If you’d like to support any of the ongoing initiatives, please visit our website.

The power of democratic processes - insights from an initiative (30/03/2022)

A new blog post is waiting for you on the ECI Forum: explore why the organisers of "Reclaim Your Face" chose to launch a European citizens' initiative. Coordinator Ella Jakubowska talks about her approach and experience in the interview.

ECI Forum reaching out to Universities in the EU (30/03/2022)

During the European Year of Youth, the ECI Forum will be a pivotal instrument to connect with young Europeans!

In March, ECAS (the European Citizens Action Service, managing the ECI Forum) explained the basics of the ECI and the opportunities provided by the ECI Forum during sessions with the Babes-Bolyai University (Romania), University of Wroclaw (Poland), Leiden University (Netherlands), and Universidade Lusófona (Portugal).

Would you like your university to host such a session too? Contact the ECI Forum via eciforum[at]ecas.org

Did you know...? Myth breakers on the ECI (30/03/2022)

Do you face the same incorrect statements about the European Citizens’ Initiative over and over while campaigning? Take a look at the Myths & Reality Factsheet on our Communication material page to combat misinformation. The reality behind six common myths is outlined and available in all EU languages.

Check out this and other factsheets by clicking ‘more’.

EU in solidarity with Ukraine (30/03/2022)

The EU stands in solidarity with the people of Ukraine. Many citizens and organisations are taking direct action to assist and protect those fleeing the war. For information on the EU’s political, financial and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, click ‘more’ below.

New initiative registered: ‘Win it on the Pitch’ (24/02/2022)

The European Commission decided to register a new citizens’ initiative – the first for 2022 – on 2 February. Organisers of ‘Win it on the Pitch’ call for adopting a Council Recommendation on protecting the model of sport (especially football) in Europe, based on values, solidarity, sustainability, and open competitions.

‘Sport is an integral part of European society and culture’, outline the organisers, who want to stop the ‘takeovers by private individuals and groups whose only aim is to make money’.

Organisers have 6 months to launch the initiative and begin collecting signatures.

Open for signature collection: Green VAT (24/02/2022)

Organisers of the ‘Green VAT - An EU Green VAT to stimulate sustainable and eco-friendly products and services’ ECI launched their signature collection period on 9 February. They now have 1 year to collect 1 million signatures.

This ECI calls on the Commission to initiate tax reductions for ecological, sustainably produced and environmentally friendly products in Europe, so that all Member States could actively support climate and environmental protection.

Signature collection open: Ensuring Common Commercial Policy conformity with EU Treaties (24/02/2022)

Organisers of citizens’ initiative ‘Ensuring Common Commercial Policy conformity with EU Treaties and compliance with international law’ started their 12-month collection period on 20 February.

The initiative invites the Commission to submit a proposal for a legal act under the Common Commercial Policy to prevent EU legal entities from both importing products originating in illegal settlements in occupied territories and exporting to such territories. The objectives also make clear that the legal act that is asked for is general in nature and does not target a specific country or territory.

Listen to CitizenCentral: the podcast of citizens changing Europe! (24/02/2022)

CitizenCentral puts a spotlight on the people behind European citizens’ initiatives. Organisers, policy experts and citizens share their views about the topics raised by various initiatives.

There are now 6 episodes of CitizenCentral released for your listening pleasure. Whether you like to listen during your commute, over your lunchbreak or while cooking – there's a lot to learn from your fellow EU citizens and ECI organiser peers.

The most recent episode features the on-going and past initiatives: ‘Save Cruelty Free Cosmetics’, ‘Stop Global Warming – a price for carbon to fight climate change’ and ‘Fraternité 2020 - Mobility. Progress. Europe.’

Tune in and discover the podcast on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify, and SoundCloud. Subscribe and share with your networks today!

ECI Ambassadors team (24/02/2022)

Did you know that there are more than 20 ECI Ambassadors who formally help spread the word about the European Citizens’ Initiative and encourage EU citizens to get involved in policymaking? ECI Ambassadors come from a wide range of organisations active at local, national and European level.

A meet-up of ECI Ambassadors took place online on 23 February – with another one scheduled for 15 March. Participants had the opportunity to exchange experiences and ideas for how to support the ECI 10th Anniversary promotion.

If you or your organisation are active in participatory democracy and are interested in learning more about how to promote the ECI to your network, check out the ECI Forum blogs and our communications materials page. You can also follow this space for inspiration in the months to come.

Meet your ECI Ambassadors by clicking ‘more’ below.

Status of support per Initiative – Congratulations for reaching milestones! (24/02/2022)

The organisers of European citizens’ initiatives are obliged to inform the European Commission of the number of collected statements of support (both online and on paper) at least every two months. This information is then made visible on our website.

Congratulations to those organisers whose initiatives reached certain milestones recently:

• Over 375,000:

  - Save cruelty free cosmetics – commit to a Europe without animal testing

• Over 250,000:

  - Right to Cure

• Over 175,000:

  - Start Unconditional Basic Incomes (UBI) throughout the EU

  - Ban Fossil Fuel Advertising and Sponsorships

• Over 60,000:

  - Civil society initiative for a ban on biometric mass surveillance practices (Reclaim your face)

  If you’d like to support any of the ongoing initiatives, please visit our website.

Involving young people in EU policy making - with the ECI (24/02/2022)

Who knows best what brings European youth on board to engage in EU politics? A young activist, of course! In a blog post for the ECI Forum, European Citizens' Initiative organiser Sinead O'Keeffe (‘Voters Without Borders’) provides firsthand experience.

Sinead discusses lessons from getting started, how the team approaches online campaigning, the differences between communicating with EU citizens and lobbying politicians, and more.

Read (or watch) the full interview below.

Did you know...? From our Communication Materials page (24/02/2022)

As a reader of this newsletter, you know that the European Citizens’ Initiative is one of the main tools that EU citizens can use to participate in EU democracy. But how aware are you of other tools to make your voice heard? In our General Factsheet you can find a short guide to the participatory democracy landscape at EU level – including 5 examples to get involved.

This factsheet is available on our Communication Materials page (in the ‘Infographics and Factsheets’ section), and it includes quotes from initiative organisers. Check out the information – available in 24 EU languages – and feel free to share.

A handy ECI Check List for new organisers (24/02/2022)

Are you really ready to submit your European citizens’ initiative for registration? Use this handy ECI Check List to make sure your team has covered the main elements and potential challenges of running an ECI campaign.

The check list is part of the European Democracy Passport, researched and written by ECI Ambassador Bruno Kaufmann, and published by the European Economic and Social Committee. Check out all that the passport has to offer you on your path to active citizenship at different political levels!

10 years of the European Citizens’ Initiative! (24/01/2022)

Welcome to 2022 – the year we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI)! 10 years since the first initiatives were registered – we're up to 86 and counting! 10 years of campaigning for signatures and support; reforms to make the ECI tool more user-friendly; adaptations due to the pandemic; the birth of the ECI Forum; launching the ECI Ambassadors programme... 10 years of fostering debate and bringing EU citizens and policymakers closer together.

Together, we have achieved a lot in 10 years. In 2018 the #EUTakeTheInititiave campaign started to help raise awareness about the ECI: events and promotion, videos, a podcast series, and this very newsletter itself! And we feel this is just the beginning. A record number of initiative organisers and multipliers joined in communications efforts about the ECI in 2021.

Give the gift of participation this year. Check below for important dates to mark in your calendar and for how you can get involved in spreading the word about the ECI!

#EUTakeTheInitiative - start, sign and support citizens’ initiatives!

Court judgment on the validity of registration decision of ECI ‘Minority SafePack’ (C-899/19, appeal by Romania) (25/01/2022)

On 20 January the Court of Justice confirmed that the Commission was right in partially registering the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) “Minority SafePack” in 2017 (ruling of case C-899/19).

The Commission registered 9 out of the 11 proposals which the initiative was inviting the Commission to make. The Romanian government challenged this decision because it considered that the proposals were not within the competences of the Union. The General Court confirmed in 2019 that the Commission acted lawfully. That judgment was appealed by Romania. The appeal has now been dismissed by the Court of Justice.

Further details are found in the link below (in French).

Update of the Central Online Collection System (25/01/2022)

On 11 January the Commission released a new version of the European Citizens' Initiative Central Online Collection System (COCS) application. It includes the brand-new EU Captcha (security module for checking whether the user is human) which is open source, multilingual and GDPR-compliant.

The new COCS also offers initiative organisers detailed statistics on the use of the system for the collection of signatures. Moreover, when inserting personal data to support an initiative, citizens can now read in more detail why their data needs to be collected.

The majority of open initiatives use COCS, and all new initiatives registered from 1 January 2023 will be required to use it.

Celebrate 10 years of the ECI with us! (25/01/2022)

The 10th anniversary of the ECI will be celebrated through activities and events throughout the year. How can you get involved? Help spread the word! We want every EU citizen to know about their right to participate in EU policy making through the ECI. Here are a few ideas for helping everyone to know they can sign, support or start a citizens’ initiative:

• Check out our updated Communications Materials page and get inspiration for spreading the word
• Listen to and share real stories about ECI organisers via CitizenCentral podcasts
• Watch and share videos about the ECI
You can also mark these dates in your calendar:
• 1 April – the ECI’s ‘official’ birthday
• 9 May – Europe Day (a good hook for talking about the ECI)
• 2 June – ECI Day 2022
More details about promotional activities will be shared in the coming months.

Status of support per Initiative – Congratulations for reaching milestones! (26/01/2022)

The organisers of European citizens’ initiatives are obliged to inform the European Commission of the number of collected statements of support (both online and on paper) at least every two months. This information is then made visible on our website.

Congratulations to those organisers whose initiatives reached certain milestones recently:

• Over 1 million:

  - Stop finning, Stop the Trade

• Over 325,000:

  - Save cruelty free cosmetics – commit to a Europe without animal testing

• Over 250,000:

  - Right to Cure

• Over 150,000:

  - Start Unconditional Basic Incomes (UBI) throughout the EU

• Over 125,000:

  - Ban Fossil Fuel Advertising and Sponsorships

• Over 65,000:

  - Civil society initiative for a ban on biometric mass surveillance practices (Reclaim your face)

  If you’d like to support any of the ongoing initiatives, please visit our website.

Latest success story now available in all official EU languages (26/01/2022)

A brand-new success story called "Minority SafePack – one million signatures for diversity in Europe" has been published in all 24 official EU languages on the ECI Forum. Do you want to learn how the organisers managed to collect more than 1 million signatures? Then reading our latest publication (in the language of your choice) is a must!

Did you know…? From our FAQs (26/01/2022)

What’s the difference between a petition and the ECI? A petition relates to existing EU activities (not new EU laws); can be submitted by a single petitioner (ECIs require a group of at least 7 people); and has no minimum number of signatures.

Petitions can only be submitted to the European Parliament. Citizens’ initiatives are submitted to the European Commission.

Check out our extensive FAQ page to learn more about the European Citizens’ Initiative. And hop on over to the ECI Forum – a peer-to-peer space to exchange ideas and help citizens’ initiatives succeed.