"European Citizens’ Initiative Newsletter" Newsletter Issues

Where European citizens meet (16/12/2021)

The Discuss section of the European Citizens' Initiative Forum is the place for citizens to exchange views on matters related to the ECI. Learn about the latest issues and share your own ideas here.

New episode of CitizenCentral: the podcast of citizens changing Europe! (16/12/2021)

A new episode of the CitizenCentral podcast is out! Our host speaks with organisers from the ‘Reclaim your face’, and ‘Universal Basic Income’ initiatives. We also crisscross Europe to hear from a technology ethics specialist, the European Policy Centre, and more!

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

Thank you! (16/12/2021)

It has been a busy year for the European Citizens’ Initiative, with 11 new registered initiatives and 8 opening for signature collection, many activities spreading the word to citizens across the EU (for example by launching the CitizenCentral podcast featuring real stories behind initiatives), and more.

As the year comes to a close, we’d like to thank everyone who has helped support the European Citizens' Initiative grow this year: the organisers – past and present – who share their passion for the causes they care about and the desire to help every European participate in democracy. To the supporters – who sign ECIs and help spread the word. To the teams of people behind the scenes – at the EU institutions, ECI Forum, ECI Ambassadors and partners, and those in the individual campaigns. Thank you!

We wish you all a happy and healthy holiday period, time with your loved ones, and a great start to 2022. We look forward to what the new year will bring, including the 10th Anniversary of the ECI!

Stay safe and #EUTakeTheInitiative!

Open for signature collection: Call to Action – Environmental protection in all policies (16/12/2021)

On 7 December the initiative titled ‘Call to Action – Environmental protection in all policies’ opened for signature collection. Organisers are asking the Commission to propose a legal act which would assure Europeans that their national authorities are taking into account environmental considerations when introducing new or amending existing policies.

The organisers have 1 year to try collect 1 million signatures. Find out more about the initiative by clicking on ‘more’.

Commission decides on requests for registration of two new European Citizens' Initiatives: ‘Green VAT’ and ‘EVE Initiative’ (16/12/2021)

The European Commission decided to register a new ECI on 14 December: Green VAT - An EU Green VAT to stimulate sustainable and eco-friendly products and services’. Organisers have formulated the objectives of the initiative as follows: “Reducing the VAT rate for green products and services”.

Organisers call 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. This is the 11th citizens’ initiative registered in 2021. Organisers have 6 months to start signature collection.

The Commission also decided to refuse the registration of the “EVE initiative for the creation of the right to decision”. Despite the two-stage procedure applied, which allows the organisers to modify their objectives, the initiative was not admissible, as it would call for a Treaty modification. The ECI Regulation however only allows that initiatives invite the Commission, within the framework of its powers, to propose legal acts to implement the Treaties.

Funding opportunity! Spotlight on the citizens engagement and participation call (16/12/2021)

Looking for financial support for projects on citizens’ participation? Then, the citizens engagement and participation call is what you are looking for! This is another big call of the CERV (Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values) programmes with 17 million available to fund projects of transnational partnerships and networks directly involving citizens.

Deadline to apply is 10 February 2022.

Status of support per Initiative – Congratulations for reaching milestones! (16/12/2021)

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, based on their reported signature collection figures. (This information will be updated and shared regularly).

• Over 400,000:

- Stop finning, Stop the Trade

• Over 300,000:

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

• Over 200,000:

- Right to Cure

• Over 150,000:

- Start Unconditional Basic Incomes (UBI) throughout the EU

• Over 100,000:

- 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.

Europeans for Safe Connections call for stronger regulation of satellites mega-constellations (10/12/2021)

New blog post on fundraising and financial reporting (16/12/2021)

Having sufficient resources is an important factor to turn your initiative into a success. Indicating the sources of your funding is equally important. Therefore, Darragh Power (Democracy International) explains how to base an initiative on solid finances and how to report it correctly. Learn from his blog on the ECI Forum.

Did you know…? From our FAQs (16/12/2021)

How often do I need to report on financial support for my ECI campaign? In addition to when you register your initiative, organisers also need to report every two months the financial or non-financial support received.

Financial support above €500 per sponsor and non-financial support (such as in-kind donations) needs to be reported.

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.

ECI organiser attends MEP debate (30/11/2021)

An organiser of the European citizens’ initiative ‘A price for carbon to fight climate change’ spoke at the European Parliament’s Committee on Petitions meeting on 8 November. The ECI representative, Marco Cappato, presented the main ideas of the (now closed) ECI, supported by over 60,000 citizens and 100 mayors in the EU. He also asked for the Parliament commitment ‘to lead the United Nations towards a global carbon price system now and in future climate summits’.

A representative of DG Climate Action and several MEPs made positive comments on the contents of the citizens’ initiative. The Vice-Chair, Ms Zdanoka (Greens/LV), highlighted an interest in discussing the ECIs more regularly – even if they don’t reach 1 million signatures.

“People4Soil” ECI mentioned in relation to EU 2030 Soil Strategy (30/11/2021)

The EU Soil Strategy for 2030, adopted 17 November, makes specific reference to the European citizens’ initiative ‘People4Soil’ and its objectives.

Repeating the initiative’s motivation as: “soil is one of the most strategic resources of Europe, as it ensures food security, biodiversity conservation and climate change regulation. It's time to protect the soils of Europe” - the Commission staff working document accompanying the Soil Strategy showcases the impact a citizens’ initiative can have – even years later. The People4Soil citizens’ initiative was registered in 2016 and collected more than 220,000 signatures, ‘raising awareness on the need for soil protection in the EU’.

Open for signature collection: ReturnthePlastics (30/11/2021)

‘ReturnthePlastics: A Citizen’s Initiative to implement an EU-wide deposit-system to recycle plastic bottles’ is open for signature collection. Organisers call upon the Commission to propose measures addressing 3 main points:

• implement an EU-wide deposit system to recycle plastic bottles;
• incentivise all EU Member States that supermarkets (chains) which are selling plastic bottles to install reverse vending machines for recycling after purchase and use by the consumer;
• make companies producing plastic bottles pay plastic taxes for the recycling and deposit system (under the principle that the polluter should pay).
If you want to support this initiative, visit the website to sign and share within your network.

ECI mechanism backed by EU’s Court of Justice (30/11/2021)

The Court of Justice of the European Union dismissed Romania’s action against the Commission decision to register the ‘Cohesion policy for the equality of the regions and sustainability of the regional cultures’ citizens’ initiative.

Moreover, in the judgment of Case T-495/19 Romania v Commission, the General Court noted that: “... according to the case-law, the particular added value of the ECI mechanism lies not in the certainty of its outcome, but in the possibilities and opportunities it creates for EU citizens to initiate debate on policy within the EU institutions without having to wait for the commencement of a legislative procedure. The policy debate, both with the citizens and with the institutions, takes place in particular during the campaign to gather statements of support, at the meeting with the Commission and at the public hearing in the Parliament.”

Status of support per Initiative – Congratulations for reaching milestones! (30/11/2021)

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, based on their reported signature collection figures. (This information will be updated and shared regularly).

• Over 350,000:

- Stop finning, Stop the Trade

• Over 300,000:

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

• Over 200,000:

- Right to Cure

• Over 150,000:

- Start Unconditional Basic Incomes (UBI) throughout the EU

• Over 100,000:

- 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.

First European Citizens' Initiative online course closes on 10 December! (30/11/2021)

Don't miss your chance to pass the officially certified European Citizens' Initiative online course. Enroll now and learn directly from experts! Why wait - join the 60 people who have already signed up! Take the course! You also have the possibility to debate the content of three models in the Discuss section of the Forum.

Read the new Forum blog posts! (30/11/2021)

Changing perspective is always a good way to discover new ideas! In a November blog post, we learn about students from four European universities working together on possible ECIs – with a focus on sustainable development. Working under an Erasmus+ project, these students are gaining the necessary skills and competences to promote their own citizens’ initiatives.

Dulce Lopes, a Professor at the Faculty of Law of the University of Coimbra, shares key insights in this article on the ‘ECI - A to Z’ project. Read this and other new blog posts on the ECI Forum and learn from practitioners and experts alike.

Engaging Higher Education Students with the European Citizens’ Initiative (03/11/2021)

Citizens share their ideas - join them! (30/11/2021)

What do you think about reforms of school systems, electoral law or education for lifelong crime prevention? Join your fellow European citizens and enter the debate in the "Discuss section" of the Forum. You did not find the topic that is close to your heart? No problem, just share your own ideas here.

Did you know…? From our FAQs (30/11/2021)

The ECI has specific data collection and retention rules. Statements of support (and any copies) must be destroyed by whichever of the following dates comes first: either 1 month after you submit the initiative to the Commission; or 21 months after the collection period starts. There are more rules and exceptions outlined in the Data Protection Guidance page.

If you have questions about data protection as your campaign develops, check out the data protection guidelines for European citizens’ initiative organisers published on the ECI website.

Follow the money: how do European citizens’ initiatives raise funds and what are the rules on financial reporting? (29/11/2021)

New Initiative registered - ‘Call to Action: Environmental protection in all policies’ (28/10/2021)

On 27 October the European Commission decided to register another European citizens’ initiative – titled ‘Call to Action: Environmental protection in all policies’. Organisers are asking the Commission to propose a legal act which would assure Europeans that their national authorities are taking into account environmental considerations when introducing new or amending existing policies. This is the 10th citizens’ initiative registered in 2021. Organisers now have 6 months to open the signature collection. Learn more in the press release.

New Initiative Registered - ‘Stop (((5G))) - Stay Connected but Protected’ (28/10/2021)

On 7 October, the Commission registered the citizens’ initiative ‘Stop (((5G))) - Stay Connected but Protected’. Through this European citizens’ initiative, organisers are urging for legislation to better protect all forms of life from the alleged risks of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields and microwave radiation, to protect against other alleged environmental impacts of 5G and related digitalisation, and to ensure effective protection, including against cybercrime, of personal data processed with these new forms of communication technology.

Registering the initiative does not imply that the Commission in any way confirms the factual correctness of the content of the initiative. Read more in the press release.

Ban Fossil Fuel Advertising and Sponsorship: Open for signature collection (28/10/2021)

The ‘Ban fossil Fuel Advertising and Sponsorship’ initiative opened for signature collection on 4 October. This initiative proposes to prevent advertising and sponsoring that support and promote the market for fossil fuels and for all types of vehicles using those fuels (excluding vehicles dedicated to transport services of general economic interest).

Also on 4 October, Greenpeace activists staged an action in Rotterdam port to mark the opening of the ECI signature collection.

"Erasmus for civil servants”: Open for signature collection (28/10/2021)

The ‘Civil Servant Exchange Program’ (CESP) initiative opened for signature collection on 4 October. Taking inspiration from the Erasmus exchange programme, the proposal includes giving civil servants the opportunity to work in a similar field in a different Member State for 2 to 12 months.

You can learn more about this initiative in chapter 2 of the CitizenCentral podcast or in their blog article on the ECI Form (details of both found further below in this newsletter).

Funding opportunity! Open call for Citizen Engagement projects (28/10/2021)

The Citizens, Equality Rights and Values Programme (CERV) recently opened a call for project proposals under the ‘citizen engagement’ strand. These projects aim to promote citizen engagement and participation in the democratic life of the European Union, including exchange between citizens of different Member States.

If you have an existing project running or an idea for a new project linked to transnational partnerships and networks directly involving citizens – don't miss this funding opportunity! Deadline to apply is 10 February 2022.

Workshop Registration: Sources of Funding for a European Citizens' Initiative (28/10/2021)

Funding for a European Citizens’ Initiative has many challenges, including identifying from where sources of funding come. Join the workshop on 10 November, 14:00-16:30 CET to discover how to find funds for your European citizens’ initiative, how to report donations, and to gather tips for your fundraising strategy. Register here.

New episodes of CitizenCentral: the podcast of citizens changing Europe! (28/10/2021)

Two new episodes of the CitizenCentral podcast are out! Our host speaks with organisers from the ‘Civil Servant Exchange Program’, ‘Voters Without Borders’, ‘Stop Finning – Stop the Trade’, ‘Green Garden Roof Tops’ and ‘Grow Scientific Progress: crops matter’ initiatives. We also crisscross Europe to hear from a firefighter, public administrator in Bulgaria, two marine biologists, the European Citizen Action Service and more!

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

Status of support per Initiative – Congratulations for reaching milestones! (30/09/2021)

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, based on their reported signature collection figures. (This information will be updated and shared regularly). At the time of writing, these initiatives had reported the following level of support:

• Over 300,000:

-Stop finning, Stop the Trade

• Over 200,000:

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

- Right to Cure

• Over 150,000:

- Start Unconditional Basic Incomes (UBI) throughout the EU

• Over 60,000:

- Ban Fossil Fuel Advertising and Sponsorships

- 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.

Register now! 1st European Citizens' Initiative online course is open (28/10/2021)

Have you always wanted to know more about the European Citizens' Initiative and directly learn from experts? Then you should enrol in the new online course that you can find on the ECI Forum! Take the course and receive your certificate!

New blog post: Interview with Gregory Engels of ‘Freedom to Share’ (28/10/2021)

Partway through the signature collection period, one of the organisers of the ‘Freedom to Share’ initiative reflects on lessons learned in this blog post. From developing their own open-source signature collection platform to building a network of partner organisations, Gregory has many tips to share. You can also watch a short video clip of Gregory and other initiative organisers at the bottom of the article.

New blog post: ‘Erasmus’ for civil servants (28/10/2021)

Meet one of the initiatives which opened for signature collection in October. Initiated by 9 Masters students, this article gives a peak into the organisers’ goals and motivations. They write: ‘The civil service is one of the largest sectors of employment in each of the EU Member States. However, it offers very few opportunities to work in an international environment. […] ’

You can also listen to Adam Mazoyer explain more about the Civil Servant Exchange Program in the second episode of our CitizenCentral podcast.

Recording of latest Webinar on signature collection (28/10/2021)

The latest webinar on the ECI Forum covered the topic of signature collection. You missed it? No problem at all. A summary and the recording are now available here.

Citizens share their ideas - join them! (28/10/2021)

What do you think about recycling or weighing factors on greenhouse gases? Join your fellow European citizens and enter the debate in the "Discuss section" of the ECI Forum. Have something else in mind? No problem, share your ideas here.

The Civil Servant Exchange Program: a new European citizens’ initiative strives for an “Erasmus-style” programme for civil servants (14/10/2021)

Did you know…? From our FAQs (28/10/2021)

Do you know that there’s a national contact point for the ECI in each country? They are there to help provide information and answer your questions, in particular on those aspects of the ECI Regulation that fall under the competence of national authorities. Find the full list of contact points here.

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.

Webinar: 'The European Citizens’ Initiative and how to collect signatures' (20/09/2021)

ECI Newsletter – September – corrected (06/10/2021)

Dear reader, On 30 September we sent out the September edition of the ECI Newsletter. Due to technical errors, the French and German language versions included text in English only. Moreover, extra content was erroneously added to the English version. Now that these technical errors have been resolved, we are re-sending the correct version intended for publication. Happy reading!

New initiative registered: ReturnthePlastics (27/08/2021)

The European Commission registered a new citizens’ initiative on 13 August called ‘ReturnthePlastics: A Citizen’s Initiative to implement an EU-wide deposit-system to recycle plastic bottles’. Organisers call upon the Commission to propose measures addressing 3 main points:

• implement an EU-wide deposit system to recycle plastic bottles;
• incentivise all EU Member States that supermarkets (chains) which are selling plastic bottles to install reverse vending machines for recycling after purchase and use by the consumer;
• make companies producing plastic bottles pay plastic taxes for the recycling and deposit system (under the principle that the polluter should pay).
This is the 82nd citizens’ initiative registered. Organisers now have until mid-February 2022 to open the signature collection. Learn more about the new initiative with the press release.

New initiative registered: ‘Ensuring Common Commercial Policy conformity with EU Treaties and compliance with international law’ (30/09/2021)

On 8 September, the European Commission decided to register a new ECI entitled ‘Ensuring Common Commercial Policy conformity with EU Treaties and compliance with international law’. The organisers of the initiative call on the Commission to ‘propose legal acts based on 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, in order to preserve the integrity of the internal market and to not aid or assist the maintenance of such unlawful situations.’

It is important to highlight that the initiative invites the Commission to submit a proposal for a legal act under the Common Commercial Policy, which is general in nature and does not target a specific country or territory. Organisers have 6 months to open the signature collection. Learn more about the 8th initiative registered this year by clicking the link below.

3 ECIs closed collection in September (30/09/2021)

In September, three European citizens’ initiatives finished collecting support. The ‘Stop corruption in Europe at its root’ initiative closed on 12 September. This initiative called for putting a fixed moratorium of 10 years on payments of structural and cohesion funds to a newly acceded country, until the monitoring mechanism is lifted from their judiciary, to better combat potential political corruption.

On 23 September, the ‘Action on Climate Emergency’ (also known as ‘Fridays for Future’) initiative closed with more than 95,000 signatures of support. This initiative is part of a world-wide movement. It called on the Commission to strengthen EU action on the climate emergency, have more ambitious goals and provide more financial support for climate action.

ECI organiser attends MEP debate on ‘Fairosene’ (30/09/2021)

An organiser of the European citizens’ initiative Ending the aviation fuel tax exemption in Europe (‘Fairosene’) spoke at the European Parliament’s Committee on Petitions meeting on 1 September. The Committee chair explained that although the ECI is not a petition, MEPs felt that the efforts of the organisers to gather support justified a discussion in the Petitions Committee, despite not reaching the 1 million signature mark. Tassos Papachristou, substitute representative of the ‘Fairosene’ European citizen’ initiative, presented its objectives and thanked Members for the ‘privilege to talk about a topic important for the future’. Several MEPs strongly supported the initiative’s objectives. You can watch the recording of the debate by clicking the ‘more’ button.

CitizenCentral: the podcast of citizens changing Europe! (30/09/2021)

CitizenCentral puts a spotlight on the people behind European citizens’ initiatives. Our host, journalist Méabh Mc Mahon, also interviews different topic experts and academics to explore the issues on the minds and in the hearts of Europeans. Tune in and discover what the European Citizens’ Initiative is and how this tool makes it possible to have a greater say in policies that affect your life. New episodes of CitizenCentral will be released soon (in English) – they are available on SoundCloud.

Spot the ECI! (30/09/2021)

Do you use the metro in Berlin, Budapest, Madrid, Paris, Rome or Warsaw? If so, watch out for animated ECI promotion on the screens near you in mid-October. If you spot one, post a photo or selfie on social media, with the #EUTakeTheInitiative hashtag.

Let’s spread the word together!

Webinar on signature collection: 7 October (07/10/2021)

Don't miss the next ECI Forum webinar! Experts and organisers will provide a general introduction into the processes and steps of a European citizens' initiative - with a particular focus on online & offline signature collection. Registration is open now.

New blog: How ‘Stop Glyphosate’ brought about a small revolution (30/09/2021)

Following the entire legislative process that you initiate as a European citizens' initiative is important. And it takes time. This is shown by the example of the "Stop Glyphosate" ECI. Read the latest blog post by Helmut Burtscher-Schaden, one of the initiative organisers. His article covers three decisive success factors, including the team expertise and dedication needed to pursue transparency in EU policy-making.

Learn how to reach 1 million signatures (30/09/2021)

The success story of the initiative 'End the Cage Age' outlines the strategy and the experiences that led to reaching more than 1 million signatures. Head over to the ECI Forum to read this story and those of past successful initiatives. The document is now available in all official EU languages. Check it out via the link below.

Did you know…? From our FAQs (30/09/2021)

If an initiative reaches 1 million signatures of support and after the Commission answers with a Communication, what happens next? The Communication will outline what action the Commission will take, if any. The Commission is not obliged to propose legislation, however if it does, the relevant legislative procedure is activated. This means the European Parliament and the EU Council will examine the legislative proposal (or in some cases only the Council).

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.

: Gregory Engels, “Freedom to Share”: If we are successful, we need to be taken seriously! (23/09/2021)

The student initiative which made it to the Green Deal: “Battles that are worth fighting for are almost never won with money” (26/08/2021)

How Stop Glyphosate brought about a small revolution (02/09/2021)

The value of the ECI for participatory democracy at national and EU level: Ireland in focus (19/07/2021)

The European Citizens’ Initiative: Luxembourg in focus (20/07/2021)

The first-ever digital ECI Day celebrates achievements, outlines need for improvement (19/07/2021)

The Ingredients for Success: Think Strategically, Tailor your Messages and Be Persistent (17/06/2021)

For a Brighter Future, For a Greener Europe (06/07/2021)

How to raise funds for your European citizens’ initiative campaign: Tips from successful organisers and fundraisers (11/06/2021)

The European Citizens' Initiative - a tool for raising your ideas throughout the EU! - Sweden in focus (25/06/2021)

Welcome to the ECI Newsletter (27/08/2021)

We are back from the summer break! If this is the first time you are receiving the newsletter and you would like to continue to receive it or update your language preferences, please do so here. For those who have an existing subscription, no action is needed.

In this issue discover a newly registered initiative and 2 others open for signature collection. Or read what Vice-President Jourová had to say about the ECI in the European Parliament, watch testimonies from fellow initiative organisers and learn about the latest data protection guidance.

European EcoScore - Open for signatures! (30/08/2021)

The ‘European EcoScore’ initiative opened for signature collection in July. The initiative urges for a label providing consumers with standardised information about the environmental impact of products manufactured or sold on the EU market. They want the label to start with food and clothes items but also aim to cover all types of products. If you want to support this initiative, visit the website to sign and share within your network.

Save cruelty-free cosmetics – Open for your support! (30/08/2021)

In August, the ‘Save cruelty-free cosmetics - Commit to a Europe without animal testing’ initiative also opened for signature collection. Organisers aim to have the European Commission strengthen and broaden existing EU bans on animal testing for cosmetics. They want to transform the existing EU chemicals regulation and ask the Commission to adopt a legislative proposal setting out a roadmap to phase-out all animal testing before the end of the current mandate. To support this initiative, click the ‘more’ button below. Click here to discover all the open initiatives.

Commission VP Jourová debated the follow-up to successful ECIs in the European Parliament (30/08/2021)

On 15 July, Věra Jourová, the Vice-President of the European Commission for Values and Transparency, participated in an exchange of views with the European Parliament’s Committee on Petitions. The subject was the follow-up to the successful European citizens’ initiatives. Vice-President Jourová described the next steps for the ‘End the Cage Age’ initiative, as well as the actions taken on the previous answered initiatives. She replied in detail to the questions and comments made by the Members. Watch the recording by clicking ‘more’.

Data Protection guidance for organisers: now online (30/08/2021)

Attention organisers! Do you have questions about data protection as your campaign develops? Data protection guidelines for European citizens’ initiative organisers have been recently published on the ECI website.

Going above and beyond: #WhyECI week (30/08/2021)

Sharing an issue you care about and asking other EU citizens to give their support is at the core of running your ECI. This also often involves raising awareness about the ECI itself. The ‘Reclaim your face’ campaign team is tackling this issue by raising awareness about what the ECI is, why signatures matter so much, and how organisers keep signature data safe. They call it #WhyECI week. Follow their activities and take inspiration for your own campaign!

Learn from those who made it (30/08/2021)

You can now check the most recently published success story on the European Citizens' Initiative Forum. The ‘End the Cage Age’ initiative succeeded in gathering the support of nearly 1.4 million verified signatories with the minimum threshold reached in 18 Member States, making it the 6th citizens’ initiative to reach (and exceed) the signature threshold. Read about the campaign strategy, discover factors which helped the campaign reach 1 million signatures, and learn about the follow-up from EU Institutions. Whether you are in the middle of your ECI campaign, preparing or launching one, or still developing your idea – this article is packed with useful insights. Check it out!

New infographic: Data from the ECI (30/08/2021)

In a newly published infographic, you can find great facts and insights related to ECI organisers, signature collection and initiatives. The data collected by the European Citizens’ Initiative Forum covers initiatives between 2012 and 2020. For instance, did you know that nearly 100 initiative committee members are French nationals, however there are more ECI organisers residing in Germany? Figures on funding and age distribution of organisers can also be found in the PDF by clicking ‘more’.

ECI success can take different forms: “The student initiative which made it to the Green Deal” (30/08/2021)

In this latest blog post, Tassos Papachristou, one of the students who organised the European Citizens’ Initiative 'Ending the aviation fuel tax exemption in Europe’ (or ‘Fairosene’), shares the story of their campaign. The author outlines how his team managed to influence European public policy - starting from their university dormitories. Writing about hopes and expectations, Tassos shares that "it is no secret that our campaign was lacking substantial financial resources. However, battles that are worth fighting for are almost never won with money." Do you want to learn more about the story of ‘Fairosene’? Find out about it below.

Latest Blog posts (30/08/2021)

Several new blogs from ongoing initiative organisers (Green Garden Roof Tops), past events, and general insights were published over the summer. Discover the latest blog posts and share your views on the ECI Forum.

Join the debate! (30/08/2021)

New ideas have been published in the ‘Discuss’ section on the European Citizens' Initiative Forum. Don't miss what fellow citizens think about legal liability for digital products, proposals for new EU policies and the European Citizens' Initiative generally. Leave your comments and share your own opinions with a new post. Who knows, you may even meet a future co-organiser for a citizens’ initiative!

New Video: Organiser testimonials (30/08/2021)

Why start a European citizens' initiative? How do you go about it? Ella, Sinead and Gregory, 3 current organisers, share their passion, experience and tips you can learn from. Check out the latest testimonial video on the European Citizens' Initiative Forum.

Did you know…? From our FAQs (30/08/2021)

If you are running a European citizens’ initiative, what are your responsibilities for declaring financial support? Information on all funding above €500 per sponsor must be provided to the European Commission. You should provide this information when submitting your request for registration, and then update it at least every 2 months. Organisers are also required to provide information on any non-financial support received by their initiative (such as voluntary work or in-kind contributions). The details of support and sponsors are published in the ECI register. 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.

Welcome to the ECI Newsletter (30/06/2021)

Welcome to the June edition of the European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) Newsletter!

This monthly newsletter covers news on initiatives, the citizens’ initiative process and legislative changes, updates from the ECI Forum and our ECI Ambassadors, information about events, and more.

If this is the first time you are receiving the newsletter and you would like to continue to receive it or update your language preferences, please do so here. For those who have an existing subscription, no action is needed.

We will take a summer break in July and the next edition will arrive in your inbox in late August. We wish you a good summer!

End the Cage Age – Communication adopted by the European Commission (29/06/2021)

On 30 June, the European Commission adopted a communication on the ‘End the Cage Age’ initiative. Registered on 5 September 2018, by the time it was submitted, the initiative had gathered support from almost 1.4 million signatories, with the required threshold for signatures met in 18 member states. Read more further below!

Meet the 3 new initiatives registered in June! (29/06/2021)

On 16 June, the European Commission registered the ‘Ban Fossil Fuel Advertising and Sponsorship’ initiative and on 30 June it registered two more initiatives: ‘Save cruelty-free Cosmetics - Commit to a Europe without animal testing’ and ‘European EcoScore’. This brings the total number of registered initiatives to 81 (including 6 in 2021 thus far).

Experts' Blog posts on the ECI (29/06/2021)

A great number of new blog posts were published on the European Citizens’ Initiative Forum recently, including a recap of one session organised in the framework of the ECI week. If you want to learn about views from the Member States, tips on financing your ECI, about previous ECI experiences or civil society inputs on the future of the instrument, head to the ECI Forum pages!

End the Cage Age – Communication adopted by the European Commission (29/06/2021)

The Commission has responded positively to the ‘End the Cage Age’ citizens’ initiative and is committing to propose to phase out and ultimately prohibit the use of cages for all the farm animal species and categories referred to in the initiative by the end of 2023. Since an end to using cages will require changes to current farming systems, the Commission will hold a public consultation on socio-economic and environmental implications.

Earlier in June, Members of the European Parliament debated the End the Cage Age initiative, after organisers collected almost 1.4 million signatures from European citizens to ban the use of cages in animal husbandry. Members showed broad support to the draft resolution and to the ban of cages by 2027. The result of vote was 558 votes in favour, 37 against and 85 abstentions. Read the European Parliament press release.

New initiative: ‘Ban Fossil Fuel Advertising and Sponsorship’ (29/06/2021)

In mid-June the 79th initiative, ‘Ban Fossil Fuel Advertising and Sponsorship’, was registered. This initiative, supported by Greenpeace Netherlands, proposes to prevent advertising and sponsoring that support and promote the market for fossil fuels and for all types of vehicles using those fuels (excluding vehicles dedicated to transport services of general economic interest). Modelled upon the 2003 EU Tobacco Advertising Directive, organisers propose that the European Union enacts rules to ensure that consumers are not misled by advertisements and sponsorships of products and services that are harmful to the environment and to human health.

New initiative: ‘European EcoScore’ (29/06/2021)

Another initiative registered in June is entitled ‘European EcoScore’. It calls on the European Commission to ‘impose a reliable European EcoScore’ – a label providing consumers with information about the environmental impact of products manufactured or sold on the EU market and based on a standardised calculation. Organisers themselves place their request in the context of the European Green Deal ambitions. They want the label to start with food and clothes items but also aim to cover all types of products. This was the 80th initiative registered.

New initiative: ‘Save cruelty-free Cosmetics - Commit to a Europe without animal testing’ (29/06/2021)

The ‘Save cruelty-free Cosmetics - Commit to a Europe without animal testing’ initiative, registered on 30 June, calls on the Commission to strengthen and broaden the existing EU bans on animal testing for cosmetics and the marketing of ingredients tested on animals.

Organisers aim to transform the existing EU chemicals regulation and ask the Commission to adopt a legislative proposal setting out a roadmap to phase-out all animal testing before the end of the current mandate. This is the 81st initiative registered to date.

European Commission’s position on an ECI confirmed by the Court (29/06/2021)

In 2019 the European Commission refused to register a citizens’ initiative ‘Derecho de la UE, derechos de las minorías y democratización de las instituciones españolas’ ('EU law, minority rights and democratisation of Spanish institutions'). Organisers of the initiative challenged this decision at the European Court of Justice. In June 2021, the Court ruled in favour of the European Commission.

The General Court confirmed that the Commission’s motivation was sufficient and that the organisers did not ask for the adoption of a proposal of a legal act of the Union. According to the rules, European citizens’ initiatives need to specifically ask the Commission to propose a legal act in the areas where it has the competence to do so.

Status of support per Initiative – Congratulations for reaching milestones! (29/06/2021)

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, based on their reported signature collection figures. (This information will be updated and shared regularly). At the time of writing, these initiatives had reported the following level of support:

• Over 500,000: Save the bees
• Over 200,000:

  - Stop finning

  - Right to Cure

• Over 100,000: Start Unconditional Basic Incomes (UBI) throughout the EU
• Over 50,000:

  - A price for carbon to fight climate change (StopGlobalWarming.eu)

  - 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.

Increase your visibility with the Conference on the Future of Europe (29/06/2021)

The Conference on the Future of Europe is a citizen-led series of debates and discussions that will enable people from across Europe to share their ideas and help shape common European future. It was officially launched on 9 May, and by spring 2022, the Conference is expected to reach conclusions and provide guidance on the future of Europe. Check out the events and multilingual digital platform.

We notice some ECI organisers and stakeholders have posted their ideas on the platform – why not do it for your idea or event?

New blog: experts’ tips on raising funds for your initiative’s campaign (29/06/2021)

Support from NGO partners, crowdfunding for specific actions, tapping into influencers and so much more! This blog is a concise summary of the fundraising tips shared with the ECI Forum by three experts: Olga Kikou from the ECI End the Cage Age, Virginia Fiume from the ECI Stopglobalwarming.eu, and Anne Hardt, fundraiser at Democracy International. You don’t want to miss the insights gathered by ECI Ambassador Daniela Vancic, so head over to the link below.

Join the discussions! (29/06/2021)

Have you seen the latest ideas shared on the European Citizens Initiative Forum ‘discuss’ page? Learn about your fellow citizens' views on EU governance, tax policies, adjusting fines to income and net-worth, and more. Leave your comments to foster the debate and share your own opinions with a new post. Who knows, you may even meet a future co-organiser for a citizens’ initiative!

ECI Day 2021: Resources available now (29/06/2021)

The ECI DAY event webpage is a great way to refresh your memory or catch up in case you missed it! Check out the photos, opening session report and an interesting publication on the European Democracy Passport with a useful ECI Checklist!

Did you know…? From our FAQs (29/06/2021)

What happens when your initiative has more than 1 million verified signatures of support? Once you submit your initiative and the signatures are verified, a meeting is held with the European Commission to discuss the content of the initiative and clarify any questions. This happens within 1 month of submitting a valid initiative. Next, the European Parliament will contact organisers for a public hearing. Finally, within 6 months of submitting the initiative, the Commission issues a communication outlining the measures it plans to take (if any) – including justifications and a timeline. 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.

Resending Newsletter (04/06/2021)

We are sending the May newsletter again due to technical issues. Thank you for your understanding and happy reading!

Open for signatures! Green Garden Roof Tops Initiative (28/05/2021)

The 78th citizens’ initiative is now open for signature collection! The ‘Green Garden Roof Tops’ initiative focuses on using existing commercial rooftops as space for green garden areas. Organisers want to see these barren rooftops used for a specific purpose: environmental benefits and increased awareness about reaching a healthy balance between protecting our environment and the economy. Sign your support and share with a friend!

Cohesion policy initiative: signature collection closed with over 1 million signatures (28/05/2021)

On 7 May, the Cohesion policy for the equality of the regions and sustainability of the regional cultures' citizens’ initiative closed with 1,167,571 reported signatures. Now that the collection period is finalised, organisers will transfer their collected statements of support to the Member State authorities for verification. If the verification process confirms that the signature thresholds have been met, the organisers can submit their initiative for examination to the European Commission. Read more on the steps following the successful collection of support.

Status of support per Initiative – Congratulations for reaching milestones! (28/05/2021)

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, based on their reported signature collection figures. (This information will be updated and shared every month.) At the time of writing, these initiatives had reported the following level of support:

• Over 500,000: Save the bees
• Over 200,000: Stop finning and Right to Cure
• Over 100,000: Start Unconditional Basic Incomes (UBI) throughout the EU
If you’d like to support any of the ongoing initiatives, please visit our website.

The General Court annulled a 2019 European Commission decision refusing to register a proposed citizens' initiative on trade policy (28/05/2021)

On Wednesday 12 May, the General Court of the European Union annulled a decision of the European Commission refusing to register a proposed European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) on ‘Ensuring Common Commercial Policy conformity with EU Treaties and compliance with international law’. The grounds for the annulment were that the refusal was not sufficiently reasoned (Case T-789/19). The Commission will carefully assess the judgement of the General Court and decide on any next steps on that basis. Read the press release: https://curia.europa.eu/jcms/upload/docs/application/pdf/2021-05/cp210081en.pdf

Call for proposals: 4-year framework partnership agreements to support European networks and civil society organisations (28/05/2021)

The 'Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme' (CERV) provides financial support to civil society organisations active at local, regional and transnational level in promoting and cultivating EU rights and values, thus contributing to building a more democratic EU, democratic dialogue, transparency and good governance. The deadline to apply is 22 June 2021.

Upcoming events promoting the ECI – Ireland and Luxembourg in June (16/06/2021)

Do you or someone you know want to learn more about the European Citizens’ Initiative? Come to an upcoming event! On 16 June the European Commission is inviting citizens to discover this unique instrument of participatory democracy – with a focus on Ireland – and on 18 June it will be Luxembourg’s turn. To increase the outreach, citizens from other EU countries can also participate in these events. You will meet engaged citizens, European representatives and stakeholders passionate about participatory democracy. Current and former organisers will give their insights. And you can learn how to bring more attention to a cause you care about! We kicked-off our series of online events with insightful events focused on Germany, Denmark and Sweden. Check out the dates of upcoming events on our website.

New webinar recording online! (28/05/2021)

Did you miss the ECI step-by-step webinar covering the procedural steps of a European citizens’ initiative? Fear not – you can still watch the recording of the latest ECI Forum webinar! Experts Olga Kurpisz (European Commission) and Hendrik Nahr (ECAS) and organiser Olga Kikou (‘End the Cage Age’ initiative) share their knowledge and experience with you. Check it out on the ECI Forum website.

New blog post: Call for a union of citizens (28/05/2021)

In this inspiring blog post, Roger Casale (Secretary General, New Europeans) calls for a re-calibration of the EU: from markets to citizens. Read this latest contribution and learn about Mr Casale's concepts of "Europe 1", "Europe 2" and "Europe 3".

New blog post: Polish national perspectives on the ECI (28/05/2021)

In this blog post, ECI Ambassador Rafał Dymek draws parallels and lessons from the experience with the civic bills submitted to the national parliament in Poland. He points out advantages and challenges compared to submitting an initiative at EU level. Read the article to discover how the Polish process compares to the European Citizens’ Initiative, and get ideas for how to mobilise more citizen support for Europe-wide initiatives.

Did you know…? From our FAQs (28/05/2021)

What happens to signatures once the collection period is closed and you reached 1 million statements of support? Designated authorities in all EU countries carry out checks to certify the number of statements of support collected. They have 3 months at most to do this, and checks may be based on random sampling. Initiative organisers must submit the signatures via an electronic schema. If you have chosen to use the central system of the European Commission, the Commission will take care of the submission. 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.

European Citizens' Initiative Day: 3-4 June 2021 – last chance to register (28/05/2021)

Join us online on 3 and 4 June for the 10th ECI Day! Don't miss the opportunity to engage with high-level institutional representatives, civil society organisations, ECI organisers and Europeans willing to get involved with ECIs and learn more about how you can make your voice heard and impact the future of Europe. Discover the full programme of the event and check out the activities organised by ECI Ambassadors in their countries. Register here no later than 31 May.