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EU Citizens' Initiative

The European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) is a unique instrument of transnational participatory democracy that gives citizens the right to directly participate in setting the legislative agenda of the EU. By collecting one million signatures from at least seven EU Member States within one year, citizens can invite the European Commission to draft legislation on a proposed issue that falls under its competences. 

The ECI became legally effective in April 2012 with the EU regulation 211/2011, and a revision took place which went into effect 1 January 2020 with EU regulation 2019/788 which serves as the updated rules on the ECI.

Democracy International has called for revision to the European Citizens' Initiaitve, has ran successful reform campaigns including to increse the role of the European Parliament in the follow-up to successful ECIs, and continues to promote better implementation of the instrument - above all, pushing for a stronger political response from the EU Commission to successful ECIs. We know campaigners give life to the instrument so that the instrument is a living and breathing democratic tool for citizens to sign and use. That's why Democracy International promotes awareness and understanding of the ECI and assists campaigners in their ECI journey.

Via the European Citizens' Initiative Forum, run by European Citizens Action Service with Democracy International and ProMedia as subcontractors under the European Commission, we run stakeholder consultations to gather perspectives on the ECI and its support tools, while also offering campaigning and fundraising advice to future and ongoing ECIs. 

Raised hands in support for the ECI
The European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) is a unique tool of transnational democracy that gives citizens the right to directly participate in setting...
ECI Forum
Are you planning to launch a European citizens’ initiative, or are you currently an organiser? Or perhaps you are simply interested in discussing...
Democracy International regularly sends out press releases on the European Citizens' Initiative.

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Phone: +49 (0) 221 669 66 50
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Email: contact@democracy-international.org

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