About: European Citizens Initiative
Commission backs ban on cages in farming in ‘historic’ move for animal welfare
The European Commission has committed to working towards a ban on cages for farmed animals in what is being hailed as an historic move for animal welfare after a citizens initiative amassed more than one million signatures from across Europe.
Commission rejects call for new laws protecting national minorities
The European Commission said on Friday (15 January) that it would not propose new laws in response to a petition demanding a protection package for national minorities that garnered 1.1 million signatures across the EU.
Time for the European Commission to shine
The latest successful European Citizens' Initiative, Minority SafePack, is a rare opportunity to take democratic participation seriously, after a number of previous ECis failed to garner enough attention or make an impact on EU legislation, writes Carsten Berg.
Solutions from Vienna to address Europe’s housing crisis
Apartments in Europe are becoming more and more expensive and tensions on the market are rising. A European Citizens' Initiative is now calling for a better framework to be developed at EU level to allow public investment in social and affordable housing to no longer be qualified as new debt. EURACTIV Germany reports.
The blind side – the impact of Brexit on EU citizenship
The Brexit negotiations have assumed that EU citizenship will cease for all UK nationals if and when the UK leaves the EU. Tony Simpson, Tony Venables and Alexandra von Westernhagen question whether this is necessarily so, and what this means for EU citizenship in general.
Brits thrown post-Brexit EU citizenship lifeline by Commission
The European Commission registered a Citizens' Initiative on Wednesday (18 July) that could end up securing EU citizenship for UK citizens once Britain leaves the EU.
EU court deals blow to anti-abortion campaigners
The EU’s top court has dealt a blow to anti-abortion activists, ruling that the European Commission was justified in its refusal to propose a ban on EU funding for abortion services.
How to turn citizens’ consultations into a success
Four conditions should be met if we want to make citizens' consultations a success and avoid turning the greatly anticipated initiative launched by France's President Emmanuel Macron and backed by 26 countries into a boomerang, which would irremediably drain trust in the EU project, writes Thierry Libaert.
Mr Macron, here’s how not to spoil your historic heart-to-heart with EU citizens
French President Emmanuel Macron has convinced (most of) his fellow Heads of State and government to do the unimaginable: ask Europeans what they want for the future of the Union. But the way governments are planning to go about this will lead to more frustration and confusion, write Stephen Boucher and Lex Paulson.
Slovakia threatens unilateral action over food quality crisis
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has set an ultimatum for the European Commission to take action over lower quality food products being sold in Eastern member states. EURACTIV.sk reports.
Conflicts of interest erode trust in food safety agency
Close to half of the experts at the European Food Security Agency have conflicts of interest that call into question the validity of the agency’s work, according to a new study by Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO). EURACTIV France reports.
‘Stop TTIP’ petition is legitimate, top EU court rules
Rejected by Brussels for its lack of a legal basis, the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) calling for an end to the EU’s free trade negotiations with the US and Canada was yesterday (10 May) vindicated by the Court of Justice of the EU. EURACTIV France reports.
Revising the ECI: How to make it ‘fit for purpose’
Following the high hopes for the European Citizens’ Initiative as a new instrument of participatory democracy, it has proven to be ineffective, largely unknown to citizens and neither user-friendly nor cost-effective, writes Assya Kavrakova.
Reformed ECI should make policymaking ‘more accessible’
Five years after its launch, the EU’s tool of participatory democracy has never really worked. But Brussels last week announced plans for an overhaul of the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI). EURACTIV France reports.
Citizens’ initiative aimed at banning glyphosate gets the go-ahead
Brussels has agreed to the launch of a European Citizens' Initiative on banning glyphosate in the EU. EURACTIV France reports.
Time for action on universal access to water
Water is a human right. It is high time for the European Commission to recognise this fact and end the privatisation of European water companies, which threatens to deprive thousands of this most vital resource, writes Jan Willem Goudriaan.
Commission ignoring the ECI’s positive potential for democracy
The European Citizen’s Initiative was labelled a danger by the European Commission, which has grown wary of its use by Eurosceptic campaigners and set out to weaken the only democratic tool by which citizens may directly influence the EU policy agenda, writes Carsten Berg.
The European Citizens’ Initiative needs promised ‘start button’
After over three years of use, none of nearly 50 proposed ECIs have resulted in a legislative proposal. The European Commission simply declined to act, leaving ECI supporters feeling betrayed, writes Carsten Berg.
A turning point for the European Citizens’ Initiative?
As the only tool for public participation in the EU’s democratic process, the European Citizens’ Initiative must be revised and improved as soon as possible, writes Sophie von Hatzfeldt.
MEPs unconvinced by European Citizens’ Initiative on vivisection
The European Citizens' Initiative "Stop Vivisection", signed by 1.6 million Europeans, failed to impress MEPs at its parliamentary hearing. EURACTIV France reports.
Turbulent days for the European Citizens Initiative
The European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) is going through turbulent days. Whether it will come out stronger or weakened we are yet to see, writes Sophie von Hatzfeldt.
Reforming the ECI is vital for European democracy
Three years after the entry into force of the ECI (European Citizens’ Initiative) regulation it seems “easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle” than to register an ECI, writes Assya Kavrakova.
The European Citizens’ Initiative Can Be Saved
The European Citizens' Initiative in its current form does not work. There is much the Commission can do while still remaining within the limits of the EU treaties, writes Carsten Berg.