Countries: All EU Member States
Target group: ECI organisers
Date: 19 October 2022
Subject: Essential Skills for European Citizens’ Initiative Organisers – The Basics
Format: Webinar
What is it for me – Learning Objectives:
– Understanding the areas of Commission competences and managing the registration process
– Practical aspects of the ECI and what the ECI Forum is.
– Campaigning for a European Citizens’ Initiative – what has worked well, what needs to be improved.
– Support Networks, Fundraising and Advocacy – how to reach 1 million signatures.
To support citizens that consider starting an European Citizens’ Initiative, the European Commission launched the ECI Forum, managed by ECAS.
We are organising and carrying out Webinars regularly (see the Learn Section of the Forum) to support ECI organisers’ efforts in collecting 1 million statements of support.
In this webinar, you will find answers to the following questions:
-Is an ECI targeting a change of Article 128 of TFEU something which falls within the framework of the Commission’s power?
-If the text of ECI consists of more than one demand and one of them falls not under the framework of the Commission’s power, can the Commission reject the whole ECI or rejects only this certain demand and accepts rest demands?
-Is it possible in the course of the signature collection period to adjust the petition e.g.: – by changing wording or by adding new demands?
-What happens if a voter signs more than once an ECI? This can happen if e.g. she/he forgets what he did months ago. Are then all signatures of this person invalid or at least only one vote is counted? One vote counts
-How it is ensured, that person A cannot vote for Person B?
-It is very difficult to gather 1 million signatures, so every vote is very precious. And we know that in every ECI more than 5% or even 10% are declared invalid? Why this happens and what an ECI organizer can do in order to reduce the number of invalid signatures?
-How many initiatives have become laws at the end of the collection of signatures?
Speakers:
Elisa Lironi, Programme Director – European Democracy, ECAS
Daniela Vancic, European Programme Manager, Democracy International
The recording of the training is available here.
The European Citizens’ Initiative Forum is operated by the European Citizen Action Service (ECAS) on behalf of and under contract to the European Commission.