The ECI is now going through a dynamic period of being redefined and reshaped, and it faces a lot of changes soon to be discussed between the Commission, the European Parliament and the Council. The theme of ECI Day 2018: Working Together, is intended to underline the value of cooperation and the shared responsibility for promoting active citizenship.
On the day ECAS will deliver a workshop on the ECI Online Collaborative Platform, a pilot project launched by the European Commission to offer support and advice on the organisation of European citizens’ initiatives. The platform will foster interaction between (potential) organisers, citizen and experts. It will help citizens interested in starting an ECI to learn more about it through best practices, allowing them to discuss EU policies and ECI proposals, to find partners in other countries, to ask advice to experts, prepare campaigns and to exchange experiences.
The project is to be run by a consortium made up of ECAS, the European Service Network (ESN), and CARSA, as entrusted by the Commission. The aim of this interactive workshop is to present the scope and services of the Online Collaborative Platform and allow participants to test it out in order to provide feedback on the different features.
The event will take place on 10 April 2018 at the European Economic and Social Committee. The opening session will feature the following high-level speakers: First Vice-President Frans Timmermans, the Council Trio ministers from Estonia, Bulgaria and Austria, MEP György Schöpflin and EU Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly.