At the beginning of the New Year, the European Citizens’ Initiative took a new turn, proposing a simplified procedure and greater support for the organisers. The 2020 (ninth) ECI Day will be marked by a major development: the entry into force of the new regulation, which makes substantial improvements and changes to the instrument. Moreover, the impressive 16 new ECIs registered by the European Commission in 2019 are evidence of major societal change. Citizens and civil society are seizing the opportunity to use participatory means to have a say in political processes and they are not restricted by the calendar of elections when it comes to expressing their views. They act when they see cause for action and expect their representatives to interact and to respond while they are in power.
Citizen participation and consultation in the era of new technologies are becoming a common way of doing politics these days, and may become an essential part of our political life in the near future. However, it is not just digital ease that is affecting our interaction with the state and its institutions. More deliberative patterns in public consultations, such as citizen sampling or citizens’ assemblies, can be seen across Europe as people search for new ways to supplement democratic processes where they have become disenchanted with, and are challenging, the “usual” way of doing politics.
How do we see the future for the European Citizens’ Initiative in the context of the digital era? How will the new societal trends affect the role of elections and our representative democracies? What do our elected representatives need to know today to govern efficiently and democratically tomorrow?
ECI Day 2020 will address the above questions in detail, as well as provide an opportunity for registered and future ECI organisers and stakeholders to exchange information and experiences. The event will bring together experts in the field of digital democracy and participation, representatives of the EU institutions and ECI organisers, among others. ECAS’s Executive Director, Assya Kavrakova, and Senior Manager European Democracy, Elisa Lironi, will both take part in separate panel discussions focusing on “The ECI today: lessons learned from the world’s first transnational participation instrument” and “Beyond the ECI: the future of EU citizens’ participation in the digital age”, respectively.
Registration: You can register for ECI Day 2020 here. Deadline: February 19th
You can find full details, speaker line-up and agenda here.
Visit the European Citizens’ Initiative Forum here.