Speak Up, Shape Europe: A call to local leaders in Ireland to empower citizens through the European Citizens' Initiative

The European Citizen’s Initiative (ECI) is driving citizen participation across Europe, as local leaders are invited to raise awareness alongside the European Commission’s ECI campaign. The spotlight is on empowering every EU citizen, no matter where they live, with the knowledge to make their voice heard through the ECI, a unique tool for participatory democracy. 

With the newly launched ECI Advocacy Handbook: Empower citizens to be active in the EU, local leaders and representatives of regional and local authorities can easily find all the information, in all official EU languages, to help make the ECI available to all citizens.  Public bodies implementing the most ambitious actions to bring the information about ECI close to citizens will be invited to share their experiences at relevant events in Brussels in 2025. 

A multilingual webinar for local and regional authorities will present more insights on 17 October 2024. More details below. 

But what is the European citizens’ initiative? 

Imagine having the power to influence European laws by uniting with fellow citizens. That's exactly what the ECI is about. It’s a unique tool that allows EU citizens to propose legislative changes on issues that matter to them by calling on the European Commission to propose new laws. Whether it’s environmental protection, social rights, or any other crucial topic, the ECI gives Europeans a direct voice in shaping EU policies. Launched by the Lisbon Treaty and active since 2012, the ECI is one of the key tools offered by the European Union to encourage people to help shape it. 

Why It Matters Now More Than Ever 

In a rapidly changing world, citizens must have a say in shaping the policies that impact their lives. As European citizens, we share common values and, even if we live in different countries, we can be passionate about the same issues. Through the ECI, you can join others from across the EU to rally around an issue you care about, foster debate, and initiate reforms.  

Success stories: Real citizens, real impact 

The European Citizens' Initiative has already made waves, leading to significant legislative changes. Here are a few examples of successful ECIs: 

• Right2Water: Led to the EU revising the Drinking Water Directive, ensuring access to safe water for all Europeans, including vulnerable groups. The directive became law in January 2021. 
• Ban Glyphosate: resulted in a 2017 law enhancing transparency in the EU food chain's risk assessment process, effective since March 2021. 
• Stop Finning – Stop the Trade: pushed the Commission to assess a ban on shark fin trade, with consultations ongoing as of 2024. 
• Save Cruelty-Free Cosmetics: prompted the EU to accelerate efforts to reduce and eventually replace animal testing, with ongoing consultations and a roadmap in development. 

These successes show that when citizens speak up, change happens. And with the support of local and regional authorities, even more can be achieved. 

You can find the 10 ‘success stories’ of citizens’ initiatives on the ECI Forum.   

Who can organise an ECI?  

Organisers should be a team of seven EU citizens from at least seven different Member States, all eligible to vote in European elections. They need to choose a topic that falls within the European Commission's legislative powers. Organisers then have one year to collect one million verified signatures. If they succeed, the European Commission and the European Parliament will discuss their objectives in detail and decide on what follow-up actions, if any, to take.  

What impact has the ECI had in Ireland? 

Since 2012, over 1000 citizen organizers have initiated 118 ECIs, with the active involvement of 20 Irish citizens. The collective efforts have yielded an impressive outcome of over 20 million signatures supporting these initiatives across the EU.  Irish contributed to this figure, amassing more than 135 000 signatures, underscoring the commitment of Irish citizens to shaping the EU's agenda through democratic participation.      

There are currently 11 initiatives collecting signatures on topics ranging from the environment and animal welfare to transportation, consumer protection, social rights and fundamental rights. Get involved today and sign an initiative: lend your support to ongoing initiatives that you agree with.   

Join the webinar: “How to empower citizens in your region to be active (across borders) in the EU: European Citizens’ Initiative and other citizens’ engagement possibilities” 

 A multilingual EU-wide webinar will be held on the morning of 17 October 2024, to reach out to local and regional public institutions about how they can encourage citizen engagement and being active in the EU. Regional and local authorities, and their networks, are encouraged to attend the webinar. Live translation will be available in English, German, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, Greek and Polish. To request registration please complete this form: [https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/runner/webinar-registration].   

Discover the ECI toolkit:  a resource for high school students and teachers in the EU 

The ECI toolkit for schools: "EU Democracy in Action - Have Your Say with the European Citizens’ Initiative". is an interactive resource directed at older pupils of secondary schools and designed to equip them with the knowledge and skills that will allow them to become active and engaged EU citizens. The toolkit comprises four thematic units, each with a different focus, moving from general information about the EU to more specific information and activities related to the ECI. The ECI Toolkit is available for download in all official EU languages, including Gaelic.

Stay connected and informed!  

Dive deeper into the world of ECI by visiting the ECI website,  joining the official ECI Facebook group, and subscribing to the ECI newsletter. 

 With the ECI, you have the power to make a difference. Let your voice be heard and take action today!  

Share this article: