Commission registers European Citizens' Initiative on phasing out EU imports from Russia and Belarus

The European Commission has registered a European Citizens' Initiative (ECI), entitled ‘Stop Funding Russia's War: Phase Out Harmful and Useless Russian Imports into the EU'.

The initiative invites the Commission “to propose firm, immediate measures to end the EU's remaining import dependencies on Russia and Belarus by introducing sectoral bans or decisive phase-outs”. To this end, the organizers indicate that the “objective is to stop the flow of EU funds to the Russian state, eliminate structural vulnerabilities in critical supply chains and reinforce a coherent, values-based trade policy”.

As this initiative fulfils the formal conditions established in the relevant legislation, the Commission considers it legally admissible under the European Citizens' Initiative Regulation. The Commission has not analyzed the substance of the proposals at this stage. The registration does not influence the Commission's final decision on its merits, or any potential action it may take. The Commission will take a decision on the initiative only if it collects at least one million signatures from EU citizens.

More information can be found in the press release.

Share this article: