Commission decides to register four new European Citizens’ Initiatives

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.

Today, the European Commission decided to register four European Citizens’ Initiatives, entitled: ‘EU Live Bus Stop Info’, ‘Trust and Freedom’, ‘“I’m Going European”: An ECI to Connect your National and European Citizenship’ and ‘Creation of a European Environment Authority’.

The organisers of the ‘EU Live Bus Stop Info’ initiative call for the integration of QR codes at bus stops across the EU Member States, to allow passengers to access real-time information about schedules, routes, delays and updates. The initiative seeks to contribute to greener cities by encouraging bus travel, reducing congestion and emissions.

The ‘Trust and Freedom‘ initiative calls for measures regarding informed consent, human dignity, freedom, and bodily autonomy. In particular, the initiative refers to the right to make informed decisions regarding healthcare and treatment options, free consent and improved access to information. The organisers of the initiative also request measures enhancing transparency and access to information in EU decision-making processes.

 ‘“I’m Going European”: An ECI to Connect your National and European Citizenship’ aims to introduce a right to education on European citizenship, human rights, democracy and the rule of law and to back this up through a European civic education requirement in EU free movement legislation, a statute on European citizenship and a centre of excellence for exchanging best practice and teacher training.

The organisers of the ‘Creation of a European Environment Authority’ initiative call for the setting up of a European Environment Authority, as a successor to the European Environment Agency, or as a new authority. This Authority would have the power to: issue binding administrative decisions; monitor activities that have an environmental impact; and issue sanctions for environmental pollution.

The decision to register an initiative is based on a legal analysis of its admissibility under the ECI Regulation. It does not prejudge the collection of signatures by the organisers, or any eventual legal and political conclusions of the Commission on these initiatives and the action it would take, if any, in case any of these initiatives obtains the necessary support of 1 million European citizens.

As all four European Citizens’ Initiatives fulfil the formal conditions established in the relevant legislation, the Commission considers that they are legally admissible. The Commission has not analysed the substance of the proposals at this stage.

Next Steps

Following today’s registration, the organisers have six months to open the signature collection. If a European Citizens’ Initiative receives one million statements of support within one year from at least seven different Member States, the Commission will have to react. The Commission will have to decide whether to take action in response to the request or not, and will be required to explain its reasoning.

Background

The European Citizens’ Initiative was introduced with the Lisbon Treaty as an agenda-setting tool in the hands of citizens. It was officially launched in April 2012. Once formally registered, a European Citizens’ Initiative allows one million citizens from at least seven EU Member States to invite the European Commission to propose legal acts in areas where it has the power to act. The conditions for admissibility are: (1) the proposed action does not manifestly fall outside the framework of the Commission’s powers to submit a proposal for a legal act, (2) it is not manifestly abusive, frivolous or vexatious and (3) it is not manifestly contrary to the values of the Union.