Pulse of Europe is an ambassador for the European Citizens’ Initiative
Pulse of Europe as part of the ECI Ambassador Program
Help shape Europe with the European Citizens’ Initiative!
Your voice. Your idea. Your Europe.
The European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) is the strongest instrument of direct democracy in the European Union. Since 2012, it has enabled citizens in the EU to play an active role in shaping European policy.
With one million signatures from at least seven EU Member States, you can join others in submitting a request directly to the European Commission and thus initiate the development of new EU laws.
Only the ECI gives you the opportunity to make a binding request to the Commission to deal with an issue and examine specific legislative proposals. As soon as the required number of supporters has been reached, the Commission decides how to proceed.
Pulse of Europe: For more citizen participation in the EU
As official ambassadors of the European Citizens’ Initiative, we are committed to raising awareness of this important democratic instrument throughout Europe.
Our mission:
- Bringing Europe closer to its citizens
- Strengthen political participation
- Bringing issues that move people to the streets
We stimulate public debate, organize events and motivate people across Europe to actively contribute their voices and ideas.
The European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) is an official instrument of direct democracy in the European Union. Since 2012, EU citizens have been able to use it to ask the European Commission to propose new laws or measures on a specific topic.
For an initiative to be successful, at least one million people from seven EU member states must support it. The Commission is then obliged to examine the request and make a public statement.
The ECI strengthens the participation of citizens in EU politics and makes it possible to bring issues from society directly onto the political agenda in Brussels.
The European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) offers you, as a citizen of the European Union, the opportunity to have a direct influence on EU policy. If you are particularly concerned about a European issue, e.g. the environment, social affairs or consumer protection, you can support an ECI together with other people or help shape it yourself.
If an initiative reaches at least one million supporters from seven EU countries, the European Commission must address the issue and provide an official response.
The ECI brings you:
- the opportunity to actively participate in democratic processes in the EU
- a platform to make topics publicly visible
- direct contact with an official EU legislative procedure
This makes the ECI a concrete tool for more political participation in Europe.
All EU citizens who have reached the minimum age for voting in the European Parliament may participate in the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI), usually from the age of 18, in some countries (e.g. Austria, Malta) from the age of 16.
Participation means:
- Support an ECI (by signing)
- Co-found an initiative
- Actively participate in the organization or application of an ECI
You must be a citizen of an EU member state, regardless of whether you live inside or outside the EU.
The ECI is thus open to millions of EU citizens who wish to actively participate in European democracy.
To support or help shape a European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI), all you need to do is:
- citizenship of an EU member state
- the minimum age required to vote in the European Parliament (usually 18 years, in some countries from 16 years)
- depending on the initiative: a valid identity document number (e.g. identity card or passport), as some Member States require this for support
To sign an ECI, you must provide your data via a secure online form or on paper, depending on the organizer’s chosen method.
If you want to start an initiative yourself, you also need a so-called citizens’ committee with at least 7 people from 7 different EU countries.
Participation is free and an easy way to get actively involved in EU politics.
Once a European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) is officially registered, the organizers have 12 months to collect at least one million signatures from at least seven EU Member States.
Once the statements of support have been successfully collected and checked by the Member States, the initiative will be forwarded to the European Commission.
The next steps are:
- Formal examination by the Commission
- Meeting between the Commission and the organizers
- Public hearing in the European Parliament
- Opinion of the Commission: It decides whether or not to follow the request and draw up a legislative proposal – and justifies its decision in writing.
Even if the Commission is not obliged to present a legislative initiative, the ECI brings the issue into the public discourse and onto the EU’s political agenda.
Links and “Read more”
The European Citizens’ Initiative
The ECI Ambassador Program
Our profile as ambassadors of the European Citizens’ Initiative
We are very happy to announce that our whole movement and therefore all Europe activists of Pulse of Europe have now been appointed ambassadors of the European Citizens’ Initiative!
Participate & Support
Join us in ensuring that there will be a united Europe in the future. Democratic principles such as respect for human dignity, the rule of law, freedom of thought and action, tolerance and respect must remain self-evident foundations of the European community. We stand up for this Europe and for that we need you too!