Only 3 days left to save the ECI

Take Action: Only 3 days left!

On 28 October, the 751 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) will vote on the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI). The crucial vote will determine whether the ECI tool will be improved, and whether the citizens will be given a real say in Europe.

The Parliament has still not made up its mind whether each ECI that collects one million signatures must impact policy. But we are convinced that if the ECI tool is not incorporated into the democratic process, it will remain a placebo just to keep the citizens silent.

We have three days left to convince the Members of the European Parliament that a political impact is absolutely crucial. Now is our last chance to write personal emails to the MEPs and urge them to vote for a truly powerful ECI.

Step 1

Draft an email to send to your MEP. The more personal your email is, the more impact it will have on his/her decision. You can use a text we have drafted and change it to make it more personal, or feel free to compose your own email!

Make sure to include the following points in your email:

• Tell them who you are and where you come from
• Explain why you care about the ECI and why you want stronger democracy in Europe
• Tell them that you want them to vote for a more powerful ECI on 28 October, which means saying “yes” to the ECI Report and making sure that successful ECIs cannot stay ignored by the European Institutions, and tell them that you want to be able to propose changes to the Treaties, to truly decide how Europe shall be built
• Urge the MEPs to use this chance to build direct democracy in Europe
• Sign it with your name

If you prefer to use a text we have drafted, feel free to copy and paste it into your own email browser. Also personalise this letter and sign it with your name to make clear to the MEPs that it comes from you:

Dear (insert MEP’s name),

I am writing you as a European citizen to make sure that the Parliament defends our right to petition the European Union and to propose new laws that matter to us.

The future of the European Citizens’ Initiative lies in your hands. If it is not made more powerful, it stands no chance of surviving, and we will lose the only voice we have on EU policy in between elections every five years. 

I therefore call on you to vote yes to the ECI Report on 28 October. And I call on you to ensure that successful ECIs are powerful and far-reaching:

1. Citizens should be able to launch ECIs that propose changes to the founding Treaties of the EU, instead of having these requests rejected entirely
2. The European Commission should respond to each successful ECI with a legal act within 12 months. This legislative proposal should then be thoroughly discussed with the European Parliament and Council (the two European institutions with the greatest democratic legitimacy)
3. If the European Commission does not respond to a successful ECI with a legal act within 12 months, the Parliament must take action to prevent the Commission from ignoring the ECI

Please ensure that these crucial points are part of the Parliament's recommendations on how to improve the ECI.

I want to be able to shape the central decisions that influence my own life and the lives of future generations. I want to be proud of the European integration process. But without real participation of citizens in the building of Europe, I fear people will give up on Europe completely.

Please use this chance to make a real change in Europe.

Best regards,

(insert your name)

Step 2

Select the Members of the European Parliament you want to write to. All MEPs are potentially important, however we particularly encourage you to write to those members that are not yet fully convinced whether to support a truly powerful ECI.

We need to convince in particular these politicians to vote for ECIs with real power:

• Mercedes BRESSO (Italy)
• Pier Antonio PANZERI (Italy)
• Andrea COZZOLINO (Italy)
• Enrico GASBARRA (Italy)
• Soledad CABEZÓN RUIZ (Spain)
• Enrique GUERRERO SALOM (Spain)
• Ramon JAREGUI ATONDO (Spain)
• Javi LOPEZ (Spain)
• Lidia Joanna GERINGER de OEDENBERG (Spain)

• Reinhard BÜTIKOFER (Germany)
• Rebecca HARMS (Germany)

• SvetosIav Hristov MALINOV (Bulgaria)
• Emil RADEV (Bulgaria)
• Eleni THEOCHAROUS (Cyprus)
• Pavel SVOBODA (Czech Republic)
• Alberto CIRIO (Italy)          
• Roberta METSOLA (Malta)
• Therese COMODINI CACHIA (Malta)
• Julia PITERA (Poland)
• Tadeusz ZWIEFKA (Poland)
• Jarosław WAŁĘSA (Poland)
• Pál CSÁKY (Slovakia)       
• Maite PAGAZAURTUNDÚA RUIZ (Spain)