Dear
 
 

Today, 1st April 2015, the European Citizens’ Initiative turns three years old. Yet, we do not celebrate. The facts are just too sobering: Throughout the past three years 51 European Citizens’ Initiatives (ECIs) were launched, however the European Commission declared 20 of those inadmissible. 28 ECIs did not make it to collect the required one million signatures within one year. Only three ECIs managed to do so, yet the Commission has turned none of these into EU law.

We want to change this! Yesterday, the European Commission presented an assessment of the ECI in practice. In this paper, the Commission admits that the ECI still needs to be improved. We fully agree. We have started campaigning to save the ECI, the only tool of direct and participatory democracy at supranational level that allows to channel our own ideas into EU-decision-making! Hopefully in one year time there will be a reason to celebrate and an ECI that works for us all!

All the best,
Cora Pfafferott

P.S: You want to help to save the ECI? We will be grateful for your support. More here.
 
News
 
 
 
   
The ECI - a democratic farce?
The European Citizens' Initiative is the world's first transnational tool of participative democracy. But the many flaws of the European Citizens’ Initiative in practice reflect its democratic fiasco: Very few Europeans even know of the ECI’s existence. The process poses excessive legal, technical and burdens for campaigners, and once an ECI has successfully passed all hurdles, the Commission is not even obliged to act. The fact that only three out of 51 ECIs have met the thresholds clearly shows that the rules need to be improved.
 
 
 
 
   
"Tunisia is a new concept for democracy-making"
The terrorist attacks of 18 March have not deterred us from putting on the Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy to take place in Tunis from 14 to 17 May 2015.
 
 
 
 
   
The Netherlands: Website online, campaign next
Democracy International's Dutch partner organisation Meer Democratie has a new website.
 
 
 
 
   
Making off: Direct Democracy in Austria
On 11 March 2015 civil society activists met with politicians to discuss how to improve direct democracy in Austria.
 
 
 
 
 
   
26 - 28 June 2015: Annual Conference in Germany
"Global democracy development – between dream and trauma” will be the subject of a conference jointly organised with Democracy International's partner Mehr Demokratie.
 
 
 
 
Democracy International