This year the ECI Day will witness a new stage in the development of the European Citizens' Initiative. Two years after Commission First Vice-President Frans Timmermans announced the start of the revision process at the opening of ECI Day 2017, we will now be looking at the final text of the newly negotiated agreement on the ECI proposal. It will have just been adopted at the European Parliament's plenary session in March and will be the main focus of our programme.

Our participants will have a chance to learn about the new regulation and its desired impact and practical changes. Equally important, we will hear directly from First Vice-President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans about what will improve, how the ECI will benefit active citizens and where the European Commission itself places this tool in its own hierarchy of consultation instruments and procedures. His presentation will be followed by Q&A session with the floor.

Moreover, this year's event is entitled Digital Voices, reflecting the ongoing changes in global trends in voting and citizens' active participation. The ECI is very often cited as an example of a tool with the potential to create a real sense of European identity and citizenship thanks to its impact on the EU's political agenda. It is intended to give Europeans the chance to cooperate and unite around a cause of common interest or concern in order to express their opinion, not only on election day but whenever they believe a new item needs to be placed on the EU's agenda. We will strive to explore this potential in ECI Day 2019 in the particular context of the European elections. To this end, we will analyse various aspects of the new proposal and compare the ECI and its agenda-setting potential with similar instruments in the Member States.

When? 2 April 2019, 9.30 a.m. to 2.30 p.m.
Where? EESC, Rue Belliard/Belliardstraat 99 – 1040 Brussels, Belgium
More info & registration here.