2023 ECI review

The European Commission is required to periodically review how the European citizens’ initiative is working. It sets out its findings in reports to the European Parliament and the Council. 

The Commission adopted its first report on the application of  Regulation (EU) 2019/788 on 6 December 2023. In the review process, the Commission focused on initiatives registered since 1 January 2020 and on initiatives registered under the first ECI Regulation that were still ongoing on 1 January 2020 at various stages of the ECI procedure. 

The Commission carried out a number of consultations to serve as an evidence-base for the review report (available in English only):

• Consultations with ECI organisers (an online survey and interviews)  
• An online survey targeting Member State authorities with responsibilities related to the implementation of the ECI Regulation
• An online survey targeting citizens
• An exit survey targeting ECI signatories that have used the Commission’s central online collection system 

The review report incorporates the findings of an independent ‘Study on Technical Solutions for Organisers of European Citizens’ Initiatives’ (available in English only) conducted by an external IT research team to analyse the possibilities for embeddable solutions for the central online collection system that the Commission could offer to ECI organisers.

The review report also addresses various issues included in the European Parliament’s resolution of 13 June 2023 on the implementation of the Regulations on the European citizens’ initiative and complements the Commission’s reply to the European Parliament’s resolution. 

Check the Commission press release and the key facts & figures for the reporting period.