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On 6 February the Commission registered a European citizens' initiative entitled 'European Cannabis Initiative'.

The organisers call on the Commission to: (i) convene a trans-European citizens’ assembly on cannabis policies, including sanctions and the consistency of Member States’ policies; (ii) foster access to medical cannabis and allow the transportation of cannabis and its derivatives prescribed for therapeutic purposes to ensure the full enjoyment of the right to health and (iii) allocate the necessary resources for researching cannabis for its therapeutic purposes. 

The Commission has concluded that the initiative can only be registered as regards the second and third objectives, as only these objectives fulfil the requirements for registration. The Commission had to refuse the registration of the first objective of the initiative, as it falls outside the Commission’s powers to submit a proposal for a legal act of the Union.

The partial registration followed a two-stage procedure, in which organisers, in a first stage, were invited to amend their initial initiative, taking into account the first assessment of the Commission. 

The organisers have six months to open the signature collection. 

Polish citizens can now use eID (Profil Zaufany/mObywatel) to support European citizens' initiatives on the Central Online Collection System. Poland is the 18th EU country enabling the use of a national eID system for signing European citizens' initiatives. Check the status for all EU countries. 

The European Commission decided to register two European citizens' initiatives on 24 January.

The initiative ‘Ban on conversion practices in the European Union’ calls for a ban on interventions aimed at changing, repressing or suppressing the sexual orientation, gender identity and/or gender expression of LGBTIQ+ citizens.

The initiative ‘European Citizens’ Initiative in Defence of Agriculture and Rural Economy in Europe’ calls for the protection of European agriculture and rural economy through a regulatory framework based on several elements including priority use of agricultural land for food production, guaranteeing food sovereignty and addressing food chain issues and high prices. 

The organisers have six months now to choose the moment to start the collection of support.

The public voting of the ‘ImagineEU’ video competition opened on 20 December. Students in their last two years of secondary school were asked to present in a short video their concrete ideas that could benefit citizens across the European Union – similarly to the European Citizens’ Initiative. 

You can now view the videos produced by the students and vote for your favorite ones – you can vote for as many videos as you like - until 28 January 2024.

The European Commission published today its response to the European citizens' initiative ‘Fur Free Europe’, the tenth successful initiative supported by over 1 million citizens across the EU. The initiative collected over 1.5 million valid signatures and reached required thresholds in 18 Member States.

Read the Commission communication.

The Commission adopted today its first report on implementation of the revised European Citizens' Initiative Regulation. The report presents the progress made since the 2020 revision of the regulation and announces a set of practical measures aiming to further improve the functioning of the ECI and the engagement of European citizens’ in EU democratic processes. Check the dedicated webpage and key facts & figures for the reporting period.

A new version of the Central Online Collection System, used by individual ECIs to collect support online, is available now. Users may notice improvements in the look and feel, for example, the improved map of Europe with information on support numbers per country. As support using electronic identification (eID) is getting more popular, the users can now easily see which national electronic identification scheme is available for them.

On Thursday, 23 November, at 12.30 CET, the ECI Forum will host a webinar ‘What is the ECI and Why Should I Care?’. This webinar will focus on the process of the ECI, the support tools available to organisers and testimonials from two organisers of successful initiatives.

On 8 November 2023, the Commission registered four European citizens' initiatives, entitled: ‘EU Live Bus Stop Info’, ‘Trust and Freedom’, “I’m Going European” and ‘Creation of a European Environment Authority’.

The ‘EU Live Bus Stop Info’ initiative calls for the integration of QR codes at bus stops across the EU Member States, to allow passengers to access real-time information.

The ‘Trust and Freedom’ initiative calls for measures regarding informed consent, human dignity, freedom, and bodily autonomy. In particular, it refers to the right to make informed decisions regarding healthcare and treatment options.

 ‘“I’m Going European”: An ECI to Connect your National and European Citizenship’ aims to introduce a right to education on European citizenship, human rights, democracy and the rule of law and to back this up through a series of requirements.

The ‘Creation of a European Environment Authority’ initiative calls for the setting up of a European Environment Authority, with power to issue binding administrative decisions, monitor activities with environmental impact and issue sanctions for environmental pollution.

With these 4 new initiatives, the number of initiatives registered in 2023 increases to 11. Their organisers have six months now to choose the moment to start the collection of support.

The ‘ImagineEU’ video competition for secondary school students is now open! We invite students (in the last two years of secondary education) from across the EU to create and share short videos about their ideas for concrete improvements in the EU, building on the concept of the ECI.   

Discover the competition rules and submit your application by 13 December 2023. Three winning teams will win a two-day study visit to the EU Institutions in Brussels.