The European Commission has today registered two European Citizens' Initiatives concerning the rights of Union citizens in the context of the withdrawal of a Member State from the EU and rejected a third proposal entitled 'Stop Brexit'.

The first invites the Commission to separate Union citizenship from Member State nationality in light of the UK withdrawal from the EU ("EU Citizenship for Europeans: United in Diversity in Spite of jus soli and jus sanguinis"), and the second calls on the Commission to uphold the right of Union citizens to move and reside freely within the European Union ("Retaining European Citizenship"). At the same time, the Commission has rejected as inadmissible a third proposal calling on the Commission to prevent the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the EU ("Stop Brexit").

The Commission's decisions concern the legal admissibility of the proposed initiatives. At this stage, the Commission has not examined the substance of the initiatives.

The Commission found that the "EU Citizenship for Europeans: United in Diversity in spite of jus soli and jus sanguinis" and the "Retaining European Citizenship" initiatives meet the conditions necessary for registration under the Regulation on European Citizens' Initiatives. Both European initiatives call on the Commission to protect the status and rights of EU citizenship, in the context of the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union. The Commission attaches great importance to the underlying issue of providing certainty and security to the 4 million citizens (3,2 million EU citizens in the UK and 1,2 million UK citizens in the EU) who are unsure of their future as a result of the decision of the UK to withdraw from the EU. While the Commission cannot propose secondary legislation aiming at granting EU citizenship to natural persons who do not hold the nationality of a Member State of the Union, the rights of EU citizens in the UK and the rights of UK citizens in the EU after the withdrawal of the UK will be at the core of the upcoming Article 50 negotiations. The Commission will do its upmost to prevent EU citizens from being used as bargaining chips in the negotiations with the UK.

In the case of the "Stop Brexit" initiative, the Commission found that the conditions for registration were not met. Article 50(1) of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) explicitly allows any Member State to withdraw from the Union in accordance with its own constitutional requirements. While the Commission regrets the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union, it respects the outcome of the referendum.

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The European Commission has decided today to register a European Citizens Initiative (ECI), entitled 'Ban glyphosate and protect people and the environment from toxic pesticides', inviting the Commission "to propose to Member States a ban on glyphosate, to reform the pesticide approval procedure, and to set EU-wide mandatory reduction targets for pesticide use".

The Commission's decision to register the Initiative concerns only the legal admissibility of the proposal. The conditions for admissibility, as foreseen by the ECI Regulation, are that the proposed action does not manifestly fall outside the framework of the Commission's powers to submit a proposal for a legal act, that it is not manifestly abusive, frivolous or vexatious and that it is not manifestly contrary to the values of the Union.

The College of Commissioners discussed the legal admissibility of the proposed ECI today and concluded that the legal conditions for the registration of the ECI were fulfilled. The College has not analysed the substance of the initiative at this stage.

The European Commission has today registered a European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) 'European Free Movement Instrument' inviting the Commission to guarantee the right of free movement for "Europeans of good standing" within the EU through a 'Universal Instrument'.

The ECI calls on the Commission to identify an appropriate method of granting such an instrument, suggesting a unified laissez-passer document as an option.

The College of Commissioners discussed the legal admissibility of the proposed ECI and agreed that it meets all the conditions necessary for registration under the ECI Regulation. This registration starts a one-year process of collection of signatures in support of the proposed ECI by its organisers.

The Commission's decision to register concerns only the legal admissibility of the proposal. The substance of the initiative has not been discussed or assessed. The conditions for admissibility, as foreseen by the ECI Regulation, are that the proposed action does not manifestly fall outside the framework of the Commission's powers to submit a proposal for a legal act, that it is not manifestly abusive, frivolous or vexatious and that it is not manifestly contrary to the values of the Union.

The European Commission has today registered a European Citizens' Initiative inviting the Commission to propose "a set of incentive measures, including support and monitoring, to develop citizenship education in curricula on all levels of formal education throughout Europe, aimed at shaping democratic citizens". This registration starts a one-year process of collection of signatures in support of the proposed European Citizens' Initiative by its organisers.

The Commission's decision to register the Initiative concerns only the legal admissibility of the proposal. The conditions for admissibility, as foreseen by the European Citizens' Initiative Regulation, are that the proposed action does not manifestly fall outside the framework of the Commission's powers to submit a proposal for a legal act, that it is not manifestly abusive, frivolous or vexatious and that it is not manifestly contrary to the values of the Union.

The Commission concluded today that the legal conditions for the registration of the European Citizens' Initiative 'More than education - Shaping active and responsible citizens' were fulfilled. The Commission has not analysed the substance of the initiative at this stage.

The European Commission has today taken the decision to register the 'LetsFly2Europe: Enable safe and legal access to Europe for refugees!' and 'People4Soil: sign the citizens' initiative to save the soils of Europe!' European Citizens' Initiatives.

The 'LetsFly2Europe' European Citizens' Initiative invites the Commission to propose "an abolition of provisions under Directive 2001/51/EC which penalise transport companies allowing refugees to enter the EU via airplane". The 'People4Soil' European Citizens' Initiative invites the Commission to "recognise soil as a shared heritage that needs EU level protection and develop a dedicated legally binding framework covering the main soil threats."

The Commission's decision to register the Initiatives concerns only the legal admissibility of the proposal. The conditions for admissibility, as foreseen by the European Citizens' Initiative Regulation, are that the proposed action does not manifestly fall outside the framework of the Commission's powers to submit a proposal for a legal act, that it is not manifestly abusive, frivolous or vexatious and that it is not manifestly contrary to the values of the Union.

The Commission concluded today that the legal conditions for the registration of the two European Citizens' Initiatives were fulfilled. The Commission has not analysed the substance of the initiatives at this stage.

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The European Commission has today registered a European Citizens Initiative (ECI), entitled 'Mum, Dad & Kids - European Citizens' Initiative to protect Marriage and Family', inviting the Commission to propose legislation that defines the meaning of marriage as a union between a man and a woman and of family as based on marriage and/or descent for the purpose of EU law. This registration starts a one-year process of collection of signatures in support of the proposed ECI by its organisers.

The Commission's decision to register concerns only the legal admissibility of the proposal. The conditions for admissibility, as foreseen by the ECI Regulation, are that the proposed action does not manifestly fall outside the framework of the Commission's powers to submit a proposal for a legal act, that it is not manifestly abusive, frivolous or vexatious and that it is not manifestly contrary to the values of the Union.

The College of Commissioners discussed the legal admissibility of the proposed ECI and concluded that the legal conditions for the registration of the ECI were fulfilled. The College has not analysed the substance of the initiative at this stage.

The European Commission has today registered a European Citizens Initiative (ECI), entitled 'Wake up Europe ! Agir pour préserver le projet démocratique européen', inviting the Commission to propose to trigger Article 7 of the Treaty for alleged breaches of the EU's fundamental values by Hungary.

The Commission's decision to register concerns only the legal admissibility of the proposal. The conditions for admissibility, as foreseen by the ECI Regulation, are that the proposed action does not manifestly fall outside the framework of the Commission's powers to submit a proposal for a legal act, that it is not manifestly abusive, frivolous or vexatious and that it is not manifestly contrary to the values of the Union.

The College of Commissioners discussed the legal admissibility of the proposed ECI and concluded that the legal conditions for the registration of the ECI were fulfilled. The College has not analysed the substance of the initiative at this stage.