Video competition

The ImagineEU competition called on young Europeans in their last two years of secondary school to learn more about how to be active citizens in the EU. They were invited to think of concrete ideas that can make the EU an even better place to live, and that could benefit citizens across the European Union – similarly to the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI).  

In groups of up to 7 classmates, students were asked to present their creative ideas in a short video. Over 400 videos were submitted. 388 videos that complied with the competition rules were published for public voting. 

In the final stage, a jury assessed the 50 most voted videos to determine the three winning teams. 

WATCH THE WINNING VIDEOS 

This competition builds on the concept of the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI), an important tool of participatory democracy in the EU, allowing citizens to take an active part in EU policymaking.  

Schools could use the ‘EU Democracy in Action- Have your say with the European Citizens’ Initiative' toolkit to prepare for the competition. Available in all EU official languages, the toolkit includes 4 modules with educational videos and interactive activities covering topics from democratic participation to the actual ECI tool.  

The competition is organised by the European Commission Secretariat-General, SG.A.1 - Unit for Policy Priorities & Work Programme.

The three winning teams are awarded a study trip to Brussels, the heart of the European Union, from 21 to 23 March 2024. 

During the trip, the teams will have the opportunity to meet representatives of European Institutions to learn more about how EU policies and laws are made and how EU citizens can get involved with the European Citizens’ Initiative. 

A jury made up of representatives of the ECI community assessed the 50 most voted videos and helped to select the winners.

The 50 videos with the highest number of votes from the public voting were evaluated by a jury composed of representatives of the ECI community from EU institutions, national authorities and civil society organisations, as well as young trainees from the European Commission. The jury  considered the following criteria: 

• ECI-relevance (0-25 points): Is the idea in the video relevant as a topic for a European Citizens’ Initiative?   
• Clarity (0-50 points): Is the message clear and concise?  
• Creativity (0-25 points): Is the idea original? Does the team approach the idea in an interesting way? 

All the rules and documents can be found on the Rules and documents page. 

The competition stages:

eci_team@eutaketheinitiative.eu