The European Citizens' Initiative

In the three years since its introduction, over 50 European Citizens’ Initiatives (ECI) have been started. Nevertheless, the hurdles are tough: at least one million citizens from at least seven Member States must support the Citizen’s Initiative before the EU Commission will look into it.

cepInput

The ECI has been created as an instrument of direct democracy enabling citizens to get involved in European politics by way of concrete initiatives. The ECI allows them to invite the EU Commission to submit legislative proposals on certain topics. cep explains how the ECI works, reveals what experiences have been gained so far and indicates where there is need for improvement.