European Citizens Abroad Support European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) Day 2014
West Chester, PA (PRWEB) April 15, 2014 -- Today, European Citizens Abroad launches a 24-hour online campaign to support the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) Day.
The ECI is essential to a better and more modern democracy in Europe. Launched on April 1 2012, it represents a major step forward for direct participatory democracy and therefore greater citizen’s involvement in EU Policy.
Since launch, 40 initiatives were submitted to the European Commission, 23 were accepted and 3 of them have been successful. In fact, in order to be further considered by the European Commission and the European Parliament, ECIs need to collect at least 1,000,000 signatures from citizens of at least 7 different EU member states and go through a complicated set of rules.
For today’s campaign, European Citizens Abroad has had the privilege to partner with public engagement specialist Janice Thompson who campaigned for a citizens-friendly ECI regulation. In the new publication “An ECI That Works” for which she is co-editor, she explains that “ECI campaigns have been frustrated and often discouraged by burdensome ECI rules. But they have also experienced positive benefit. This has led many to become vocal advocates for reforming the ECI implementing regulation.”
ECI Day on April 15th 2014 is unique opportunity to look back and reflect on the experience from the past two years, and prepare for the 2015 revision of the rules that govern the ECI (Regulation No 211/2011).
Natasha Levanti, Director of Policy for European Citizens Abroad, also highlighted "Of late in the European Union, euroscepticism and distrust of EU politicians have been on the rise. ECIs, in their ideal form, help address this by bringing the views of citizens closer to our politicians."
European Citizens Abroad will remain fully engaged in the upcoming months and years to continue to promote EU citizens’ participation in EU Policy and advocate for equal voting rights and procedures in European Parliament elections as well as the simplification of ECI rules.
Olivier Nataf, European Citizens Abroad, http://www.europeansabroadvote2014.eu, +1 (773) 799-6159, [email protected]
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