From 1 April 2012 European citizens with have a possibility to influence the decision making environment of the EU. To raise awareness about the use of European citizens’ initiatives and other tools they have at their disposal, ECAS has launched a new one stop shop website and will hold a major conference on ECIs with Democracy International on 20 March 2012.

One year before the European elections in 2014, the year will be an opportunity to encourage European citizens’ initiatives and to foster dialogue between the EU and its citizens.

In this respect, ECAS fully supports the objectives of making 2013 the “European Year of Citizens” and in the attached opinion proposes 4 strands of activities:

(i) An action plan to remove barriers to free movement and other European citizenship rights

(ii) An outreach programme for civil society involvement in the year

(iii) Bringing civil society together to create a European Citizenship Charter or declaration in partnership with the Institutions

(iv) Involving national parliaments and governments in the European Year of citizenship. 

The core of the opinion is that there should be a European Citizenship Charter or declaration. Union citizenship even 20 years after its introduction in the Maastricht Treaty still means so many different things for different people that it ends up as an EU abstraction.

A Charter should bring together the aspects of rights, access and belongings which will build this first transnational modern citizenship.

For more information, please contact :

Tony Venables, ECAS Director, +32 2 548 9826, t.venables@ecas.org [1] 

RELATED PRs:
 
Experts on EU democracy: Direct democracy in Europe still has a long way to go! [2]
published by European Citizens' Initiative [3] on Monday 07 May 2012
 
The CitizenHouse.eu: 360 degree resource for citizens to learn, share and take initiatives [4] published by ECAS  [5]on Friday 30 Mar 2012
 
European Citizenship Initiative: CoR and EESC to stimulate pan-European civic participation [6] published by European Citizens' Initiative [3] on Friday 30 Mar 2012
 
Call to the EU to inform European citizens about their new agenda setting right [7]
published by ECAS  [5]on Thursday 22 Mar 2012
 

WARMING UP TO INITIATIVE.EU - The online community to federate stakeholders for European Citizens’ Initiatives (ECIs) [8] published by EURACTIV [9] on Thursday 26 Jan 2012

Lancement d'INITIATIVE.EU - Une communauté en ligne pour fédérer les parties prenantes souhaitant déposer une Initiative citoyenne européenne (ICE) [10]
published by EURACTIV [9] on Thursday 26 Jan 2012