ECAS Conference on Citizens’ Initiatives: Getting Citizens' Initiative Started

The conference “Getting Citizens’ Initiatives started” took place on Thursday 17 March 2011 at the Representation of Saxony-Anhalt to the EU, boulevard Saint Michel 80, from 9.00 to 18.00, featuring prominent speakers from the Institutions, academia and civil society. 200 Participants attended the event.

Its legal basis being article 11 (4) of the Lisbon Treaty, the right of initiative was been formally defined and adopted in March 2011, only one year after the entry into force of the Treaty.The approved regulation states that further 12 months are necessary to set up the procedures for verifying signatures before the regulation comes into force. Therefore, 2011 will be a year of preparation. The aim of the event was not just to review the regulation but also to assist users and potential users to prepare for initiatives which should be open for signatures after 1 April 2012.

After plenary sessions and debate on the new regulation, participants divided into 4 groups to analize:

- EU competence and European Citizens' Initiatives;

- Campaigns to launch a successful European Citizens' Initiative;

- National rules to meet for launching a successful European Citizen Initiative;

- Long-term impact of the European Citizens' Initiative.

The outcomes of the workshops were reported back to a final plenary session.

Please find below the documentation concerning the conference (press release, hand-outs, speakers' presentations, articles in the press, pictures). A video and the analytical report from the conference will be available shortly.

If you attended the conference, we would greatly appreciate if you could give us your feedback by filling in the survey available below. Your contribution will help us steering and improving future ECAS events.

Press release

22.03.2011 Getting the European Citizens’ Initiatives started now – and making them work