European Economic
and Social Committee
ECI Day 2026
The 14th edition of European Citizens’ Initiative Day – ECI Day 2026 – will take place as part of the EESC’s Civil Society Week, held from 2 to 5 March under the title People, Democracy, Resilience – Our Future!.
On Tuesday 3 March, the European Economic and Social Committee, together with its established ECI Day partners – Democracy International, the European Citizen Action Service and The ECI Campaign – invite you to participate, discuss, network and exchange ideas and good practices around the ECI.
The day will start with a high-level session that brings two moments together: the EU’s commitment to civic engagement and placing citizens’ ideas at the core of its policymaking, and the potential of the European Citizens’ Initiative in that regard, in particular given the growing capacity of Europeans to take the initiative and run the campaign successfully, as proved by the fact that four initiatives reached the one million signature threshold in just the last few months.
Afterwards, our interactive workshops will offer a peer-to-peer exchange of best practices for successful ECI campaigning, explore the power of the European Citizens’ Initiative and how citizens can shape Europe’s future with it, and identify what effective follow-up to successful ECIs requires.
But that’s not all! ECI organisers and stakeholders will also have networking stands to showcase and present their ongoing initiatives and ECI-related work throughout the event.
Join us to engage with prominent institutional representatives, ECI organisers and supporters, and other stakeholders such as civil society organisations, youth representatives and national economic and social councils. Get involved and have your voice heard!
#ECIDay
#EESCforECI
ECI Day
The European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) is a key instrument for participatory democracy at European level. Introduced by the Lisbon Treaty, it entered into force in 2012 and allows Europeans to make legislative proposals and participate in decision-making by connecting directly with EU institutions. It is a chance for them to discuss and influence key policies and sheds further light on the public’s view of the EU’s agenda and priorities. ECI Day is an important forum and platform where registered and future ECI organisers and stakeholders can exchange information and experiences and present their initiatives and activities to the public.
ECI Day permanent partners
- Democracy International
- European Citizen Action Service
- European Committee of the Regions
- The ECI Campaign