Europees Economisch en Sociaal Comité
The EESC has been working on an information report the aim of which was to investigate how European Parliament election procedures are determined in each Member State, taking into account the needs of persons with disabilities and how this affects their right to vote.
In this context, a public hearing was organized to present the first conclusions of the report and to look into successful projects and practices.
The ECI DAY 2017 focused on the individual involvement of citizens and their active role in policy shaping. It was organised in the context of the 60th anniversary of the Rome treaties, the first treaty to talk about European citizenship, in order to show all the positive developments of the concept and a number of new tools to involve citizens. The theme "I participate!" was to underline the importance of citizens' personal involvement in building up a comprehensive democratic system in the EU.
EESC's public hearing on the European Citizens Initiative in the context of the ongoing review process. Questions to be tackled: policy areas covered by the ECI and the validation process; the current political limits to participatory democracy on a European level; the role of the EU institutions and Member States in the process and a better defined support.
The ECI DAY serves as a meeting place and platform for the registered and future ECI organisers to meet and exchange information and experiences, and present their ECIs to the media.
The 2016 edition will focus on the ways of dealing with the identified difficulties, also to emphasize why the simplification of the rules is indispensable. The organisers will find out more about the help available, about what instruments are out there to maximize the impact of their initiatives. Finally, a broader context of participatory democracy in the EU will be drawn with information on the existing tools.
The 2023 edition of the EESC's annual European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) Day took place on 8 June. Participants in Brussels and online joined us to discuss how to upskill citizens for a successful ECI with impact.
Conclusions from the EESC events in the framework of the Conference on the Future of Europe
Volunteering happens when volunteer energy (willingness, capability and availability to volunteer) and volunteer opportunities (possibility to volunteer) are matched. The objective of this study is to create classifications of volunteer energy and volunteer opportunities, providing a qualitative overview of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) that volunteering is facing in the EU.
Conclusions of the conference: "ECI Day 2022 -The European Citizens' Initiative 10 years on: ready for the future?" (EESC, 02/06/2022)
What kind of Europe do you dream of?
Civil society and the Conference on the Future of Europe
Lisbon, 18-19 November 2021
This study is conducted to better understand youngsters' relationship with the EU. The study examines 14- to 18-year-old youngsters' perceptions, and knowledge of the EU as well as their expectations towards the EU, and openness to the European diversity.
