113,309 of 150,000 signatures

To Members of the European Parliament

Petition

We urge Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to vote against the provisional political agreement for a new regulation on the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI), and open new negotiations that strengthen the ECI as a democratic tool. This ECI reform would severely damage EU citizens’ opportunities to participate in European democracy. The ECI is the only tool that can bring EU citizens together to have a direct and formal say in EU policy processes.

The proposed changes will limit the chances of new successful ECIs emerging due to significant barriers such as the discontinuation of individual online collection systems (iOCS). The EU institutions have the collective responsibility to take the ECI forward, not backward, and we count on MEPs to stand up for their citizens’ rights.

Why is this important?

On 12 March, the European Parliament could make it harder for citizens like you and me to participate in the only direct democracy tool the EU has: the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI). [1] MEPs will soon vote to change the ECI, and could vote to ban the only software that has resulted in a successful ECI for five years! [2]

The ECI is the only tool that brings together EU citizens to have a direct and formal say in EU decision-making. But it is not easy to use it, and only four ECIs have been successful since 2012, when the tool was established. And now if the EU has its way, the chances of new successful ECIs emerging will be even more limited. MEPs think that they can pass these destructive reforms right before the European elections, without us noticing.

In 2017 our community organised a successful ECI to ban glyphosate. To make it possible, we adapted our own signature collection software, which has been certified by EU governments in full compliance with the law. [3] Now the EU wants to change the law, and ban this kind of signature collection software!

A group of dedicated programmers developed this software in 2015, precisely because of the shortcomings of the EU’s own software. The EU wants to ban it simply because the decision makers negotiating the reform overlooked its success. [4] Now, rather than trying to the fix the problem, the EU is trying to rush through this reform before the next elections. This is our last chance to stop these destructive reforms. [5]

As if banning our software wasn’t bad enough, the changes would also mean that ECI organisers cannot contact the signatories after the ECI process is finished. This would prevent organisers from building European communities of action like ours, which has been so successful in bringing citizens’ voices directly to EU decision makers. [6] Rather than fixing current problems with the ECI, the EU is ready to create a whole new set of barriers for people to engage.

Image by Diliff [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

References:

https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/ficheprocedure.do?lang=&reference=2017/0220(COD)
See here for reasons why our own signature collection software is so important for a successful ECI: http://www.citizens-initiative.eu/10-reasons-to-preserve-eci-organisers-right-and-freedom-to-use-individual-online-collection-systems/
For the Stop Glyphosate ECI, we used the “openECI” online collection system, and integrated it with our own normal petition software http://ec.europa.eu/citizens-initiative/public/initiatives/successful/details/2017/000002
The Commission’s original proposal said that the use of online collection systems like ours should continue, and the European Parliament supported that proposal. However, during trilogue negotiations, the working staff document accompanying the draft regulation proposal contained incomplete information. It indicated that no ECIs used this software in the years 2014 and 2015, which resulted in the Council recommending to discontinue their use. However, our software was launched in late 2015, and many other ECI organisers have used it in 2016, 2017, and 2018.
http://www.citizens-initiative.eu/eu-deal-creates-a-highly-uncertain-future-for-eci/
https://www.theparliamentmagazine.eu/articles/news/european-citizens%E2%80%99-initiatives-become-more-accessible-after-deal-reached

In partnership with:

The ECI Campaign

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113,309

of 150,000 signatures

Recent comments

Bodil C

Det er vigtigt med borgerinddragelse, og at finde nye former for kommunikation, der gør det muligt at drage nytte af at flere ved mere.

Leopoldina

Every tool permitting the citizens participation is a fundamental, democratic tool

luigi

as a EU citizen, i want to be part of this community, keeping using democracy's tools.

PATRICK

EU has gone to fare.!

Damien

Do not sign away our democratic rights.

John

It is of paramount importance to maintain the ECI as a democratic tool to know what the electorate want. Any dilution would be unacceptable and will sway voting for MEPs.

Marian

because this is about humanity, my concern

eric

Fuck capitalism

Breda

Citizens rights must not be eroded, we should have a say in all aspects of the EU.

Chris

It is important that initiatives such as the ECI continue and that MEPs and the Comission bade their decisions on accurate data.

Marko

Because od trasnsparency

Ruben

We urge Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to vote against the provisional political agreement for a new regulation on the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI), and open new negotiations that strengthen the ECI as a democratic tool. This ECI reform would severely damage EU citizens’ opportunities to participate in European democracy. The ECI is the only tool that can bring EU citizens together to have a direct and formal say in EU policy processes. The proposed changes will limit the chances of new successful ECIs emerging due to significant barriers such as the discontinuation of individual online collection systems (iOCS). The EU institutions have the collective responsibility to take the ECI forward, not backward, and we count on MEPs to stand up for their citizens’ rights.

Cris

This direct and handy way of voicing my opinions on important issues concerning us all must be preserved

roberto

Stop Lobbies and political affairs!!

Tijs

It is supposed to be for the people, so then you must do it for them to!

GAIA

we're fed up with this system ! we need to be listened to because we're living creatures with hopes, dreams, will and understanding! we're not your devices, you can't decide for all of us anymore!

Barbara

Esta votación puede ser determinante para su reelección a Parlamentari@ Europe@. No decepcione a su electorado, l@s ciudadan@s

Paula-Amanda

Democracy is something valuable and must be saved.

daniele

because it just is

Christopher

Citizens should have the right to decide what is best for themselves as well as their country/EU. Let's stop this rightwing/capitalistic/multinationals controlled wave that is overcoming our continent (and the rest of the world).

Michael

the EU should be proud that people act together on democratic way

Rolf

I do not want to be ruled

Ilari

Mahdollisuus osallistua on tärkeää demokratialle.

Jane

In conjunction with our directly elected MEP’s and also our Commissioners the people’s voice can be heard precisely in petitions where otherwise some of that intention can have been diluted by and lost in translation through the input of many varying lobbying intentions on the above representives. Democracy needs the well balanced input of its elected representatives plus the input of the people in order to defend itself against its critics and now more than ever.

Tiiu

Democracy and freedom of expression!

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Dear Sir/Madam,

We are aware MEP Schöpflin sent to all MEPs in an email “ECI - PLEASE VOTE IN FAVOUR” asking you to vote for the ECI reform, however he made some false points that I would like to clarify.

MEP Schöpflin claimed OpenECI was “not wholly transparent undertaking,” but the OpenECI team has met MEP Schöpflin and have been clear and transparent about OpenECI -including its finance and history.

His point about data protection is untrue: OpenECI has the same high standards as the Commission’s online collection system and OpenECI complies fully with the ECI regulation. This is why the OpenECI software has been certified numerous times by the German authorities.

Further, it's not true that the software developed by the Commission is more secure than OpenECI. OpenECI uses PGP to encrypt each signature. We comply with the regulation and it's a system that has been certified by the German authorities.

MEP Schöpflin wants to give the impression that this is an issue that only concerns the WeMove community. This is not true - in fact, 50% of the successful ECIs were self hosted, something that the new ECI regulation wants to stop.

As for all his points on achievements of the provisional political agreement, most of these already have the legislative framework to be put in place, and voting down the ECI Reform will not take them away. For example, neither the collaborative platforms, nor the provision of information by the Commission and member states would be removed if the reform were to be voted down.

The ECI reform process has achieved some progress, but none of them depend on MEPs voting tomorrow, as they are all improvements that are compatible -and already put in place- under existing regulation 211/2011. Rejecting the ECI reform today is to allow individual online collection systems to live and support more successful ECIs.

I would greatly appreciate if you could send a correction to Mr Schöpflin's email to your colleague in order to ensure MEPs are voting based on correct information.

Sincerely,

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In partnership with:

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