Save the date: this year’s edition of ECI Day will take place on 5 March 2024!

In 2024 the ECI Day will take place on 5 March, during the European Economic and Social Committee’s Civil Society Week, and promises to be especially significant, with a focus on strengthening democratic participation and empowering citizens to make their voices heard. From workshops and panel discussions to interactive events, there will be plenty of opportunities for engagement and exchange of ideas. 

Celebrating European Citizens' Initiative Day: Reflecting on the Past, Anticipating the Future

The ECI Forum team has organised three workshops. 

“Success Factors for E-democracy Initiatives” will explore the success factors of participatory tools such as the European citizens' initiative, crowdsourcing legislation with citizens, and participatory budgeting and outline the added value of each method to democracy at local, national and European level.

“How to…Navigate the ECI Support Infrastructures!” aims to explain the support infrastructures of the ECI, including the ECI Forum, the organiser account and the ECI official website. Participants will engage in an interactive session with a puzzle game to test participants knowledge and understanding of the support infrastructures discussed. 

“How to…Look For Partners” will equip ECI organisers with the knowledge and strategies to effectively build a community around their initiative and to build alliances that are crucial for the success of their initiatives. 

European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) Day is a high-level annual event organised by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and its partners. This event gathers potential, current, and future ECI organisers and stakeholders to exchange information, discuss the ECI as a participatory democracy tool and give current initiatives the opportunity to share their initiatives with others. 

Last year’s ECI Day focused on the skills organisers need to make their initiative a success. It also celebrated the 100th registered European citizens’ initiative, where high-level institutional representatives, stakeholders and organisers reflected on the importance of active citizen engagement and participatory democracy in the EU through tools such as the ECI. The workshops focused on the skills and tools available to turn an idea into a European citizens’ initiative proposal and how to use influencers and external multipliers to boost campaign outreach. Moreover, ECI Day 2023 analysed the skills needed for young people to be actively and successfully involved in participatory democracy, especially with the ECI. It was also the occasion to officially launch the educational toolkit for secondary schools “EU Democracy in Action - Have Your Say with the European Citizens' Initiative”.  

As we approach the upcoming ECI Day, there is a sense of anticipation and excitement in the air. So mark your calendars and join us in celebrating European Citizens' Initiative Day – either in person in Brussels, or online, watching the webstreaming and participating via Slido. Together, let's continue to champion democracy, foster civic engagement, and shape the future of Europe for generations to come.

Register to ECI Day here!