Water resilience and clear messaging: An ECI in progress

In March 2025, the organisers of  the “Water-Smart and Resilient Europe” European citizens’ initiative, explained, in an article on the Forum, their call for stronger EU action to ensure access to water as a fundamental right and to prioritise water resilience across policy areas.

Five months later, we return to the organisers—not just because the issue remains urgent, but because their approach to campaigning offers useful lessons for future ECI organisers.

Since its registration, the initiative has refined its communication strategy to reach citizens more effectively—emphasising clear, accessible messaging in all EU languages and moving beyond Brussels-centric terminology. The campaign has also activated a broad network of member organisations across Europe, showing how ECI campaigns can scale through local multipliers. Crucially, the organisers continue to frame the ECI as a participatory tool that empowers people to influence policy at the European level.

While the initiative still has time until October 2025 to complete the signature collection phase, organiser Piotr Sadowski of Volonteurope reflects on what the team has learned, how they have adapted, and why grassroots clarity and coalition-building matter just as much as the message itself.

Piotr Sadowski: We chose the ECI because it’s the participatory democracy tool available to EU citizens to influence legislation. It exists in the Treaties and is open to all of us — but it’s also a technically complex tool.

Strengthening communication and outreach

The real challenge lies in moving from an idea to an approved and registered initiative — and then launching and running it effectively. It requires a strong coordinating team: like-minded people from diverse backgrounds who share the campaign’s values.

Support structures like the ECI Forum have been very useful. They’ve explained to us how to gain visibility, connect with experienced media professionals, and refine how we communicate. When I published our first article on the Forum, I found the feedback process extremely helpful. That back-and-forth in the editing process helped ensure our message was not just accessible, but also meaningful for readers across Europe.

While we are working hard to reach the one million signatures required, this campaign is about more than numbers. 

It's about raising awareness of the urgent issues at stake — about water scarcity, EU values, and who decides how water is governed.

This ECI is about empowering people and communities. We want citizens to understand that water is precious, and that they have a right to shape how it’s managed and accessed. It’s not just a policy issue; it’s about justice and long-term survival. It’s about reversing the trend before it’s too late.

We believe access to water is a fundamental human right and that water must remain a public good. But more than 10 million people in Europe struggle to access clean water. That should not be treated as a privilege.

From “Right2Water” to “Water Resilience”

This initiative builds on the legacy of the first successful ECI “Right2Water” which mobilised trade unions, communities, and civil society groups across Europe over a decade ago. At Volonteurope, we recognised their achievement by awarding them our “Campaign of the Year” title at the time.

Today, we are continuing that fight, but with a broader focus: water resilience. With the European Commission currently having adopted its Water Resilience Strategy, we want to ensure that all people who call the EU home have a say in how water is governed.

It’s alarming that up to 60% of water is lost in distribution, while millions still lack access to clean drinking water or sanitation. That has to change. 

Our initiative reaffirms water as a public good, but also presses for smarter, more inclusive governance at every level.

Lessons from the field

One of the first things we learned is the importance of stepping out of the “Brussels bubble.” Inside EU institutions, everyone knows what an ECI is. But outside, we need a different language — one that’s clear, simple, and resonates with real people.

When submitting the ECI proposal, technical precision is essential to pass the Commission’s checks. But once approved, your focus must shift: you have to speak in ways that connect across regions and communities.

And you must communicate in as many languages as possible — not just English, French or German. Our website, for instance, provides messaging in all official EU languages to ensure that no one feels left out.

It’s also critical to build a wide support base. Our campaign includes organisers from different countries and benefits from the strong network of Volonteurope members, who act as multipliers within their communities.

Building coalitions and mobilising grassroots support

An ECI lives or dies at the grassroot level!

I can speak all day in Brussels about the importance of this ECI — but real success happens on the ground. It’s about being able to explain why you care, what you’re fighting for, and why it matters—to anyone, anywhere in Europe.

We never work in isolation. The true strength of an ECI lies in connection — with civil society organisations, with networks, and with ordinary citizens. When we build those relationships, unexpected synergies emerge that reinforce and expand our goals. That’s how a grassroots campaign becomes a collective movement.

Want to learn more?

• How to look for partners
• More success stories
• Watch Piotr, the organiser of this ECI, in the recent Meet and Greet Video