Stop Finning – Stop the Trade

"Stop Finning – Stop the Trade" is the 8th successful European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI). It calls on the European Commission to strengthen the EU’s ban on shark finning. The initiative seeks to extend existing Regulation (EU) 605/2013, which bans shark finning, by further banning the import, export, and trade of loose shark fins within the European Union.

Registered on 2 January 2020, the initiative faced a slower start compared to other successful ECIs. The campaign encountered significant challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, prompting an exceptional one-year extension of the collection period until 31 January 2022 [in line with Regulation (EU) 2020/1042, Decision C(2020) 9226, and Decision C(2021) 1121]. Despite these obstacles, the initiative achieved a remarkable milestone, gathering 1,119,996 verified statements of support. Notably, the majority of signatures were collected in the final 20 days of the campaign. Minimum thresholds were met in 15 Member States, demonstrating strong support across Europe. The collected signatures were promptly submitted to the respective national authorities for verification. 

Following the verification process, which was also extended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the initiative was formally submitted to the European Commission on 11 January 2023 (press announcement). The Commission responded by publishing a Communication outlining its position on 5 July 2023, taking action in three areas: assessing the possibility of a legislative initiative to end trade in loose fins, conducting an impact assessment, and enhancing relevant statistics, while also strengthening enforcement of EU traceability measures and engaging with international partners (press release).

Building strategic partnerships and networks

Establishing a strong supporters network and strategic partnerships with various organisations before launching the initiative is essential, while continuous networking throughout the campaign ensures sustained growth and engagement.

Maximising outreach

Leveraging social media is crucial for reaching a larger audience and engaging new target groups, expanding the initiative’s visibility and impact. 

Local engagement

Establishing volunteer teams in different EU countries helps develop and maintain local campaigns, ensuring grassroots support and sustained engagement across diverse communities.

Preparation

The organisers of "Stop Finning – Stop the Trade" were, like other organisers of ECIs, very passionate about their topic and were ready to hit the ground running. The preparation of an ECI is arguably the most important part. During the preparation phase, organisers develop their campaign strategy and build their network. Building a network of partners and volunteers was essential to the success of this ECI. This initiative had the support of 105 organisations, 14 water sport associations, 14 companies and 16 celebrities / influential people. The main supporter was the Sea Shepherd NGO, which provided the organisers with financial support, campaigning expertise and advice. 

Ensuring that these networks of partners actively supported the initiative was a challenge. The organisers overcame this by initiating online conference calls to keep the partners updated on the initiative's progress, establishing a regular newsletter, creating content for the partners to adapt for use in their own communication channels, and devising ideas for events to promote the initiative in their local areas. 

Building an online presence was also crucial for this initiative because signature collection took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, and in-person events were, therefore, impossible. The organisers built a multilingual website with background information on the initiative, the demands of the initiative, and resources such as factsheets and campaign outlines. The organisers also built their online presence on social media: Facebook (14,000 followers), Instagram (35,800 followers), X (formerly Twitter) (1,799 followers) and Youtube (219 subscribers). 

Fundraising and resources

Overall, the organisers of the "Stop the Finning – Stop the Trade" initiative collected EUR 17,360 in support and funds. 

Sources of funding (€)

 Note: Further information on Stop the Finning - Stop the Trade's support and funding is available on the Stop Finning - Stop the Trade initiative page in the ECI Register. Only contributions above €500 per sponsor are required to be reported.

Campaign strategy and signature collection plan

"All this (social media campaigns and outreach) led to an increased awareness of our initiative! One needs to be patient, as well as confident … That’s not always easy." - ECI Organiser of "Stop Finning - Stop the Trade"

The initiative’s organisers identified 10 Member States to target and to reach the minimum threshold: Czechia, Germany, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Hungary, the Netherlands and Austria. The organisers chose these countries for two reasons: 

1. These countries are part of the shark fin trade and are directly affected by the ECI proposals; 
2. Most of the organiser’s partner organisations, volunteers and influencers operate in these countries.

As a result of the pandemic, the organisers had to revise their original campaign strategy and focus on their online presence and online signature collection. However, the extension of the signature collection period, the help of their network of partners and volunteers, and their strong social media campaign enabled the organisers to overcome this obstacle. Remarkably, through these partners, volunteers, and social media campaigns, the organisers were able to collect more than 500,000 signatures during the 20 days before the official end of their signature collection period. The key to this was raising awareness of the campaign, and this is where influencers played a vital role in the initiative’s campaign. Each milestone reached by the organisers and volunteers, such as reaching the required threshold in a Member State, was an opportunity to inject more momentum into the initiative. The organisers also used the achievement of important milestones in marine conservation to promote their initiative and raise awareness. Despite the pandemic, the organisers were able to successfully organise some pan-EU events in major cities such as Rome, Athens and Berlin. 

The organisers of Stop Finning used the central online collection system. As a consequence of the pandemic, the collection of signatures became more difficult and slowed down during the campaign. The organisers used their network of partners and volunteers to maintain the momentum and continue promoting the initiative. Through influencers, the initiative gained quite a big social media presence. This had a huge impact on the campaign and resulted in the collection of more than 1,1 million signatures. For more information, please check out their blog post on the ECI Forum.

Signature collection and verification process

The 'Stop Finning - Stop the Trade' signature collection closed on 31 January 2022. After the extension of the collection period, the initiative ultimately collected 1,202,121 signatures in 27 EU Member States, of which 93% were considered valid signatures by the relevant national authorities. After the formal process, a final figure of 1,119,996 signatures was validated by national authorities. The required thresholds were reached in 15 Member States. 

The initiative was then formally submitted to the Commission on 11 January 2023, opening the 6-month examination period. To celebrate officially submitting their initiative to the Commission, the organisers arranged an event at the Place du Luxembourg in Brussels. More than 50 people from more than 10 EU countries gathered in front of the European Parliament to celebrate this moment (social media post). 

Number of statements of support collected by Stop Finning - Stop the Trade per Member State

The check marks on the chart indicate the EU Member States where the minimum threshold of signatures required for supporting the initiative has been successfully met. "Stop Finning – Stop the Trade" reached the minimum thresholds in 15 Member States. The full table with statements of support for 'Stop Finning - Stop the Trade' is available on the Stop Finning – Stop the Trade initiative page in the ECI Register.

Formal submission and meetings with the Commission

Following the formal submission of the 'Stop Finning - Stop the Trade' initiative on 11 January 2023 (press announcement), the organisers met with the European Commissioner for the Environment, Ocean and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevičius, on 6  February 2023 (photo coverage). 

European Parliament public hearing

On 27 March 2023, the European Parliament held a public hearing on the 'Stop Finning – Stop the Trade' initiative (recording). The organisers presented the initiative’s objectives and engaged with the Members of the European Parliament (EP hearing highlights). On 11 May 2023, the 'Stop Finning – Stop the Trade' initiative was debated in a plenary session of the European Parliament (recording).

European Commission's formal response

The Commission adopted a communication on 5 July 2023, setting out its response to the initiative. The Commission welcomed the initiative and acknowledged that ending the trade of finning remains a strong concern for EU citizens. The Communication assessed the merits of each of the initiative's proposals (press release):

• Examine the suitability of launching a legislative measure to end the trade in loose shark fins; and  start an impact assessment on the environmental, social and economic consequences of applying the ‘fins naturally attached’ policy;
• Improve statistics on the trade in shark products by the end of 2024;
• Enhance the enforcement of EU traceability measures by strengthening the enforcement of EU law that applies to the entire value chain;
• Step up the EU’s international action by advocating for a worldwide ban on shark finning and other actions.

On 13 July 2023, the organisers met with Commissioner Sinkevičius to discuss the Commission’s response to the ECI. On 6 October 2023, the organisers of Stop Finning published a communication on the Commission’s response, highlighting all the arguments that need to be considered for a fair and balanced impact assessment (Stop Finning's communication).

Here are some key tips from the organisers of "Stop Finning - Stop the Trade" to ensure your campaign is successful:

Build a strong network 

Establish a broad and committed network of partner organisations and volunteers before launching your campaign. Keep communication open, provide promotional materials, and ensure they have the tools to spread the message effectively.

Engage influencers 

Leverage social media to connect with celebrities and influencers who can amplify your initiative’s reach.

Ask our experts if you have any doubts about your initiative!

Additional information regarding "Stop Finning - Stop the Trade" is available on the the page of this initiative in the ECI Register.

Check out more guidance materials featuring the organisers of "Stop Finning - Stop the Trade"