Webinar 'The ECI step by step’, 2021

The webinar recording is available below

Speakers:

Olga Kurpisz, Policy Officer - European Citizens' Initiative, European Commission

Olga Kikou, Head of EU Office, Compassion in World Farming

Hendrik Nahr, European Democracy Outreach Coordinator, ECAS

Language: EN

If you missed the webinar, check the video recording (available in English) to learn about the different steps of the European Citizens' Initiative (ECI), with inputs provided by an organiser and a member of the European Commission’s ECI Team.

Olga Kurpisz, Policy Officer - European Citizens' Initiative, European Commission. At the EU Commission, Olga is responsible for the definition and implementation of Commission policies concerning the European Citizens' Initiative, for instance, through running the initiative registration procedures, including legal analysis, drafting of Commission decisions and managing of the adoption procedures. She has several years of experience working closely on the ECI and has a comprehensive understanding of the tool on theoretical and practical levels.

Olga Kikou, Head of EU Office, Compassion in World Farming. Olga is one of the organisers of End the Cage Age European Citizens’ Initiative. End the Cage Age called on the European Commission to end the inhumane treatment of farm animals and to flag the current situation where hundreds of millions of EU farm animals are kept in cages for most of their lives, causing great suffering. End the Cage Age succeeded in gathering the support of almost 1.4 million verified signatories and became one of the most successful initiatives to date.

Hendrik Nahr, European Democracy Outreach Coordinator, European Citizen Action Service (ECAS). Hendrik is currently working on diverse projects related to civic engagement and citizens' action in Europe. He is also responsible for the outreach and dissemination strategy of ECAS’ European Democracy focus area. Hendrik has a profound knowledge-base related to the ECI through participating in the management of the European Citizens' Initiative Forum, which is a space for European citizens to get practical information and advice about the European Citizens’ Initiative.

Webinar Agenda

1. Introduction and welcoming by Hendrik Nahr [Minute 1 to 4]

2. Presentation by Olga Kurpisz, the official procedural steps of the European Citizens' Initiative [Minute 4 to 20]

3. Presentation by Hendrik Nahr, the support of the Forum during the preparatory phase of a European citizens’ initiative [Minute 20 to 28]

4. Presentation by Olga Kikou, the European Citizens’ Initiative procedure through the eyes of an organiser [Minute 28 to 41]

5. Intervention by Olga Kurpisz on the European Citizens’ Initiative rules under the revised regulation. [Minute 41 to 48]

6. Presentation by Hendrik Nahr, the support of the Forum during the signature collection process [Minute 48 to 52]

7. Presentation by Olga Kikou, the submitting the collected signatures under the revised legal framework [Minute 52 to 58]

8. Q&A with the audience [Minute 58 to 1h.15]

In this webinar, you will find answers to the following questions:

- What are the different procedural steps of the European Citizens’ Initiative and how the new regulation improved the whole process?

- How did an organiser of a successful initiative experience the different stages?

- What are the key issues organisers should focus on at different stages?

- What is the European Citizens' Initiative Forum and what are the different support functions it offers organisers throughout the different stages?

The key takeaways from this webinar are:

- The formal procedure can be divided into 6 stages: 1. getting started 2. registering a European Citizens’ Initiative 3. signature collection stage 4. verification process 5. submitting the initiative 6. replying to the initiative.

- From an organiser’s perspective, the different stages come with different kinds of challenges. It is important to prepare well in advance before launching an initiative. There will be lots of ups and downs during the campaign when it comes to signature collection. It is important to have alternative plans and be creative. It is essential to be proactive and informed during all the stages.

- Expert help and assistance are available to organisers in all stages of an initiative. Establishing good working relations with the Commission’s ECI team and the Forum team is strongly encouraged.

- The European Citizens’ Initiative Forum is a platform available to all free of charge. It can provide important help to organisers during the different procedural steps of an initiative. You can learn through webinars, guidance notes, success stories, and testimonials. The Forum also allows to discuss and connect with others. You can also seek advice and send more detailed questions to legal/campaigning experts and receive tailor made advice.