Which objectives does the Commission pursue?

The shortcomings identified during the review of the existing legislation can be structured around the following three aspects: (i) the difficulties encountered by the organisers in the registration phase including the high rate of refusals to register proposed citizens’ initiatives; (ii) the complexity for organisers of initiatives to collect statements of support, as evidenced by the low rate of successful initiatives, i.e. initiatives that manage to reach the required number of signatories within the one year collection period; (iii) low number of initiatives reaching the one million threshold and the limited impact so far generated by citizens' initiatives.

Several rules currently foreseen in the old ECI Regulation were considered complex and burdensome for ECI organisers, signatories and competent authorities in the Member States. This included in particular: (i) the registration phase; (ii) the ECI lifecycle and time limits; (iii) the setting-up of online collection systems and the certification of these systems by the Member States; (iv) the diverging personal data requirements for the ECI signatories; and (v) the fact that the personal data are collected under the responsibility of the organisers. Several stakeholders consider the impact and the follow-up given to the three first successful initiatives so far to be limited.

Outcome of Legislative Procedure

The aim of the new Regulation (Regulation 2019/788) is to improve how the ECI functions, by addressing the shortcomings identified with the main policy objectives of: (i) making the ECI more accessible, less burdensome and easier to use for organisers and supporters; and (ii) achieving the full potential of the ECI as a tool to foster debate and participation at European level, including of young people, and bring the EU closer to its citizens.

Moreover, the Regulation allows for improved effectiveness, efficiency and savings in several areas such as online collection, translations, statements of support forms, and submission of statements of support to national authorities in the Member States.

In particular, the Regulation includes:
• the possibility for Member States to lower the age of support for the ECI to 16 years of age;
• the possibility to establish citizens’ committees (now groups of organisers) as legal entities for the purpose of managing an initiative;
• reinforced advice and support measures to organisers of initiatives;
• improvements in the registration procedure, including the possibility of partial registration of initiatives;
• The introduction of a central online collection system under the responsibility of the Commission for the online collection of signatures (use of it to become mandatory as of 2023);
• a period of maximum six months between the date of registration and the start of collection allowing organisers to prepare their campaign and their online collection system should they decide not to use the central system;
• simplification of data requirement for signatories of statements of support and a unified approach based on the nationality allowing all EU citizens to sign;
• improvements in the examination phase and public hearing at the European Parliament, examination phase set at six months (instead of three months under the old Regulation);
• reinforced transparency on sources of support and funding;
• provisions on communication and awareness-raising activities to be carried out by the Commission.

The Regulation largely follows the Commission proposal with a few exceptions. After a transitional period of three years, the use of the Commission centralised system for the online collection of statements of support will become mandatory and organisers can no longer make use of their own online collection systems. On the other hand, organisers will have more time to prepare their collection campaign once the initiative is registered (six months instead of three months). The proposal to lower the participation age from 18 to 16 years old across the EU was not taken over, but each Member State will have the possibility to lower it for their own citizens if they wish to do so.

Estimated savings and benefits

Given its institutional nature, the revision of the Regulation (EU) No 211/2011 has no direct significant economic, social or environmental impacts, and an impact assessment was not considered necessary. The technical and practical measures to simplify the ECI can, however, be expected to reduce administrative burdens for both the organisers and the Member States.