At ECIT Foundation, our mission is to further develop EU Citizenship.
Citizenship Statute
Since it was established in 2015, ECIT was alone in demanding and putting forward proposals for a Statute on European Citizenship — our attempt to codify and redefine the rights constituting what it means to be a European citizen. It is a success that the idea of a citizenship statute has now been supported by the European Parliament and the Conference on the Future of Europe, but there is still some way to go.
Political Rights
EU citizens have the right to vote and stand as candidates in local and European elections but not in regional and national elections, or to participate in referendums in their country of residence. The ECI ‘Voters Without Borders’ failed to collect enough signatures, but the campaign for full voting rights connected to freedom of movement and migration continues.
Citizenship Education
Our proposal ‘I’m Going European’ for a new ECI is developed with the idea to guarantee the freedom of Europe for every child. This ECI aims for a Europe of equal opportunity. In theory, young people have the freedom of Europe, but there is a gap between the fine principles of the law and the barriers to access. If one third of EU citizens have the civic education and skills to take advantage of Europe, the majority miss out.
NEWS
ECIT demanded on several occasions in 2023 that there should be a public consultation on the tri-annual Citizenship Report which the European Commission presents under Article 25 TFEU. Following on from an exchange of letters with DG Justice, which refused to make such a commitment, ECIT appealed to the Commission
Our correspondence with the Secretary General The purpose of the ECIT and New Europeans‘ joint letter to the Commission is to follow up the work of “Voters Without Borders” demanding an end to disenfranchisement of EU citizens practicing their rights to freedom of movement. This letter focuses on the rights
At a conference in Brussels on 3 July, stakeholders discussed the future of EU Citizenship in the next legislature. They emphasised the need to prioritise European Citizenship, particularly for the younger generation who view it as a key part of their identity. EU Citizenship, established by the Maastricht Treaty, has
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Thanks to your generous donation our initiatives can continue to grow, working towards our mission to further develop European Citizenship, and set positive goals for the future of Europe. We are so grateful for your continuing support.
ONLINE SYMBOLIC VOTE:
HAVE YOUR SAY!
- Should votes at 16 be spread throughout the EU?
- Should EU citizens be able to vote and stand in all elections in their country of residence?
- Should the political rights of EU citizens be extended to all residents?
ONLINE VOTING NOW EXTENDED TO 30 JUNE!
We want you to vote online for 3 reasons:
With AI and international conflict on the rise, sure democracy has to be protected from external threats, but that’s not enough! Democracy is a better system than its alternatives but far from perfect. It’s our duty to keep pushing for internal improvements and universal suffrage.
The track record of the outgoing European Parliament is good with reports on the uniform European electoral system which proposed the introduction of transnational lists and, together with other reports, ways to improve turnout of mobile EU citizens. E.g., you can rewatch Alin Mituța MEP at an ECIT/NewEuropeans event explaining the reforms demanded in his report on “Parliamentarism, European Citizenship and Democracy”. However, the governments in the EU Council have yet to implement European electoral reform, so the pressure must be kept up after the elections by the new EP.
Voting rights initiatives are on the rise, especially at city level where a large proportion of the mobile population are either disenfranchised or face obstacles to voting. Such initiatives are scattered and need to be brought together. This is why VWB works closely with VRAR (Voting Rights for All Residents). Shouldn’t your town be signing this too?
The Symbolic Vote is organised and supported by:
Avec le soutien du Bourgmestre, de la Première Échevine en charge des Événements, de l’Échevine de l’Europe, et des membres du Collège des Bourgmestre et Échevins de la Commune d’Ixelles.