At ECIT Foundation, our mission is to further develop European Citizenship.
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ECIT's Annual Conference 2023
The 8th Edition of ECIT’s Annual Conference will take place on 31 October 2023, on the eve of the 30th anniversary of Union Citizenship in the Maastricht Treaty on 1 November.
This is an opportunity to think about the meaning of European Citizenship, what it has achieved so far, where it is today and its future prospects. A chance for lateral thinking and taking the long view.
Our campaign towards full political rights
Currently, electoral rights are only partials in the EU. In 13 out of the 27 EU Member states, non-EU nationals are not allowed to vote in municipal elections. Non-nationals are not able to vote in national elections. We believe that partial electoral rights are an obstacle to participation and democracy, which is why we want to demonstrate that mobile EU citizens should be entitled to vote in the Member State in which they reside!
Our campaign towards full political rights
Currently, electoral rights are only partial in the EU. In 13 out of the 27 EU Member states, non-EU nationals are not allowed to vote in municipal elections. Non-nationals are not able to vote in national elections. We believe that partial electoral rights are an obstacle to participation and democracy, which is why we want to demonstrate that mobile EU citizens should be entitled to vote in the Member State in which they reside!
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 ‘Making European Citizens’ 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
The AFCO Committee held a hearing on the issue of EU participatory and deliberative democracy mechanisms on 25 January based on a study by Alberto Alemanno, Jean Monnet Professor of European Law at HEC Paris. For any organisation dealing regularly with the EU or involved with training or European citizenship
ECIT Foundation’s Work Programme sets out our priorities for 2023 and the run-up to the European elections in 2024. The main item is the Statute on European Citizenship, building on the success we have had with this proposal with the European Parliament and the Conference on the Future of Europe.
About?A statute for more inclusive and outward-looking European citizenship (see programme here) When?Tuesday 29 November from 9.30 am to 6 pm Where?At the Brussels Press Club (95 Rue Froissard, Brussels) and online Why?This 7th Annual Conference on European Citizenship is being organised by the ECIT Foundation bringing together civil society
Upcoming Events
ECIT Annual Conference on European Citizenship 2023
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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.
