All On Board FAQ

Citizens often feel detached from the European Union, and we are witnessing growing mistrust toward European institutions, accompanied by strong nationalism across the EU Member States. This detachment is partly due to the fact that EU citizenship remains a concept that is difficult to grasp, as it is often taught in a formal and distant manner. Furthermore, access to European opportunities and rights tends to be easier for those who are already relatively advantaged, particularly individuals with stronger language skills and higher levels of education. Erasmus is a successful EU flagship policy, but current targets reach only one quarter of university and one eighth of technical college students. As a result, its positive effects on civic awareness and trust in the EU risk remaining concentrated within the so-called “Brussels bubble” and major urban centres. To rebuild engagement, the European Union has to show its concrete impact in citizens’ everyday lives, and this is precisely what this ECI is about.

Yes, from citizens themselves. The citizen-led conference on the future of Europe in 2022 made several demands for European citizenship education. Since then, this was repeatedly demanded in representative citizens panels or assemblies. Our ECI is a response to this growing body of consensus coming from practice in European participatory democracy. If people keep expressing this need, it is time they are not just listened to, but that action is taken. European policy makers are also calling for more European citizenship education, especially in the European Parliament.

In Erasmus circles there are those who would like to see schools and technical colleges participating on a par with universities. If this can be achieved, a step forward would be taken to implement the new European right we are demanding4.

It’s a matter of principle that access to education and citizenship itself should be equal. This ECI should be a win-win situation for both citizens and EU institutions.

Yes, but at the same time, the need for resilience and strengthening European democracy is highlighted as part of the stronger response sought by the EU in a more hostile international environment. This is a policy which has political support but has yet to be internal implemented.

We recognise that our proposals will have a cost at a time when teachers and Erasmus support structures are under severe pressure and will need significant additional support. However, this new European right will not be taken up by everyone, and it should not be unconditional.

Furthermore, the real level of demand and impact needs to be assessed by pilot projects in different regions of the EU over a transitional period before the new right comes into force.

There is potential in using existing public spaces and giving them a European legal dimension.

Over time, the advantages of this proposal for creating a European skills and employment market and lowering barriers in the EU internal market will outweigh the costs.

We have been working on this proposal for more than 5 years with research, discussions and an earlier attempt at an ECI called “Teach Me Europe”. This early version was registered with the Commission, which accepted its legal basis – a significant achievement, especially because education falls within the competence of the Member States. Therefore, we are confident that the new version will be accepted for registration. Moreover, we have more support this time: the law firm Paul Weiss, on a pro bono basis, is drafting the model for

legislation which will be attached to our ECI; our task forces are being mentored intensively by the DIA5 and we can also count on the advice of the ECI Forum6.

The Task Forces (TFs) are the driving force of the All On Board campaign – dynamic, multidisciplinary groups of young people who connect the European message of equal citizenship with their local realities7.

Each task force will bring together young people from a wide range of backgrounds – from various academic and civic environments – combining complementary skills in research, project management, advocacy, human resources, public relations, and communication. This diversity is essential: it reflects the wide scope of European policymaking and ensures that different profiles of young people can contribute their unique perspectives to a shared vision of inclusive EU citizenship. Each Task Force will prepare for the campaign and the signature collection by setting local goals, running outreach and communication activities, and engaging peers and communities through partnerships and social media. They will also coordinate European-wide actions, contribute to shared communication channels, and regularly exchange progress and best practices through online platforms and meetings with National Coordinators and ECIT. This initiative offers them an opportunity to make their voices heard,gain international experience, and see how their field connects to Europe’s democratic process. No prior experience would be required, only curiosity and motivation to participate in a transnational civic campaign8.

Before registration, ECIT organised a launch event on 3 February in Brussels which was an important opportunity to start putting in place a broad European coalition of youth, student and pro-democracy umbrella groups. The European Coalition will represent the European contact point of National Coordinators and task forces, in order to amplify the campaign across multiple Member States, share best practices, and help identify potential national partners. They will be responsible for hosting monthly meetings through a rotational system between participating organisations, appointing the members of the citizens committee and amplifying the campaign at the European level alongside ECIT’s own taskforce.

This will be a starting opportunity to find partners to set up contact points, coalitions and task forces in selected countries. At the moment, we are targeting Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Finland, France, Germany, Poland, Slovenia and Spain. The European task force will develop a strategy, timeline and an action kit for the ECI. This will include the basic text, model legislation, FAQ, and tools for common visual presentation and social media promotion. The important thing is that task forces and anyone who wants to support this ECI should be actively engaged on 15 September. If the ECI can get off to a good start with thousands of signatures, more people will join and the better the chance will be for reaching over I million.