Support ECIT

Why support us and the work we do at ECIT?

While there are many different think tanks that work on specific aspects of European citizenship, ECIT Foundation is the only organisation that brings all of these different components together. In fact, ECIT was created as a public foundation, entirely devoted to this cause, making this unique transnational citizenship our sole “raison d’être”.


If you also believe in this cause, please support the work we do, by making a donation to ECIT in order to strengthen our capacity to fight for a stronger and more inclusive European citizenship. The generosity of our supporters and friends touches every aspect of the work we do, and we are very grateful to all of you. 


With your help, we can continue to work on our ambitious programme, which is based on three main aims. We believe that European citizenship must:


  • come out of the shadows. It can no longer survive as a discreet scattered and disconnected series of rights and exchange programmes. How do we propose to do this? We believe that European citizenship needs more powerful symbols: a European citizens’ house to stand alongside all the prestigious buildings of the EU and corporate lobbies, and a European citizens’ card to cut “red tape” across borders and to enable citizens to sign initiatives and petitions more easily. ECIT has also been rapidly building a community with its annual Summer University, bringing together activists, academics and policy-makers. 
  • be more political. Why are European citizens on the move allowed to vote and stand in local and European elections, but not in the ones which really count — the national and regional ones — or in referenda? To challenge this, ECIT is planning to launch a European citizens’ initiative to gather one million signatures to demand full political rights, the defining feature of real citizenship.
  • become more inclusive and comprehensive. The European elections in 2019 are an opportunity to put on the agenda the need to strengthen EU citizenship in any future treaty revision. The new European Parliament could offer an opportunity for more open politics, including demands by civil society for a constitutional assembly. Despite the clamp down on institutional reform by cautious institutions, change is bubbling up from the grassroots. 

Why is it important to support this work? What’s in it for me?

At first sight, EU citizenship is simply in the making, with more Europeans than ever before, interacting across borders and living or working in other European countries. Being a citizen of Europe has both legal substance, and deep cultural and historical roots. 

Yet, European citizenship is being taken for granted.


Right-wing extremist and populist forces are appealing to xenophobia and retreating behind national borders. Events such as Brexit could cause the loss of this status at a stroke. Make no mistake — EU citizenship might be a “social fact”, but it is being quietly side-lined from political discourse as an irrelevance. This is occurring even when repeated crises show us that only solidarity and common citizenship can allow Europe to progress.


If you make a donation, we would very much like to publish your name and contact details on our page of founders and supporters. You will also receive our monthly newsletter. 


If you have any questions or proposals about ECIT and your involvement, do please contact us at info@ecit-foundation.eu.

Want to find out more about ECIT?

ECIT Foundation (on European Citizens’ Rights, Involvement and Trust) was established as a pubic foundation under Belgian law on 3 June 2015. In the world of European think tanks, it fills a gap being the only one to concentrate solely on European citizenship. ECIT is becoming a resource of know-how, research, and contacts, but also one of support for civil society organisations, academics and policy makers when they work on this theme. So far, the foundation has to its credit a book Piecing together Europe’s citizenship published in English and French.

Help Our Cause

With your support and contributions, we can continue to work on our ambitious programme. The generosity of our supporters and friends touches every aspect of the work we do, and we are very grateful to all of you. 

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