European Citizens' Initiative Day 2014: Building up success, Brussel - Hoofdinhoud

Brussels

Two years after the launch of the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) and one year before the revision of the implementing regulation 211/2011, the ECI Day 2014 becomes an excellent opportunity to look into the first successful and complete ECI processes, to discuss the best practices and to set up a list of recommendations that can raise the efficiency of this direct democracy instrument and make it more citizens friendly.

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) in partnership with the Committee of the Regions (CoR), the European Citizen Action Service (ECAS), Democracy International, the Initiative and Referendum Institute Europe, The ECI Campaign, EurActiv and Euronews, are organising the conference

ECI DAY 2014: Building up success

on Tuesday 15 April - 9.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.

on the EESC premises in Brussels.

The event will focus on three subject areas (ECI laboratories):

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  the ECI and political challenges
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  the ECI and legal constraints
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  ECI campaigning and e-democracy.

We will propose three parallel workshops to discuss those areas in detail. The conclusions will be presented in the subsequent plenary session. The afternoon will also be devoted to making concrete recommendations in view of the revision of the ECI regulation in 2015.

Our speakers

The conference will be opened by EESC president Henri Malosse and concluded by CoR President Ramón Luis Valcárcel Siso (tbc). We will have the pleasure to welcome among our keynote speakers Ms Emily O'Reilly, European Ombudsman, Mr Bruno Kaufmann, president of the Initiative and Referendum Institute Europe, a renowned expert on direct democracy, and Mr Carsten Berg, director of The ECI Campaign. We will also get an insightful contribution from Ms Assya Kavrakova, director of the European Citizens' Action Service.

For the first time, we will also host Mr Christian D'Cunha, legal officer at the European Data Protection Supervisor, who will address the issue of campaigners' liability for data protection of the signatures collected. We will give the floor to several ECI campaigners, researchers and EU institutions representatives to provide a holistic and multi-faceted perspective of the ECI and its development. A video-message from Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič, recorded especially for the ECI Day participants, will be shown to present the European Commission's perspective on the ECI today and in the future.

The ECI Day

The ECI Day serves as a meeting place and platform for the registered and future ECI organisers to meet and exchange information and experiences, and present their ECI to the media. The ECI campaigners and stakeholders will invite you to their stands outside the conference rooms where they present their initiatives and activities.

If you wish to be kept updated on ECI developments and EESC's future events on the ECI, please send us an e-mail at CitizensInitiative or check regularly www.eesc.europa.eu/eciday2014.

The ECI Day 2014 partners

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  Committee of the Regions
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  European Citizens' Action Service
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  Democracy International
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  Initiative and Referendum Institute Europe
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  The ECI Campaign
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  EurActiv
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  Euronews