ECAS Knowledge Centre

The ECAS Knowledge Centre is an online collection of resources on two broad themes: EU Rights and Civic Engagement in Europe. It aims to help civil society campaigners, researchers, analysts, academics, advisors, policy makers and interested citizens navigate the large amount of information available in a user-friendly manner. It offers easy access to research, case studies, evaluations, papers, issue briefs, toolkits and more on the following topics:

Freedom of Movement in the EU
European Citizens' Initiative (ECI)
Crowdsourcing

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Featured

The European Citizens' Initiative Registration: Falling at the First Hurdle?

December 1, 2014

This study has been conducted by ECAS within the framework of the ECI Support Centre with the kind assistance of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP. The study aims to promote a better understanding of the ECI Regulation, particularly on the registration procedures for a proposed initiative, and it suggests a number of recommendations to be discussed when the review of the Regulation takes place based on an analysis of the "subject matters" of the ECIs that have been refused registration by the Commission.

Civic Engagement: European Citizens' Initiatives
Featured

Fiscal Impact of EU Migrants in Austria, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK

November 12, 2014

This study was undertaken to estimate some aspects of the net fiscal impact of EU migrants in four EU countries Austria, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. The report outlines the role of Fiscal Impact of EU Migrants in Selected Countries migrants from EU countries as participants in the labour market, as taxpayers and as benefit recipients also. The fiscal contribution of EU foreigners has increased substantially in the past several years. Compared to 2009, inn 2013 EU migrants paid 31% more in direct taxes as their wages increased and more EU workers found employment opportunities in Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK. As migration accelerated, EU foreigners also paid 44% more on indirect taxes, as they spent more onconsumer purchases. EU foreigners in Austria, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK received 35% more benefits than they did in 2009, due to the overall expansion of the welfare state in addition to the inflow of EU migrants.

EU Rights: Freedom of Movement in the EU
Featured

Frans Timmermans: Better Regulation also for ECIs?

October 9, 2014

The two-week cycle of Commission nominee hearings closed on the 7th October with the hearing of Vice-President of the Commission Frans Timmermans. If confirmed, First Vice-President-designate Frans Timmermans will be in charge of Better Regulation, Inter-Institutional Relations, the Rule of Law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights, meaning that he will have authority over the European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) process. He will thus have responsibility over the management of the first transnational instrument of participatory democracy worldwide. This instrument is particularly relevant to political discussion at this time, as the European Commission is due to release a report on the implementation of the ECI in April, May 2015, three years after the entry into force of the Reg. 211/2011.

Civic Engagement: European Citizens' Initiatives
Featured

European Citizens' Initiative infographic

January 30, 2014

The European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) infographic gives an overview of the different ECIs presented, their field of interest and the country of origin.

Civic Engagement: European Citizens' Initiatives
Featured

10 Recommendations to Make a Success of European Citizens' Initiatives

March 20, 2013

The European Citizen Action Service calls for 10 points of reform of the Reg. 211/2011

Civic Engagement: European Citizens' Initiatives

Toward a Crowdsourcing Pilot at the EU level: Taking Decisions with Citizens and Not for Them

October 26, 2016

Existing forums for citizen participation in the EU have proven ineffective in bridging the democratic deficit.The crises the EU is currently facing call for more innovative forms of citizen engagement in order to re-gain their trust in the European project. ECAS believes there is a political 'window of opportunity' for the EU to reconnect with its citizens by taking advantage of rapid technological developments and proposing alternative forms of engagement.

Crowdsourcing

24 Years of EU Citizenship: Removing the Obstacles to Full Potential

May 31, 2016

EU Citizenship and the rights that come with it are one of the cornerstones of the European project, if not the main achievement. European citizenship, enshrined in the EU Treaties, has formed part of the EU aquis since 1992 when the Maastricht Treaty was adopted, making it an objective for the Union 'to strengthen the protection of the rights and interests of the nationals of its Member States through the introduction of a citizenship of the Union'. The ultimate aim of EU Citizenship was to increase the citizens' sense of identification and belonging to the European Union, and thereby to create a European identity by outlining a number of rights which citizens could enjoy in the same way as national citizenships do.

Civic Engagement: European Citizens' Initiatives

11 Suggestions to Improve the ECI Proposed by the European Ombudsman

March 6, 2015

ECAS welcomes the European Ombudsman proposals to strengthen the role that the European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) plays in the democratic political at the European level. ECAS is pleased to see that specific recommendations have been put forward regarding the need to provide better reasoning and clarity in the "legal admissibility check" and to provide Europe Direct with more guidance to support citizens wishing to propose an ECI.

Civic Engagement: European Citizens' Initiatives

Madi Sharma on ECIsc Mobile Phone Application

June 26, 2014

ECIsc is proud to have Madi Sharma's support in developing our ECI mobile application for iPhone users.

Civic Engagement: European Citizens' Initiatives

ECAS Interview with ECI Act4Growth Founder Madi Sharma

June 1, 2014

ECAS interviews Madi Sharma-Founder of ECI Act4Growth, European Economic and Social Committee(EESC) Member, and ECI Ad Hoc Group Member.

Civic Engagement: European Citizens' Initiatives

ECI Support Centre: What Is It?

April 1, 2014

Assya Kavrakova (ECAS Director) and Elisa Bruno (EU Policies and Outreach Manager) present the ECI Support Centre.

Civic Engagement: European Citizens' Initiatives

ECI Support Centre Response to the European Ombudsman Own Inquiry into the Functioning of the European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) OI/9/2013/TN

March 30, 2014

The ECI Support Centre is a joint initiative of the European Citizen Action Service, Democracy International and the Initiative and Referendum Institute Europe. The ECI Support Centre is a not-forprofit service, whose purpose is to provide advice and help to ECI organisers before and during the process of launching and implementing an ECI. This service aims at complementing the support which is available through other institutional channels (e.g. the European Commission contact point, the Economic and Social Committee's intermediary role etc.). The ECI Support Centre provides up-to-date information, policy-analysis on the development of the ECI, and tailor-made advice to citizens on legal basis, campaigning and fundraising. In this respect, the ECI Support Centre and its partners have gathered substantial knowledge on the issue1 over the last 2 years that will be summarized and presented here. Therefore, we welcome the decision of the European Ombudsman to investigate this instrument further and to allow civil society and stakeholders as well as ECI organisers to participate in the inquiry. This report will give an overview of the state of play and will discuss the ECI, before further elaborating on specific aspects of the different steps in the process.

Civic Engagement: European Citizens' Initiatives

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