The European Commission decided on Wednesday 8 November to register the following four new European Citizens’ Initiatives: “EU Live Bus Stop Info” (“Real-time information at EU bus stops”), “Trust and Freedom” (“Trust and Liberty”), “I’m Going European: An ECI to Connect your National and European Citizenship” (‘I’m going to become an EU citizen: an EAP for connecting your national and European citizenship’) and “Creation of a European Environment Authority“, (“Establishment of a European Environment Authority”).

The organizers of the ‘EU Live Bus Stop Info’ initiative are calling for the integration of QR codes at bus stops in all EU Member States so that passengers can access real-time information on timetables, routes, delays and updates. The initiative seeks to help create greener cities by encouraging bus travel, which is expected to reduce traffic congestion and emissions.

The Trust and Freedom initiative calls for action on informed consent, human dignity, freedom and bodily autonomy. In particular, the initiative refers to the right to make informed decisions about health care and treatment options, free consent and improved access to information. The organizers of the initiative are also calling for measures to strengthen transparency and access to information in EU decision-making processes.

The initiative “I’m Going European: An ECI to Connect your National and European Citizenship” aims to introduce the right to education about European citizenship, human rights, democracy and the rule of law and to support this right by introducing a requirement for European citizenship education in EU free movement legislation through the adoption of a statute on European citizenship and the establishment of a center of excellence for the exchange of best practices and for the training of teachers.

The organizers of the “Creation of a European Environment Authority” initiative call for the establishment of the European Environment Authority, to succeed the European Environment Agency or as a new authority. This authority will have the power to: issue binding administrative decisions; monitor activities that have environmental impacts; and impose sanctions to combat environmental pollution.

The decision to register an initiative is based on a legal analysis of its admissibility under the PPE Regulation. It does not prejudge the collection of signatures by the organizers, nor any legal and political conclusions of the Commission regarding these initiatives and the actions it will take, if any, in the event that one of these initiatives receives the necessary support of 1 million European citizens.

Since all four of these European Citizens’ Initiatives meet the formal requirements set out in the relevant legislation, the Commission considers them to be legally admissible. The Commission has not examined the substance of the proposals at this stage.

Athena Papakosta