*[Enwl-eng] Voting for a mistake
ENWLine
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We supported an online tool to make citizen participation easier, and had it certified in compliance with the law. Now the EU wants to change the law to ban our software! This is our last chance to stop these destructive reforms. |
Hi,
It should be easy and simple for all EU citizens to participate in our democracy. But in less than two weeks, the European Parliament could make it harder for citizens like you and me to participate in the only direct democracy tool the EU has: the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI). [1]
MEPs will soon vote to change the ECI, and could vote to ban the only software that has resulted in a successful ECI for five years! [2]
A group of dedicated programmers developed this software in 2015, precisely because of the shortcomings of the EU’s own software. The EU wants to ban it simply because the decision makers negotiating the reform overlooked its success. [3] Now, rather than trying to the fix the problem, the EU is trying to rush through this reform before the next elections.
This is our last chance to stop these destructive reforms. [4] If we can show MEPs that citizens want to keep a simple path for participation, we might be able to prevent this backward reform!
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In 2017 our community organised a successful ECI to ban glyphosate. To make it possible, we adapted our own signature collection software, which has been certified by EU governments in full compliance with the law. [5] Now the EU wants to change the law, and ban this kind of signature collection software!
The ECI is the only tool that brings together EU citizens to have a direct and formal say in EU decision-making. But it is not easy to use it, and only four ECIs have been successful since 2012, when the tool was established. And now if the EU has its way, the chances of new successful ECIs emerging will be even more limited. MEPs think that they can pass these destructive reforms right before the European elections, without us noticing.
But if we band together and show MEPs we are against these changes, we could sway the upcoming vote in the European Parliament. If we show the MEPs now just how powerful we are as European citizens, and just how much we care for our European democracy, they will know that we will show this power at the ballot box in May.
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As if banning our software wasn’t bad enough, the changes would also mean that ECI organisers cannot contact the signatories after the ECI process is finished. This would prevent organisers from building European communities of action like ours, which has been so successful in bringing citizens’ voices directly to EU decision makers. [6]
Rather than fixing current problems with the ECI, the EU is ready to create a whole new set of barriers for people to engage. Show MEPs that if they support these changes, we won’t support them!
In hope,
Olga (Bologna), Jörg (Lübeck), Marta (Warsaw) and the entire
team at WeMove.EU
PS: There have only ever been four successful ECIs - let’s make sure our MEPs don’t kill the tool altogether or make it so there’s never a successful ECI again. Sign now!
References:
[1]
https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/ficheprocedure.do?lang=&reference=2017/0220(COD)
[2]
See here for reasons why our own signature collection software is so important
for a successful
ECI:
http://www.citizens-initiative.eu/10-reasons-to-preserve-eci-organisers-right-and-freedom-to-use-individual-online-collection-systems/
[3]
The Commission’s original proposal said that the use of online collection
systems like ours should continue, and the European Parliament supported that
proposal. However, during trilogue negotiations, the working staff document
accompanying the draft regulation proposal contained incomplete information. It
indicated that no ECIs used this software in the years 2014 and 2015, which
resulted in the Council recommending to discontinue their use. However, our
software was launched in late 2015, and many other ECI organisers have used it
in 2016, 2017, and 2018.
[4]
http://www.citizens-initiative.eu/eu-deal-creates-a-highly-uncertain-future-for-eci/
[5]
For the Stop Glyphosate ECI, we used the “openECI” online collection system, and
integrated it with our own normal petition
software
http://ec.europa.eu/citizens-initiative/public/initiatives/successful/details/2017/000002
[6]
https://www.theparliamentmagazine.eu/articles/news/european-citizens%E2%80%99-initiatives-become-more-accessible-after-deal-reached
WeMove.EU is a citizens’ movement, campaigning for a better Europe; for a European Union committed to social and economic justice, environmental sustainability and citizen-led democracy. We are people from all walks of life, who call Europe our home whether we were born in Europe or elsewhere.
WeMove.EU is funded by donations from our community across Europe. Can you chip in with a few euros a month and help make sure we can move fast to win the campaigns that matter to all of us? Donate
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WeMove Europe SCE mbH | Planufer 91 Berlin | www.wemove.eu | Privacy policy
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