Open letter to European commission: Stand by your commitment to the European Citizens’ Initiative!

Dear President von der Leyen,

Dear Members of the College of Commissioners,

We, the undersigned civil society organizations dedicated to the promotion of European democracy and its foundational values, write to you today with an unequivocal and urgent message.

In June 2021, the European Commission made a commitment in response to the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) End the Cage Age. In your written response, the Commission pledged to present a legislative proposal to phase out and ultimately prohibit the use of cages for animals, aligning with the ECI’s objectives. This commitment, with a deadline set by the end of 2023, marked a significant stride in addressing the concerns of 1.4 million European citizens who rallied behind this critical cause.

End the Cage Age is more than an animal welfare issue; it stands as a litmus test for the credibility of the ECI itself, the very bedrock of European participatory democracy. Failing to fulfill your own written commitment jeopardizes the trust citizens place in the EU’s democratic processes and institutions.

As the Commission’s 2024 Work Program is now under negotiation, we implore you to honor your commitment to European democracy and not erode the ECI’s potential to resonate with and mobilize citizens on critical issues.

We also extend an open invitation to engage in a substantive discussion on this matter. The Commission must stand by its word and, in doing so, protect European democracy by demonstrating responsiveness to its citizens’ voices. The EU’s credibility and the trust of its citizens in democratic processes are at stake.

Sincerely,

Initiated by:

Supported by:

To join the list of co-signatories, please sign here.

AbL Landesverband RLP-Saar
Allwedo e.V.
Alpe Adria Green
ANTIDOTE EUROPE
ANUK e.V.
Avaaz
Bulgarian Association for the Promotion of Citizens Initiative
Bundesnetzwerk Bürgerschaftliches Engagement
Centre for European Volunteering
Citizens Take Over Europe
CIVICO Europa
Compassion in World Farming EU
Deliberativa
Democracy International
Democracy Wihout Borders
ECIT Foundation
Ecomood Portugal
Ekō
EUMANS
Eurogroup for Animals
Europe Calling e.V.
Europe’s People’s Forum
European Alliance of Initiatives for Applied Anthroposophy (eliant)
European Alternatives
European Citizen Action Service (ECAS)
European Civic Forum
European Environmental Bureau (EEB)
European Federation of Public Services
European House Budapest
European Movement Italy
fix the status quo
Fórum dos Cidadãos (Portugal)
France Nature Environnement
Friedensakademie Linz
G1000
GEOTA-Grupo de Estudos de Ordenamento do Território e Ambiente
HouseEurope! ECI
IG EuroVision
Immanuel Kant-Stiftung – Europas Erbe als Auftrag
Institute de Recherche Territoire Democratique
Institute for Integral Studies
Kids Globe e.V.
Lota’s Box
MainzZero – Klimaentscheid Mainz
ManaBalss/MyVoice, Latvia
Marea Deliberativa
Meer Democratie NL
Mehr DEMOKRATIE & Bedingungsloses GRUNDEINKOMMEN Letzebuerg a.s.b.l.
Mehr Demokratie e.V.
mehr demokratie! österreich
Natura Comune
New Europeans International
Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Europe
ProInfo Foundation
PROSVASI
Save Bees and Farmers ECI
SOLIDAR
Sortition Foundation
Stand Up for Europe
Stichting Petities.nl
StopFinningEU e.V.
The ECI Campaign – Association for the ECI e.V.
The Freiburg Kant Foundation
The Good Lobby
The Polish Robert Schuman Foundation
Umanotera, The Slovenian Foundation for Sustainable Development
Verein “Das Grundeinkommen”
Vouliwatch
WeMove Europe