Foundation on European Citizens’ Rights, Involvement and Trust

ECIT is a think tank, which aims at developing a holistic approach to European citizenship (http://ecitfoundation.
eu/).
The aim is that it should become a multidisciplinary resource bringing together different aspects of this
transnational citizenship – a virtual and physical meeting place for dialogue and knowledge sharing among
the scattered community of interest involved.
Therefore, placing Union citizenship in a broader framework, bringing about a more coherent citizenship
within the European Union and introducing reforms for a fullscale
European citizenship are the three main
objectives of the foundation.
These aims bring together 12 proposals for reform to develop European citizenship:
• A more preventative, collective and problemsolving
approach to the enforcement of European rights
• Creation of a European free movement solidarity fund;
• Full political rights for European citizens;
• A more inclusive approach to European citizenship extended to legally resident third country nationals;
• Wider citizen access to EU policymaking
by making voluntary systems mandatory, userfriendly
and multilingual;
• Increased regulation and transparency in lobbying practices;
• Drawing up a European law for the fair and regular conduct of citizen participation practices as a pillar of
EU decisionmaking;
• Easier to use Citizens’ Initiatives, whereby over one million people can demand a European law;
• Fostering a civil society for European citizenship;
• A right to be informed and an introduction of education for European citizenship in schools;
• Creating in stages an entitlement for all European citizens to participate in a European exchange
programme;
• A European citizenship card making it easier to prove such an entitlement, enforce European rights, sign
European initiatives and vote in European elections.

1. Eu citizenship report 2017.
ECIT submitted observations in response to the consultation. These will be followed up with the
Commission and European Parliament, when it debates the report.
2. Legislation on free movement of persons. Amendments to the “citizenship directive” 2004/38 and
changes to the regulation on free movement of workers and coordination of social security;
3. An ECI asking the Commission to develop European citizenship is being prepared;
4. The main interlocutors for ECIT are DG Justice, DG Employment and the Secretariat General in the
European Commission and Committees AFCO and LIBE in the European Parliament. However, we are also
monitoring the broader aspects of EU citizenship (ie. in the cultural and educational fields). ECIT has organised meetings on European rights with the Commission Task Force on article 50 and is in touch with MEPs following the Brexit negotiations.

2

0.5

No lobbyists with EP accreditations

ECIT is a start-up and the two people working in the organisation are doing so on a voluntary basis.

Mr Anthony Venables (Founder)

Mr Anthony Venables (Founder)

IV - Think tanks, research and academic institutions

Think tanks and research institutions