Foundation on European Citizens’ Rights, Involvement and Trust

- ECIT is a member of the board of Europeans around the World (ETTW) (Link: https://euromonde.eu/);
- ECIT is a participating member and has received funding from the European Academy Network (EAN) project (Link: https://www.facebook.com/EuropeanAcademyNetwork/). This project is funded by the Europe for Citizens Programme of the EU, as part of the funding stream ‘Democratic engagement & civic participation’ and more specifically the ‘Networks of Towns’ sub-stream (March 2021 - June 2022). This included the co-organisation of an official side event of the European Week of Cities and Regions, co-organised by the European Committee of the Regions and DG REGIO (European Commission);
- ECIT is a participating member and has received funding from the EU Democracy Rally(e) (EUDR) project network (Link: http://www.ourcommonfuture.org), an Erasmus+ funded-project (Strategic Partnership in the field of youth) (February 2021 - July 2023);
- ECIT is a participating member in the EU Sign Day coalition (Link: https://eusignday.eu/);

- ECIT is a member of the board of Europeans around the World (ETTW) (Link: https://euromonde.eu/);
- ECIT is a participating member and has received funding from the European Academy Network (EAN) project (Link: https://www.facebook.com/EuropeanAcademyNetwork/);
- ECIT is a participating member and has received funding from the EU Democracy Rally(e) (EUDR) project network (Link: http://www.ourcommonfuture.org);
- ECIT is a participating member in the EU Sign Day coalition (Link: https://eusignday.eu/);
- ECIT has a cooperation agreement with Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (European Dialogue) (Link: https://www.freiheit.org/european-union/focus/about-us-brussels);
- ECIT has a cooperation agreement with NECE (Networking European Citizenship Education) (Link: https://www.bpb.de/die-bpb/partner/nece/);
- In 2021, ECIT had a funding agreement with Européens sans Frontières (ESF) (Link: https://www.europeenssansfrontieres.eu/) to co-organise one campaign event in January 2022 and for the production of an animated campaign video;
- In 2021, ECIT had a funding agreement with D66, Delft Chapter (Link: https://d66.nl/delft/) to co-organise one campaign event in December 2021;
- In 2021, ECIT had a funding agreement with Progress in European Union (ProgEU) (Link: https://progeu.org/) to co-organise one campaign event in December 2021;
- In 2021, ECIT had a cooperation agreement with Jeunes Européens Fédéralistes (JEF), Paris Chapter (Link: https://www.jeunes-europeens.org/La-JEF-Europe) to co-organise one campaign event in June 2021.

Does not represent commercial interests

Jan 2021 - Dec 2021

Since 20 September 2021 self-declared 'non-commercial organisations' are no longer required to provide a lobby budget. See above timeline for this registrant's historical lobby budget.

90,000€

- Funding received in the form of grants from the Friedrich Naumann Foundation was mostly spent on activities related to the 'Voters Without Borders' ECI; however, some funds were allocated for the ECIT Foundation's Annual Conference 2021. More specifically, 'Itemised costs' paid directly by FNF include: hire of event spaces, catering, event logistics, website design, Zoom (online event programme), Howspace (event-space platform), Canva (design promgramme), Photoshop (design programme), flyers, posters, QR code stickers and training sessions. 'Internal costs' paid directly by FNF include research briefs, policy recommendations, strategy documents, press releases, promotional videos, reporting documents;
- Funding received in the form of grants from NECE was mostly spent on activities related to the ECIT Foundation's Annual Conference 2021. However, some funds were allocated for other activities;
- Funding received from Obshtina Veliko Tŭrnovo pertains to ECIT’s participation in the project 'European Academy Network: Encouraging democratic participation at EU level', co-funded by the Europe for Citizens Programme of the EU, as part of the funding stream ‘Democratic engagement & civic participation’ and more specifically the ‘Networks of Towns’ sub-stream (March 2021 - June 2022);
- Funding received from La Fondation Zentrum fir Politesch Bildung pertains to ECIT’s participation in the project 'EU Democracy Rally(e)', an Erasmus+ funded-project (Strategic Partnership in the field of youth) (February 2021 - July 2023);
- Funds received from Université Libre de Bruxelles and Visit.Brussels pertain to a public event held to promote the Voters Without Borders ECI in December 2020.

none

The ECIT Foundation is host to a 'Cross-Party Group of MEPs on European Citizenship' (sometimes called 'Inter-Party Group on European Citizenship') outside of the European Parliament's official intergroups. This group functions as a platform to the MEPs to interact and promote a dialogue between them and civil society on legislative topics pertaining to European citizenship, European political rights and the future of Europe. Around 14 MEPs - from different groups, committees and nationalities – have formed an informal collective to bring together a broad spectrum of political opinion on different topics. The MEPs in the group have expressed a preference for a 'horizontal structure', led by the ECIT Foundation from outside of the European Parliament, rather than having one of the MEPs as a chair/convener.

- The European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI), ‘Voters Without Borders’, which aims to reform existing rights and to extend them to regional, national elections and referendums. Having been launched in September 2020, the signature collection will now run until 11 June 2022 after several extensions. Specific campaign activities include: organising events in Brussels and across the EU (in Rome, Delft, Paris and Berlin); coordinating a targeted campaign on social media towards mobile EU citizens; hosting online meetings of a network of partners; and producing research and analysis on voting rights for publication in online European media outlets;
- A ‘Cross-Party MEP Group on European Citizenship’, which functions as a platform to the MEPs to interact and promote a dialogue between them and civil society on legislative topics pertaining to European citizenship, European political rights and the future of Europe. Around 14 MEPs - from different groups, committees and nationalities – have formed an informal collective to bring together a broad spectrum of political opinion on relevant topics and legislation;
- Lobbying the European Commission and European Parliament for EU voting law reform, specifically the recent package concerning ‘Reinforcing democracy and integrity of elections.’ ECIT is also lobbying the European Parliament to follow-up to the 2020 Citizenship Report, and lobbying both the European Commission and European Parliament for ECI Reform in an effort to improve the signature collection system and the visibility of ECIs on the Commission webpage;
- A ‘Statute on European Citizenship’, a drafted ‘Charter of European Citizens’ Rights’, codifying the rights and responsibilities of European citizens. The Statute has featured input from MEPs, academics and civil society representatives and has been published on the online platform of the Conference on the Future of Europe;
- Submitting complaints to the European Commission requesting it launch infringement proceedings against EU Members states, specifically concerning the disenfranchisement of EU citizens in five EU Member States, and another concerning European citizenship education.
- Organising a three-day Annual Conference, bringing together civil society activists, researchers, policymakers and students to discuss relevant topics pertaining to European citizenship. The 2021 edition featured two days of plenary sessions and six parallel workshops, producing a wealth of research material.
- Participating in the EU Sign Day coalition of ECI organisers, organising events and activities on Europe Day (9 May). to encourage Europeans to sign ECIs This coalition serves to raise awareness of the ECI instrument, and Voters Without Borders has previously participated in meetings convened by EUMANS, another Brussels-based NGO.
- Participating in the ‘European Academy Network’ project, a collective of municipal and regional authorities from across the EU engaging on European topics, including European citizenship, and encouraging democratic participation at EU level. The project is co-funded by the Europe for Citizens Programme of the EU, co-ordinated by EACEA. As part of a series of European-wide partner events, three separate events were hosted by the ECIT Foundation from Brussels in 2021, including an official side event of the European Week of Regions and Cities 2021, co-organised by the European Committee of the Regions and DG REGIO (European Commission).
- Participating as a partner in the EU Democracy Rally(e) project, coordinated by the Centre for Political Education in Luxembourg, to offer young people tools for designing political and social campaigns.
- Participating in the 'EuroCartoons' initiative organised by Européens Sans Frontières (ESF) to promote European citizenship through six educational cartoon videos on the topic of Europe for the general public.

Here are some of the activities related to the TR that we have undertaken in the last year:

-meetings and exchanges with the citizenship unit of DG justice;

-meetings and exchanges with the Article 50 task force on loss of EU citizenship;

-meetings in the European Parliament for the revision of the regulation on citizens’ initiatives where we supported the ECI campaign and Democracy International;

-launched an ECI 'Voters Without Borders' on 1 September 2020.

-presented the ECI to both Commission and Parliamentary committees;

-ECIT's fifth Annual Conference, December 2020.

3 meetings found. Download meetings

The list below only covers meetings held since November 2014 with commissioners, their cabinet members or directors-general at the European Commission; other lobby meetings with lower-level staff may have taken place, but the European Commission doesn't proactively publish information about these meetings. For more information about which commissioner is responsible for which portfolio, check out this link: https://commissioners.ec.europa.eu/index_en All information below comes from European Commission web pages.

• Date	06 Jul 2023	Location	Brussels
  Subject	Defence of Democracy
  Cabinet	Cabinet of Vice-President Věra Jourová
  Portfolio	Values and Transparency
  Attending	Simona Constantin (Cabinet member) Zuzana Dorazilova (Cabinet member) Věra Jourová (Vice-President)
  Other Lobbyists	The Innovation in Politics Institute GmbH Democracy International e.V. Association Européenne pour la Démocratie Locale Transparency International Liaison Office to the European Union The European Region of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association European Youth Forum Civil Society Europe European Civic Forum European Partnership for Democracy European Foundation Centre European Center for Not-for-Profit Law Stichting European Endowment for Democracy Front Line Defenders European Movement International

• Date	24 Apr 2023	Location	Brussels
  Subject	Defence of democracy
  Cabinet	Cabinet of Commissioner Didier Reynders
  Portfolio	Justice
  Attending	Didier Reynders (Commissioner) Joachim Herrmann (Cabinet member)
  Other Lobbyists	EU DisinfoLab European Foundation Centre Democracy International e.V. European Civic Forum Civil Society Europe European Citizen Action Service European Movement International European Partnership for Democracy Amnesty International Limited Transparency International Liaison Office to the European Union Asociación de Víctimas de la Ley de Violencia de Género Madrid The European Region of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association Open Search Foundation e.V.

• Date	03 Jun 2021	Location	Online
  Subject	meeting on citizenship education
  Cabinet	Cabinet of Vice-President Dubravka Šuica
  Portfolio	Democracy and Demography
  Attending	Toma Sutic (Cabinet member)
  Other Lobbyists	Katholieke Universiteit te Leuven