Europe: how citizens’ initiatives are driving action in Brussels

She was Slovenia's Woman of the Year 2021, and a fewer years later, she is besides entering the European stage: anthropologist Nika Kovač and her institute "8 March" are astatine the commencement of the European Citizens' Initiative "My Voice, My Choice".

The inaugural to amended entree to termination crossed Europe was presented to the European Parliament successful December 2025, and the Commission decided connected follow-up measures successful March 2026. It is 1 of 12 European Citizens' Initiatives that person managed to alteration the docket successful the EU Parliament.

This is due to the fact that the "lack of entree to termination successful galore parts of Europe not lone poses a hazard to women's carnal health," arsenic stated successful the citizens' initiative's motion, "but besides places further economical and intelligence burdens connected women and families - often successful marginalised groups who tin slightest spend it".

In December, the Parliament called connected the Commission to acceptable up a voluntary backing mechanics that each Member States tin enactment successful and is supported by EU backing from the European Social Fund+.

The purpose is to assistance radical from countries with constricted entree to ineligible abortions: Other EU states should beryllium capable to supply them with harmless and ineligible abortions, wrong the model of their respective nationalist laws.

There person lone been 12 EU citizens' initiatives truthful far

"In the lawsuit of the My Voice, My Choice initiative, for example, the effect was that the EU recognised this contented arsenic an important nationalist wellness issue," explains Nino Kavelashvili, Ambassador of the European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) to Euronews.

She is besides a advisor for European connection astatine the Federal Network for Civic Engagement (BBE) successful Berlin. "And without this initiative, the contented mightiness not beryllium connected the docket astatine all," Kavelashvili continues.

The "My Voice, My Choice" run is 1 of 12 palmy European citizens' initiatives to date. Not a peculiarly outstanding record, arsenic ECI Ambassador Kavelashvili admits, considering that the instrumentality has already been successful beingness for 14 years.

One occupation is that galore Europeans bash not realise that they tin telephone connected the EU to marque a connection and frankincense straight power the docket of the EU Parliament - i.e. 720 MEPs from each EU countries.

"It's important that we person a voice, that we person a say, that we assistance signifier democracy," explains ECI Ambassador Nino Kavelashvili to Euronews. "And this is really precise important from a governmental constituent of view, due to the fact that it shows that ideology successful the EU does not lone enactment done institutions, but is besides complemented by nonstop information and is besides participatory."

How the European Citizens' Initiative works

However, a fig of hurdles had to beryllium flooded earlier Kovač from Slovenia could get her inaugural into the EU Parliament.

Before an inaugural is discussed successful the EU Parliament and the Commission adopts a position, radical from astatine slightest 7 countries person to articulation forces connected a azygous issue. This is however Nika Kovač started with the 8 March Institute successful Slovenia, but sought allies successful different European countries.

Broad enactment is past needed. "You request 1 cardinal signatures from astatine slightest 7 European subordinate states. And that has to beryllium achieved wrong a year," explains Kavelashvili.

Within 1 year, they indispensable past cod 1 cardinal signatures from astatine slightest 7 EU countries: "My Voice, My Choice" submitted 1,124,513 signatures to the European Commission successful September 2025. One period later, they met the EU Commissioner for Equal Opportunities, Hadja Lahbib, and presented their initiative.

The European Citizens' Initiative volition past beryllium heard successful the EU Parliament. "And astatine this moment, European parliamentarians are discussing it, the media are there, and the inaugural and the taxable are getting attention," says Kavelashvili. "And successful my opinion, this is erstwhile things truly instrumentality disconnected successful the absorption of politics."

The Commission is past obliged to people a written and reasoned sentiment wrong six months.

EU indispensable respond, but not obliged to walk a law

According to Kavelashvili, it is important that the EU Commission past has to code the contented of this inaugural and respond with reasons. In the lawsuit of "My Voice, My Choice", the Commission has besides adopted measures.

"However, the EU Commission is not obliged to make a legislative proposal, which is not included successful this 'package'," emphasises Kavelashvili. Nevertheless, successful her opinion, the effect volition not fizzle out. The occupation astatine the European level is that the results cannot beryllium realised immediately. They are not precise striking.

However, "My Voice, My Choice" has had the effect of putting the taxable of intersexual and reproductive wellness much firmly connected the European governmental docket and making it much disposable successful the nationalist debate. "As a result, specified initiatives tin trigger governmental discussions and displacement priorities, adjacent if this does not automatically effect successful nonstop legislation."

What the ECI ambassador wants to change

ECI Ambassador Nino Kavelashvili knows firsthand however cardinal the instrumentality of information is successful the EU, arsenic she has lone precocious been capable to usage it. Kavelashvili is primitively from Georgia, a state that is not portion of the EU. She has lone had a German passport for a fewer weeks and tin truthful enactment successful the EU successful the aforesaid mode arsenic German citizens.

She besides knows wherever to commencement successful bid to publicise the initiative. "Communication strategies truly request to beryllium rethought and improved," she explains, calling for much usage of societal media and accusation sessions successful schools, for example.

In her opinion, a taxable indispensable not lone beryllium strong, but besides understandable. "A beardown taxable is the main ingredient, but you navigator this crockery successful 7 countries."

Strong networks are needed that tin mobilise locally. "Translation enactment is besides precise important, not lone linguistically but besides culturally," adds Kavelashvili. This is due to the fact that the preparatory enactment is demanding and sometimes scary, says the ECI ambassador. The fig of 1 cardinal signatures is "a deterrent".

"I travel from a non-EU state and truthful had nary nonstop entree to the European Citizens' Initiative. And I recovered that sad," says Kavelashvili. "And this idiosyncratic acquisition made maine realise however invaluable it is to person this right, that this antiauthoritarian close cannot beryllium taken for granted."

Democracy has wide enactment successful Germany, arsenic the Bertelsmann Stiftung's Democracy Monitor 2026 shows. 82% of astir 5,000 respondents had an above-average affirmative presumption of the values of democracy. Principles specified arsenic elections, parliament, the separation of powers and civilian rights are held successful precocious respect by respondents.

The past European elections successful 2024 besides saw a precocious elector turnout of 50.74%. 10 years earlier, for example, this fig was 42.61%.

"I deliberation it's important that the dependable for ideology is louder," explains ECI Ambassador Kavelashvili. "That we are not frustrated, but that we are really hopeful astir warring for antiauthoritarian values. That's important, particularly successful these times," she told Euronews.

The thought that radical from antithetic countries tin physique thing is what the EU is for her.

There are presently 129 initiatives registered with the European Commission, including those connected transport, carnal welfare, and the fur ban.