15/09/2025
On 3 September 2025, the European Commission once again declined to take legislative action following a successful European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI), this time targeting the rights of autochthonous national and linguistic minorities. Organised by the Szekler National Council, the initiative titled “Cohesion policy for the equality of the regions and sustainability of the regional cultures” appealed to the EU for tailored consideration of ethnically and linguistically distinct regions within the cohesion funds framework. The ask was simple: when distributing EU cohesion funds, take into account the needs of ethnically and linguistically distinct regions. Despite having passed the formal threshold of one million signatures (across at least seven member states), the Commission dismissed the initiative, arguing that it lacks the means to define what constitutes “national regions” and asserting that regions inhabited by minorities are not disadvantaged under current cohesion policies. This decision reveals a persistent refusal to engage meaningfully or dialogue with the nearly 50 million Europeans belonging to autochthonous national and linguistic minorities.
A Pattern of Silence
The Szekler initiative is not alone. Virtually none of the ECIs that gathered the 1 million signature threshold succeeded in leading to meaningful legislative outcomes:
Right2Water (“Water is a Human Right”)
- Collected upwards of 1.6 million signatures.
- The Commission’s response lacked ambition and did not propose new legislation (LSE Blogs, The Parliament Magazine).
One of Us
- Garnered over 1.7 million signatures.
- Rejected by the Commission, which claimed existing ethical research frameworks covered its concerns (Democracy International e.V., The Brussels Times).
Stop Vivisection
- Crossed the million-signature mark.
- Received a formal reply, but no legislative proposal followed (The Brussels Times, vLex).
Ban Glyphosate
- Reached the required support level.
- Prompted a response, yet failed to trigger concrete policy change (vLex, EST – European Student Think Tank).
Minority SafePack
- Surpassed 1 million signatures (over 1.2 million).
- Although it gained the strongest political endorsement (public hearing, resolution in European Parliament), the Commission chose not to act further, citing existing legislation (Democracy International e.V).
Save Cruelty-Free Cosmetics (Stop Animal Testing)
- Over 1.4 million signatures collected.
- Despite strong support, it did not lead to new legislation (European Parliament).
End the Cage Age
- Nearly 1.4 million signatures, one of the most successful ECIs ever.
- The Commission promised a legislative proposal to phase out cages for farmed animals by 2023. Still, it failed to deliver on time, prompting the Citizens’ Committee to take the Commission to the European Court of Justice in 2024.
Time to Fix the ECI
The structural disconnect between formal compliance and real influence undermines the ECI’s potential: its impact is often limited to visibility and public debate rather than policymaking. The ECI doesn’t need cosmetic reforms. It needs teeth.
At The Good Lobby, we have long argued that ECIs can be a powerful driver for citizen-led change — but only if institutions commit to meaningful follow-up. As we highlighted in our analysis of the ECI’s potential with our event on the ECI last June and in our coverage of citizens mobilising to protect air passenger rights, the real challenge is turning signatures into policy. Until then, the promise of participatory democracy will remain unfulfilled.