02/06/2026
A citizens’ initiative invites the EU Commission to let citizens choose a blue, star-studded passport cover, displaying their European identity when travelling the world.
Pick up any EU passport and you will find a subtle nod to Europe: a burgundy cover stamped “European Union”, often in a language few people outside the issuing country can read at a glance. For millions of EU citizens who feel as European as they do nationals of their own country – be it Poland, France or Croatia – that passing reference barely makes Europe visible. A new European Citizens’ Initiative wants to change that. EU Stars On My Passport (STAR-PASS), registered by the European Commission on 25 November 2025 (ECI(2025)000004), calls for an additional, optional passport cover: EU blue, circle of gold stars, and the words “EUROPEAN UNION” printed prominently in a form recognisable anywhere in the world, sitting alongside whatever the Member State requires in its national language. The current burgundy cover would remain fully available. This is about giving citizens a choice, not taking one away. Signature collection officially opened on 8 May 2026 and runs until 8 May 2027.
To attain its objective, the initiative does not ask for or need a revolution in EU passport law. Passport issuance remains a national competence under Article 4(2) TEU, a point reinforced by long-standing CJEU case law.
Why it matters: identity, visibility, and the moment we are in
Passports are symbols before they are travel documents. The shift to a harmonised burgundy cover in the early 1980s was itself a political act. Offering a blue alternative would be represent the next step. This is a simple, easy-to-implement reform that empowers EU passport holders to make a choice. As we have written in our reality check on the ECI, the instrument’s promise has too often been squandered at the post-signature stage, most painfully illustrated by the End the Cage Age saga. A symbolic, low-cost, politically uncontroversial initiative like STAR-PASS is precisely the kind of test case that could demonstrate the Commission is still capable of meaningful follow-through when citizens speak.
How to support it
EU citizens can sign the initiative at citizens-initiative.europa.eu until 8 May 2027. Signatures must be collected from at least seven Member States to count. The campaign’s website at star-pass.eu carries further information. At The Good Lobby, we have championed the ECI as a tool of transnational democracy – supporting campaigns, publishing analysis, and representing citizen groups before the courts. We will be watching STAR-PASS closely.