The Good Lobby welcomes the launch of a new European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) calling on the European Commission to finally end the European Union’s remaining import dependencies on Russia and Belarus. More than three years into Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the EU still imports billions of euros’ worth of iron and steel, inorganic chemicals and potassium fertilisers – money that directly strengthens the Russian state budget and sustains its war machine. This initiative demands firm, immediate measures: sectoral bans and decisive phase-outs, not slow or symbolic transitions. Europe cannot credibly support Ukraine while continuing trade patterns that fuel the aggression. Real security requires real decoupling – now.
Why This Initiative Matters
Despite successive sanctions, the EU continues to import substantial volumes of strategically important but fully substitutable goods from Russia and Belarus. In 2024 alone, these imports generated around €35 billion. The contradiction is stark: while citizens are asked to shoulder the economic burden of supporting Ukraine, EU import statistics reveal a steady stream of payments to the very state waging war. Crucially, these dependencies are not unavoidable. European producers and trusted partners can supply these goods. For steel, the EU has significant unused capacity, with allied suppliers ready to cover remaining needs. For inorganic chemicals and fertilisers, reliable alternatives exist within Europe and in partner countries such as the United States, Canada and Jordan. Yet outdated exemptions, tariff-rate quotas and narrow carve-outs – such as those for steel slabs or potash fertilisers – continue to preserve unjustified dependencies that benefit a handful of market players while exposing Europe as a whole to strategic risk. This ECI calls on the Commission to propose a new regulation introducing targeted import bans and additional customs duties, closing these loopholes and ensuring that EU trade policy aligns with its security interests and fundamental values.
From Hesitation to Resolve
At its core, this initiative is driven by a simple and uncomfortable truth: Europe cannot claim to stand firmly with Ukraine while continuing to finance the aggressor through inertia or convenience. Structural measures such as tariffs, bans, and the removal of unjustified quotas are not radical – they are necessary steps to eliminate vulnerabilities in critical supply chains and to build a coherent, values-based trade policy. Citizens across Europe are increasingly demanding that the EU move beyond half-measures. This initiative offers a concrete path to stop the flow of funds to the Russian state, strengthen Europe’s strategic autonomy, and reinforce the credibility of its geopolitical commitments.
ECIs, Democratic Pressure and Accountability
At The Good Lobby, we pioneered and evangelised the ECI as a privileged instrument of direct participation in Europe’s transnational democracy over the past decade. We have provided assistance to a dozen ECIs and registered a few ourselves, such as Save Your Right, Save Your Flight! And we covered the launch of an ECI calling for stronger ethics and transparency in European politics. Last summer, we hosted the event “How Can European Citizens’ Initiatives Make a Difference for Society?” During the event, EU officials, civil society and experts reflected on the promise and challenges of the ECI mechanism. They examined the ECI’s track record and democratic potential, shared lessons on converting citizen mobilisation into legislative impact, and debated the future of ECIs and the reforms needed to strengthen them. We are also actively supporting efforts to defend the integrity of this democratic tool, including through a pending case before the CJEU and lodging a complaint to the European Ombudsman over the Commission’s handling of the Fur Free Europe ECI.
A Democratic Tool That Citizens Are Reclaiming
The European Citizens’ Initiative was conceived as a democratic breakthrough, yet its institutional practice has too often reduced it to a procedural exercise with limited legislative impact. Experience has shown that formal success does not guarantee political results and that, paradoxically, many of the most influential ECIs have been those that never reached the one-million signature threshold. In response, civil society has transformed the ECI into a powerful tool for agenda-setting, mobilisation and political pressure. This pragmatic reinvention of the ECI reflects a broader truth: meaningful democratic participation does not wait for institutional permission. As access to decision-makers narrows and political accountability is increasingly contested, ECIs are becoming a crucial space where citizens reclaim their capacity to shape Europe’s priorities. In that sense, initiatives like this one are not only about changing trade policy – they are also about redefining how democracy in Europe is practiced.