The collection of signatures for the European citizens’ initiative 'More than Education,' which backs education for citizenship, can begin now that the College of Commissioners, in a meeting in Brussels on Wednesday 28 September, has said that the initiative is legally admissible. This green light does not prejudge in any way the outcome at European level.
European citizens’ initiatives allow EU citizens to directly participate in the drawing up of European policies by inviting the European Commission to unveil draft legislation. Once an initiative has been accepted by the Commission in principle, the organisers have 12 months to collect a million signatures from passport-holders of at least seven EU countries. If they achieve this, the Commission is required to examine the request – it can follow up the request with legislation or issue a report explaining why it declines to do so.
'More than Education' invites the Commission to come up with a series of incentives to integrate citizenship education in study programmes at all levels of formal education across Europe. The organisers say they have found gaps in the learning of key civic skills such as the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes for acting in a responsible, active and democratic manner, which is why these skills should be reinforced and coordinated across Europe.
This is the second time that the Commission has provided support for 'More than Education'. The first endorsement was on 7 June, but the organisers decided to withdraw the the initiative in order to have more time to prepare properly for the collection of signatures (and to delay the deadline). (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean)