European Citizens’ initiative One of Us

What is a European citizens’ initiative (ECI)?

A European citizens’ initiative is a new instrument of participative democracy. It is an invitation to the European Commission to propose legislation on matters where the EU has competence to legislate. A citizens’ initiative has to be backed by at least one million EU citizens, coming from at least 7 out of the 27 member states. A citizens’ initiative is possible in any field where the Commission has the power to propose legislation.

The ECI “One of Us”  – 2 Million signatures, a historical step forward in the protection of life in Europe

One of Us” is one of the first registered ECIs in the European Union. It’s goal is to greatly advance the protection of human life from conception in Europe – within the possibilities of the competency of the EU. Based on the definition of the human embryo as the beginning of the development of the human being, which was given in a recent ECJ judgment (Brüstle vs. Greenpeace), “One of Us” asks the EU to end the financing of activities which presuppose the destruction of human embryos, in particular in the areas of research, development aid and public health.

This will be done through a change of the financial regulation of the EU that determines the spending of the EU budget. A ban of such funding will greatly contribute to the consistency within the EU.

Potential Impact

The ECI “One of Us” has a greater political potential than any other initiative that has been undertaken so far to protect the dignity of the person and life from conception at a European scale. If a consensus will be achieved among 1 Million citizens or more, a concrete ethical standard could be established across Europe with regards to the respect of the dignity of each member of the human family, no matter how young it is. The desired outcome of the initiative is a concrete ban of life-destroying policies in the EU budget, as well as a political change and greater awareness of the need to respect the wish of so many European citizens. Furthermore, jurisdiction at the European Court of Human Rights, where many bioethical cases are pending, could be positively influenced.

Organisation

One of Us” is build on wide support: churches, politicians, MEPs and civil society leaders are committed to support the initiative in various ways. Besides the responsible committee, composed of seven citizens from different countries, a central coordination office is steering the initiative campaign.

The ECI “One of Us” has been launched…….Your support of the initiative will be of crucial importance!