The European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) is an important tool of participatory democracy available to European citizens to have a greater say in shaping EU policies that affect their lives. The ECI allows citizens across the EU to mobilise around issues of common concern, foster debate and initiate reform by proposing concrete legislative changes.

Introduced by the 2009 Lisbon Treaty, the ECI allows one million citizens from a quarter of EU Member States to ask the Commission to submit a legislative proposal in an area of its competence. More information on the stages for submitting an initiative can be found on the European Commission's website.

The Department for European Policies is the national contact point for the European Citizens' Initiative.