Today, the European Commission decided to register two European Citizens' Initiatives, entitled 'Stop Cruelty Stop Slaughter' and 'Stop Fake Food: Origin on Label'.
The organisers of the 'Stop Cruelty Stop Slaughter' initiative call for the Commission to introduce incentives for producing plant proteins, including plant-based milk and egg substitutes, as well as cultivated meat. The organisers also call for reducing the number of farm animals and progressively closing all animal farms.
The organisers of the 'Stop Fake Food: Origin on Label' initiative call for the Commission to propose measures that ensure European consumers have access to transparent information about the food they buy and that their expectations regarding food quality and sustainability are met. The initiative also calls for ensuring clear and explicit labeling of the origin for all products and for adherence to consistent environmental, health and labour standards in the internal market.
Both European Citizens' Initiatives fulfil the formal conditions established in the relevant legislation. The Commission therefore considers that they are legally admissible. The Commission has not analysed the substance of the proposals at this stage.
The decision to register an initiative is based on a legal analysis of its admissibility under the European Citizens' Initiative Regulation. It does not prejudge the legal and political conclusions of the Commission on these initiatives and the action it would take, if any, in case any of these initiatives obtains the necessary support of at least one million EU citizens.
The content of the initiatives only expresses the views of the group of organisers, and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the Commission.
Next Steps
Following today's registration, the organisers have six months to open the signature collection. If a European Citizens' Initiative receives at least one million statements of support within one year with minimum numbers reached in at least seven different Member States, the Commission will have to react. The Commission will have to decide whether or not it will take action in response to the request, and will be required to explain its reasoning.
Background
The European Citizens' Initiative was introduced with the Lisbon Treaty as an agenda-setting tool in the hands of citizens. It was officially launched in April 2012. Once formally registered, a European Citizens' Initiative allows one million citizens from at least seven EU Member States to invite the European Commission to propose legal acts in areas where it has the power to act. The conditions for admissibility are: (1) the proposed action does not manifestly fall outside the framework of the Commission's powers to submit a proposal for a legal act, (2) it is not manifestly abusive, frivolous or vexatious and (3) it is not manifestly contrary to the values of the Union.
Since the beginning of the European Citizens' Initiative, the Commission has registered 116 initiatives.
