By By Photini Kamvisseli Suarez
Global Linkages Right to Food Fellow, National Right to Food CoP
On October 22, 2024, right to food advocates gathered together in Rome in the historical Sala del Carroccio in Campidoglio to launch the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) on the Right to Food. The launching of the ECI marks the beginning of an effort to strengthen the right to food movement across Europe. The ECI, drafted by human rights and right to food advocates and professionals, sets forth 16 specific demands from the European Commission which would allow for the full realization of the right to food across Europe. These demands touch on issues across the food spectrum: addressing sustainability and climate change, social protection, market power, small-scale farming and production, land, seeds, fisheries, labor protections, local food systems, pesticides and other chemicals, animal welfare and industrial farming, school meals, transparent and comprehensive in food labeling, food waste and loss, rights of peasants, and international cooperation and trade.
The European citizens’ initiative mechanism has been used for a variety of campaigns, including ones focused on animal welfare and the human right to water and sanitation. The process requires organizers to first register their initiative with the European Commission. If registered, the initiative will have twelve months to get supportive signatures from one million European citizens. These signatures will then need to be verified by each country of origin. Once this verification confirms the support of at least one million European citizens, the initiative can be submitted to the European Commission. The Commission will then be required to provide various answers during specific timeframes. Within the first month, organizers will meet with the Commission to discuss the initiative. Within three months, organizers will be allowed to present the initiative to the European Parliament. Finally, within the first six months, the Commission will make an official statement declaring what action they will take on the initiative. If they decide not to take any action, they will need to explain this decision. Organizers will be able to meet with the Commission to discuss their decision further.
Oftentimes, the Commission chooses not to adopt any legislation related to an initiative, even after the initiative gathers the support of one million European citizens. However, the process of organizing, gathering signatures, raising awareness, and producing specific demands and language in support of an initiative provides a movement-building opportunity that can prove incredibly beneficial to a cause even without any action by the Commission. The recent launching event of the ECI in Rome exemplified this by bringing together dozens of right to food advocates to discuss and strategize on the right to food in Europe, and encouraging these advocates to bring the ideas of the ECI to their respective communities and networks, further strengthening the right to food movement across Europe.
To learn more about the ECI movement, click here.
To learn more about the right to food in Europe, click here.
To learn more about European Citizens’ Initiatives generally, click here.
To read the full text of the ECI, click here.
NOTE: The National Right to Food CoP's Global Linkages Right to Food Fellow, Photini Kamvisseli Suarez, is attending CFS52 in person to further grow our international partnerships and understand the NRtF CoP's role in the international right to food space. To hear more about this event, the CoP's global linkages, and international right to food efforts, please attend the International Linkages Working Group Meeting on Monday November 18th at 11:00 AM EST and contact Photini at photinirtf@gmail.com to be added to the International Linkages Working Group.