The Europe-wide citizen’s initiative “One of Us” has now more than 1 million signatures

By J.C. von Krempach, J.D. | September 20, 2013

Among the various initiatives that have been launched since the new instrument of a formal “European Citizen’s Initiative” (ECI) has been introduced last year, “One of Us” is only the second to have crossed the magical threshold of 1 million signatures. The initiative is still on-going and can be adhered to (by EU citizens only) until 31 October. With their signature the supporters of the Initiative have endorsed a legislative proposal that would outlaw the use of EU budget funding for all activities that directly or indirectly involve the killing of human embryos.

This would in particular concern the funding of abortions in third countries (which currently takes place, albeit in a somewhat unofficial manner, as a part of EU Development Aid), and the funding through the EU’s research budget of research projects that involve the destruction of human embryos.

As it turns out, there are not many policy issues that are capable of gathering as much direct support from EU citizens as this one. Let s hope that the EU’s policy institutions, which are often portrayed as aloof and remote from the people they govern, will get the message.

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