The European Citizens’ Consultations (ECCs) were an experiment in improving the quality of democracy at the EU level. They took place in 2018 and early 2019, on the initiative of French President Emmanuel Macron. The initiative gave European citizens in 27 member states the possibility to express and exchange their opinions about the Union and its future.
The EPC started to look into this topic in autumn 2017, when the ECCs were still merely at the idea phase. It has been following developments since then, issuing several publications on the process, its results, and its future prospects. The EPC continues to work on the ECCs, calling, not only for a follow-up to 2018’s consultations, but also for the implementation of future rounds, taking into account the lessons learned so far. The evolution of EU governance in the 21st century will not be able to ignore the growing demand for citizens’ participation in the political process at national and European level.