The European Citizens’ Initiative “Food is a Human Right for All!’ started the collection of signatures today (7 January).
European Citizens Initiatives (ECI) are EU’s main instrument for participatory democracy and entered into force in 2012. They require 1 million signatories in at least seven Member States. The number of signatures by Member State is monitored daily on the ECI website. Once an initiative has reached the required numbers, the European Commission will decide on what legislative action to take.
The ECI is sponsored by Fondation Salvia, a private foundation based in Geneva, Switzerland, which also supported the “End the Cage Age” ECI.
According to the organisers, the ECI is supported by more than 240 organisations from 20 EU Member States and comes at moment when Europe’s food systems are under visible strain, from farmers protesting in the streets of Brussels, to rising food insecurity and growing concern about how food is produced, distributed, and consumed.
The new initiative reflects a growing demand for just, humane, and sustainable food systems for present and future generations. Food is a complex, cross-sectoral issue which affects farmer livelihoods, access to healthy food, public health outcomes, environmental sustainability, and animal welfare, in Europe and beyond.
By addressing these interconnected challenges together, the ECI responds to concerns already being voiced by citizens, farmers, civil society organisations and other actors across the EU. By giving citizens a direct voice through a formal EU democratic instrument, the ECI aims to turn these shared concerns into concrete political action.
“The food systems we have in place in Europe affect every part of our lives, our health, our communities, and how animals are treated," said Olga Kikou, Representative of the ECI Citizens’ Committee and Director of Animal Advocacy & Food Transition.
“This initiative matters to citizens because it recognises that food justice and accessibility cannot be separated from animal welfare and the need to address industrial food production and overconsumption. By contributing to this effort, we sought to ensure that these dimensions are clearly embedded in our demands.”
The complexity of the issue and the cross-sectoral approach is reflected in the initiative. In contrast to other ECIs, it does not focus on one concrete legislative proposal but outlines an action plan of 14 proposals.
What are the most important actions? “The ECI deliberately reflects the complexity of food systems,” Olga Kikou told The Brussels Times. “Each of the 14 actions addresses a specific dimension of the right to food, and their importance often depends on the perspective of those working on them”
“For us, key priorities include advancing EU animal welfare legislation, increasing the availability and consumption of plant-based foods, reducing overconsumption of animal products, and ultimately saving animal lives. More broadly, the strength of this ECI lies in addressing interconnected issues together, from farmer livelihoods and access to healthy food, to environmental sustainability and animal welfare, rather than in isolation.”
An original version of the ECI did not meet all requirements in the ECI regulation and the Commission returned it to the organisers. In its decision, the Commission commented on each one of the 14 actions.
How did you amend the ECI? “Following the Commission’s first assessment, the ECI text was streamlined to ensure that citizens are informed of the specific legal acts the Commission is being asked to propose or amend,” she replied. “Explicit references to relevant legislative frameworks were inserted, and further legal clarifications were made for each action.”
“These amendments addressed the Commission’s comments, including where actions relate to existing regulations or EU policies, and made clear how the initiative seeks to strengthen or improve implementation of existing commitments. This allowed the Commission to register the ECI in early July 2025.”
Are you optimistic that the ECI will result in legislative proposals? “We are operating in a challenging political context for agriculture and food reform, with several legislative measures currently being weakened or rolled back. That said, we are hopeful that this ECI will influence policymakers and help bring citizens’ demands back to the center stage of the debate.”
“While the ECI’s objective is to trigger legislative reform on the issues it raises, it is also important to recognise its broader value: raising awareness of the right to food, mobilising citizens across the EU, strengthening local activism, and clearly demonstrating public interest to political decision-makers. Even in this respect alone, the ECI is a valuable democratic instrument.”
