FAQ and Common Mistakes
On these pages, we have compiled some helpful questions and answers for you. If you still need information, feel free to contact us.!
Do we, as organisers, have to submit the signatures to the national authorities for verification within a certain period of time?
YES. You have to submit the signatures within 3 months after the end of the collection period.
Are we allowed to stop the collection prematurely if we have already reached the minimum number of signatures?
YES. You have a maximum of 1 year to collect signatures. You can stop collecting at any time if you are confident that you have reached the minimum number of signatures required (at least 1 million in total, thresholds in at least 7 EU countries).
In the next step, you send the signatures to the competent national authorities for verification.
How will the statements of support be examined?
In Germany, the Federal Office of Administration (Bundesverwaltungsamt) in Cologne is responsible for verifying and certifying the number of statements of support.
The Federal Office of Administration in Cologne has 3 months to do this. This examination may be carried out on a random basis.
Are we, as organisers, allowed to design the forms for statements of support ourselves?
NO. To collect statements of support, you must use forms corresponding to the model forms set out in Annex III to the Regulation on the European Citizens' Initiative. The forms must contain all the necessary information on the initiative, as explained on this website. In addition, signatories must provide different information depending on their country of origin. To ensure that you use the correct forms, you can download pre-filled forms via your organiser account. These already contain all the relevant information about your initiative.