The European Commission has officially registered a new European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) calling for a complete phase-out of the European Union’s remaining imports from

Russia and Belarus.

The initiative, titled “Stop Funding Russia's War: Phase Out Harmful and Useless Russian Imports into the EU,” urges the Commission to introduce sector-specific bans or rapid phase-outs to eliminate the EU’s dependence on goods coming from the two countries.

According to the organisers, the goal is threefold: to halt the flow of EU money to the Russian state, reduce structural weaknesses in critical supply chains, and strengthen a trade policy that reflects the EU’s values. They argue that continued imports undermine both the Union’s economic resilience and its political stance following Russia’s war against Ukraine.

The Commission confirmed that the initiative meets all formal requirements under the European Citizens’ Initiative Regulation and is therefore legally admissible. At this stage, however, the Commission has not assessed the substance of the proposal. Registration does not prejudge whether the Commission will ultimately act on the initiative or support its objectives.

For the proposal to move forward, organisers must gather at least one million signatures from EU citizens, reaching minimum thresholds in at least seven Member States. Only then will the Commission be required to formally respond and outline what action, if any, it intends to take.

What happens next

Following registration, organisers have six months to launch the signature collection process. Once launched, they will have 12 months to gather the required support across the EU.

If the threshold is met, the Commission must examine the initiative, meet with its organisers, and publicly explain its decision—whether that means proposing new legislation or choosing not to act.

Background on the European Citizens’ initiative

The European Citizens’ Initiative was introduced under the Lisbon Treaty as a way to give EU citizens a direct role in shaping policy. Launched in April 2012, the mechanism allows citizens to invite the European Commission to propose legislation in areas where it has the authority to act.

For an initiative to be registered, it must fall within the Commission’s legal powers, must not be abusive or frivolous, and must respect the EU’s fundamental values.

Since the ECI’s introduction, the Commission has registered 126 initiatives. While registration allows an initiative to proceed, the content reflects solely the views of its organisers and does not represent the position of the European Commission.  Photo by Kurzon, Wikimedia commons.