From Friday 23th to Sunday 25th November about 40 UBIE members met in Budapest to discuss the feasibility of a new European Citizenship Initiative (ECI) and first steps of an ECI campaign.
After viewing general criteria for a successful ECI like the credibility of the policy proposal, the impact on UBIE strategy, the mobilising potential and the legal ECI compatibility we discussed different proposals for the subject of a new ECI. Although there was no 100 percent consensus the participants agreed upon driving the proposal with the most votes, which was the ECI “Start Basic Income”.
The subject matter is to demand from the European Commission to support all member states in introducing an UBI that ensures every person’s material existence: Proposal: Support ECI. This proposal includes also different ways of UBI support discussed in the meeting as there are e.g. common social standards to member states, recommendations to member states, pilot projects, an Eurodividend as basic layer or an Agrarian Basic Income. UBIE members are free to focus in their campaign argumentation the implementation strategies they are in favour of whilst all stand behind the main idea of requesting support from the European Commission for implementing BI schemes in all member states. As agreed upon in the Göteborg meeting a formal decision about the ECI is necessary in the next GA.
We also discussed first steps as there are finding national contact persons, constituting a working group, looking for political support, funding for campaign costs, finding a common logo etc. The constitutional meeting shall take place after the general assembly in spring 2019 in Berlin, a possible starting point forthe campaign is September 2019, in parallel with the international week of BI.
If you are ready to take over responsibility for the campaign in your country, we kindly ask you to share the following information with us:
| Name | |
| Country | |
| Organisation | |
| Phone number | |
| Experiences with the ECI 2013 | |
| Special Skills | |
| For which task will you take responsibility? | |
| How much hours a week you can spend? | |
| How much signatures will you collect? | |
| With which partner organisation you can speak about supporting the campaign? | |
| Open Questions, comments |
Please send your answer up to 03th March to ulrich@ubie.*o*rg and *as*** CC to klaus.sambor@aon.at
ECI Proposal: Start Unconditional Basic Income (UBI)
Subject matter:
We request the EU Commission to recommend and support all Member States in introducing an Unconditional Basic Income (UBI) that ensures every person’s material existence and possibility for participation in society.
Objectives:
Aiming the introduction of UBI at a level above the national at-risk-of-poverty threshold and linked to a reference monthly basket of goods and services shall achieve the aims of the EU to eliminate extreme poverty, and to combat racism, social exclusion and marginalisation, to promote life in dignity and freedom, gender equality, social justice and protection, solidarity-oriented society and individual time sovereignty. UBI shall promote human freedom, innovation, democracy and the socio-ecological positive transformation of society and economy, taking Europe to the next level of development, desired by citizens.
Main Arguments:
UBI will ensure the implementation of Art.1, Art.2 and Art.3 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union: Human Dignity, Right to life, Right to the integrity of the person.
Why this subject captures people’s imagination?
The subject has more effect for people, who want to see a common, Social Europe, with a strong pillar of an UBI. EU-wide pilots and / or funding research on UBI is not excluded, but it is clear that each pilot can show only small part of effects and consequences of UBI.
Why we would get powerful allies beyond the UBI world?
We can get support from many other movements, like degrowth movement, „system change not climate change“, “nuit debout” and of many other NGOs. We also will get support from parts of unions and churches, health organisations and animal protection non-profit organisations.
Primary objective of the campaign:
a) Influencing policy making at EU and Member State level
b) Mobilising political support for UBI and raising awareness on UBI
Do we want an official registered ECI?
Yes, we want to do an official registered ECI on UBI.
Further documents
For the debate at the GA in Göteborg we have submitted (27/02/2018) 4 contributions:
a) Contribution A (Our Reaction on the Evaluation from the Core Group – long version)
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1A__J3Lnb08Pf9chbRju_Iq6lLIqzZWzY
b) Contribution B (proposed text for the ECI on UBI)
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1A__J3Lnb08Pf9chbRju_Iq6lLIqzZWzY
c) Contribution C (proposed campaign plan)
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1A__J3Lnb08Pf9chbRju_Iq6lLIqzZWzY
d) Contribution D (possibilities for Contribution C) https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1A__J3Lnb08Pf9chbRju_Iq6lLIqzZWzY