FAQ on the signature gathering
How to sign online
How to sign on a printed form
Who may sign an ECI?
How are the online data stored?
I am unsure whether I have already signed. What can I do?
What is different if I live abroad?
It is hard filling in the captcha code. What can I do?
The signing procedure is too complicated. Can´t you change it?
When is the deadline for the signature gathering?
How to sign online
- Click on the blue VOTE NOW button. Your are entering the special collection software.
- Click the SUPPORT button.
- Select your country and insert all your details, then SUBMIT.
- Your vote has been counted when you see a SIGNATURE ID.
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How to sign on a printed form
- Go to the list of signature forms. Click on the form of your country and print it out. Each form has a national code top right and so you can make sure you have selected the right paper. (Do you live abroad? Please check the information further down.)
- Fill in all data. Please do write readable. The national authorities will have to validate the signatures and they may not validate data they cannot read.
- Sign and send in the form. You can find the address on each form.
- Don´t hesitate to ask your friends to also sign.
- You may only sign once, either online or on a printed form.
Who may sign an ECI?
All EU citizens can sign.
You need to be at least 18 years old (in Austria: 16 years).
How are the online data stored?
All your data are stored securely on a server situated in Germany. The server is exclusively used for the signature collection, with no other data servers. Before the signature collection started, the whole system was tested and certified by the German Federal Office for Information Security. Also read our privacy statement and and check out our certificate.
I am unsure whether I have already signed. What can I do?
Simply try again. Should you have already signed you will get an error message (It includes a individual code consisting of a combination of numbers and characters. See the example below)
What is different if I live abroad?
At the beginning of the signing process you must choose your country. If you live abroad, it is sometimes unclear what country that is. So better check out the list below. It shows which EU country accepts which persons (only the same nationality? Only the place of residence? Both?) This is necessary as different countries are asking for different personal data they need for the validation of the signatures. This is also the case if you hold the vote rights for two countries.
Who can choose which country to sign the ECI?
Austria | Austrian nationals |
Belgium | Belgian nationals, permanent residents of Belgium |
Bulgaria | Bulgarian nationals |
Czech Republic | Czech nationals |
Croatia | Croatian nationals |
Cyprus | Cyprian nationals |
Denmark | Danish nationals, permanent residents in Denmark |
Estonia | Estonian nationls, permanent residents in Estonia |
Finland | Finnish nationals, permanent residents in Finland |
France | French nationals, citizens possessing one of several personal documents issued by French authorities |
Germany | German nationals, permanent residents in Germany |
Greece | Greek nationals |
Hungary | Hungarian nationals |
Italy | Italian nationals |
Ireland | Irish nationals |
Latvia | Latvian nationals |
Lithuania | Lithuanian nationals |
Luxembourg | Luxembuirg nationals |
Malta | Maltese nationals |
Netherlands | Permanent residents of the Netherlands |
Poland | Polish nationals |
Portugal | Portuguese nationals |
Romania | Romanian nationals |
Sweden | Swedish nationals |
Slovakia | Slovakian nationals |
Slovenia | Slovenian nationals |
Spain | Spanish nationals |
United Kingdomxxlxxl | Permanent residents in the UK |
It is hard filling in the captcha code. What can I do?
The captcha code is imposed by the EC to control that you are a real human being and not a robot. It guarantees that only real persons can sign.
To copy the code, please mind uppercase, lowercase and spaces. If you can’t read the code, please reload it. It will change and you can try again as many times as needed.
The signing procedure is too complicated. Can´t you change it?
The online collection system was developed and is managed by the European Commission, which means we have no access or right to change it.
We are aware of several different problems the system can cause for the supporters and we have been negotiating with the commission to improve it. But this takes a long time and sometimes requires changes in the ECI regulation, and so we can only ask you to be patient and sign our initiative nevertheless.
When is the deadline for the signature gathering?
The last day of the signature gathering will be the 13th November 2013.