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THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,Having given the group of organisers the opportunity to make known their views,Having regard to Regulation (EU) 2019/788 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 April 2019 on the European citizens’ initiativenote, and in particular Article 6(3) thereof,Whereas:
(1)A request for registration of a European citizens’ initiative entitled ‘Is Europe ready for the First Contact? Preparing mankind for the possibility of encountering extraterrestrials’ was submitted to the Commission on 25 July 2026.
(2)On 17 August 2026, the Commission informed the group of organisers of its preliminary assessment and invited it to submit comments by 21 August 2026. The group of organisers did not submit any observations within that time limit.
(3)The aim of the initiative as expressed by the organisers is to call on the Commission ‘to propose a coordinated European framework to prepare the EU for possible future scientific discoveries regarding life in the universe and the possible implications of discovering extraterrestrial life forms or intelligence.’ In particular, the organisers of the initiative call for ‘European interdisciplinary programmes to be set up for the purpose of studying the possible scientific, social, cultural, ethical and diplomatic implications arising from any new evidence; for increased cooperation between Member States in collecting and sharing knowledge; for the development of joint protocols to ensure responsible public communication; and finally for the promotion of education and reflection on mankind’s role in the universe.’ An annex to the initiative provides further details on its background, its subject matter and its objectives. The organisers also submitted an additional document and draft legal act, as part of their registration request.
(4)The group of organisers has provided appropriate evidence that it fulfils the requirements laid down in Article 5(1) and (2) of Regulation (EU) 2019/788 and has designated the contact persons in accordance with Article 5(3), first subparagraph, of that Regulation.
(5)The Commission considers that the proposed objectives of the initiative are based on assumptions and premises which have not been ascertained, such as, the discovery of ‘extraterrestrial life or intelligence’ and the possible discovery of ‘a technologically advanced extraterrestrial civilization’. The initiative calls upon the Commission to use several legal bases to submit different proposals, including the provision of funding, whereas there is no evidence of an actual possibility of establishing contact with non-terrestrial life forms or intelligence. Without any scientific underpinning of the existence of non-terrestrial life, there is no rational basis to request the Commission to take action preparing for such encounter.
(6)For those reasons, the initiative entitled ‘Is Europe ready for the First Contact? Preparing mankind for the possibility of encountering extraterrestrials’ is manifestly frivolous within the meaning of Article 6(3), first subparagraph, point (d), of Regulation (EU) 2019/788.
(7)Therefore, in line with Article 6(3), third subparagraph, of Regulation (EU) 2019/788, the request for registration of the initiative entitled ‘Is Europe ready for the First Contact? Preparing mankind for the possibility of encountering extraterrestrials’ should be refused,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
Article 1#
The European citizens’ initiative entitled ‘Is Europe ready for the First Contact? Preparing mankind for the possibility of encountering extraterrestrials’ shall not be registered.
Article 2#
This Decision is addressed to the group of organisers of the citizens’ initiative entitled ‘Is Europe ready for the First Contact? Preparing mankind for the possibility of encountering extraterrestrials’, represented by Gian Elio DE MARCO and Jean-Pierre SAULNIER acting as contact persons.
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