eParticipation :: European eParticipation Day 2009
European eParticipation Day, 4 March 2009
Overview
The first European eParticipation Day organised by the European Commission was
held on 4 March 2009. It aimed to highlight how Information and Communication
Technologies are transforming the political landscape and to enhance and boost
eParticipation - the use of ICTs to give ordinary people more of a say in the
decisions that affect them.
Participants were also able to visit an exhibition of 21 eParticipation projects
that have been funded under programmes run by DG Information Society and Media
to learn more about their activities and achievements.
Who attended the event
More than 340 people registered for the event from 33 countries. Participants
came from the European Parliament, the European Commission, national
parliaments, regional and local authorities, universities, NGOs (including youth
organisations) and the private sector.
Highlights
The Internet and other ICTs are part of our everyday lives, increasingly being
used by older people but particularly popular with the young. Web 2.0 and
advances in telephony have made it possible for people to network and form
communities without geographical boundaries in a way not seen before.
One of the key messages from the event was the need for politicians and
parliaments at all levels to exploit these tools to engage citizens, and not to
expect citizens to come to them. European citizens, including the young, are
interested in EU issues, even if they may not be interested in the EU
institutions and political processes. eParticipation will be most successful
when focused on decisions that are being made which are of personal interest to
citizens and when they feel that their voice is really being heard.
- Additional Information
- Presentations
- The Video: EN/FR/DE - The day broken into 3 parts
- The Photogallery
- Telecentre Europe: Coverage of the event
- Online discussion on eParticipation by PEP-NET and the European eParticipation Study