In 2015 FMD starts its first Europe for Citizens EC funded project called E-UROPa -“Enabling European e-Participation”
In 2015 Fondazione Mondo Digitale starts its first Europe for Citizens EC funded project called E-UROPa -“Enabling European e-Participation”, which aims at raising awareness about the online possibilities for participation in the EU policy-making regardless of how far from Brussels we live. Telecentre Europe coordinates the project in partnership with twelve of its member organisations, including FMD.
Rationale behind the project
E-Participation is ICT-enabled citizens’ participation in policies and policy-making. Many citizens consider that the EU is something that happens only in Brussels, far away from them and their daily lives. But in fact, the European institutions have created a number of online tools where each and every one of us can take part in the development of EU policies and benefit from our rights as European citizens. These opportunities are just a click away, but many citizens don’t know that they exist and can be used in all European languages!
The four tools
The four tools that will be covered by the project are:
- Chat with your MEP, e.g. by using the Puzzled by Policy website;
- Launching a petition to the European Parliament – presenting the European Parliament Petitions Committee active online petition submission website and submitting a problem to SOLVIT;
- European Commission Public Consultations;
- The European Citizens Initiatives.
Through the discussions and practical workshops we will inform and motivate citizens to use these e-Participation tools and will encourage them to reflect on their practical relevance and usefulness.
Project activities
In eleven countries the national partners, including FMD will organise the European e-Participation Day 2015. During this Day they will hold f2f discussions and practical workshops on e-Participation focused on the four e-Participation tools.
The e-Participation Day 2015 will be followed by an international competition “My e-Participation story”, where citizens will share their personal experience with the online e-Participation tools and will have the chance to win a trip to Brussels to present their experience to policy-makers at the multi-stakeholder conference “e-Participation from a Citizens Perspective”.
Project partners
Telecentre Europe (Coordinator), Fondazione Mondo Digitale (Italy), I.A.N. International Aid Network (Serbia), Telecentre-Danmark (Denmark), Stowarzyszenie Miasta W Internecie (Poland), Fundacja Rozwoju Spoleczenstwa Informacyjnego (Poland), Fundatia Eos Educating For An Open Society (Romania), Asociacija Langas I Ateiti (Lithuania), Albanian Institute Of Science (Albania), Associacio Per A Joves Teb (Spain), LIKTA (Latvia), Stiftung Digitale Chancen (Germany), and Smart Work Association (Estonia).
Project duration
1 Year: from the 1st of January 2015 to the 31st of December 2015