For centuries the petition serves as an instrument of direct communication with the governments. Recently, through innovations in the field of information and communication technology, it is getting even more prominent all over Europe. Especially the internet now facilitates the procedure through e-petitions, offering an easy and transparent access to a broad public and giving people the opportunity to present their own ideas, conceptions and complaints. Public online-petitions can be seen as an innovation that – through the possibility of joint underwriting – contributes to improved civic participation and counters a general disenchantment with politics and political parties.
For there does not exist a methodical overview on applied practices of parliamentary bodies on petitions to the EU member states so far, the project’s goal is to fill that gap. In addition to internet and literature investigation, a broad enquiry among all parliamentary bodies on petitions in the EU is intended. The enquiry aims at positioning these bodies and there activities within the political system, identifying reform and modernization efforts. The project team focuses on the use of innovative information and communication technologies in the field of petitions. The results will then be summarised in a survey and committed to the German Bundestag.
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