After the first meeting in May 2023 at the Baden-Württemberg State Representation, the experts from national and international organisations now met for the second time in Brussels on 20. and 21. November at the European Committee of the Regions: the OECD, the German Bundestag, the French Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESE), the European Commission, the European Committee of the Regions, the Parliament of the German-speaking Community of East Belgium, the Council of Europe, the State of Baden-Württemberg, the Electoral Commission of Ireland, the Government of the Catalonia region, the think tank FIDE (Federation for Innovation in Democracy - Europe), and the Bertelsmann Stiftung. The network’s meetings focus on learning from each other and joint work on quality guidelines for citizen participation and deliberation.
© Hanna Kádár
Network for Citizen Participation & Deliberation in Europe founded - experts develop guidelines for good citizen participation
Together with the think tank FIDE Team New Democracy has founded the "Network for Participation & Deliberation in Europe". It consists of experts from institutions in Europe that are pioneers of European citizen participation and deliberation. The aim is to improve and anchor citizen participation and deliberation in Europe.
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How can citizens be successfully involved in policymaking? Quality guidelines for good European citizen participation & deliberation
More and more politicians are focussing on citizen participation and deliberation to bring policy-making closer to the people. But the quality of these processes varies greatly. Together, the experts are developing specific quality principles to strengthen the quality of participation and deliberation in Europe. After productive discussions, more than ten guidelines for the set-up and follow-up phase of citizen participation and deliberation have already been defined. The preparation, planning, and follow-up phases play an important role. However, it is precisely here that good quality principles are missing. This will change with the publication of the network's quality standards: What is the mandate of the specific participation process? What resources are available? What happens to the results? Publication of the "Guidelines for good citizen participation and deliberation" is planned for the second half of 2024.
Concept and impact of citizen engagement: Administrations are key players
The experts from the Commission, OECD, and other organisations also discussed how the role of the administration can be better illuminated - and how successful cooperation can be ensured. One thing is certain: administrations are essential for the success of participation and deliberation processes.
We want to make a difference. The focus on administrations is key to the success of citizen participation and deliberation.
Dominik Hierlemann, Senior Advisor at Bertelsmann Stiftung
The guidelines will therefore also engage with good examples from the perspective of the administration and examine the role of administrations in the set-up, implementation, and follow-up phases of participation and deliberation processes.
More about the project
Together with the think tank FIDE (Federation for Innovation in Democracy - Europe), Bertelsmann Stiftung has founded the Network for Citizen Participation & Deliberation in Europe. It consists of experts from various European organisations, working at different levels of government. They want to improve and promote participatory and deliberative democracy in the representative system in Europe. The aims: To strengthen as well as institutionalise citizen participation and deliberation in Europe. Together, they work to improve the quality of citizen participation and deliberation. The focus is on embedding participation and deliberation in representative structures and processes on the local, regional, national, and EU level.
