EPRI network

A Framework

2005-05-24T12:07:00.000+02:00

Stephen Coleman offers a framework for the ongoing work of the EPRI network:

1. Producing a set of principles for how to use ICT for purposes of political representation.
2. Modest research gathering together best practice from civil society and representative bodies looking at what has actually been done and is happening now.
3. A clear target for the outcome of this work of enhancing political participation by the time of the next European Parliament elections.

Discuss!

Digital Divide

2005-05-24T12:04:00.000+02:00

The digital divide - who can and who cannot access digital services including tools for democracy - remains on the agenda of meetings like the EPRI workshop. The fact that there has been growth in places that can access fast internet services does not mean that the problem of access has been solved. When it comes to democracy this is a big issue because everyone must be able to participate in political decision-making in a true democracy.

Silver Meikar from Estonia has proposed to the workshop that the solution to this is for there to be a universal service obligation on telecomms companies to provide internet access. This could be brought about by an amended EU Directive similar to that which creates a universal service for voice telephony.

UK Parliament and Puttnam Commission

2005-05-24T11:50:00.000+02:00

Prof Stephen Coleman of the Oxford Internet Institute raised the publication of a report by Lord Puttnam about the UK Parliament that talks of the need to improve Parliament's communication with the public. This is reported in the Guardian newspaper in the UK.

The key concept is that Parliament has a responsibility to "inform, educate and interest" the public.

Workshop Statements

2005-05-24T11:17:00.000+02:00

The discussion has turned to the statements that we should make from the workshop. These will be taken to the next full EPRI conference of a wider group of ICT-interested MPs. The hope is that these will then be fed into the policy making processes of each Parliament by those who were at the conference.

Accessing European Information

2005-05-24T10:17:00.000+02:00

The subject of access to information in Parliaments has come up. All Parliaments do produce a lot of public information. But there are problems with making this understandable and accessible to most people.

The complexity of the EU system also means that information can be difficult to understand, including for members of national Parliaments of EU member states.

A useful exercise is to try and find some information you want on the European Parliament site or the European Commission site.

Principles for Communications Between MPs and Citizens

2005-05-24T10:07:00.000+02:00

Discussion in the first session of the workshop is centred on defining a set of principles that MPs and Parliaments might follow in communicating with citizens using ICT.

These include:

Ensuring that facilities exist for citizens to communicate with MPs using digital channels
Ensuring that there is inclusive access using digital channels
Citizens' right to know what is being done in their national Parliaments

Blogging MPs

2005-05-24T09:56:00.000+02:00

One of the subjects under discussion at the workshop has been the role of blogging.

Many people wish to be better connected with their elected representatives. Weblogs can bring out a personal side of MPs that is of interest to voters. This is causing interest in many countries including amongst members of the EPRI network.

Maria Oberg, a member of the Swedish Riksdag, has recently begun a blog that she is enjoying writing.

EPRI starts blogging

2005-05-24T07:28:00.000+02:00

Midway through a workshop on how parliamentarians use the internet to communicate, the EPRI network have set up their blog.

At the end of the day, there should be some concrete results, if we've been working hard this morning.
Today, the workshop members will attempt to set out some core principles for how members of parliament should use the internet in their work.