The eParticipation Preparatory Action aims to demonstrate how using modern ICT tools and applications can make it easier for people to participate in decision-making while contributing to better legislation. The 2008 call for proposals is open until the 29 August 2008 with a total budget of €4.7 million.

This Preparatory Action was initiated by the European Parliament and launched in 2006 for a three-year duration. Through a set of trials in real environments, the action promotes the use of ICTs in the legislative and decision-making processes at local, regional, national and EU level.

The EU-supported trial projects are using new digital technologies to improve the drafting of legislative texts and to help citizens have easier access to information about proposals for legislation and to give them the tools to express their opinions.

So far, 14 projects have been funded. In the first year six trial projects were selected and in 2007 a further seven trial projects as well as a support action to coordinate and promote the eParticipation projects were chosen. The European Parliament, national parliaments and local and regional authorities are actively involved.

Following the adoption of the eParticipation Work Programme for 2008 on 11 June 2008, a new call for proposals has been launched until 29 August 2008. The minimum number of participants in a proposal is three independent legal entities, from three different Member States.

The objectives for 2008 are the following:

1. Advancing eParticipation: trial projects applying novel tools and applications in one of the following areas:
• Transparency in tracking legislation and decision-making processes
• Visualisation of impacts of legislation
• Policy developments related to the Internet and its governance
• Petitions
• Inclusive social networking


2. Inter-parliamentary networking and cooperation: exploring ways to improve inter-parliamentary networking and cooperation on applications of eParticipation.