Agnes Bradier

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EU Perspectives what ICT can do to widen
participation in political processes
5th World-wide Forum on Electronic
DemocracyIssy-les-Moulineaux, 29-30 September
2004

• Agnes Bradier
• Deputy Head of eGovernment Unit
• Directorate General Information Society
• European Commisssion

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as an integral part of eGovernment Policy

• Communication on eGovernment, 26 Sept 2003
• eDemocracy ICT organisational change new
  skills to improve democratic processes
• Good governance principals Open Government
  Transparent, accountable, democratic
• Inclusive personalised For all regions and
  persons (also elderly, disabled)
• Efficient productive Reassess working
  methods, measure impact
• No explicit eDemocracy policy formulated today at
  EU level.

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examples
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issues

• eVoting
• Increase turn-out and legitimacy
• Avoid digital divide ?Multi-channel access
• Easy access intuitive multi-modal interfaces
• Trust, security, access, secrecy
• Costs
• Verifiability of IT systems adopted / standards
• eParticipation
• Benefits to the user first / avoid divide
• Trust and transparency
• New policy cycle from online consultation /
  debate
• Instant versus long term benefits
• Costs / resources
• IT systems for big volumes processing and
  visualization

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More than 20 research projects - some examples

• Cybervote eVoting system for internet and mobile
• DEMOS online mediation system
• ePoll European Virtual Ballot Network for EU
  administrations
• ePower increase quality and accessibility of
  legislation and business rules.
• EPRI Knowledge IST for Parliamentarians
• Euro-cities tele-voting, e-forums ,
  tele-consulting via internet and GSM
• eVote organising and conducting a voting process
• True-Vote Internet voting system with digital
  signature and smart card.
• Webocracy Web based system for direct
  participation in democratic process.

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The way forward

• ICT can facilitate exchange of ideas and increase
  participation in decision-making
• Good Practice Exchange Framework
• New forms of organisation and improve skills
• Innovation
• security, access, secrecy, costs,
• tools for formulation and enactment of
  democratic decisions, scalable large scale
  dialogues, new forms of interactivity
• Political leadership

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Thank you for your attention!

• http//europa.eu.int/egovernment_research