Print
See related documents
Resolution 1653 (2009)
Electronic democracy
1. The Parliamentary
Assembly recalls that the Council of Europe is the oldest pan-European
institution standing for democratic principles and human rights.
It has established an important acquis in
this field, which constitutes a reference for the development of
democratic systems. This acquis has
been achieved through the elaboration of legal instruments, the
development of democratic institutions and the establishment of institutional
structures and practices.
2. The Assembly in particular devotes considerable attention
to different aspects of democracy. Its regular debates on the state
of democracy in Europe aim to identify the main concerns and shortcomings
in Council of Europe member states, and to propose remedies. In
this context, it recalls its Resolutions
1547 (2007) on the state of human rights and democracy in Europe
and 1617 (2008) on the state of democracy in Europe – specific challenges
facing European democracies: the case of diversity and migration.
3. The Council of Europe Forum for the Future of Democracy, established
in 2005 by the heads of state and government, is highly instrumental
in fostering the exchange of ideas, the sharing of good practices
and the elaboration of proposals aimed at remedying democratic deficits.
What makes this forum unique is that it is based on the active involvement
of parliamentarians, representatives of governments, civil society
and academia.
4. Democracy is never completely acquired or perfect; it is an
ongoing process that is constantly faced with new challenges and
needs to adapt itself to new situations. Perhaps the most important
among these new challenges is the alienation of citizens from political
processes. Traditional representative democracies tend to limit
citizens’ participation to the simple act of voting. Voters, however,
feel that elections do not offer real choices between genuinely
different policy options and therefore they feel unable to influence
the processes of political decision making.
5. The development of the information society should be considered
as both a challenge and an opportunity to provide the means for
enhancing democratic principles and responding to certain shortcomings
and deficits of democratic systems.
6. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) offer great
potential for improving democratic practice and participation, transparency,
accountability and responsiveness of democratic institutions. They create
opportunities to promote citizens’ engagement and increase empowerment
and the accessibility and inclusiveness of the democratic process.
7. Electronic democracy (e-democracy) must not be regarded, however,
as a tool for replacing representative democracy by participative
democracy. Representative democratic systems can naturally be complemented
by elements of participative democracy. Nevertheless, this must
be the decision of the society and not necessarily a consequence
of using ICTs.
8. E-democracy is primarily about democracy and not about technology.
E-tools may be highly instrumental in strengthening traditional
representative democracy and in contributing to the improvement
of its quality. E-democracy is not a substitute for representative
democracy, but should be seen as a complementary addition.
9. The technological evolution of e-democracy should be pursued
in accordance with democratic principles. E-democracy can only be
instrumental in a democratic environment in which human rights and
the rule of law are implemented and observed. Freedom of expression
and the existence of independent and pluralistic media constitute
a necessary precondition for societies that wish to take full advantage
of the benefits of e-democracy.
10. The risks for democracy linked to the development of ICTs,
which include unequal access potentially resulting in e-exclusion
and e-discrimination as well as possible abuses, should not be underestimated.
Rules and regulatory frameworks including safeguards to protect
citizens should be drawn up and implemented at an early stage.
11. Generalised access to e-tools is a necessary condition for
the success of e-democracy and for the elimination of the risk of
a “technology gap”. This includes not only access in terms of equipment
and affordable connections but also considerable efforts in education
and training, in particular with regard to older generations and
other vulnerable categories of the population.
12. E-democracy, like democracy itself, should involve all the
constituents of society including citizens, politicians, political
institutions, civil society and media. All of them should be engaged
in the development of e-democracy from an early stage and to this
end a clear political vision followed by the creation of adequate conditions
are necessary.
13. The Assembly acknowledges that ICTs have become essential
in supporting the work of legislative bodies. Furthermore, e-democracy
provides elected representatives with unprecedented means of engaging in
dialogue with their constituencies. The voters, for their part,
have an effective tool to monitor their representatives’ actions.
These possibilities add a new dimension to the traditional notions
of representative and participatory democracies and, at the same
time, motivate citizens to step up their participation in the political
process. However, it should also be borne in mind that e-democracy
tools are not a miracle cure for democratic challenges.
14. The Assembly welcomes the growing introduction and systematic
use of ICTs in the work of public institutions at all levels of
government. They increasingly serve not only to provide citizens
with information and enable them to communicate with the authorities,
but they are also instrumental in engaging citizens in the decision-making
process (e-consultations, e-referenda, e-initiatives).
15. Local and regional levels are particularly appropriate for
promoting the use of e-tools in the political process. Therefore,
the Assembly welcomes the work of the Congress of Local and Regional
Authorities of the Council of Europe in this field, and in particular
its Resolutions 266 (2008) on e-tools: a response to the needs of local authorities,
and 267 (2008) on electronic democracy and deliberative consultation
on urban projects.
16. The role of civil society in introducing and promoting e-democracy
is crucial. The Assembly notes with satisfaction a rapidly increasing
civic mobilisation which results in e-initiatives and the creation
of pressure groups using e-tools in order to influence the political
process. The work of the Council of Europe’s Conference of INGOs
on the Code of Good Practice on Civic Participation, which includes
a section on e-democracy, is to be commended.
17. The Assembly is of the opinion that the Council of Europe
can considerably contribute to the further introduction and promotion
of e-democracy in its member states. Further regulatory action,
harmonisation and education is needed. The Assembly notes with satisfaction
the work of the Ad hoc Committee on E-democracy of the Committee
of Ministers (CAHDE), and is convinced that its work should be pursued.
18. Taking note of existing Council of Europe legal instruments
in the field of democracy, including the Committee of Ministers
Recommendation Rec(2004)11 on legal, operational and technical standards
for e-voting and Recommendation Rec(2004)15 on e-governance, the
Assembly invites the Committee of Ministers to finalise its work
and adopt without delay the draft recommendation under preparation
on electronic democracy.
19. The Assembly calls on all stakeholders to take into account
and translate into specific action the conclusions of the Council
of Europe Forum for the Future of Democracy, devoted to e-democracy,
which was held in Madrid from 15 to 17 October 2008.
20. Furthermore, the Assembly calls on:
20.1. national parliaments and their members to make full use
of the opportunities offered by ICTs with a view to improving the
quality of representative democracy and in particular to:
20.1.1. develop a political vision for
the application of ICTs in the political process, and consider the
introduction of relevant legislation, particularly with regard to
the rights of citizens to launch new legislation or modify existing
laws;
20.1.2. set up ad hoc committees responsible for preparing annual
reports for the parliament on the current status of e-inclusion
and e-democracy;
20.1.3. review national legislation with a view to introducing
legal standards for using e-tools in the political process, and
to eliminating the risks of their misuse, both technical and political, notably
as regards human rights and security issues, including data protection
and the security of documents, voting, networking and information;
20.1.4. develop a vision for innovation and the application of
ICTs within the parliamentary setting, initiate strategic planning
and ensure its effective management;
20.1.5. provide citizens with the possibility of following the
work of parliament and its members, allowing for maximum transparency;
20.1.6. improve their institutions’ ability to interact with citizens
and to encourage dialogue between citizens and their elected representatives;
20.1.7. develop and establish good practices as regards the active
participation of citizens in the political process, including e-consultation;
20.1.8. actively seek links with, and promote, social networking
activities with a view to building on the ideas about e-democracy
developed within civil society;
20.1.9. continue and, where appropriate, reinforce their contribution
to enhanced inter-parliamentary co-operation by electronic means,
including in the framework of the Global Centre for Information
and Communication Technologies in Parliament under the aegis of
the Inter-Parliamentary Union, and to promote the adoption of internationally
recognised data standards for sharing legislative information;
20.1.10. ensure adequate financial resources for the implementation
of the above recommendations, as well as training in the use of
e-tools for politicians and staff;
20.2. national authorities at all levels to make full use of
the opportunities offered by ICTs with a view to improving communication
between public institutions and citizens, and increasing the empowerment of
the latter, and in particular to:
20.2.1. develop a coherent vision for the application of ICTs
in contacts with citizens aimed at providing them with adequate
information and ensuring interaction;
20.2.2. introduce a regulatory framework for this vision;
20.2.3. involve citizens in the decision-making process through
systematic consultation and develop good practices;
20.2.4. develop contacts with civil society with a view to making
full use of their initiatives and ideas in the field of e-democracy;
20.2.5. undertake educational initiatives in society aimed at
eliminating discrepancies in the access to and use of ICT tools
between different categories of population;
20.2.6. ensure adequate financing for the development of e-democracy
and training for staff involved;
20.3. the Secretary General of the Council of Europe and the
Secretary General of the Assembly to:
20.3.1. ensure that the question of e-democracy and related issues
are given appropriate attention in the work of the Council of Europe
and the Assembly, and that the Organisation plays a leading role
in promoting e-democracy in Europe by elaborating guidelines, setting
standards and proposing solutions for regulatory mechanisms and
harmonisation in its member states;
20.3.2. make full use of ICTs in the work of the Organisation
and to ensure adequate financial resources to this end;
20.3.3. set up training and co-operation programmes, including
at the parliamentary level, aimed at promoting e-democracy and developing
skills to make full use of it;
20.3.4. set up a website that collects the best practices and
related documents and have them translated into member states' languages;
20.3.5. support independent research to publish a yearly review
about e-democracy;
20.3.6. with the co-operation of information technology companies,
set up a competency centre for e-democracy to publish the results
of research and developments of worldwide innovative solutions on
e-government, e-inclusion and e-democracy;
20.3.7. start a campaign to disseminate the ideas of e-democracy
and organise a conference to share the best practices of worldwide
solutions.
21. The Assembly invites the Bureau to ask the competent Assembly
committee to examine if the application of further ICT instruments
for the Assembly requires the adaptation of the Rules of Procedure.
22. The Assembly resolves to follow the question of e-democracy
and to promote it at the parliamentary level in Council of Europe
member states. To this end the Assembly decides to organise a round
table on the development of e-parliaments in Europe.