Online Public Consultation Research Articles

Cultura, comunicação pública e cidadania: práticas de deliberação cidadã no campo das artes/cultura (Brasil-Canadá)

This study describes a stage of research linked to the international cooperation plan that investigates practices of citizen deliberation and public communication in municipal management planning documents and citizen mobilization practices — such as the culture and tourism plans in Brazil (Salvador and Belo Horizonte) and Canada (Montreal) — and online public consultations. It presupposes conflicting public administrations interests as sometimes they aim to implement public policies with a view to citizens, such as those to promote Arts/Culture and, on the other hand, strictly mercantile practices toward tourists and the construction of cities merchandise by place branding.

Exploring the Relationship Between E-Government, Transparency, and Citizen Trust in Government Services

This study investigates the relationship between e-government initiatives, transparency, and citizen trust in government services. By synthesizing existing literature and analyzing case studies from various countries, the research aims to understand how digital governance and transparency can influence public trust in governmental operations and services. E-government, which encompasses the use of digital platforms and technologies to deliver government services, is found to play a significant role in enhancing transparency and accessibility. The study reveals that e-government initiatives facilitate greater openness by providing citizens with easy access to information and services, thereby reducing opportunities for corruption and enhancing accountability. This increased transparency is shown to be crucial in fostering a more informed and engaged citizenry. Transparency in government is identified as a key factor in building citizen trust. The research highlights that when governments are open about their processes, decisions, and use of resources, citizens are more likely to perceive them as reliable and trustworthy. Transparency initiatives, such as open data platforms and online public consultations, allow for greater scrutiny and participation, which in turn can increase public confidence in government actions. Citizen trust in government services is essential for the effective functioning of a democratic society. The study indicates that trust is significantly influenced by the perceived transparency and accessibility of government services. When citizens trust that their government is transparent and accountable, they are more likely to engage with and utilize government services, leading to greater societal cohesion and cooperation. In conclusion, the interplay between e-government, transparency, and citizen trust is critical in shaping the effectiveness and credibility of government services. The study suggests that enhancing digital governance and transparency can lead to increased public trust and more effective government operations. Future research should explore the specific mechanisms through which e-government initiatives can further enhance transparency and trust in different socio-political contexts.

Public attitudes to referendums on Irish unification in Northern Ireland: evidence from an online consultation

ABSTRACT Debate on Irish unification has increased in recent years, yet public attitudes on the processes that might lead to it are underexplored. This article examines the results of an online public consultation carried out in Northern Ireland in the summer of 2020 on how any future referendums on the unification question would best be conducted. It shows that hopes and fears on this question exist across society in Northern Ireland. It also reveals that public views are yet to crystallise on many of the design features of a referendum. There are some exceptions to this: there is a widespread feeling that the Brexit referendum process should not be replicated; and there are signs of divergent views emerging between communities on the franchise, referendum threshold, and use of citizens’ assemblies. Nevertheless, we conclude that the lack of hardened views on most questions of process points to an opportunity for policymakers and impartial observers to foster agreement on how a referendum process should be conducted.

Diagnostics to support mycetoma management-Development of two target product profiles.

Mycetoma is a neglected tropical disease caused by more than 70 different microorganisms and identified by the WHO as one of the high-priority diseases for developing diagnostic tests. To ensure the production of diagnostic assays for use by clinical staff in endemic regions, target product profiles (TPPs) were designed. We describe the development of two TPPs: one for a diagnostic test able to identify the causative agent of mycetoma and another that would determine when treatment could be stopped. The TPPs were developed by considering product use, design, performance, product configuration and costs. Version 1.0 TPPs for two uses were posted by WHO for a 1-month online public consultation on 25 October 2021, and the final TPP was posted online on 5 May 2022. A major difficulty encountered in developing both TPPs was the large number of agents able to cause mycetoma and the lack of specific biomarkers for most of them.

Beyond Usual Suspects? Inclusion and Influence of Non-State Actors in Online Public Consultations in Croatia

Despite the increasing use of various e-democracy tools in shaping new policies, there is still a general lack of empirical studies on the influence of non-state actors in online public consultations. This article addresses this gap in the academic literature by focusing on the case of Croatia, which may have relevant broader practical and theoretical implications due to the legally binding rules of institutional responsiveness to individual policy inputs received during e-consultations and the growing interest of citizens and various interest groups to get engaged in this form of policy dialogue. Drawing on the novel data set that includes the responses of 39 government bodies to 51,250 policy inputs of interest groups and individual citizens to online consultations during the first three years since the launch of the government consultation platform, the paper seeks to analyse the influence of different types of non-state actors on the outcomes of government-led online public consultations. Contrary to general expectations about the predominance of more resourceful interest groups, it is argued that individual citizens exert a noticeable influence on the results of online policy consultations of Croatian government bodies. It is also claimed that the specific design and patterns of online public consultations, especially improved responsiveness of government bodies, contribute to the pluralisation of interests, equalizing political representation, and empowering individual citizens and other new actors, beyond traditional interest groups and “usual suspects” in national decision-making processes.

Metro Futures 2020: Enabling Participation at Varying Depths and Scales via Digital Technology

Large scale urban planning consultations can elicit public contributions with limited reflectivity and scope in comparison with participatory projects in HCI. We therefore investigated how digital technology can be configured to enable participation at greater depth and at scale in Metro Futures 2020 – an online public consultation on light rail trains. Drawing on participatory methods used in HCI, we devised experience-centered and creative activities at different depths and scales – from “shallow and wide” social media polls to “deep and narrow” online workshops – and a website with three ways of exploring a digital train mock-up. Participation on the website was both at scale and to notable depth according to our analyses of data entry behavior and website comments. Our findings show that the value of online public consultations can be increased through providing experiential context for design proposals, supporting exploration of design details via immersion, and providing interconnected activities of varying depths and scales.

Current status of diagnosis and treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer in China during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the current status of diagnosis and treatment of Chinese patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and the expert recommendation of the therapeutic regimens during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and to analyze and summarize relevant rules. Under the planning and coordination of the Lung Cancer Group of the Chinese Thoracic Society, we performed an online questionnaire survey among experts in lung cancer and patients with NSCLC. Convenience sampling was adopted for questionnaire survey of experts, and random sampling was adopted for questionnaire survey of patients. After collecting and sorting out the questionnaire, a descriptive analysis of the data was performed. Within 24 h from the distribution of questionnaires to the deadline, a total of 808 and 321 valid questionnaires from patients and experts were collected across China, respectively. There were 83.81% of the experts performed moderately and strongly anti-tumor therapy for patients with NSCLC during the COVID-19 pandemic. 76.6% of patients mainly receive online public welfare treatment, and the patient satisfaction rate reached up to 64.97%. For driver gene-positive patients with advanced NSCLC and non-COVID-19, 82.87% of the experts recommended first-line simple targeted therapy, and 12.77% of the experts recommended targeted therapy with oral anti-angiogenic drugs. For patients who were unable to return to the hospital for treatment and showed resistance to the tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy, 92.21% of the experts recommended oral anti-angiogenic drugs as the third-line home-based therapy and above. For patients with advanced NSCLC combined with COVID-19, 98.76% and 95.95% of the experts recommended discontinuation of chemotherapy and immunotherapy, respectively. During COVID-19, most Chinese patients with NSCLC were still able to receive timely diagnosis and treatment either by online public welfare consultation or at nearby hospitals.

Updating the European Union's regulation on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures (CLP): A key opportunity for consumers, workers and stakeholders with interests in the legislation and toxicology of hazardous chemicals.

Recent advancements in toxicology and the European Union's Green Deal, with its Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability, have paved the way for major changes in EU legislation on the control of environmental chemicals for a cleaner and safer environment. Another substantial legislative advancement underway is the update of the "Regulation on Classification, Labelling and Packaging of Substances and Mixtures (CLP)," an ambitious piece of EU legislation with exceptional scientific toxicological background in identifying a hazard, aiming at better protecting its citizens and the environment from the risk of chemical substances and products, the occupational settings included. Update of CLP legislation additionally aims at facilitating the free exchange of chemicals in the European Internal Market, provided that proper labelling and packaging processes are implemented. Participation in the ongoing online public consultation on these issues, ending on November 15, 2021, is of key relevance to ensure a transparent and effective definition of such an important piece of legislation, fully compliant with current EU priorities in terms of human and environmental protection and animal welfare.

Can We All Speak the Same 'Language' for Our Patients' Sake? Feedback on Interprofessional Communication and Related Resources.

BackgroundThe Australasian Integrative Medicine Association (AIMA) established a working group to develop the AIMA Guiding Principles for Letter Writing and Letter Writing Templates. The guiding principles were developed to promote effective communication between the diverse range of healthcare practitioners (HCPs) that patients choose to consult. Following the development of the Interprofessional Communication (IPC) resources, AIMA undertook a public consultation as part of a quality assurance process to evaluate the relevance and utility of the resource.AimThis study reports stakeholder feedback on AIMA’s draft guiding principles document. It explores stakeholder attitudes towards IPC and HCPs letter-writing, and interest in ongoing continuing professional development (CPD).MethodsA cross-sectional survey involving 1) an online public consultation survey and 2) a paper survey collected following IPC CPD activities. Quantitative data were analysed using Chi square and Fisher-Freeman-Halton Test. Responses to open ended questions were coded and subject to a thematic analysis.ResultsThe 64 survey participants and 55 CPD participants represented the Australian healthcare sectors and lay community. Most thought IPC is important (n = 112/117; 96%) and the resources were informative (n = 112/119; 94%), understandable (n = 111/119; 93%), and clinically relevant (n = 105/117; 90%). HCP reported wide variations in their frequency of correspondence with other practitioner types, with rates often concerningly low. Key IPC themes identified were the importance of continuity of care, clarity of communication, and professional practice. CPD participants were most interested in further IPC training (p = 0.001).ConclusionsThe IPC resources affirm the role of formal communication pathways, such as letters of correspondence to support coordinated, patient-centred and multidisciplinary care. Challenges with letter writing and IPC signal the need for more student and professional education on the subject to promote continuity of patient care and the delivery of high quality, integrative medicine and health care services.

13396 Public social media consultations for skin conditions: An online survey

With the abundance of non-expert advice on the Internet and ease of dissemination, it can be challenging for patients to find unbiased, expert information. There exists a culture of online public consultations being performed on social media. Currently, no study has examined this for dermatologic conditions. An online survey was posted to dermatology-relevant Facebook groups in 2019. There was a total of 261 respondents. Of all respondents, 39.5% have consulted social media for a skin-related condition.

Outcome of a public consultation on the draft adequacy and sufficiency evaluation of existing EFSA guidelines for the molecular characterisation, environmental risk assessment and post‐market environmental monitoring of genetically modified insects containing engineered gene drives

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) carried out an online public consultation to receive input from interested parties/persons on the draftscientific opinion on the adequacy and sufficiencyevaluation of existing guidelines for the molecular characterisation (MC), environmental risk assessment (ERA) and post-market environmental monitoring (PMEM) of genetically modified insects containing engineered gene drives. This draft scientific opinion was endorsed by the EFSA Panel on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) for public consultation on 29 January 2020, and prepared by EFSA'sGene Drive expert Working Group and scientific officers. The public consultation was open from 17 February 2020 until 24 April 2020. EFSA received comments from 36 different interested parties/persons. Overall, comments raised reveal different, often contrasting, opinions and perspectives toward the deliberate release into the environment of gene drive modified insects for insect disease vector/pest control, and on the adequacy and sufficiency of current risk assessment frameworks for the MC, ERA and PMEM of such insects.The public consultation comments were analysed and taken into consideration by the GMO Panel, the Gene Drive expert Working Group and EFSA's scientific officers during the revision and finalisation of the scientific opinion.EFSA,the Gene Drive expert Working Group and the GMO Panel wish to sincerely thank all contributors to the public consultation for their invaluableinput. This technical report contains the comments received and clarifies how they have been considered for the revision and finalisation of the scientific opinion. The final scientific opinion was adopted by the GMO Panel on 14 October 2020, and published in the EFSA Journal.

Linking Theories of Motivation, Game Mechanics, and Public Deliberation to Design an Online System for Participatory Budgeting

Existing systems for online civic engagement and public consultation need a better architecture if they are to realize the aspirations of deliberative democracy. To improve the design of such systems, we develop an empirical model of online civic engagement that connects common game mechanics to four key democratic processes and outcomes—inclusion, deliberative engagement, sound and influential public input, and long-term civic impacts. We then link game mechanics and deliberation with theories of motivation to show how these mechanics can leverage people’s drives to fulfill basic needs, forge social connections, and gain status. To illustrate our model in more concrete terms, we show how game mechanics could motivate both participants and policymakers in an online participatory budgeting system. We conclude by describing a multi-stage experimental approach to testing this model within an existing system of online participatory budgeting.

Exploring the Burden of X-Linked Hypophosphataemia: An Opportunistic Qualitative Study of Patient Statements Generated During a Technology Appraisal.

IntroductionCapturing the patient experience of living with a rare disease such as X-linked hypophosphataemia (XLH) is critical for a holistic understanding of the burden of a disease. The complexity of the disease coupled with the limited population makes elicitation of the patient burden methodologically challenging. This study used qualitative information direct from patient and caregiver statements to assess the burden of XLH.MethodsA thematic analysis was conducted on statements received during a National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) online public open consultation from 15 June to 6 July 2018. Researchers and clinical experts generated themes and codes based on expected aspects of XLH burden. Statements were independently coded by two reviewers, adding additional codes as required, and analysed by frequency and co-reporting across age groups.ResultsThe majority of responses were submitted from UK-based patients with some from the USA and Australia, and the statements related to children, adolescents and adults. The findings suggest that the greatest burden experienced by children is associated with conventional therapy, co-reported with dosing regimen, adherence, distress and pain. During adolescence, the burden becomes increasingly complex and multi-factorial, with an increasing psychological burden. In adults, conventional therapy co-reported with bone deformity and orthopaedic surgery, as well as pain, mobility, fatigue and dental problems, featured highly.DiscussionWhilst our study was opportunistic in nature, it has highlighted the clear and distinctive evolution of the burden of XLH, transitioning from being therapy-oriented in childhood to multi-factorial in adolescence, and finally to adulthood with its high impact on need for other interventions, function and mobility. This qualitative thematic analysis enhances the understanding of the symptom and treatment burden of XLH.

Food guides: a strategy to reduce the consumption of ultra-processed foods and prevent obesityGuías alimentarias: estrategia para reducir el consumo de alimentos ultraprocesados y prevenir la obesidad

RESUMOA obesidade é um grave problema de saúde pública e seu aumento tem sido associado ao crescimento do consumo de ultraprocessados em diversas regiões, incluindo a América Latina. Os guias alimentares são diretrizes oficiais para a promoção da alimentação saudável e podem servir como ferramentas para a prevenção da obesidade. O Brasil foi o primeiro país a adotar o nível de processamento para classificar os alimentos e fazer recomendações a partir dessa classificação em seus guias alimentares. Assim, o objetivo deste artigo é compartilhar a experiência brasileira na incorporação de tais recomendações como diretrizes oficiais e na elaboração de guias alimentares. Para o desenvolvimento dos guias alimentares brasileiros, o Ministério da Saúde buscou valorizar a construção coletiva, com participação e discussão do conteúdo por atores estratégicos. No Guia Alimentar para Crianças Brasileiras Menores de 2 Anos houve aprimoramento do processo, com formação de um comitê gestor e um comitê de monitoramento político, chamada pública de pesquisadores e profissionais de saúde e oficinas de escuta com atores-chave para a definição do escopo do guia. O processo de validação contou com oficinas adicionais, com presença de atores estratégicos, além de oficinas em todos os estados para debate e mobilização para participação na consulta pública on-line. Como resultado do aprendizado, destacamos a importância da participação de atores estratégicos e a necessidade de dar ampla transparência ao processo de elaboração e validação de guias alimentares.

Creative citizenship: the new wave for collaborative environments in smart cities

PropósitoEste artículo se enmarca dentro del estudio de los modelos de gobernanza colaborativa en las ciudades inteligentes y analiza aquéllas que son miembros de la red EUROCITIES y, además, participan en un grupo de trabajo sobre "ciudadanía creativa", buscando analizar el uso de las nuevas tecnologías por parte de los gobiernos de estas ciudades inteligentes con el objetivo de mejorar la e-participación pública.Diseño/metodología/enfoqueEsta investigación se basa en dos métodos de recopilación de datos. En primer lugar, este documento realiza una encuesta electrónica enviada a las principales ciudades inteligentes europeas sobre: a) la relevancia de la gobernanza colaborativa en las estrategias de las ciudades; b) los principales fundamentos y resultados de la gobernanza inteligente; y c) el modelo de participación en el desarrollo de una ciudad inteligente. En segundo lugar, este trabajo realiza, a fecha de mayo de 2017, un análisis de las nuevas tecnologías utilizadas por 47 gobiernos locales de estas ciudades inteligentes (aquéllas incluidas en el grupo de trabajo de "ciudadanía creativa" en la red EUROCITIES) para facilitar la participación electrónica de la ciudadanía.HallazgosLas ciudades inteligentes de muestra creen que la gobernanza colaborativa debe ser implementada en la gestión de la ciudad inteligente, pero menos del 50% han creado plataformas de e-participación ciudadana para promover la involucración de la ciudadanía en los asuntos públicos, y sólo unas pocas de estas ciudades promueven el desarrollo de consultas, discusiones y peticiones online. Además, un análisis realizado por culturas administrativas destaca la existencia de diferencias entre las percepciones obtenidas de los gestores de las ciudades inteligentes de la muestra y las herramientas que estas ciudades utilizan para fomentar la e-participación pública.Originalidad/valourEste documento contribuye a llenar el vacío en la investigación sobre el análisis de la relevancia de los modelos de gobernanza colaborativa en ciudades inteligentes y el uso de web de transparencia, de datos abiertos o de plataformas de participación electrónica para promover la participación ciudadana en los asuntos públicos dentro de estas ciudades.

Ready or not? Pharmacist perceptions of a changing injection scope of practice before it happens.

Since 2012, Ontario pharmacists have been authorized to administer the influenza vaccine. In April 2016, the Ontario College of Pharmacists (OCP) proposed to expand the Pharmacy Act to allow pharmacists to vaccinate against 13 additional conditions. The OCP held an online public consultation and invited pharmacists, members of the public and organizations to weigh in on the proposed changes. Our objective was to explore the factors influencing how Ontario pharmacists may adopt or reject an expanding scope of practice, using data from the public consultation. We coded the responses to the public consultation in 2 ways: 1) sentiment analysis and 2) an integrative approach to coding using Rogers's diffusion of innovations theory across 5 domains: relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability and observability. Responses from pharmacists, the public and organizations were moderately positive on average. Pharmacists most commonly mentioned relative advantages, including benefits for patients, pharmacists, physicians and the health system. Positive responses focused on accessibility for patients, improved vaccine coverage, lower health care spending and freed physician time but cited lack of prescribing privileges as a barrier to the proposed changes. Negative responses focused on increased workload, patient safety concerns and the complexity of travel medicine. The expanded immunization services are likely to be well received by most pharmacists. Convenience and accessibility for patients were commonly cited benefits, but the changes will be only a slight improvement over the current system unless pharmacists can prescribe these vaccines. Although employers responded positively, the question remains whether they will support pharmacists in a way that aligns with pharmacists' values and expectations. Decision makers must pay close attention to the pharmacy infrastructure and how this will affect uptake of these services. Recognition of this, combined with pharmacists' positive perceptions of the expanded scope, will facilitate smooth integration of this legislation into Ontario pharmacy practice.

Análise da consulta pública sobre o marco regulatório das comunicações no Brasil realizada pelo FNDC

Este estudo pretende reunir material de apoio sobre comunicação pública e democracia digital para avaliar a consulta pública promovida pelo Fórum Nacional pela Democratização da Comunicação sobre a proposta de um novo marco regulatório das comunicações no país, de modo a evidenciar a potencialidade da ferramenta na ampliação da cidadania, além de sugerir critérios para futuras consultas públicas online. Para isso, como metodologia utiliza a pesquisa bibliográfica e documental, além de parâmetros propostos por Wilhelm e pela Organização para Cooperação e Desenvolvimento Econômico.

Энергетическая политика Евросоюза по сланцевому газу и другим необычным видам ископаемого топлива

The article presents a study of the EU energy policy regarding the exploration and production of shale gas and other unconventional fossil fuels using high-volume hydraulic fracturing, which the European Commission has developed since 2011. The author gives answers to the following questions: what are the factors making it inevitable for the EU to work out special energy policy in this sphere, and what is the essence of this policy; what the European Commission considers to be positive results of the EU energy development; what is the energy-related sore point of the EU economy? The European Commission activity for constructing the basis of the EU energy policy in the above-mentioned sphere was provoked and stimulated by the shale gas revolution – spectacular success of the USA and a number of countries, which followed them, in enhancing their national energy security due to the implementation of advanced technologies in shale gas exploration and extraction. In 2012–2013, the European Commission hold an online public consultation “Unconventional Fossil Fuels (e.g. Shale Gas) in Europe” which addressed relevant stakeholders representing oil and gas industry, national and local authorities, environmentalists, geologists, scientists, experts in industrial risks, and was aimed at taking account of their concerns and views on the shale gas production in the EU Member States in its upcoming work. According to the consultation results, a large majority of all respondents share the view that «the EU should take some action: "doing nothing" was the least favored option, ... and… there are important information needs associated with unconventional fossil fuels exploration and extraction, and… potential challenges should be addressed with appropriate measures». In 2014, the European Commission, stimulated by the support of public at large, activated its efforts and presented initiatives laying down the foundations of the EU energy policy in the sphere of shale gas and other unconventional fossil fuels exploration and production in the EU Member States.

L'evoluzione dei Participatory Guarantee Systems per l'agricoltura biologica: esperienze mondiali a confronto

This paper highlights the importance and the emergence of Participatory Guarantee Systems (pgs) for quality assurance of organic products worldwide. The study provides an overview of several experiences of networks that have adopted pgs. As such, the paper represents a valuable instrument considering the different facets that these models have assumed over the years, in different countries and contexts, in response to different needs. The first network described is the Brazilian Rede Ecovida de Agroecologia. It is interesting to note that in this case the work and the products of the network are officially recognized within the national legislation. On the contrary, Certified Naturally Grown was founded from the need of diversification from the American National Organic Program. Finally, the Indian ngo Keystone Foundation, which promotes and stands for the protection of both cultivation and indigenous cultures. In Italy the CampiAperti association represents one of the best-organized network of producers and co-producers based on pgs principles. The Italian experience offers the chance to a widespread remark, also by Genuino Clandestino movement, on the need for policy adjustments to the variety of productive practices as well as looking at the several experiences of small processors. In this respect in Italy policymakers are starting to discuss a number of measures aimed at protecting family farmers and their production habits. For example, Regulation n. 19/2014 of Emilia Romagna Region recognizes and defends the application of solidarity economic activities. This regulation enhances the importance of peasant agriculture and its practices and it also recognizes the participatory guarantee as a model that ensures environmental and social sustainability and animal welfare as well as workers’ rights. Specific interest in this topic has also come up on the European agenda. In 2013 the EU launched an online public consultation on organic agriculture and the regulation of organic production. This survey contains some questions regarding EU citizens’ willingness to accept alternative certification schemes. Furthermore, in 2014 Horizon2020 published a call entitled Small farms but global markets: the role of small and family farms in food and nutrition security. This call recognizes the importance of the contribution of family farms, and in particular smallholder farms, to food and nutrition security. This is why, we have to encourage and develop the growing also at EU policy level for alternative safeguarding models for organic agriculture.

Campaign-triggered Mass Collaboration in the Eu's Online Consultations: The Isds-in-ttip Case

For EU institutions, public consultations represent a key tool for transparent and accountable policymaking. By means of e-participation tools, both the European Parliament and the European Commission aim to encourage multiple stakeholders to provide input on legislative processes in ways that go beyond traditional consultations, which are sometimes aimed exclusively at a small group of stakeholders. Online questionnaires are frequently used to give individual citizens, civil society organisations and other interest groups the opportunity to express their opinions. Although it is widely accepted that e-participation can improve the democratic legitimacy of EU policymaking, online consultations entail a number of democratic challenges. With the Commission's recent online public consultation on Investor–State Dispute Settlement in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, the flaws of online participation have once again become a focus of political debates. As a result of new societal trends that favour ‘low-effort, feel-good’ political participation via the Internet, e-participation will remain a challenge for the EU as well as for political parties. This challenge will not be appropriately addressed by having a high degree of transparency about the consultative procedures alone. What is required is more effective multi-level communication of the proceedings of the consultation and of its results.