Introduction to STOA-Workshop at the European Parliament Brussels, 26 May 2011

1. Can political communication via the Internet and e-participation contribute to the emergence of a European public sphere? Introduction to STOA-Workshop at the European Parliament Brussels, 26 May 2011

3. Overview The STOA-project „E-democracy“ E-participation and the emergence ofa European public sphere Objective of the workshop Some key issues Structure of the workshop

4. STOA ETAG Fraunhofer ISI ITAS ITA Science Technology Options Assessment Panel of the European Parliament European Technology Assessment Group Project consortium 1. The STOA-project „E-democracy“

5. 1. The STOA-project „E-democracy“ • Three project foci • E-public • E-participation • E-voting • Activities differ by levels of formality andlegal prerequisites • Interim results • 3 working papers, 2 workshops, exchange with MEPs • final report end of September

6. 2. E-participation and the emergence of a European public sphere • Essential role of public sphere for democracy • public deliberation; political opinion and will formation • link between constituency and representatives • Existing lack of a genuine European public sphere (despite the fostering of the role of the EP) • Change with new Internet-based forms of political communication and citizen participation? • indications for enhanced (trans-national) participation in political processes (top down as well as bottom-up) • far-reaching hopes and expectations in democratic impacts

7. 3. Objective of the workshop • Reflection on potentials and prospects of Internet-based political communication • variety of forms (e.g. discussion forums, blogs, e-deliberation, e-consultations, e-petitions) • contribution to democratic practices? • contribution to the formation of a European public sphere? • Discussion and exchange among MEPs, scientific experts and practitioners in the field

8. 4. Some key issues • How will e-participation shape the perspectives for: • an emerging European public sphere in view of nationally fragmented mass media communication? • a European political identity and trans-national political citizenship? • a “Europeanisation” of civil society organisations? • a fostering of communicative ties between strong and weak publics? • connecting fragmented (trans-national) expert publics with civil society organisations and the European citizenry? • the new and promising instrument “European Citizens’ Initiative”?

9. 9.45 Session 1: A European e-public: Chances and restrictions of an Internet-mediated public opinion in Europe Prof. Stijn Smismans, Cardiff University, Cardiff Law School Dr. Sandra González-Bailón, University of Oxford, Oxford Internet Institute and Nuffield College 10.30 Inquiry by Members of Parliament and discussion 11.00 Coffee Break 11.30 Session 2: E-participation in Europe: Internet-based political participation as a pacemaker for a European public Jeremy Millard, Danish Technological Institute, Denmark Dr. Andy Williamson, Hansard Society, Digital Democracy Programme, UK 12.15 Inquiry by Members of Parliament and discussion 13:00 End of workshop 5. Structure of the workshop

10. Project leader: Dr. Bernd Beckert Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI Breslauer Str. 48, 76139 Karlsruhe, Germany Phone: +49 721 6809-292 Bernd.Beckert@isi.fraunhofer.de www.isi.fraunhofer.de/t Project consortium: Bernd Beckert, Kerstin Goos, Ralf Lindner (Fraunhofer ISI, Karlsruhe) Leonhard Hennen (ITAS, Karlsruhe) Georg Aichholzer, Stefan Strauß (Austrian Academy of Sciences, ITA, Vienna) Contact details

11. Thank you!