Assembly
debate on 30 January 2009 (9th Sitting) (see Doc. 11783, report of the Political Affairs Committee, rapporteur:
Mr Szabó; and Doc. 11810, opinion of the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities
and Institutional Affairs, rapporteur: Mr Höfer). Text adopted by the Assembly on
30 January 2009 (9th Sitting).
Thesaurus
1. The Parliamentary
Assembly refers to its Resolution
1653 (2009) on electronic democracy. It also recalls its previous
resolutions and recommendations addressing the question of democracy.
2. The Assembly recommends that the Committee of Ministers call
on member states to give appropriate follow-up to the issues raised
in Resolution 1653 (2009) and to take the necessary steps to make full use of information
and communication technologies (ICTs) for the further promotion
of e-democracy.
3. The Assembly recommends that the Committee of Ministers, taking
advantage of its unique position as a forum for pan-European co-operation,
undertake the following actions:
3.1 adopt
without delay the draft recommendation on e-democracy submitted
by the Ad hoc Committee on E-democracy (CAHDE);
3.2 initiate further reflection and work on the regulatory
framework and specific regulations in the field of e-democracy at
the pan-European level;
3.3 promote the introduction of e-democracy as complementary
to and interlinked with traditional processes of representative
democracy in member states;
3.4 support civil society initiatives in this field;
3.5 set up co-operation training and programmes on the use
of ICTs in the democratic process;
3.6 compare practical experience in member states with electronic
tools for public participation such as e-consultation and participatory
budgeting.
4. Moreover, the Assembly calls on the Committee of Ministers
to provide the necessary resources to implement the above recommendations.
