Open Dialogue Between EU Institutions and Citizens - Changes and Challenges: Proceedings of a Series of Workshops

This volume is the result of a series of four events - three workshops and a final presentation - which the Austrian Institute for European Law and Policy organised from 4 October 2011 to 14 March 2012 in Brussels as "open dialogue" within the meaning of Article 11 (2) TEU. The contributions collected in this volume are a representative sample of the statements of participants of the workshops (mostly panelists, but including a few members of the audience) and therefore show the different perspectives of actors of the "dialogue" at issue. The editors thought it appropriate, however, to add some reflections of a more scientific kind in order to give a fuller picture of the notion and implications of "democracy", in particular in the European context. This includes an essay written specifically for this publication by Prof. Fischer (Cologne), the written version of two speeches delivered only recently by Prof. Gamper (Innsbruck) and Prof. Isak (Graz) respectively at a conference in Salzburg where the topic - "European Democracy" - is closely linked to our subject, as well as a contribution by Prof. Kudo (Tokyo) on the state of e-governance in Japan, allowing an assessment, by comparison, with a country outside Europe but with similar political, cultural and economic background. This demonstrates how new and ambitious the aim of Article 11 (2) TEU really is. Finally, the editors dared to give a preliminary evaluation of the outcome of the workshops

Table of Contents:
Table of Contents 1. Introduction Johannes W. PICHLER/Alexander BALTHASAR Introduction 2. Key Notes Opening Session Johannes HAHN Video Message Othmar KARAS What do the institutions and stakeholders think and feel about the Lisbon dialogue-setting? Richard CORBETT Openness, accessibility and transparency in the EU institutions Final Presentation P. Nikiforos DIAMANDOUROS Keynote Speech Table of Contents 3. Participants Heinz K. BECKER Open Dialogue 29/11/2011 - Statement Luc van den BRANDE The European Public Sphere can only emerge through the development of a multi-level governance culture in Europe Vasco CAL Dialogue with the European Economic and Social Committee, with the Committee of Regions and Related Interest Groups, Brussels October, 4th 2011 Graeme CARTER Dialogue with Non-Organised Citizens Giuliano CASTELLAN Participatory democracy and the Council of the European Union Wilfried DERFLINGER The democratic and integrative mission of the "European Citizens' Initiative" in the context of "Civil Dialogue" and "Civil Society" Daniela FRAISS Municipalities in Europe - The Collaboration of Communal Associations at European Level Friedhelm FRISCHENSCHLAGER The "Dialogue" - A Chance for more Participatory EU - Democracy? Table of Contents Sarah FROB/Joan Ramon RODRIGUEZ AMAT An analysis on a (symbolic) "European Public Sphere", based on the Article 11(2) of the Treaty of the European Union Gundi GADESMANN Open dialogue between institutions and citizens - the dialogue with NGOs and religious/philosophical organisations Workshop II, Brussels, 29 November 2011, 10 Ian HARDEN Open dialogue between institutions and citizens - the Ombudsman's perspective - Opening session - Workshop I Brussels, 4 October 2011, 10 Katrin HATZINGER Open Dialogue between institutions and citizens - Chances and challenges Workshop II on dialogue with non-governmental and religious/philosophical organisations Luca JAHIER Speech Workshop on Civil Dialogue under Article 11 (2) TEU Piotr Maciej KACZYNSKI On Article 11 TEU Bruno KAUFMANN The European Citizens' Initiative - Superdemocracy in the Making Table of Contents Elizabeta KITANOVIC Dialogue with Non-governmental and Religious/ Philosophical Organizations on the Implementation of the Article 17 TFEU from the CSC of CEC perspective Morten KJAERUM/Gabriel N. TOGGENBURG The Fundamental Rights Agency and Civil Society: reminding the gardeners of their plants' roots Richard KUHNEL European democracy and European Economic Governance Michael KUHN An open dialogue between the European Union and the Churches and Religious Communities: chances and challenges Nele LEOSK Comment at Workshop III on 31st January 2012 Amrit MEDIRATTA Speech Yuri MISNIKOV Resetting the Dialogue with a New, Networked Citizen in the Digital Age Erwin MOHR Statement Dialogue with the CoR, EESC and Related Interest Groups Table of Contents Pierre-Arnaud PERROUTY/Julie PERNET Dialogue with religious and philosophical organisations: toward an equal and fair dialogue? Paul SCHMIDT/Britta BRESER The European Citizens' Initiative: A Channel for Young Europeans? The Importance of the European Citizens' Initiative as an Instrument of Codetermination at the EU Level in the Opinion of Austrian Pupils and Apprentices Anne-Marie SIGMUND Article 11 TEU in the perspective of the EESC Katharina von SCHNURBEIN The European Commission and the dialogue with Churches, religious associations or communities and philosophical and non-confessional organisations based on Art 17 (TFEU) - State of play Nathalie VERSCHELDE Open Dialogue - Points made on behalf of Commissioner Hahn's Cabinet Max VIVES-FIERRO Initial Statement of the Fundacio Catalunya Europa Wojciech WROBLEWSKI Initial Statement Dialogue with Non-governmental and Religious/Philosophical Organisations workshop - Brussels November 29th Table of Contents 4. Reflections Klemens H. FISCHER Beyond traditional Democracy in the European Union - On the Way to a Renewed Ownership of the People Anna GAMPER Democratic "Lisbon" Means and Challenges Initial Hubert ISAK Economic Governance of the European Union - Effectiveness without or even instead of democracy? Hiroko KUDO E-Governance as strategy of public sector reform: Peculiarity of Japanese IT policy and its institutional origin 5. Evaluation Johannes W. PICHLER/Alexander BALTHASAR Evaluation Appendix Programme of the Workshop Series Notes on the workshops on the Civil Dialogue under Article 11 (2) TEU Authors' Index The Austrian Institute for European Law and Policy - Researching and working for the rights of the citizens of Europe