The e-Participation project called U@Marenostrum was launched this year. It is co-funded by the European Commission under the 2008 Call for Proposals concerning e-Participation.
The project aims to involve citizens and local stakeholders (groups, associations, etc.) from the Mediterranean coastal areas in decision-making processes using ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) and GIS (Geographic Information System). These processes are related to the adoption and implementation of water policies and environmental protection legislation for the marine environment in the Mediterranean region, in compliance with the European Union (EU).
The French Riviera Community (11 municipalities – 67,000 inhabitants – located between the Principality of Monaco and the Italian border) has been selected by the European Commission to develop and test an online public consultation platform.
This project runs from January 2009 to December 31, 2010, in close collaboration with the following entities:
GFI Benelux, Gov2u (Greece), the Ionian Islands Region (Greece), Hellenic Center for Marine Research (Greece), Fundation Comunidad Valenciana-Región Europea (Spain), the General Directorate for Modernization of Valencia (Spain), and the French Riviera Agglomeration Community (France).
The main objectives of the project include:
➢ Development of a user-friendly internet portal that captures information on a geographic map. Citizens will be able to register and publish their opinions on water issues by placing flags with written comments at appropriate locations on the maps available on this portal.
➢ They will also be able to participate in discussion forums on policy issues proposed by local, national authorities or by themselves.
➢ To engage and directly dialogue with decision-makers, citizens will be able to use online petitions and targeted messaging to administrations where they can express their opinions, concerns, and questions about environmental issues.
➢ The platform will also feature a section that allows visualization of the different stages of the legislative process graphically—from the introduction of a new topic through the consultation process, discussion, and adoption of a bill at the local, regional, or parliamentary levels.
A 14-month testing period will be carried out in 3 Mediterranean regions, namely the Ionian Islands Region (Greece), the French Riviera Community (France), and the Valencia Region (Spain). Three internet platforms will be available by the end of August 2009 in the participating regions and will be customized for each region (including language) to ensure citizen participation. The platforms will be designed for the citizens of the participating regions, but those from other regions of these countries will also be able to use these platforms.
To identify the best ways to increase citizen participation in this project, a study will be conducted to analyze the attitudes of the inhabitants of the participating countries regarding their participation in environmental decision-making.
At the same time, in March 2009, a survey was conducted among more than 150 citizens and officials from the participating countries to accurately gather user needs concerning the functionality of the U@Marenostrum platform.
Our Mediterranean Sea deserves to be protected and given all our attention. Do not hesitate to participate in this wonderful project!
For more information on the U@Marenostrum project, we invite you to visit the website:
www.uatmarenostrum.eu
