The purpose of summer time is to capitalise on natural daylight. By turning the clock one hour forward as the days get longer in spring, sunset is delayed by this same hour, until the clock is set back again in autumn. This practice is applied in over 60 countries worldwide. In the EU, Member...

This in-depth analysis, produced by the Ex-Post Impact Assessment Unit of the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS), looks into the state of play of the implementation by the European Union of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD), after the first round...

The European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) has been in operation since April 2012. Observers have identified a number of shortcomings in its implementation, which impact negatively on the effectiveness and acceptance of this relatively new instrument of transnational participatory democracy....

As parties to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), both the European Union and its Member States are obliged to implement and safeguard the set of fundamental rights enshrined in the Convention. Full compliance with the Convention is required also by the state...

The preparation process for an EU framework programme for research and innovation includes a variety of activities: evaluation of the previous programme; expert studies to define the scope and priorities of the new programme; and proposals for new instruments. The EU institutions, the advisory...

This rolling check-list presents an overview of the Special Reports of the European Court of Auditors (ECA), concentrating on those relevant for the 2016 discharge procedure. It strives to link the research topics of the Special Reports to relevant debates and positions within the European...

The most important factors for successful e-participation identified in the comparison of 22 case studies are: a close and clear link of e-participation processes to a concrete formal decision-making process; the participatory process and the contribution of its outputs to the overall...

It is still believed by many that the perceived democratic deficit of the European Union indicates the need for fostering a European public sphere as a space for debate across national public spheres. Moreover, there is a consensus that new modes of political communication and participation via...