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Have you ever wondered what participation in decision-making processes means?
According to the concept of democracy, it is a system in which power belongs to the people, and political decisions are made based on public participation. Democracy aims to create an inclusive political system that reflects the will of the citizens and ensures government accountability to the public.
Citizen participation in decision-making processes represents the opportunity to influence the development and strategic direction of their country, as well as to impact the content of public policies, laws, and other decisions. Citizen participation can be individual, informally gathered, or organized in the form of civil society organizations.
The right and manner of participation in decision-making processes are regulated by laws and subordinate regulations. One of the recommendations from the European Commission’s report that Serbia should fulfill concerning citizens' rights is to involve citizens in decision-making processes in an informative and transparent manner. It is not uncommon in our country for this transparent participation to be lacking, or to be carried out in a way that does not leave citizens much time or space for participation.
Which acts ensure your right to participate?
The Belgrade Open School, as part of the project "Volvox – Strength of the Community," has created the document "Regulations Governing the Right to Participate in Decision-Making Processes," in which a set of regulations related to public participation in decision-making processes is presented in a concise and understandable manner. You can download the document HERE.
The Volvox – Strength of the Community project is implemented by the Young Researchers of Serbia, the Belgrade Open School, and the Regulatory Institute for Renewable Energy and the Environment, with the support of the European Union. The goal of the project is to contribute to the development of a competent civil society that will be a credible partner to public authorities in developing environmental policies and perform effective and independent oversight in the process of making strategic documents.