Editing European Parliament (section)

==Channels of dialogue, information, and communication with European civil society==

Individual  MEPs are the main point of contact for citizens with the Parliament. They normally have an office in their constituency and travel back at the end of every week (and during weeks without parliamentary meetings) to participate in an array of meetings, events, interviews, visits and suchlike with voters, businesses, trade unions, local authorities and media.

The Parliament itself maintains a detailed website,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.europarl.europa.eu/about-parliament/en/home | title=About Parliament }}</ref> receives around one million visitors a year, and streamlines debates and committee meetings.

Over the last few years, European institutions have committed to promoting transparency, openness, and the availability of information about their work.<ref>{{Cite report|author=Juan Mayoral|date=February 2011|title=Democratic improvements in the European Union under the Lisbon Treaty Institutional changes regarding democratic government in the EU|publisher=European Union Democracy Observatory (EUDO). Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, European University Institute|access-date=25 May 2017|url=https://www.eui.eu/Projects/EUDO-Institutions/Documents/EUDOreport922011.pdf|language=en|archive-date=30 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170530022226/http://www.eui.eu/Projects/EUDO-Institutions/Documents/EUDOreport922011.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> In particular, transparency is regarded as pivotal to the action of European institutions and a general principle of EU law, to be applied to the activities of EU institutions in order to strengthen the Union's democratic foundation.<ref>{{Cite journal|author=Giordano Locchi|language=it|date=8 February 2017|title=Il principio di trasparenza in Europa nei suoi risvolti in termini di Governance amministrativa e di comunicazione istituzionale dell'Unione|journal=Amministrazione in Cammino|access-date=22 May 2017|url=https://www.dispi.unisi.it/sites/st06/files/allegatiparagrafo/08-02-2017/locchi_principio-di-trasparenza_e-governance_11.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170803052649/https://www.dispi.unisi.it/sites/st06/files/allegatiparagrafo/08-02-2017/locchi_principio-di-trasparenza_e-governance_11.pdf|archive-date=3 August 2017|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The general principles of openness and transparency are reaffirmed in the articles 8 A, point 3 and 10.3 of the [[Treaty of Lisbon]] and the [[Maastricht Treaty]] respectively, stating that "every citizen shall have the right to participate in the democratic life of the Union. Decisions shall be taken as openly and as closely as possible to the citizen".<ref name="eur-lex.europa.eu">{{Cite web|url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/IT/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3AC2007%2F306%2F01|title=Trattato di Lisbona che modifica il Trattato sull'Unione europea e il Trattato che istituisce la Comunità europea (2007/C 306/01)|website=eur-lex.europa.eu|publisher=EUR-lex}}</ref><ref name="eur-lex.europa.eu-2">{{Cite web|url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/resource.html?uri=cellar:2bf140bf-a3f8-4ab2-b506-fd71826e6da6.0017.02/DOC_1&format=PDF|title=Trattato sull'Unione europea (Versione consolidata)|website=eur-lex.europa.eu|access-date=23 May 2017|language=it}}</ref> Furthermore, both treaties acknowledge the value of dialogue between citizens, representative associations, civil society, and European institutions.<ref name="eur-lex.europa.eu" /><ref name="eur-lex.europa.eu-2" />

===Dialogue with religious and non-confessional organisations===

Article 17 of the [[Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union]] (TFEU) lays the juridical foundation for an open, transparent dialogue between European institutions and churches, religious associations, and non-confessional and philosophical organisations.<ref name="europarl.europa.eu">{{Cite web|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/atyourservice/it/20160919PVL00112/Dialogo-con-le-religioni-e-le-organizzazioni-non-confessionali|title=Dialogo con le organizzazioni religiose e non confessionali Articolo 17 TFUE|website=europarl.europa.eu|publisher=Parlamento europeo|access-date=22 May 2017|language=it}}</ref> In July 2014, in the beginning of the 8th term, then President of the European Parliament [[Martin Schulz]] tasked [[Antonio Tajani]], then vice-president, with implementing the dialogue with the religious and confessional organisations included in article 17.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.lastampa.it/2015/03/27/vaticaninsider/ita/nel-mondo/lue-a-bruxelles-il-dialogo-interreligioso-come-strategia-contro-lestremismo-bbjEnG3KL5FtW7ykRfeElO/pagina.html|title=L'Ue a Bruxelles: il dialogo interreligioso come strategia contro l'estremismo|newspaper=La Stampa|date=27 March 2015|access-date=22 May 2017|language=it|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170809211604/http://www.lastampa.it/2015/03/27/vaticaninsider/ita/nel-mondo/lue-a-bruxelles-il-dialogo-interreligioso-come-strategia-contro-lestremismo-bbjEnG3KL5FtW7ykRfeElO/pagina.html|archive-date=9 August 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> In this framework, the European Parliament hosts high-level conferences on inter-religious dialogue, also with focus on current issues and in relation with parliamentary works.<ref name="europarl.europa.eu" />

===European Parliament Mediator for International Parental Child Abduction===

The chair of European Parliament Mediator for International Parental Child Abduction was established in 1987 by initiative of British MEP Charles [[Henry Plumb]], with the goal of helping minor children of international couples victim of parental abduction. The Mediator finds negotiated solutions in the higher interest of the minor when said minor is abducted by a parent following separation of the couple, regardless whether married or unmarried.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.altalex.com/documents/news/2015/04/10/sottrazione-internazionale-e-mediazione|title=Sottrazione internazionale di minore: ammessa la mediazione familiare|publisher=Altalex|date=19 June 2015|access-date=22 May 2017|language=it}}</ref><ref name="europarl.europa.eu-2">{{Cite web|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/atyourservice/it/20150201PVL00040/Mediatore-europeo-per-i-casi-di-sottrazione-di-minori|title=Mediatore del Parlamento europeo per i casi di sottrazione internazionale di minori|website=europarl.europa.eu|publisher=European Parliament|access-date=22 May 2017}}</ref> Since its institution, the chair has been held by [[Mairead McGuinness]] (since 2014), Roberta Angelilli (2009–2014), Evelyne Gebhardt (2004–2009), Mary Banotti (1995–2004), and Marie-Claude Vayssade (1987–1994).<ref name="europarl.europa.eu-2" /> The Mediator's main task is to assist parents in finding a solution in the minor's best interest through mediation, i.e. a form of controversy resolution alternative to lawsuit. The Mediator is activated by request of a citizen and, after evaluating the request, starts a mediation process aimed at reaching an agreement. Once subscribed by both parties and the Mediator, the agreement is official. The nature of the agreement is that of a private contract between parties.<ref name="europarl.europa.eu-2" /> In defining the agreement, the European Parliament offers the parties the juridical support necessary to reach a sound, lawful agreement based on legality and equity. The agreement can be ratified by the competent national courts and can also lay the foundation for consensual separation or divorce.<ref name="europarl.europa.eu-2" />