Participation in political and democratic activities by citizens and stakeholders. Effectiveness of decision-making processes. Complexity and effectiveness of public policies. These have been central issues in the political and institutional debate in recent years, and can receive a valuable contribution from the field via public consultation.

For some years now, the consultation of citizens, thanks in part to the tools offered by digital technology, is increasingly used by institutions to ensure greater involvement of civil society both when decisions are made and when - in all phases of the regulatory cycle - the quality and effectiveness of the choices made need to be monitored.

In the 17th Parliament (2013-2018) the Senate also made increasing use of consultations, using different techniques and instruments. From these experiences, principles have been defined that - in accordance with the best practices at European and international level and using the standards set by the Department for the civil service - can facilitate a transparent and effective participation by citizens in parliamentary activity.