Description
The project addresses the need for transparency and accountability of the policy-making related to the energy and mining industry. The project aims at raising the public awareness about the energy and mining sector by monitoring, analyzing and presenting information to the public in a user-friendly way. First, the interests of the target groups will be surveyed via Economedia’s online module with 31 000 registered users. Second, an information portal about the energy and mining industry will be developed as a subdomain of the prominent capital.bg. Third, 2 expert debates and 1 political discussion will be held with experts and leading politicians on important topics. Finally, the media will be monitored for articles related to the energy and mining sector. The project will benefit the public, the media, activists and NGOs. The partner will provide the online platform for surveys and debates, experienced reporters to manage the portal and media channels to promote the project.
Summary of project results
After the issues of the energy system contributed to the resignation of two governments, the chaos in the governance of the energy system threatens to spill over to the economy of the country. At the same time public controversies hinder the needed reforms. On the one hand, the vested interests of the players in the sector contain many of the meaningful changes; on the other hand, the fact that the general public is not well aware of the problems in the sector allows populist arguments to unleash. The project aimed at casting light on the energy sector and contributing to transparency and accountability of the energy sector and the mining industry. The project fully achieved its goal insofar as the information portal created under the project (
www.capital.bg/energy/) gathers, analyzes and visualizes information in an accessible way for the general public. The target groups of decision-makers and young people can find out with a couple of mouse clicks in the information portal why "the electricity needs to go up by 5%" and "where the money will go". Greater commitment and involvement of the civil society in the discussion, analysis and solution of important energy issues was ensured based on the contribution of the information portal to help the audience make an informed and knowledgeable opinion. The main target groups were decision-makers and young people. The project started by surveying their needs of information. Based on the survey, an information portal was developed (which reported 193 598 visitors during the project) and the following events were held: 2 online debates, an expert discussion and a national conference with more than 200 participants from the target groups. After the end of the project the portal will continue to be maintained and to provide a one-stop-shop data about the energy sector and the mining industry. Thus a permanent opportunity will be provided to the decision-makers, young people, the media and the public in general, to form an informed opinion in the future and follow the dynamics of the development of the energy sector, the behaviour of the regulatory authority and the actors on the energy market.
Summary of bilateral results