Preface

摘要

The public sector in Europe and elsewhere is under double pressure: On the one hand, the financial and debt crisis requires a massive re-alignment of state activities and state expenditures, which creates pressure to further increase the efficiency of public administration. On the other hand, citizens demand more say in public affairs and thanks to social media have ready access to powerful tools of self-organization. This second challenge is deepened by the demands of the Aarhus Convention, which grants citizens more information and participation rights including access to judicial remedies in environmental matters. These challenges are paralleled by a fundamental technology shift in the terminals people use to access Internet services: "Classic" PCs and laptop computers are increasingly complemented and even replaced by mobile devices ranging from smartphones via tablets to unconventional devices, such as computerized glasses.