No doubt, public participation in Switzerland could be improved by the introduction of the principle of publicity. One step could be the introduction of the Directive on Freedom of Access to Information on the Environment. But this proposal ran aground already twice.
Recommendations: Introduction of the principle of publicity as, for example, in Sweden.
Best achievement in Switzerland is the Swiss System of Evaluation and the use of the right to initiative and referendum, that is to say, direct democracy instruments.
Recently there was a motion in parliament (with 62 signatures out of 200) which demands the government to change legislation so that the Swiss minister for the environment would be able to sign the Aarhus-convention, on March 10, 1998. And in December, 1997, a motion (17 signatures) was accepted by government to introduce by law the system of publicity in the administration.