(i) the lack of trustworthiness in the relationship between EPS representative (e.g. the TSOs) and the stakeholders/citizen/general public, (ii) the difficulty in comparing the new EPS infrastructures benefits, which are on a “global” or –at least- large scale, with the impacts , which are mostly “local” and the lack of recognized methodologies to assess and quantify such benefits and impacts; (iii) the perception of risks, threats and problems for the stakeholders/citizen/general public, often neglected or –at least- scarcely recognized and understood by TSOs; (iv) the lack of “tools” (in a broad sense) to guarantee and facilitate the stakeholders/citizen/general public participation to decision processes about the infrastructure development on the territory and (v) the fragility (in some case) and the complexity (in other cases) of the participatory processes, with the consequent very low effectiveness, for all the involved parties.

The project idea, therefore, includes:

1. the inquiry and the analysis of the needs, concerns, wants and expectations of the stakeholders/citizen/general public (WP 2);
2. a review of both published and “grey” literature on these issues

(WP 3);

3. the development and/or adaptation of methodologies to evaluate, assess and quantify impacts and benefits of different spatial and temporal scales (WP 4);
4. the development of suitable processes and mechanisms for an effective communication –on one side- and real participation –on the other side- of the stakeholders/citizen/general public (WP 5);
5. a series of case studies (three different cases, taking into account geographical location, size of the infrastructure and stage of completion of the scheme), with a double aim: to give elements to the “methodological” WPs and to allow a proper testing of what developed during the project;
6. a synthesis of the project results, based on the evaluation – through the case studies – of the suitability of the methodologies and tools developed, and a series of recommendations about the stakeholders/citizen/general public engagement (WP 7);

7. the dissemination of the project results and output (WP 8).