Background: Max. Amount of grant up to: 150.000 EUR
The adoption of the Lisbon Treaty at the end of 2009 led to a number of important changes with regard to the concept of European citizenship. Both the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union enshrine the democratic principles of the EU, stipulate the rights of Union citizens and outline the key methods of involving citizens and their associations in shaping the European political agenda. The expression of citizens' needs and the necessary deliverables to meet them, the openness of the democratic system for civic participation and the rights of people including the knowledge about these rights are closely interlinked. Developing a lasting sense of ownership for and belonging to the European Union requires that all three aspects are addressed equally and with the appropriate instruments.
Considering the European citizenship as an important element in strengthening and safeguarding the process of European integration, the European Commission continues encouraging the engagement of European citizens in all aspects of the life of their community, thus enabling them to participate in the construction of an ever closer Europe.
General objectives:
• giving citizens the opportunity to interact and participate in constructing an ever closer Europe, which is democratic and world-oriented, united
in and enriched through its cultural diversity, thus developing citizenship of the European Union;
• developing a sense of European identity, based on common values, history and culture;
• fostering a sense of ownership of the European Union among its citizens;
• enhancing tolerance and mutual understanding between European citizens respecting and promoting cultural and linguistic diversity, while
contributing to intercultural dialogue.
Specific objectives:
• bringing together people from local communities across Europe to share and exchange experiences, opinions and values, to learn from
history and to build for the future;
• fostering action, debate and reflection related to European citizenship and democracy, shared values, common history and culture through
cooperation within civil society organisations at European level;
• bringing Europe closer to its citizens by promoting Europe‟s values and achievements, while preserving the memory of its past;
• encouraging interaction between citizens and civil society organisations from all participating countries, contributing to intercultural dialogue
and bringing to the fore both Europe‟s diversity and unity, with particular attention to activities aimed at developing closer ties between
citizens from Member States of the European Union as constituted on 30 April 2004 and those from Member States which have
acceded since that date.
Action 1 – Active Citizens for Europe
"Active citizens for Europe" aims to bring together people from local communities across Europe to share and exchange experiences, opinions and values, to learn from history and to build for the future. It encourages meetings, exchanges and debates among European citizens from different countries and through different means:
Measure 1.1 – Town Twinning Citizens‟ Meetings
This measure is aimed at activities that involve or promote direct exchanges between European citizens through their participation in town twinning activities and encourage networking between twinned towns. This measure therefore covers the following types of activity: Measure 1.1 Town Twinning Citizens‟ Meetings. Twinned towns must be understood in largo sensu, thus referring to the towns which signed or are engaged to sign twinning agreements as well as to the towns having
Specific features:
Town Twinning Citizens‟ Meetings consist in bringing together a wide range of citizens from twinned towns, taking benefit of the partnership between the municipalities for strengthening mutual knowledge and understanding between citizens and between cultures.
Town Twinning Citizens’ Meetings projects are expected to:
- Experience an active civic participation at local level based on structured cooperation with civil society. This can be achieved through
involving the local community in the planning and implementation of the project, fostering civic participation though volunteering as well
as giving participants an active role during the event;
- Encourage citizens to become more involved at European level, thus contributing to the development of an active European citizenship.
This can be achieved for example through learning about participation of European citizens in the democratic life of the EU, discussing
the equal opportunities in political life;
- Reinforce the participants‟ commitment to European integration. This can be achieved through exchanging points of view and experiences in
relation to the priorities of the Programme; sharing the experience of concrete benefits of European integration at local and individual levels;
experiencing cultural diversity and discovering common cultural heritage in Europe; demonstrating solidarity and developing a feeling
of belonging to the same community in Europe as a whole other forms of partnerships fostering their cooperation and cultural links.
Budget:
The project proposals must respect the criterion related to the minimum eligible grant to be awarded per project.
Minimum eligible grant for a project: 5 000 EUR
Maximum eligible grant for a project: 25 000 EUR
Venue:
The activities must take place in any of the eligible programme countries participating to the project.
Measure 1.2 Thematic Networking of Twinned Towns
Specific features:
Local authorities are regularly confronted with new issues and are involved in the implementation of a variety of policies, which are often linked to policy developments taken at European level. The networking between municipalities on issues of common interest appears to be an important means for enabling informed discussions and exchange of good practices.
Twinning is a strong link that binds municipalities; therefore, the potential of the networks created by a series of town twinning links should be used for developing thematic and long-lasting cooperation between towns. The Commission supports the development of such networks, which are important for ensuring structured, intense and multifaceted cooperation, therefore contributing to maximizing the impact of the Programme.
Networks of Twinned Towns’ projects are expected to:
- Integrate a range of activities around the subject(s) of common interest to be addressed in the context of the Programme‟s priorities and
having relevance for European integration;
- Produce communication tools in the context of these events with the aim of promoting structured and sustainable thematic networking and
disseminating the results of the actions;
- Have defined target groups for which the selected themes are particularly relevant and involve community members active in the subject area
(i.e. experts, local associations, citizens and citizens‟ groups directly affected by the theme, etc.);
- Serve as a basis for future initiatives and actions between the towns involved, on the issues addressed or possibly on further issues of
common interest.
Budget:
The project proposals must respect the criterion related to the minimum eligible grant to be awarded per project.
Minimum eligible grant for a project: 10.000 EUR
Maximum eligible grant for a project: 150.000 EUR
Venue and number of activities:
The activities must take place in any of the eligible programme countries participating to the project. At least 3 events per project have to be foreseen.
Maximum project duration is 24 months.
Maximum duration of each event is 21 days.
Deadline: 01 June 2013
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