The project was implemented by the Union of Cyprus Municipalities in cooperation with the Assembly of European Regions (AER) in the framework of the Programme “Europe for Citizens”.
The goal was to develop information tools for the promotion and development of thematic Twinnings among the members of the two Organisations as well as among towns from the rest of the European.
Union. The project Pro-I3T started in January 2012 and its duration was one year.
Type: EU Project
Location: Cyprus, France
Project No. 520998 – 2011
Project
Following a proposal submitted by the Union of Cyprus Municipalities within the European Programme “Europe for Citizens”, the European Commission decided to co-finance the cooperation between the Union of Cyprus Municipalities and the Assembly of European Regions (www.aer.eu), in order to develop information tools for the promotion and development of thematic Twinnings between their members, but also with Towns from the rest of the European Union. The project has a duration of 12 months, starting from the 9th January 2012. (For more information, you can also visit the webpage of the project, within the website of the Assembly of European Regions).
Aim
Local and regional authorities around Europe will be trained to set thematic priorities for projects, formulate their ideas, find partners and target their actions. To do that, detailed information and training on the Europe for Citizens Programme, as well as a detailed listing of all other EU Grants and programmes capable to finance their actions will be offered to participants.
Activities
15 comprehensive thematic guides (on education and youth, culture and media, employment and social affairs, research and development, industry and enterprises, external relations and development, commerce, energy, environment, transport, public health and consumer protection, justice and home affairs, information technology, agriculture and fisheries) will be produced in English and in Greek. Each guide will comprise:
a) information on the structure and functioning of the EU,
b) presentation of the Europe for Citizens programme and how a project idea could be formulated and financed from the programme
c) a complete listing of all other European programmes that could finance a project within this thematic area (e.g. education and youth),
d) a detailed methodology on how to prepare and submit a project.
Two training sessions (one in Cyprus and one in Brussels) will teach local and regional practitioners how to use the provided material and how to better finance their actions.
The Partners
UNION OF CYPRUS MUNICIPALITIES
The Union of Cyprus Municipalities is the main association of Local Authorities in Cyprus. Its core functions are to contribute to the development of local government autonomy, as well as to act as spokesman of local government interests vis-a-vis the central government and other national institutions. It also takes an active stand in the relations between Cyprus and the European Union.
ASSEMBLY OF EUROPEAN REGIONS
With 270 regional authorities from 33 countries as members (more than 265 million citizens), the AER is the largest interregional organisation in Europe. It promotes the role that regions play vis-à-vis the citizens, the nation state and the EU, and supports regions in their role in connecting citizens with the EU. AER’s overall aims are to: Organise dialogue, consultation & cooperation between all regions of Europe and promote regionalisation in Europe, encourage subsidiarity and regions’ involvement in constructing Europe. AER’s strategic plan 2006-2013 defines “Developing regions’ ability to make Europe relevant to their citizens” as one of AER’s main objectives. AER’s activities span key policy areas: Regional economic development, employment, environment, rural development, energy, social policy, equal opportunities, public health, culture, education, youth, media, international co-operation, regional governance, communication between EU and its citizens, subsidiarity and others.
The Europe for Citizens Programme
The aim of the “Europe for Citizens” programme is to bring Europe closer to its citizens and to enable them to participate fully in the European construction. Through this programme, citizens have the opportunity to be involved in transnational exchanges and cooperation activities, contributing to developing a sense of belonging to common European ideals and encouraging the process of European integration. More information can be found at: http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/
index_en.php.