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 (AER), 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 Pro-I3T project (Providing Information Tools on Thematic Twinning) has been launched on the 9th of January and has a duration of 12 months. Throughout this time, 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: 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 Pro-I3T project is being co-financed through the “Measure 2.2. Support Measures” of the Europe for Citizens programme, which aims at improving the quality of projects submitted within Action 1 “Active Citizens for Europe”. For more information: http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/index_en.php.

David Burrowes MP – Chairman of the Cyprus All Party Parliamentary Group and the two lead member of the religious and cultural heritage sub-committee Matthew Offord MP and Jim Sheridan MP, together with Nick de Bois MP are inviting volunteers from both communities to support the clean up session of churches and cemeteries in Cyprus. The anticipated two day cleaning session will commence in the morning of the 10th May and conclude on the afternoon of the 11th May 2012.

The Archbishop Chrisostomos has asked for work to be carried out at the following sites:
St. Anastasios(2churches)- Peristerona
Archangel Michel- Pigi of Amochostos
Panagia –Genegra
St George – Genagra
Panagia – Assia
St Artemonas –Afania
Cemetery of village Pigi (Amochostos)
Cemetery of village Genagra
Cemetery of village Assia

Turkish Cypriots have also asked the Cyprus APPG Members to visit cemeteries in the following villages:

Kivisili
Dromolaxia
Kala Chorio
Skarinou
Kofinou
Kotsiatis

David Burrowes MP said “When I last visited Cyprus with Nick de Bois in November I was appalled by the condition of the churches and cemeteries which I visited. I resolved to do something practical about it and return with volunteers to clean up and restore some respect to religious and cultural heritage and also build confidence. The aim of the visit is not to apportion blame for the past nor deal with longer term issues of restoration of heritage, but to in a measured way show some care for the sites that remain and restore some respect. We will be visiting both Christian and Muslim sites and I encourage both Greek and Turkish Cypriots to take part and support the initiative.”

If you would like to join the group of volunteers, particularly if you have a family connection to the villages please email Marina Savva the CYP-APPG Secretariat directly at marinasavva@cyprusappg.co.uk to express your interest; we have been working closely with a reputable travel agency and prepared a package deal to support volunteers wishing to participate in the clean up session.

Since the launch of the Pro-I3T project, we have been working in close cooperation with the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU. Thus, the Brussels Office of the Union of Cyprus Municipalities (UCM), in collaboration with the Assembly of European Regions (AER), have decided to organize on June 19, 2012 an event presenting to the local and regional representations based in Brussels, both the Pro-I3T project and the priorities of the Cyprus Presidency.

Speakers at the event will be Mr. Fanourios Pantelogiannis (Head of the UCM Brussels Office), Mr. Pascal Goergen (Secretary General of the AER), Mr. Nikos Christodoulides, presidency spokesperson for the COREPER II issues at the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Cyprus to the EU and Mr. Adonis Constantinides, Minister Counselor, Coordinator MFF and Cohesion Policy, also at the Permanent Representation of Cyprus.

The event, which will take place in the premises of the Brussels Office of the Union of Cyprus Municipalities, will not be the only one that will be organised in cooperation with the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU.

Three more events will be organised   under the auspices of the Cyprus Presidency. The first one will take place on 6 and 7 September 2012 in Nicosia. The seminar on “The role of local authorities in the area of social inclusion with particular reference to the integration of immigrants” and the Bureau meeting of Committee of the Regions (CoR) of the European Union will be an excellent opportunity to present the Pro-I3T event in front of a large international public.

The second one will again take place in Nicosia (on 11 September 2012) and will be the first training event in the framework of the Pro-I3T project. Finally, the third event under the auspices of the Cyprus Presidency will take place on 23 October 2012 in Brussels.

On June 19, the Brussels Office of the Union of Cyprus Municipalities (UCM), in cooperation with the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Cyprus to the European Union and the Assembly of European Regions (AER), organized a “Breakfast Briefing” on the Cyprus Presidency priorities.

The event gathered in the UCM Brussels Office, more than 60 Representatives of Local and Regional Authorities.

The Breakfast Briefing focused on the policies and strategies of the Cyprus Presidency that aim to give the regions the means to act in the current and future context, taking in particular into consideration the reform of the cohesion policy.

Keynote speakers for the event were Mr. Nikos Christodoulides, presidency spokesperson for the COREPER II issues and Mr. Adonis Constantinides, Minister Counselor, Coordinator for MFF and Cohesion policy, who set out the priorities of the EU Presidency and addressed the key challenges.

Mr. Christodoulides and Mr. Constantinides also focused on the benefits and challenges that will arise for the Local and Regional Authorities of Europe, during the semester of the Cyprus Presidency.

The event has also been an excellent opportunity to present the Pro-I3T project to representatives of Local and Regional Authorities, as well as to journalists based in Brussels and abroad.

The Pro-I3T project was presented to the participants by Mr. Pascal Goergen, Secretary General of the Assembly of European Regions and Mr. Fanis Pantelogiannis, Head of the Brussels Office of the Union of Cyprus Municipalities.

 

The first training session of the  Pro-I3T project took place in Nicosia (Cyprus) on September 11, 2012. Participants have been trained upon the use of the information tools of  Pro-I3T (in Greek) as well as online partner search tools and the application procedures for the Europe for Citizens programme. Best practices from various European Regions have also been presented.

The workshop involved Municipal and Regional officers from various European countries, who presented relevant material from previous experiences and good practices, as well as useful guidelines for municipalities wishing to submit project proposals.

The session started with a welcome speech from Mr. Yiannis Antoniades, Secretary General of the Union of Cyprus Municipalities and then Mr. Fanourios Pantelogiannis, Head of Brussels Office of the Union of Cyprus Municipalities presented the Pro-I3T project and its information tools, including the Thematic Guides to EU Funding.

Following this presentation, Mrs. Ourania Georgoutsakou, Senior Policy Coordinator and Mrs. Regine Kramer, Policy Coordinator of the Assembly of European Regions presented the AER, its activities and the opportunities it offers to Cypriot Municipalities.

Mr. Cédric Virciglio – Director of the Bureau Alsace, talked about building synergies between local and European strategies through European projects and presented the Alsatian example. Following this presentation, Dr. David Moser, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Renewable Energy of the European Academy of Bozen/ Bolzano (EURAC), presented the PV Initiative on photovoltaic technologies and Mr. Mario Miranda, President of the NGO Norte Crescente, talked about youth unemployment and mobility programmes in the Azores.