Strasbourg

05/06/07

Strasbourg

31/07/07

The programme

EUROPE FOR CITIZENS

Marco Boaria

ALDA

Strasbourg

05/06/07

Strasbourg

31/07/07

General Objectives

• To give 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;

• To develop a sense of European identity, based

on common values, history and culture;

• To foster a sense of ownership of the European

Union among its citizens;

• To enhance tolerance and mutual

understanding between European citizens

respecting and promoting cultural and linguistic

diversity, while contributing to intercultural dialogue.

Strasbourg

05/06/07

Strasbourg

31/07/07

Specific Objectives

• 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;

• To foster 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;

• To bring Europe closer to its citizens by promoting European values and achievements, while preserving the memory of its past;

• To encourage 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.

Strasbourg

05/06/07

Strasbourg

31/07/07

Permanent themes and their annual focus

Future of the European Union and its basic values

Human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights and peace

Active European Citizenship: participation and democracy in Europe

co-operation between the European Institutions and citizens and the different actors in civil society. Volunteering: to foster citizens’ commitment to the EU

-Intercultural dialogue

-Impact of EU policies in societies

-People’s well-being in Europe: employment, social cohesion and sustainable development

Strasbourg

05/06/07

Strasbourg

31/07/07 PROGRAMME PRIORITIES FOR 2013

Priority 1EU: values, rights and opportunities for CitizensRaise awareness, reflection and debate on the relevance and implcations of EU policies on citizens’ daily lives and remove obstacles that EU citizens still face.The EfC programme can make a valuable contribution to increase awareness, understanding and enjoyment of the values, rights and opportunities created by the EU as well as to foster reflection on the cost of non-Europe and to support the preservation of the European memory.

Strasbourg

05/06/07

Strasbourg

31/07/07PROGRAMME PRIORITIES FOR 2013

Priority 2Citizens participation in the democratic life of the EUEncourage citizens to share their views on the political programme and concrete actions proposed by the European Institutions and to influence what the agenda should comprise and how the agenda should be taken forward.Civil society should also be invited to further contribute to developing a European Area for Freedom, Security and Justice.Projects shall facilitate the exchange of views with and presentation of results to the appropriate decision-makers on ongoing European policies and their impact on local situations as well as on local issues with a European dimension.

Strasbourg

05/06/07

Strasbourg

31/07/07

Direct beneficiaries

• local authorities and organisations

• European public policy research organisations (think-tanks)

• citizens’ groups

• civil society organisations

• non-governmental organisations

• trade unions

• educational institutions

• organisations active in the field of voluntary work

• organisations active in the field of amateur sport, etc.

Strasbourg

05/06/07

Strasbourg

31/07/07

Beneficiary countries

• Member States of European Union

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Hungary

Croatia, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Albania.

Potential participating countries (potentially could participate in the near future)

Participating countries of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), members of the European Economic Area (EEA): Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway

EU candidate countries: Turkey, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, Kosovo

Strasbourg

05/06/07

Strasbourg

31/07/07Horizontal features of the "Europe for

citizens" programme

•European values

• Informal learning for active European citizenship

• Volunteering - expression of active European citizenship

• Transnationality and local dimension

• Cultural and linguistic diversity

• Cross-fertilization

• Equal access to the program

• Intergenerational solidarity

• Gender equality

Strasbourg

05/06/07

Strasbourg

31/07/07

Actions and Measures

Action 1 - Active citizens for Europe

= activities involving citizens

Measure 1. Town-Twinning

= Involvement or promotion of direct exchanges

between European citizens through their

participation in town-twinning activities

and development of networking and cooperation

between twinned towns

Strasbourg

05/06/07

Strasbourg

31/07/07

Action 1 - Town twinning

1.1. Town-Twinning citizens’ meetings

= Meetings between citizens’ groups from twinned

towns aiming at developing long-lasting, informal

and personal relations.

They should:

reinforce participant’s committment to European

integration

foster mutual understanding and friendship

between people from the twinned towns

be an experience of active civic participation at

local level.

Strasbourg

05/06/07

Strasbourg

31/07/07

Action 1 - Town twinning

1. 2 Networks of Twinned Towns

= thematic conferences and workshops that

encourage the development of a long lasting,

dynamic and multifaceted cooperation between

twinned towns (twinned in largu sensu).

These events should:

- have a defined target group for which the select

theme is relevant and involve community members

active in it.

- Address the priority themes of the Programme

- Serve as a basis for future initiatives and action

between towns involved

Strasbourg

05/06/07

Strasbourg

31/07/07

Action 1 - Active citizens for Europe

Measure 2. Citizens’ projects and support measures

2.1. Citizens’ projects = Collect the opinion of citizens on some key European challenges for the future, to debate questions on the EU at the local ad European level

2.2 Support Measures = possibility for intermediary organizations with experience in the field of twinning (eg associations of local authorities) to apply for grants to support cities in initiating, relaunching and developing town twinning and improving the quality of activities.

Strasbourg

05/06/07

Strasbourg

31/07/07

Actions and measures

Action 2 - Active civil society in Europe

= support at activities involving directly civil society

organizations and think tanks

1. Structural support for European policy research

organizations (think-tanks)

2. Structural support for civil society organizations

at the European level

3. Support for projects initiated by civil society

organizations.

Strasbourg

05/06/07

Strasbourg

31/07/07

Action 2 - Active civil society in Europe

2.3 Support for projects initiated by Civil

Society Organisations = support concrete projects from CSOs from different participating countries with a European dimension

Projects must: - implement and disseminate the results of an action, in a manner consistent with the objectives and priorities of the program.- stimulate and organize a debate related to the objectives of the program- Organise reflection on European values, citizenship and democracy- Aim to prepare the ground to encourage the creation of lasting networks between organizations

Strasbourg

05/06/07

Strasbourg

31/07/07

Eligibility criteria - Support for project initiated by civil society organisations

Applicants = non-profit-making organisation with a

legal status and legal personalitye stablished in a

participating country having the appropriate

qualifications and requisite financial to complete the

project

Duration = max 18 months (starting between 1

august and 1 December of the year for which the

application is submitted)

Deadlines = 1 February each year

Strasbourg

05/06/07

Strasbourg

31/07/07

Eligibility criteria - Support for project initiated by civil society organisations

Actions = projects based on a transnational

partnership which implies the active, intellectual

collaboration of the partners on the project, from its

planning, to its implementation and its follow-up

Strasbourg

05/06/07

Strasbourg

31/07/07

The Grant- support for projects initiated by civil society organisations

The grant can be calculated using two different

approaches, following specific rules:

Grants awarded on the basis of flat rates for ‘event

projects’ (flat rates and lump sums)

or

Grants based on actual costs for ‘production and

realisation projects’ (budget-based)

(60% max up to 55.000 €)

Strasbourg

05/06/07

Strasbourg

31/07/07

Actions and measures

Action 3 - Together for Europe

= develop the concept of ‘active European

citizenship’ for contributing to bringing

Europe closer to its citizens

1. High visibility events

2. Studies

3. Information and dissemination tools

Action managed by DG COMM, no grants available

Strasbourg

05/06/07

Strasbourg

31/07/07

Actions and measures

Action 4 - Active European Remembrance= preservation the main sites and archives

associated with deportations and commemoration

the victims of Nazism and Stalinism

The projects should:

- ensure the preservation of the main sites of mass deportation and extermination, of the memorials or of the archives

- commemorate the victims of Nazism or Stalinism

- engage citizens (young people) in a broad reflection about causes and consequences of Nazism/stalinism

- aim at setting the basis for longlastingnetworking

Strasbourg

05/06/07

Strasbourg

31/07/07Website

EACEA

http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/index_en.php

Contact

MARCO BOARIAMarco.boaria@aldaintranet.org

Resource and Development Unit CoordinatorALDA