Town twinning

The Commission has announced it is to fund twinning networks involving at least 5 towns.

 

The aim is to encourage meetings, exchanges and debates among European citizens from different countries and through different means. This action is part of the Europe for citizens Programme 2007-2013 which promotes active European citizenship, especially the involvement of citizens and civil society organisations in the process of European integration.

The project can help fund all workshops, conferences, citizens' meetings, and communication tools undertaken within your twinning network for the coming 2-year period.

The grant amount will be in the range of 30,000 to 150,000 euros. The last deadline for applications for 2008 is June the 1st. Other application deadlines for the next years will be communicated later on.

According to the Commission, the multi-annual networking provides you with:

 

Continuity and sustainability: you and your partners will know in advance for which activities you will receive EU grants

Visibility: your activities and your achievements will gain attention at European level

Simplification: you don't have to apply and report separately for each activity

More information on this measure and application forms: Programme Guide

 

Twinning online

 

The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) is currently working on a new website that will be totally devoted to twinning in Europe. The website will be multilingual to enable a maximum of European municipalities to take an active role in twinning. It will be made of two parts: a twinning fair enabling municipalities to post and read seeking partner ads from other municipalities simultaneously in various languages and a second part gathering in one single place all the reference information about twinning in general

 

We are very excited about this project, says CEMR secretary general Jeremy Smith. CEMR is and will keep working with its members (national associations of local and regional government) on this new concept. With the help of our members, virtually every single municipality in Europe will have access to all the information on twinning as well as finding twinning partners wherever in Europe.

 

The Council of European Municipalities and Regions has been the engine driving town twinning since the early 50's when a handful of French and German mayors signed twinning agreements between their municipalities in the aftermath of World War II. These days, twinning has evolved to become a tool of exchange of information and best practice between municipalities as well as a way to foster links between European citizens.