ecdc.europa.eu

Jim Dratwa, Citizenship policy - "Europe for Citizens" UnitDirectorate General for Education and Culture European Commission

Douzelage Conference in Türi, Estonia, 8-11 May 2008

Active European Citizenship Active European Citizenship and the and the

Europe for CitizensEurope for Citizens programme (2007–2013)programme (2007–2013)

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Active citizenship A priority for the Barroso

Commission:

To bridge the gap between the citizens

and the European institutions

No miracle solution, but a series of tools:

• Better inform (Communication, COMM)• Make citizens aware of their rights

(Fundamental rights and Citizenship, JLS)

• Associate citizens actively («Europe for Citizens», EAC)

Context

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• Programme “Europe for citizens” (2007-2013)

• Other programmes (2007-2013)- Life-Long Learning }

- Culture } citizenship aspect integrated

- Youth }+ Sport

• Visits section - organisation of information in the Commission

- groups of citizens- information multipliers

DG EAC instruments to foster active European citizenship

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Programme “Europe for citizens”

OverviewGeneral objectives and specific objectives

Permanent and annual priorities

Actions – 1, 2, 3, 4

Implementation

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• Participation of citizens• European identity • Sense of belonging/ownership

• Tolerance and mutual understanding

General objectives

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• Bringing together people from local communities across Europe.

• Fostering action, debate and reflections related to European citizenship and democracy.

• Bringing Europe closer to its citizens by promoting Europe’s values and achievements.

• Encouraging interaction between citizens and civil society organisations from all participating countries.

Specific objectives

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• Future of the European Union and its basic values2008: New institutional developments

9th May• Active European Citizenship: participation and

democracy in Europe2008: Women participation in political life

• Inter-cultural dialogue2008: The European Year of Intercultural Dialogue 2008

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

sustainable development2008: Sport for active citizenship and social inclusion

• Impact of EU policies in societies2008: The European Year of Creativity and Innovation 2009

Permanent Priority Themes – and annual focus

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• Future of the European Union and its basic values2008: New institutional developments

9th May• Active European Citizenship: participation and

democracy in Europe2008: Women participation in political life

• Inter-cultural dialogue2008: The European Year of Intercultural Dialogue 2008

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

sustainable development2008: Sport for active citizenship and social inclusion

• Impact of EU policies in societies2008: The European Year of Creativity and Innovation 2009

Permanent Priority Themes – and annual focus

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Fields of Action

1. Active Citizens: Twinning (citizens meetings/ networks);

Citizens’ panels

2. Active Civil Society: NGO’s projects & operating grants

3. Together for Europe: High visibility events; studies;

4. Active remembrance: Preservation of memorials and memory

Implementation :Participating countries

The 27 Member States Conditionally:

• The EFTA States that are party to the EEA Agreement (Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway - likely 2008)• Countries of the western Balkans• The candidate countries benefiting from a pre-accession strategy (Croatia in! – FYROM and Albania likely 2008)

Implementation :Beneficiaries

Local and regional authorities and their organisations Civil society organisations including:

•Trade unions •Educational institutions•Organisations active in the field of voluntary work•Organisations active in the field of amateur sport

Organisations specific to remembrance

•Museums, archives etc.

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Implementation

•Budget 2007-2013: € 215 MAction 1, at least 45 %Action 2, approximately 31 %Action 3, approximtely 10 %Action 4, approximately 4 %

OBJECTIVES = WHAT DO WE WANT TO ACHIEVE

ACTION 1 ACTION 2 ACTION 3 ACTION 4 Through which kind of activities

PRIORITY THEMES

PERMANENT ANNUAL

Focusing on most important issues

Horizonalfeatures

EUROPEAN VALUESINFORMAL LEARNING

VOLUNTEERINGTRANSNATIONALITY

CULTURAL AND LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY

EQUAL ACCESSVISIBILITY, VALORISATION

Respecting certain principles

Project

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Annual Priorities

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Action 1: Town Twinning; Citizens’ Projects

"A twinning is the coming together of two communitiesseeking, in this way, to take action with a European perspectivein the aim of facing their problems and developing betweenthemselves closer and closer ties of friendship." (source CEMR practical handbook)

• Encourage friendship, co-operation, mutual understanding, trust• Instrument for peace, stability, integration (2nd WW, enlargements)• Exchange of experiences (i.e. waste treatment, social welfare, eco)

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CEMR (Council of European Municipalities and Regions) Database “twinning market”(search by country, population size). Spring 2008 website will be updated in 20 languages with instructionshttp://www.twinnings.org/en/index_en.htm

Contact CEMR 35 Twinning officers and national associations : http://www.ccre.org/docs/twinning_officers.doc

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Minimum grant € 2.000 & maximum € 20.000 Flat rate system (no invoices, fixed rate per person/country) Phases : 5 per year covering a full year since 2008 (January to Dec)Applicant: town or municipality where meeting takes placeCountries: 27 EU Member States + Croatia as of November 2007Bilateral (1+1): minimum 10 participants from each invited town Multilateral (1+2 or more): minimum 5 participants from each invited town Existing or future town twinning agreement (proof) At least 2 Member states involved

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Thematic networking of twinned towns 1 or 3 days conference(s)/workshop(s)

Two per project Clear target group and priority themes, should serve as

basis for future initiatives and actions 20 participants from 3 municipalities from different Member

States in the framework of town twinning Municipalities and their twinning committees; local and

regional governments; associations representing local

authorities

Creation/consolidation of networks of twinned towns

As of 2008 – multi-annual networking of twinned towns and

support measures

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• Provide clear and complete documentation • Address objectives, themes, horizontal features in the project description and plan for the meeting / conference

• If applicable, take into account the priority criteria

• Explain who are participants and their ‘active’ role

• Involve local community in all phases of citizens’ meetings

• Submit detailed ‘digestible’ plan for the meeting / conference

• Provide convincing plan of how to give your project visibility / publicity

• Ensure project results identifiable products and relevant to participants / target group / users

• Demonstrate convincing ideas, arguments to support sustainable twinning / network development

How to prepare a good proposal?

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Calculation of grants: Citizens’ meetings

1.Grant Organisation :Flat rate from host country X participants x days x daily rate

2. Grant Transport : Flat rate X participants x km x € 0.025 (round trip distance for return journey Michelin automatic distance calculator)

Min € 2,000 and max € 20,000 per project

Only one grant per year !

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How and when informed on results of the selection?• Reception of applications • Eligibility check (before and after committee, if no letter sent with detailed motives of rejection)• Selection • Results on the web • Grant decision (unilateral act, no signature from the beneficiary)• Payment

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Citizens’meetings: 2 months after event complete 4 documents

1. Final report (event, results, impact)

2. Payment request

3. List of participants signed per day per invited towns

4. Summary statement of actual costs incurred (no invoices

anymore)

Payment terms: 45 days

Letter is sent with amounts of final grant + details of

grant split

Citizens’ meetings: Final report

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1. Event Grant : Country fixed rates x participants/ days Max 400 participants rate for local and international) rates calculated using EUROSTAT cost per country.

Min of 3 hours’ activity = 1 day (excluding receptions, meals or social

activities) Maximum duration 3 days

2. Communication Grant :Flat rate same for all countries per each tool € 1.500a) Publication (min 8 p, 1,000 copies)b) DVD or CD-ROM (15 minutes, 1,000 copies) c) EU domain name website having + links 5 websites, min

12 months)Max 3 separate communication tools max € 4.500

Calculation of grants: Thematic networking

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Thematic Network: 2 months after event complete 6 documents

1. Implementation report (copy of press, pub material event)

2. Payment request

3. List of conference/workshop participants and who are included

in the payment request calculation (separate list for local and

international participants nb only the signed lists can be

taken into consideration

4. Original of the programme for the event(s) and documentation

5. If applicable, 2 originals of publications, CD’s, CD-Roms, DVD

copy of invoices printing, publication, production)

6 Summary statement of actual costs

Thematic networking: Final report

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Deadline for submission

Period covered

Action 1 Citizen’s meeting

Phase 1 1 September in the year prior to the planned meeting

1 Jan to 31 March

Phase 2 1 December in the year prior to the planned meeting

1 April to 31 May

Phase 3 1 February in the same year to the planned meeting

1 June and 31 July 2008

Phase 4 1 April in the same year prior to the planned meeting

1 August and 30 September

Phase 5 1 June in the same year prior to the planned meeting

1 October and 31 December 2008

Thematic Networking Twinned towns

1 December 2008 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010

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Key documents to consult before applying

User guide (in 23 languages)http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/guide/documents/programme_guide_en.pdf

Frequently asked questions – FAQ http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/faq/faq_citizens_meetings_2007_en.pdf

On-line application guide (in 23 languages)http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/action1/towntwinning/funding_en.htm

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Action 2: Operating grants and NGO projects

• Foster action, debate and reflection related to European citizenship and democracy, shared values, common history and culture.• Structural support to civil society organisations and think tanks at European level in form of an operating grant.• Support to concrete cooperation projects of civil society organisations from different participating countries established at local, regional, national or European level.• Involvement of at least 2 participating countries is required.

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Action 2: Grant calculation2 types of support: Operating grants (not linked to project but structural support to cover the costs necessary for the proper conduct of the normal and permanent activities of the organisations selected.

25-30 grants/year ; 30.000 – 250.000 €

Civil society projects : (projects from a non profit making organisation) action, debate, reflexion, networking

max 12 months (flat rate system + max 3 comm tool 1500€ each)

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Deadline for submission

Period covered

Operating grants (one or two year grants)

23 November 2007 Financial year 2008

July 2008 2009

Civil society projects 15 February 2008 1 July 2008 to 30 June 2009

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Action 3: Together for Europe

New action to ensure:•Mobilisation of the citizens on the European level•Visibility of the programme and its objectives•Dissemination of the results

Specifically :•High visibility events•Studies and opinion polls•Information tools, internet portal « citizenship »

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Action 4: Active European RemembrancePreservation of main sites and memorials associated with the mass deportations and extermination sites of Nazism, as well as projects related to the memory of the victims and of those who rescued people from the holocaust.

Commemoration of the victims of mass exterminations and mass deportations associated with Stalinism, as well as the preservation of the memorials and archives.

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Deadline for submission

Period covered

Active European remembrance

30 April 2008 1 September 2008 to 31 August 2009

Implementation :Finding a balance

Between continuity and innovation

Between activities directly involving citizens as well as structured measures

Implementation :New synergies

Between the actors : encouraging new partnerships and creation of networks

Between different activities : «cross-fertilization»

Implementation :Valorisation

Each project will be encouraged to disseminate its resultsCertain categories of projects will ensure visibility and sustainability. Ex. thematic networkingCertain organisations will have a specific role to play. Ex. intermediaries, networks…Commission plays active role at programme level

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Implementation

Programme Guide published on http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/index_en.htm

Includes all procedures and conditions for applying for the actions and measures, including deadlines for applications until 2013.

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http://ec.europa.eu/citizenship

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

More information

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…and the future

Today, the 9th of May

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Mailboxes per action Town twinning eacea-p7@ec.europa.eu

Civil society eacea-p7-civilsociety@ec.europa.eu

Remembrance eacea-p7-remembrance@ec.europa.eu

: Executive agency Education, audiovisual & culture

(EACEA) Unit Citizenship (P7) BOUR 00/13 Avenue du Bourget, 1B-1140 Brussels

Contact details – Executive Agency

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