Transcript Europe for Citizens

Active European Citizenship
and the
Europe for Citizens
programme (2007–2013)
Jim Dratwa,
Citizenship policy - "Europe for Citizens" Unit
Directorate General for Education and Culture
European Commission
Douzelage Conference in Türi, Estonia, 8-11 May 2008
ecdc.europa.eu
Context
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:
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Better inform (Communication, COMM)
Make citizens aware of their rights (Fundamental
rights and Citizenship, JLS)
Associate citizens actively («Europe for Citizens»,
EAC)
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DG EAC instruments to foster active European citizenship
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Programme “Europe for citizens” (2007-2013)
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Other programmes (2007-2013)
- Life-Long Learning }
- Culture
} citizenship aspect integrated
- Youth
}
+ Sport
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Visits section - organisation of information in the Commission
- groups of citizens
- information multipliers
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Programme “Europe for citizens”
Overview
General objectives and specific objectives
Permanent and annual priorities
Actions – 1, 2, 3, 4
Implementation
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General objectives
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Participation of citizens
European identity
Sense of belonging/ownership
Tolerance and mutual understanding
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Specific objectives
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Bringing together people from local communities
across Europe.
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Fostering action, debate and reflections related to
European citizenship and democracy.
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Bringing Europe closer to its citizens by
promoting Europe’s values and achievements.
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Encouraging interaction between citizens and
civil society organisations from all participating
countries.
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Permanent Priority Themes – and annual focus
• Future of the European Union and its basic values
2008:
New institutional developments
9th May
• Active European Citizenship: participation and democracy in Europe
2008:
Women participation in political life
• Inter-cultural dialogue
2008:
The European Year of Intercultural Dialogue 2008
• People’s well-being in Europe: employment, social cohesion and
sustainable development
2008:
Sport for active citizenship and social inclusion
• Impact of EU policies in societies
2008:
The European Year of Creativity and Innovation 2009
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Permanent Priority Themes – and annual focus
• Future of the European Union and its basic values
2008:
New institutional developments
9th May
• Active European Citizenship: participation and democracy in Europe
2008:
Women participation in political life
• Inter-cultural dialogue
2008:
The European Year of Intercultural Dialogue 2008
• People’s well-being in Europe: employment, social cohesion and
sustainable development
2008:
Sport for active citizenship and social inclusion
• Impact of EU policies in societies
2008:
The European Year of Creativity and Innovation 2009
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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
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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 preaccession 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.
Implementation
• Budget 2007-2013: € 215 M
Action 1, at least 45 %
Action 2, approximately 31 %
Action 3, approximtely 10 %
Action 4, approximately 4 %
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= WHAT DO WE WANT TO ACHIEVE
OBJECTIVES
ACTION 1
ACTION 2
ACTION 3
ACTION 4
Through which
kind of activities
PRIORITY THEMES
PERMANENT
ANNUAL
Focusing on most
important issues
Horizonal
features
EUROPEAN VALUES
INFORMAL LEARNING
VOLUNTEERING
TRANSNATIONALITY
CULTURAL AND LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY
EQUAL ACCESS
VISIBILITY, VALORISATION
Project
Respecting certain
principles
Annual Priorities
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Action 1: Town Twinning; Citizens’ Projects
"A twinning is the coming together of two communities
seeking, in this way, to take action with a European perspective
in the aim of facing their problems and developing between
themselves 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 instructions
http://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 place
Countries: 27 EU Member States + Croatia as of November
2007
Bilateral (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
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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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How to prepare a good proposal?
• 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
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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: Final report
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
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Calculation of grants: Thematic networking
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 € 1.500
a) 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
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Thematic networking: Final report
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
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Deadline for submission
Period covered
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
Action 1 Citizen’s meeting
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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 calculation
2 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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Operating grants (one or two
year grants)
Civil society projects
Deadline for submission
Period covered
23 November 2007
Financial year 2008
July 2008
2009
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 Remembrance
Preservation 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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Active European remembrance
Deadline for submission
Period covered
30 April 2008
1 September 2008 to 31 August
2009
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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
results
Certain categories of projects will ensure visibility
and sustainability. Ex. thematic networking
Certain organisations will have a specific role to
play. Ex. intermediaries, networks…
Commission plays active role at programme level
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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More information
http://ec.europa.eu/citizenship
http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/index_en.htm
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Today, the 9th of May
…and the future
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Contact details – Executive Agency
Mailboxes per action
Town twinning [email protected]
Civil society [email protected]
Remembrance [email protected]
:
Executive agency Education, audiovisual & culture
(EACEA)
Unit Citizenship (P7)
BOUR 00/13
Avenue du Bourget, 1
B-1140 Brussels
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