CALL FOR PROPOSALS — DG EAC No 24/05

‘PROMOTION OF ACTIVE EUROPEAN CITIZENSHIP’

Support to town twinning actions

Conferences, training seminars and information campaigns 2006

(2005/C 172/13)

1.   OBJECTIVES — PROJECT FORMATS

The call for proposals is designed to support projects in the framework of town twinning in EU member states and in other eligible countries, which will contribute to raising European awareness, foster new and existing links and networks between local authorities, strengthen the dialogue between the citizens of the European Union as well as promote the town twinning idea and disseminate best practice in town twinning in Europe.

This call for proposals concerns actions in the framework of town-twinning such as conferences, training seminars and information campaigns. A separate call for proposals will be published concerning meetings of citizens between twinned towns.

The call for proposals is aimed at supporting projects in the following three formats:

Format 1: Thematic conferences in the framework of town-twinning aimed at raising awareness of European policies. Conferences must involve participants from municipalities from at least two eligible countries from which at least one is an EU Member State.

Format 2: Training seminars on town twinning targeted at the people responsible for town twinning to enable them to acquire the knowledge and skills needed for organising twinning projects with a high quality European content.

Format 3: Information campaigns to promote town twinning — new element in the programme, launched to enable suitable organisations such as regional, national or European associations of local authorities to carry out new innovative actions supporting the development of town twinning.

Information campaigns must be targeted to municipalities and aimed at promoting the town twinning idea in Europe through disseminating information regarding the Town Twinning programme and emphasising the importance of the town twinning movement in Europe. Information campaigns must cover at least two eligible countries including at least one EU Member State.

2.   ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

To be eligible the applicant must be an organisation with legal status (legal personality) and be established in an eligible country.

Only the following types of organisations are eligible:

Eligible countries:

3.   BUDGET AND PROJECT DURATION

The total amount available for the co-financing of projects within this call for proposals is estimated at EUR 2 500 000.

The grant awarded may not exceed 60 % of the total amount of the project's eligible costs in the detailed budget estimation.

The maximum amount of the grant may not exceed EUR 60 000 per project. The minimum grant is EUR 10 000.

The maximum duration of the projects is 10 months (from preparation to implementation and reporting).

4.   DEADLINES

This call covers projects starting between 15 April 2006 and 31 December 2006.

The deadlines for submission of grant applications are as follows:

5.   FURTHER INFORMATION

The full text of the call for proposals and the application forms are available on the following website:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/towntwinning/call/call_en.html

Applications must comply with the requirements set out in the full text of the call and be submitted using the form provided.

(1)  Eligibility of Bulgaria depending on the ratification of the memorandum of understanding. Furthermore an EEA/EFTA country or candidate country Turkey will be eligible if, by the deadline for submission of grant applications, an agreement on participation in the programme has been concluded between the Country in concern and the Commission.