The Irish Regions Office: IRO Funding Monitor
EDUCATION
Town Twinning
The Town Twinning scheme, established in 1989 on the initiative of the European Parliament, is aimed at fostering new and existing links and networks between local authorities in Europe in view of the important contribution that co-operation and exchanges between local communities make to European integration. The twinning scheme aims at strengthening the dialogue between the citizens of the European Union with a view to encouraging the emergence of an active and participatory European citizenship.
In 2002 the Commission received more than 2500 grant applications. The annual budget of €12 million allows the Commission to support about 1300 projects. Priority is given to events involving towns and municipalities in the candidate countries, to new twinning arrangements, to projects involving small municipalities or municipalities in geographically disadvantaged areas, to multilateral events and to projects involving young people or disadvantaged groups.
Eligible Activities:
The 2004 call for proposals is aimed at supporting two kinds of actions:
A. Meetings of citizens of twinned towns and municipalities
B. Conferences on European themes relating to town twinning,
and training and
information seminars for town-twinning officers.
Eligible Applicants:
A - towns and municipalities and their twinning associations/committees.
B - towns and municipalities and their twinning association/committees
;
- other levels of local and regional government ;
- federations and associations of local authorities.
BUDGET AND RATES OF FUNDING
The annual budget is approximately €12 million. The maximum grant is €20 000 per project. If calculation based on the flat rates indicates a total amount over €20 000, the Commission will apply this ceiling to the grant. The minimum grant is €2000 per project. If calculation based on the flat rates indicates a total amount of less than €2000, no grant will be awarded. Grants are awarded by applying fixed rates for organisational costs and travel expenses. The grant for organisational costs is calculated according to the number of participants from the invited municipalities of the eligible countries and the number of days of the meeting. The daily rate per participant1 is that of the country of the hosting municipality. The grant for travel expenses of participants from the invited municipalities of eligible countries is calculated on the basis of a flat rate of 0,025 € per person per kilometre (distance travelled for return journey).
Applying for Funds
A call for proposals is published annually and a number of deadlines
for applications are established. For 2004 the deadlines for applications
were:
• 18 February 2004 for actions beginning between 16 June and 31
July 2004;
• 2 April 2004 for actions beginning between 1 August and 30 September
2004;
• 1 June 2004 for actions beginning between 1 October 2004 and 31
December
2004. Project Example
Bradford: People with disabilities take the initiative
Bradford, a major industrial town in the north of England, has been twinned
with the German town of Hamm, in the Ruhr Valley, since 1976. In 2002,
a twinning project concerned a smallscale event focusing on the disabled
with a view to developing a programme of events for 2003, the European
Year of People with Disabilities. Between 13 and 15 April 2002, 24 people
from Hamm converged on Bradford for a programme of cultural, educational,
sporting and recreational events. ‘Sport and culture have always
been central to our relationship with Hamm as its main promoter here in
Bradford was responsible for the sports department of the City of Bradford
and was really familiar with the sporting situation in Hamm’, comments
Tim Hirst, Head of Policy, Research and Development for the City of Bradford.
This twinning project is a good and concrete example of empowerment, fostering
the active involvement of people with disabilities. Thanks to this event,
the 2003 twinning actions are not only targeted to people with disabilities
but also planned by them.
Contact:
Mr Tim Hirst
City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council
Bradford BD1 5RW
United Kingdom
Tel. (44-12) 74 75 48 24
Fax (44-12) 74 75 26 46
E-mail: tim.hirst@bradford.gov.uk
Internet: http://www.bradford.gov.uk
Further information on the 2004 call is available at:
European Commission
Directorate-General for Education and Culture
Town-twinning sector
VM-2 4/35
B-1049 Brussels
E-mail: Jumelages@cec.eu.int
or Towntwinning@cec.eu.int
Tel: 0032 2 295 2685 from 9.30 to 12.30
Fax: 0032 2 296 2389.
Web: http://europa.eu.int/comm/dgs/education_culture/towntwin/index_en.html
European Parliament, Brussels