Archives: April 2008

Local Authorities involved in EU twinning networks (multilateral cooperation based on a chain of established bilateral links of at least 5 towns/cities/counties) may apply for funding towards thematic workshops, conferences, citizens’ meetings, and communication tools to be undertaken during the coming 2-year period. Proposed activities should foster public debate on the priority themes of the Europe for Citizens Programme (e.g. developing a European identity based on common values; fostering ownership of the EU among citizens; enhancing tolerance, mutual understanding and intercultural dialogue….) and involve experts and community members active in the subject area. Grants of between €30,000 and €150,000 are available with a 1st June deadline. More details are available from the updated Programme Guide at http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/index_en.htm . Under a separate measure, less ambitious 1-2 day conferences to discuss issues of common concern involving 3 or more twinning authorities may also be funded (including flat daily rates for participants). The annual deadline for this is 1st December. Imogen Sudbery of the IPA is Europe for Citizens National Contact Point. Contact her via europeforcitizens@ipa.ie or 0872547088.

28 million euro funding has been set aside this year to stimulate the market uptake of some of Europes best environmental products, processes and services and the 2008 Call for proposals for "Pilot and Market Replication Projects on Eco-Innovation" under the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (EIP) was published on 21 April (until 11 September). Waste treatment, material recycling, clean construction methods and green management are among the areas where innovation can play a key role in developing new sustainable solutions that reduce the ecological footprint of existing industrial processes and enable a more rational use of natural resources.This year’s call focuses on materials recycling and sorting; buildings and construction materials; food & drink production, waste reduction, recycling & recovery; and greening business & smart purchasing (eco-management & Audit Scheme applications for clusters of enterprises, eco-design, eco-labelling, life cycle approaches…). An Information Day is scheduled for 8th May in Brussels. The call text and registration details are available from http://ec.europa.eu/environment/etap/ecoinnovation/library_en.htm

Summary : Call aims at making digital content in Europe more accessible, usable and exploitable under eContent plus The following themes are stressed: geographic information (best practice networks); educational content (best practice networks or Targeted projects); and digital libraries (best practice networks for interoperability or for the use and services of the European Digital Library; targeted projects for cultural content; targeted projects for scientific/scholarly content; a thematic network for co-ordinating and supporting the European Digital Library). Deadlines for submission: 12 June 2008 Budget: total budget earmarked for co-financing indirect actions is EUR 42.5 million. For more details: http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/econtentplus/index_en.htm or http://ec.europa.eu/econtentplus

Funding for ICT use in Energy Efficiency and Sustainability in 'urban areas' and 'public buildings and spaces including lighting' will be available through a call to be launched on 29 April. This is within the context of the ICT Policy Support Programme (ICT PSP), part of the Competitiveness and Innovation framework Programme (CIP). The call covers Objectives 2.1 (pilot actions on "ICT for energy efficiency in public building and spaces, including lighting") and 2.3 (networks for "consensus building and experience sharing in ICT for energy efficiency and sustainability in urban areas" relating to smart distributed power generation or sustainable urban development and management). The Commission Directorate-General for Information Society and Media are organising two info and brokerage days in Brussels on 23 (afternoon, Objective 2.3) and 24 April (all-day, objective 2.1). Register on webpage: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ict/sustainable-growth/infoday20080423-24_en.html