the project

A big concern for many years in our state is the cooperation with our partners in South Eastern Europe. This has been defined in our European strategy. Each year we focus on one country to build sustainable partnerships. Slovenia and Croatia are by now EU Member States and the other countries have or are targeting an association status.  The Europe for Citizens program stands for the improved communication between local communities and the citizens, this does not only include town twinning projects but also the networking on substantial topics.  In the context of the call „Europe for Citizens Support Measures Project“ a project has now been drafted with the support of the partners from Southeast Europe. This project was approved on 09.18.2013 by the European Commission (Decision No. 2013 - 2967/001-001). Proposals to implement a meaningful EU Information Europe were filed in 96 projects. Five percent of the projects were selected.

Projectobjectives:

Capacity Building programme for municipality co-operation in the Adria-Balkan-Countries under the Europe for Citizens Programme 2014-2020, short CAP-ABC, contents information on the new funding in the program "Europe for citizens". This project aims to create events to inform the public about the new funding possibilities in the program for citizens in Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Italy. The new priorities and frameworks bring a high need for information with them, the covers of this project. The aim is on the one hand general project and submission of information to give, but to also offer concrete assistance in the project submission. A key element is the establishment of sustainable partnerships and intensified cultural networking. Cultural exchange is an engine for mutual understanding and good relations. Accordingly, a focus of the project is to provide information on cultural cooperation.

Two-day information workshops and seminars:

Community, cities and interested NGOs of the region "Europe for Citizens" was introduced in the new regulations in the program and become familiar with the possibilities of financing of community collaborations. In addition, selected artistic and cultural cooperation are presented, both as examples of good practice of cooperation between regions and municipalities as well as the basis for the ideas and inspiration for new projects and collaborations.

project content

Main content of the support measures project is the planning and implementation of information workshops on the subject of Europe for Citizens. It is particularly noteworthy that, with 2014 a new funding period for the program “Europe for Citizens” will come into effect. Due to changing priorities and frameworks, both in the new participating countries and  Styria,  there will be a need for information. This void can be filled by the implementation of the Support Measures project and funded by the European Union.

The project will achieve the promotion of cooperation with the Balkan countries at the municipal and citizens level. In addition to the information of municipalities and citizens the cultural and artistic exchange between the participating countries, citizens and communities is the key to cooperation and serves as an example of good practice.