More participation of citizens, more countries involved, more debate on the issues and European values.
This is the idea of the European Commission for the reform of twinning in the next program, 2014-2020, confirming the budget of 30 million a year to fund the twinning projects with the intention of making more effective their performance.
It’s what said Anna Cozzoli, Department of Citizenship EACEA, the Executive Agency Education, Audiovisual and Culture of the European Commission, in liaison from Brussels, to the participants at the international conference organised by ALDA in Venice, within the project INTACT.
The central theme of the conference was just the future of twinning in view of their protagonists, municipalities, nonprofit associations, economic groups and companies that, even in the Veneto region, is taking a greater interest in public-private partnership programs, a new variation of twinning, which puts more emphasis on activities that can generate local economic development and prosperity for the population.
In Venice, representatives of these groups from seven countries (France, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Romania, Malta, Albania) as well as a large Italian representatives have discussed these issues.
“The Euro Info Veneto collects more and more requests for participation of companies in the European Partnership programs and projects, new opportunities for relationships and potential development tools,” said Gian Angelo Bellati, director of Unioncamere Veneto and Euro Info.
The future of twinning is therefore positive, as indicated in the idea of reform, summed up in less dinners and football games, more partners and more countries involved from any single project, more companies, more meetings where people talk of European issues and ideas of sustainable development, so that the exchange of good ideas and good practices may arise concrete growth opportunities for the territory and for Europe as a whole.
“For the harmonious development of the European territory as a whole and the strengthening of economic, social and territorial cohesion – stressed Antonella Valmorbida, ALDA Director – is therefore necessary to strengthen the transnational territorial cooperation”.
During the two days of the conference the best practices and experiences gained by the partners of the projects were presented and shared during workshops on city diplomacy, technical assistance to the twin cities, private sector involvement.
“The work has revealed the need and the will to the relaunch of twinning – said Massimo Ciullo, lead partner of the ADL Albania – although certainly with new perspectives and content, because every relationship, especially internationally, is also useful to economic development at this particular moment of crisis”.
The meeting in Venice was promoted in cooperation with the Council of Europe and the main economic actors of the Veneto Region, Eurosportello Unioncamere, CIA, Italian Farmers Confederation, represented by the Regional President Daniele Toniolo, CAN, National Confederation of craft, Lega of Cooperative.
The INTACT project, lasting two years, has seen the organisation of numerous events and activities in many European countries, as international workshops, local activities, a Summer School on the themes of active citizenship, local economic initiatives and international relations between local authorities.
These activities have strengthened the link between the twenty partners of the project (NGOs and local authorities) from seven countries, particularly involved in the theme of citizen participation, promotion of European values and integration process.