Cooperation between networks of local authorities in the European Union and those of Mediterranean non-member countries

The European Commission has issued a call for proposals for cooperation between networks of local authorities in the European Union and those of Mediterranean non-member countries (MNCs). As part of its new Mediterranean policy, the Commission's Directorate-General for Extern...

The European Commission has issued a call for proposals for cooperation between networks of local authorities in the European Union and those of Mediterranean non-member countries (MNCs).

As part of its new Mediterranean policy, the Commission's Directorate-General for External Economic Relations (DG I) has developed the MED-URBIS programme to promote decentralized cooperation between local authorities in the EU and MNCs (Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Cyprus, Malta, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey and the Occupied Territories). The programme is intended to supplement existing measures in the field of development cooperation with the MNCs. Following a pilot phase (1992/1993), the MED-URBIS programme has entered its consolidation phase, in which cooperation projects are financed on an annual basis.

This tender is aimed at selecting cooperation projects to be financed by the Community from January 1995. The MED-URBIS programme is designed to underpin local social and economic developments in the MNCs, fostering or bolstering cooperation activities involving local authorities in the EU and their MNC counterparts.

The programme seeks to promote:
- The creation or strengthening of trans-Mediterranean cooperation networks comprising European and MNC local authorities;
- The transfer within such networks of experience and know-how in administration and municipal development;
- The development of contractual partnerships and efforts to strengthen and encourage lasting cooperation between network partners;
- Efforts to encourage the active involvement of all who can contribute to municipal development, and the dissemination of experience in the area;
- Publication of the results obtained.

The MED-URBIS programme is open to networks formed for the execution of a cooperation project by European local authorities and local authorities in the MNCs which have been directly or indirectly elected by universal suffrage. A network must involve partners from at least two MNCs and two EU Member States. A network may comprise no more than eight partners. Networks which have taken part in the programme in previous years must submit new proposals if they wish to continue their work. They must not repeat the activities of previous years, but build on completed projects.

Projects must relate to urban development issues of common interest, such as:
- Local democracy;
- Local taxation;
- Municipal administration;
- Urban planning;
- Urban infrastructure;
- Energy resource management;
- Water resource management;
- Environmental protection;
- Economic development;
- Developing tourism;
- Human resource management.

This list of subjects is not exhaustive.

The following activities are eligible for Community financing:
- Training of municipal management teams;
- Placements for experts, technicians and administrators;
- Surveys, audits, methods of analysis, diagnosis;
- Pooling of experience, know-how transfers;
- Seminars, symposiums and conferences;
- Communication, publications, dissemination of results;
- Grassroots involvement in local affairs.
The form for the submission of proposals, along with the relevant terms and conditions, may be obtained from the following address:

European Commission
DG I/H-2
200 rue de la Loi
B-1049 Brussels
Fax [phone]

Countries

Greece