The European project stands on the participation of their citizens. Without a feeling of ownership the European Union can not exist as we know. Based also on this consideration, the European Commission promotes since decades the programme “Europe for Citizens”.

The programme is in the same flow as the 2016 new year resolution taken by AER and its members to put their energies on democracy, human rights and civic participation.

The programme “Europe for Citizens” has been thought as a “plug and play” programme to allow all sorts of organisations to be able to access and manage their projects.

The programme is composed by two actions, called strands:

• European remembrance (Strand 1): raise awareness of remembrance, common history and values and the Union’s aim
• Democratic engagement and civic participation (Strand 2): encourage democratic and civic participation of citizens at Union level

Under the Strand 2, “Democratic engagement and civic participation”, there are three different measures:

• Town Twinning              (max eligible € 25.000, max duration 21 days)
• Networks of towns        (max eligible € 150.000, max duration 24 months)
• Civil society projects    (max eligible € 150.000, max duration 18 months)

Here a short description of the three measures.

It is important to note that on this measure public local/regional authorities can be only partner and not the lead organisation of the project.

For the Strand 1, “European remembrance”, specific priorities are set each year.

The priorities for 2017 are:

• 1917 The social and political revolutions, the fall of empires and their impact on Europe’s political and historical landscape
• 1957 The Treaty of Rome and the beginning of European Economic Community

All the priorities until 2020 are already defined in the Europe for Citizens web page.

Projects presented on this strand have a maximum eligible cost of €100.000 and a maximum duration of 18 months.

Applicants can be public local/regional authorities or non-profit organisations, including civil society organisations among others.

The programme is open to the 28 UE member state plus other countries as Albania, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia. Since September 2016 also Bosnia-Erzegovina is eligible for the programme.

The deadlines for the strands are:

• European remembrance           01 March 2017
• Democratic engagement and civic participation
  • Town Twinning                01 March and 01 September 2017
  • Networks of towns           01 March and 01 September 2017
  • Civil society projects        01 March 2017    

Find more information on the webpage of the programme with a click on this link.

Check the page of the national contact points to keep in touch with the one in your country.

Get in contact with AER Secretariat to share your project idea with other regions!