CONCLUSIONS OF WORKSHOP 1CONCLUSIONS OF WORKSHOP 1

““NEW EUROPE NEW TWINNINGS NEW EUROPE NEW TWINNINGS EUROPEAN FORUM”EUROPEAN FORUM”

Moderator: Josep RodríguezModerator: Josep Rodríguez

Diputació de BarcelonaDiputació de Barcelona

WORKSHOP 1WORKSHOP 1

WORKSHOP 1 WORKSHOP 1 Diputació de Barcelona Diputació de Barcelona (ES) (ES)

Prodetur, S.A. (ES) Prodetur, S.A. (ES) Province of Gelderland Province of Gelderland (NL) (NL)

Provincia Regionale di Provincia Regionale di Catania (IT) Catania (IT)

Provincia di Torino (IT) Provincia di Torino (IT) Ajuntament del Prat de Ajuntament del Prat de Llobregat (ES) Llobregat (ES)

Ajuntament de Ajuntament de l’Hospitalet de Llobregat l’Hospitalet de Llobregat (ES) (ES)

Ajuntament de Santa Ajuntament de Santa Coloma de Gramenet Coloma de Gramenet (ES) (ES)

Ajutament d’Almassora Ajutament d’Almassora (ES) (ES)

Ajuntament de Castelló Ajuntament de Castelló (ES) (ES)

Ajuntament de Nules Ajuntament de Nules (ES) (ES)

Ajuntament de la Vall Ajuntament de la Vall d’Uxó (ES) d’Uxó (ES)

Ajuntament de Vila-real Ajuntament de Vila-real (ES) (ES)

Ajuntament de Vinarós Ajuntament de Vinarós (ES)(ES)

Concello de Ourense Concello de Ourense (ES) (ES)

Ayuntamiento de Ayuntamiento de Sanlúcar la Mayor (ES) Sanlúcar la Mayor (ES)

Town of Levoca (SV)Town of Levoca (SV) Tallinn Youth Work Tallinn Youth Work Centre (ET)Centre (ET)

Riga City Council (LT)Riga City Council (LT) Local Council’s Local Council’s Association (Balzan) Association (Balzan) (MT)(MT)

Local Council’s Local Council’s Association (Nadur, Association (Nadur, Gozo) (MT)Gozo) (MT)

COOPERATION EU15 & NEMCOOPERATION EU15 & NEMWays of cooperation:Ways of cooperation:

• Different ways to cooperate by means of twinnings, Different ways to cooperate by means of twinnings, collaboration in thematic nets or projectscollaboration in thematic nets or projects

Difficulties:Difficulties:• Need to identify key contact persons from the Need to identify key contact persons from the

institutionsinstitutions• Cultural ignorance. Sometimes cooperation works Cultural ignorance. Sometimes cooperation works

only between territories culturally close to each otheronly between territories culturally close to each other• Difficulty in fixing key subjects or subjects of common Difficulty in fixing key subjects or subjects of common

interest to cooperate ininterest to cooperate in• Previous work necessary to locate cooperation in a Previous work necessary to locate cooperation in a

suitable starting pointsuitable starting point• Lack of reliable databases with twinning informationLack of reliable databases with twinning information• Languages and cost of travelingLanguages and cost of traveling

COOPERATION EU15 & NEMCOOPERATION EU15 & NEM• Proposals:Proposals:

• Use associations of municipalities to access to Use associations of municipalities to access to information about the reality of local entities information about the reality of local entities and to get in touchand to get in touch

• Use other ways to be informed and get in Use other ways to be informed and get in touch, as territorial representations in BXL, touch, as territorial representations in BXL, EuropeDirect, etc EuropeDirect, etc

• Identify subjects and resemblances between Identify subjects and resemblances between municipalities to make cooperation easiermunicipalities to make cooperation easier

• Recover European seminars to look for new Recover European seminars to look for new membersmembers

TOWN TWINNING EXPERIENCES:

•Differences between EU twinnings and traditional ones:

•Involvement of politicians and citizens:

•Language barriers?:

•Evident effects after twinning:

TOWN TWINNING PROGRAM EVALUATION:TOWN TWINNING PROGRAM EVALUATION:

It is an important tool to promote cooperation between It is an important tool to promote cooperation between municipalities municipalities

It contributes to generate a mutual confidence that It contributes to generate a mutual confidence that must be useful to carry out sociocultural projects, but must be useful to carry out sociocultural projects, but also as a starting point to cooperate in other kind of also as a starting point to cooperate in other kind of initiativesinitiatives

The support it can have to explode new twinnings, and The support it can have to explode new twinnings, and not only the ones already established, is appreciatednot only the ones already established, is appreciated

Less bureaucracy and administrative and financial Less bureaucracy and administrative and financial simplification are desirablesimplification are desirable

The inclusion of quality criteria which don’t exclude The inclusion of quality criteria which don’t exclude the participation of all municipalities, whatever their the participation of all municipalities, whatever their size, is appreciated as wellsize, is appreciated as well