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What is Europe?

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Europe. A Europe of nations. Numerous states with numerous languages.

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Europe. Numerous cities.

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Towns of incomparable interest.

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Europe. Countless regions which share common ground across its borders.

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Europe. Many million citizens that have a lot in common.

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Europe is composed of the diversity of its citizens.

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In Brussels and Strasbourg, they find their political centre.

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More and more Europeans enter the political stage themselves.

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Citizens that are dedicated to everyday life and engage in numerous projects.

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The European Commission supports Europe-centred initiatives, projects, organisations and networks

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with a string of programmes. For the period 2007 to 2013, a new programme

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has been brought to life. Europe for Citizens.

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Aiming at four objectives. Citizens participation.

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Sense of European identity. Sense of ownership.

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Tolerance and mutual understanding. This is Active European Citizenship.

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The programme is based on four actions.

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Action 1. Active Citizens for Europe. Support citizens in direct contact.

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One base for the encounters is town twinning agreements, enabling citizens simply to come

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together. The programmes support cross-border relationships

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and understanding, and create citizen networks from various European backgrounds.

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Projects to provide citizens on a regional and a European level with opportunities to

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participate directly in the construction of Europe will be supported.

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Action 2. Supports Active Civil Society for Europe.

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This includes think tanks, non-profit organisations, trade unions and societies that co-operate

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across European borders. Organisations that deal with transnational

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and European issues, and give input to European policy making.

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Action 2 also supports civil society projects, like the International Coordination of Young

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Christian Workers in Rome, or the Friends of the Earth in Malta, both winners of the

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Golden Star 2006. They brought together participants from up

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to 10 countries. In Action 3, Together for Europe, high visibility

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events like the Golden Stars Award, or the May the 9th celebration and the Citizenship

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Forum are supported. Events that make Europe more visible and concrete

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for the citizens. The aim of projects supported under Action

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4, entitled Active European Remembrance, is to keep alive the memory of the victims of

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Nazism and Stalinism. It is important to improve the knowledge and

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understanding of present and future generations about what took place in concentration camps

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and other places of mass civilian extermination, and why.

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The strengthening of European identity. This is the aim of the four actions of Europe

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for Citizens programme. This objective will be supported by more than

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200 million euros in the following years. The uncomplicated application process, swift

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decisions and rapid grants, will enable dedicated Europeans to build bridges for meeting other

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dedicated Europeans. Europe is as strong as the engagement of

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its citizens.

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www.action4europe.org