Brussels, 16/10/2002 (Agence Europe) - Last Thursday, the European Commission launched the CIVITAS forum, a platform for exchanging ideas and experience in the context of the CIVITAS project (an initiative that aims to modify modal breakdown for adopting means of transport conform to sustainable development), which allows affiliated towns to take advantage of the experience of pioneer towns with ambitious and coherent policies for energy and town transport. According to this initiative, the Commission will make EUR 50 million available to jointly finance projects set in place in the first nineteen participant towns (Aalborg, Barcelona, Berlin, Bremen, Bristol, Bucharest, Cork, Gydnia, Gothenburg, Graz, Kaunas, Lille, Nantes, Pécs, Prague, Rome, Rotterdam, Stockholm and Winchester). The projects, which began early 2002, will run for four years. Next year, this financial aid will be extended to other European towns under the sixth Framework Programme for Research and Development (FPRD). Examples of projects are: in Berlin, the large-scale adoption of clean vehicles (mainly gas vehicles) for carrying passengers and goods, and, in Lille, extension of the bus fleet using biofuels, up to 80% of the total fleet by 2004.