Brussels, 27/04/2009 (Agence Europe) - Twinning is part of the main area of activity of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), which promotes exchanges and cooperation between municipalities as a driver of European integration. The 24th General Assembly in Malmö celebrated the 20th anniversary of both European Union support through its twinning assistance programme and of the fall of the Iron Curtain. In 1989, there were 8,000 twinnings with a budget of 3.5 million, and in 2009 there are 20,000 with a budget of 11 million. The launch of the twinning programme in Europe with the support of the CEMR in 1989 meant the movement could make huge leaps in its development. Twinning has brought opportunities to learn about new cultures and to provide support for the reunification of Europe.
Janusz Marszalek, Chairman of the CEMR's twinning network and Mayor of Oœwiêcim in Poland, said that “twinning can help Europe strengthen relations with its neighbours in the hope that they will join the EU”. Twinning means that difficulties can be resolved equitably through lively dialogue and the involvement of ordinary citizens in European integration. “It's about building Europe and working for peace,” Marszalek said in conclusion.
There has been a “rebirth of local identity with an intense feeling of belonging,” suggested Francisco Javier León De La Riva, Mayor of Valladolid in Spain and President of the International Relations Commission of the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces. Local level is much stronger because it has been given greater decision-making powers at European level to represent the interests and demands of citizens, he said.
“Civil society support would strengthen twinning” bringing a “real platform for civil activities,” said Risto Raivo, Head of the Citizenship policy, Europe for Citizens Unit, at DG Education of the European Commission. In May of this year, the Commission will propose making 2011 a European Year of Voluntary and Community Work. The 2011 Twinning Congress will ensure that close collaboration with the Commission can be continued as the twinning movement is modernised and updated. Raivo noted that the idea of a year of voluntary work should be on the agenda of the 2011 Congress. (E.M./transl.rt)