Objectives

• To promote exchanges between citizens of different countries;
• To give citizens the opportunity to discover the cultural diversity of the European Union and to make them aware that European values and cultural heritage constitute the foundation for a common future;
• To guarantee peaceful relations between Europeans and to ensure their active participation at the local level;
• To reinforce mutual understanding and friendship between European citizens;
•  To encourage cooperation between municipalities and the exchange of best practices;
• To support good local governance and reinforce the role of local and regional authorities in the European integration process.

While maintaining a bottom-up approach, specific focus could be given to:

• Strengthening the European and democratic dimension of the EU decision-making process
• Supporting free and fair elections in Europe
• Fostering a sense of belonging to Europe by promoting the debate on the future of Europe
• Reflecting on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the local communities

Twinning is a strong link that binds municipalities; therefore, the potential of the networks created by a series of town twinning links should be used for developing thematic and long-lasting cooperation between towns.

Networks of Towns are expected to:

• Integrate a range of activities around the subject(s) of common interest to be addressed in the context of the Programme’s objectives or policy priorities;
• Mobilise citizens across the Europe;
• To deepen and intensify the cooperation of towns and municipalities and offer them the possibility to debate in a long term perspective, to develop sustainable networks