GSS EU Science Funding Gateway

Networks of Towns should provide towns and municipalities the possibility to deepen and intensify their cooperation and debate in a long-term perspective, to develop sustainable networks and to outline their long-term vision for the future of European integration.

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

• Promoting awareness and building knowledge of EU citizenship rights and associated European common values and common democratic standards, ensuring the provision of information to mobile EU citizens (ie. citizens using their right of free movement in the EU to move from one EU Member State to another), including those in a precarious situation and EU citizens with a migrant background, and their family members, and encouraging the inclusion and democratic and equal participation of mobile EU citizens and under-represented groups.
• Promoting awareness and building knowledge of the 30th anniversary of the entry into force of the Maastricht Treaty (1 November 2023) which introduced the concept of European Union citizenship and the adoption of electoral laws taking into account that EU citizenship;
• Promoting awareness, building knowledge and sharing best practice on the benefits of diversity, gender equality as well as effective measures on how to tackle discrimination and racism at local level;
• Bringing citizens together to discuss local actions on the climate and the environment, including energy-related issues, solidarity and sharing best practices, and thus helping to increase citizens’ engagement in society and ultimately their active involvement in the democratic life of the Union.

Networks of Towns projects may also reflect on any impact the COVID-19 pandemic may have had on life within their local communities, on the way in which their communities function and on the forms that civic participation and solidarity took under the COVID-19 crisis and how these forms could become sustainable in the future.