Parliamentary Assembly Assemblée parlementaire AS/ENA/Prix (2006) 2 28 April 2006 Committee on the Environment, Agriculture and Local and Regional Affairs Summary of applications for the Europe Prize and the Plaque of Honour for 2006 Memorandum prepared by the Secretariat of the Parliamentary Assembly GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION AWARDED APPLICATIONS PRIZE PLAQUE FLAG renewed in 2006 PRIZE PLAQUE Autriche 6 7 42 - 4 Belgique 5 6 54 - 2 Bulgarie - - 1 - - Croatie - - 1 - - Danemark 2 - 3 - - France 9 33 187 1 5 Allemagne 13 65 361 16 31 Finlande - - 1 - - Grèce 1 - 1 - - Hongrie - 6 13 4 3 Irlande - - 5 - - Italie 7 15 101 - 3 Liechtenstein - - - - - Lituanie 1 1 1 - - Luxembourg - - 2 - - Moldova - 1 1 - - Pays-Bas 3 4 45 - - Norvège 1 - - - - Pologne 2 14 35 6 10 Portugal - 1 6 - - Roumanie - 1 5 1 1 Russie 1 2 6 - 1 Slovaquie - - 1 - - Slovénie - - 2 - 1 Espagne 1 2 19 - - Suède - 1 4 - 1 Suisse 2 1 21 - - Turquie 2 1 8 - - Ukraine - - 2 - - Royaume-Uni 5 14 104 - 2 ------------------------------------------------------------------- TOTAL 61 175 1033 28 65 2 A U S T R I A Reports in: Twinned with: Since: JUDENBURG 2001 MASSA E COZZILE (I) 1999 (Steiermark) 2002 Multi-twinning with 15 (Pop. 10 000) 2003 European municipalities 2000 2004 2005 2006 <European Diploma in 2001> <Flag of Honour in 2003> 1. The twinning with Massa e Cozzile comprises primarily exchanges between private individuals, cultural and sports associations, schools and a few economic exchanges. A twinning committee has been set up and an initial meeting in the year 2000 between officials from the towns should lead to closer links. Language courses are also organised. 2. The multi-twinning which Judenburg joined in the year 2000 involved the following European municipalities – Altea (E), Bellagio (I), Bundoran (Irl), Granville (F), Holstebro (DK), Houffalize (B), Karkkila (Fin), Kötzting (D), Meersen (NL), Öxelösung (S), Preveza (GR), Sesimbra (P) and Sherborne (UK). There were plans to set up a network of information and addresses to facilitate school and cultural contacts. Two annual meetings between delegations from the member towns provide an opportunity to initiate new inter-municipal projects. Judenburg has taken part in several events: “Kötzing gourmet market” and the “Street festival” in Bellagio where all the partner towns exhibited their regional products. An organisation to provide aid to refugees was set up back in 1989 to help Romania. Currently, this organisation is attempting to integrate Kosovar, Albanian and Iranian refugees. In 2001, Judenburg fostered youth exchanges by organising a language week at Massa e Cozzile, sending young people from Judenburg to a seminar organised by Granville and contributing to the European Year of Languages by organising a Language Festival, which was well attended. Other noteworthy exchanges included: a trip by 25 people to Helsinki and Karkkila under the multi- twinning arrangement, a visit by veterans from a club in Kötzting, a trip by 30 inhabitants of Judenburg to Massa e Cozzile for the traditional beer festival, with presentation of local products. Economic meetings between local leaders should lead to more exchanges. In 2002 Judenburg took part in a number of activities run jointly by the municipalities involved in the multi-twinning. These included student exchanges under the Comenius programme, a language- learning week in Tuscany, participation by teachers and students in an international seminar on twinning in Brussels, a sports week and working session in Houffalize and a youth placement in Ireland. Under its twinning programme with Massa e Cozzile, Judenburg hosted 40 visitors and organised a whole series of outings for them; it also sent a drama group to a festival in Massa and took part in the traditional beer festival, as well as organising a Tuscan festival showcasing typical produce from the Italian region. ------------------------------- Asterisks appearing after the name of a twin town indicate the level of distinction held by that town: * = European Diploma ** = Flag of Honour *** = Plaque of Honour **** = Europe Prize 3 AUSTRIA (continued) JUDENBURG In 2003 Judenburg concentrated on developing its contacts with Kötzting – hosting visiting students, taking part in Kötzting's Cultural Week and arranging meetings between political groups. The highlight of activities with Massa e Cozzile was Judenburg's "Tuscan Festival" which continues to attract thousands of visitors. The most important event of the year, however, was the presentation of the Flag of Honour. In 2004 Judenburg elected a new mayor who pledged to continue the efforts of his predecessor in developing the municipality's European activities. That he has fulfilled his pledge is clear from the long list of activities which Judenburg organised in 2004. It was Judenburg's turn that year to host the main meeting of the multi-twinning, the 26th such gathering. Delegations from 19 countries visited and spent several days in the municipality. During the official ceremony to mark the event, five new partners joined the twinning: Chojna (PL), Köszeg (H), Sigulda (LV), Susice (CZ) and Turi (EE). Judenburg also organised two workshops, one on language learning and the other on renewable energy, as well as a European festival and a gourmet market at which the 20 partner municipalities showcased their culinary specialities. Judenburg participated in a number of events organised by its twinning partners: two groups visited Sigulda, a party of farmers took part in the Massa e Cozzile beer festival, a group of young people stayed in Granville, and Judenburg was represented at the Autumn Conference there. In 2005, a municipal Twinning Committee was set up as a token of Judenburg’s interest in European activities. The main contacts have been: • with Massa e Cozzile, as part of the annual Tuscany festival in Judenburg, showcasing typical Tuscan produce and culinary specialities; the counterpart to this event in Massa e Cozzile is the annual Beer Festival there; • with Sherborne, which hosted the international Twelve-Way Twinning Weekend on the occasion of the 1300th anniversary of its Abbey; Judenburg was represented at the event, where it invited locals to discover its Styrian specialities; • with Granville, which took in five young people from Judenburg for sailing competitions; • with Meerssen, which hosted the annual Twelve-Way Twinning encounter attended by 16 of the 20 member towns, with five guests from each town; • choirs and a brass band from Judenburg visited Kötzting. However, Judenburg’s pride and joy is the 1st Twinning Prize which it won in 2005 for its transfrontier co-operation projects. It was awarded in recognition of the encounter organised in 2004 on the theme of “Europe meets in Judenburg – contacts between citizens”, at which 20 countries had been represented. Small, active town, but the Flag of Honour was only awarded fairly recently. 4 AUSTRIA (continued) Reports in: Twinned with : Since: REISSECK 1999 KÖNIGSBRONN (D)** 1978 (Kärnten) 2000 (pop. 2.500) 2002 2004 2005 2006 <European Diploma in 1999> <Flag of Honour in 2002> The first contacts between the two municipalities date from 1958 when they involved mainly musical associations and folk groups. Since 1978 each municipality participates through delegations in anniversaries and other main events of the twin town and the local newspaper gives an account of what happened in the twin town. Among the main twinning events : the week of Königsbronn in Reisseck in 1996 and the celebration in 1998 of the 20th twinning anniversary in Königsbronn. Contacts at associative level are well developed, in particular : - between municipal bands, folk groups, fire fighters and sportsmen (annual organisation of a great football meeting for young people). Many sports associations, theatre groups meet regularly, as well as farmers and hunters of both municipalities. Reisseck also developed contacts between families and is proud of its four weddings concluded between inhabitants of the two municipalities. All these activities are financially supported by the municipality. Reisseck provided a home for up to 90 refugees during the war between Croatia and Bosnia- Herzegovina (1992-1997). In 1999 the two twin municipalities of Königsbronn and Reisseck submitted a joint application for the Flag of Honour. The presentation of the European Diploma in 1998 was celebrated in style in Königsbronn. A wide variety of meetings were organised between associations: drama groups, choirs, fire brigades, and hunting and tennis clubs. Youth exchanges subsidised by the European Union involved 100 young people in 1998 and 1999. There were also professional exchanges between banks and water boards. One citizen of Königsbronn celebrated his 70th birthday by setting up a fund to support young people during their meetings with the twin town. Less traditional events that marked 2000 and 2001 included the “open day” organised by the municipality of Königsbronn, to which a delegation from Reisseck was invited; a visit to Reisseck by the Königsbronn Rural Heritage Conservation Committee; the creation of a Königsbronn web site which also presents the twin town of Reisseck; participation by both towns in the Friendship Festival organised in Freisach, which traditionally brings together all the twin towns of Carinthia, Slovenia and northern Italy. Having been awarded the Flag of Honour in 2002, Reisseck and its twinned municipality of Königsbronn are both applying this year for the Plaque of Honour. Reisseck organised the presentation ceremony in 2002 and 280 people travelled from Königsbronn for the occasion. 5 Austria (continued) REISSECK (continued) The 25th anniversary of the twinning was celebrated in 2003 and friendship between the two municipalities continued to develop with the usual round of inter-association contacts, delegation visits for special events (celebrations to mark the 700th anniversary of Königsbronn's Cistercian foundation as well as its annual street festival). In 2004 Reisseck concentrated on the need to forge new contacts, and with this in mind the Königsbronn handball club visited Reisseck for a training session for the first time.