Active European citizenship: grants to civic participation actions, 2004-2008 action programme

PURPOSE : to provide a basic act for the funding of programmes actively promoting European citizenship. CONTENT : the European Union is committed to promoting active European Citizenship. For several years support has been provided for this commitment under headings in Part A and B of the EU's budget. They include co-financing for the operating costs of: - the Association of the Councils of State and Supreme Administrative Jurisdictions of the European Union; - the "Our Europe" Association; - European think-tanks and organisations advancing the idea of Europe; - the activities of associations and federations of European interest; - the European Council on Refugees and Exiles; - the Jean Monnet House and the Robert Schuman House; - town twinning schemes in the EU; - the promotion of European citizenship ; - measures for civil society by means of grants to non-governmental organisation and trade union organisations; and - the operating costs of the Platform of European Social NGO's. The adoption of an EU Council Regulation on the financial regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities and the decision to base the structure of the Commission budget on an Activity Based Budgeting (ABB) approach require basic acts to be adopted for a number of grants hitherto financed under appropriations entered in administrative appropriations of the Commission section of the budget. The purpose of this Decision is to adopt an act providing a basis for grants towards the promotion of active European citizenship and is to last for a period of five years (2004-2008). The amounts provided for are largely based on those allocated in the budget of the European Union for the 2003 financial year. The total amount proposed is EUR 113.092 million.�