Who we are. Why. in a few lines. world. strives. The City. of Rybnik, The City. in 10. points. governments. citizens

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2 Who we are in a few lines CEMR ( The Council of European Municipalitiess and Regions (CEMR) is the largest organisation representing local and regional government in Europe; its members being 53 national associations of towns, municipalities and regions from 399 countries. Together, these associations represent some local and regional authorities. CEMR primarily works to promote a united Europe basedd on local and regional self- the government and democracy. In order to achievee this goal, it endeavours to shape future of Europe by enhancing the local and regional contribution to European law and policy, to exchange experiences at thee local and regional levels and to cooperate with partners in other parts of the world. APC ( The Association of Polish Cities (APC) brings together cities and towns from all overr Poland and notably aims at supporting local self-government and decentralisation. It also strives to defend the interests of Polish municipalities, to promote their needs, to exchange experiences in the field of local management and to work towards their economic and cultural development. The City of Rybnik (ww.rybnik. eu) The City of Rybnik, often called the "Green City in Silesia", has approximately 140 thousand inhabitants. It is considered as being a modern and efficient e local authority, and neighbouring towns refer to it as a natural centre for transportation, administration, economy, culture and education. Rybnikk is particularly proud that t Jerzy Buzek, president of the European Parliament, is one of the city s honorary citizens. Why a congress? in 10 points To discover the next generation of partnerships between local and regional governments To learn how to improve the existing dialogue betweenn elected representatives and citizens To explore ways of fostering a more grassroots democracy To contribute to the post-2013 Europe for Citizens programme To discusss how municipalities and civil society active in memoryy can cooperate to raise the interest of young peoplee vis-à-vis citizenship

3 To discusss the setting-up of long term twinning links or partnerships between municipalities active in the field of gender equality To explore how interaction between youth and seniorr citizens can be promoted to develop intergenerational solidarity and increase their participation in local life To discover tools to promote the full participation of citizens ncluding those with immigrant origins To explore how local and regional authorities can take part inn good governance worldwide To see how twinning can serve as a tool to facilitate cooperation with EU neighbouring local and regional government Media highlight and facilities for journalists The media highlights of the Congress will be: Opening speeches by Bronisław Komorowski, President off the Republic of Poland; Ryszard Grobelny, President of the Association of Polish Cities, Mayor of Poznań; Adam Fudali, Mayor off Rybnik; Wolfgang Schuster, S President off CEMR, European Vice-President of UCLG, Mayor of Stuttgart (29 Sept, ); A balloon launch in celebration of CEMR's 60th anniversary. A group photo will be taken of all participants and the citizens of Rybnik R on the steps of the Congress centre (29 Sept, 15.45); A press point - to be confirmedd (29 Sept, after the opening o session, ~17..00); Remembrance ceremony at Auschwitz-Birkenau (30 Sept, ) ). An editorial room with freee Internet access will be available for journalists. Please note that no computers will be provided in the room. Who you will meet The Congress will bring together 300 representativess from local and regional governments, European institutions (European Commission, European Parliament etc ), the Polish presidency of the European Union, representatives from the civil society, experts in the field of town twinning and citizenship. Invited speakers include: Bronisław Komorowski, President of the Republic of Poland Ryszard Grobelny, President of the Association of Polish Cities, Mayor of Poznań Adam Fudali, Mayor of Rybnik Wolfgang Schuster, President of CEMR, European Vice-President of UCLG, Mayor of Stuttgart Jerzy Buzek, President of the European Parliament

4 Everything you need to know About town twinning No. of twinning links in Europe in Austria 890 Albania 28 Belgium 820 Bosnia 70 Bulgaria 421 Croatia 279 Cyprus 118 Czech Republic 1061 Denmark 608 Estonia 564 Finland 1111 France 6776 Germany 6048 Greece 519 Hungary 1704 Iceland 147 Ireland 265 Italy 2755 Latvia 357 Lithuania 484 Luxembourg 118 FYROM 92 Malta 67 Montenegro 11 Netherlands 592 Norway 594 Poland 3508 Portugal 387 Romania 1991 Serbia 304 Slovakia 801 Slovenia 216 Spain 984 Sweden 1120 Switzerland 466 Turkey 374 United Kingdom 2059 Ukraine 799 A quick overview Twinning is the expression of a European unity and identity built from the grass roots. It is perhaps the most visible v formm of European co- as operation, with thousands of towns and villages proudly declaring, you enter their territory, which partner communitiess they are twinned with. Twinning is also a flexible instrument. It can c take place between small villages, towns, counties, big cities. It can focus onn a whole range r of issues, and can involve a wide range of actors from two or more twinned communities. A good twinning partnership can bring many benefits to a community and the municipality. By bringingg people together fromm different parts of Europe, it gives an opportunity to share problems, exchange views and understand different t viewpoints on any issue where there is a shared interest orr concern. There are many examples of good twinning practices, covering a wide range of issues - art t and culture, young people, citizenship, sustainable development, local public services, local economic e development, social inclusion, solidarity, etc. Twinning represents r a long-term commitment between partners, rather than a short-term partnershipp project. Projects should be able to withstand changes inn political leadership and a short-term difficulties for one or the other partner, and support each other in times of need, e.g. a major flood. As a long-term commitmen nt, it is vital to ensure that the partnership is regularly reviewed, to makee sure it meets the needs of the present day, and remains fresh and dynamic. Equally important is the dual commitment required for twinning links to be successful: that of the local authorities, but also that of the citizens. In a few words: theree can be no twinning without w the active participation of the citizens! Thiss dual nature often requires r the setting up of a twinning committee bringing together local officials and citizens. More information is available on the twinning website: : available in 23 languages.

5 Contact details for journalists At CEMR Press officer Emilie Melvin Phone: Website: At APC In charge of International Cooperation / International Relations Katarzyna Paczyńska kasiah@zmp.poznan.pl Spokesperson Joannaa Proniewicz redakcja@zmp.poznan.pl Phone: At the City of Rybnik Spokesperson Lucyna Tyl promocja@um.rybnik.pl Phone: Website: More info? More information about the programme e, how to register, howw to get there, etc., is available on the Congress website:

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