The centre for euro
project
planning
for
local governments.
Planning
Centre for
European
www.focuseurope.org
Integration
FocusEurope
Europea
Online services
Focus Europe
Branches :
Rome
Via Vigliena, 10
Pisa
Via Cuppari, 69
Brussels
Rue d’Egmont, 15
The Focus Europe Association
Planning Centre for European Integration
Focus Europe offers fast, complete
updates to its members.
Thanks to its “Servizio Alert”,
members can request information
on calls for proposals and
community programmes by filling in
the form in the members-only area.
Our experts will reply via email in a
few days.
The “Documenti” section in this
reserved area contains the relevant
information
on
training
and
community
projects
and
is
constantly updated. It is a personal
library to consult as an aid in the
performance
of
one’s
administrative duties.
In addition, all members can
publicise initiatives, events and
projects of a European nature that
are taking place in their areas, by
sending
short
articles
and
photographs to the “I soci
informano”
section.
This
information will be included in the
news on the association’s home
page.
Finally,
every
month
the
association’s free, newsletter and
bulletin of all the open European
calls for proposals is sent out to
members.
For more information:
[email protected]
Focus Europe was set up in 2006 with the aim of
promoting local contexts by helping local government
have access to and use of resources made available by
the European Union. The association is specialised in
European programming and Community funding. It
offers European project creation and management
services.
It’s winning formula involves personalised
solutions with the signing of agreements between local
government bodies interested in valorising their area
with planning and training initiatives that are co-funded
by the EU. At the same time the association offers the
opportunity of exchange with other EU institutions and
organisations from developing countries. Focus Europe
has offices in Rome and Brussels which have deskprojects to provide full project development support.
In this way the institutions that are Focus Europe
members benefit from representation in Community
bodies, including: the European Parliament through
information
and
training
channels,
the
European
Commission with the co-funding of pilot projects and EC
partners
through
programme
exchanges
on
the
management and valorisation of local resources. The
Association’s
legal
representatives
are
public
administrators who provide their invaluable experience
of
governance
and facilitate dialogue
institutions and local stakeholders.
between
Training
opportunities in
Focus Europe
Activities
Focus Europe
Information
Finding your way in European project planning requires particular attention to community legislation, constant monitoring
of financial opportunities and open contact with the functionaries of community institutions. These operations are not
always easy for local government, and even less so for individual citizens. Focus Europe organises regular training and
information seminars on European funding for the administrators and staff of its associated members.
Moreover, it arranges internships for young graduates from the areas of the member local governments. In these case
the aim is to generate and valorise human resources who have the skills to work in the fields of community policies, euro
planning and international cooperation.
To round off these specialist courses Focus Europe arranges on-the-job training with Italian and foreign universities.
Training is one of the essential
At the request of its members Focus Europe can also organise conferences and infodays on Europe and community
support factors in planning EU
funding programmes as well as training courses reserved for schools and to promote the culture of and develop a spirit
projects.
of European citizenship.
Currently
local
government
bodies are called upon to
Project planning
follow the EU’s programming
Focus Europe supplies local governments with highly specialised consultancy and support on community, national and
guidelines. In the future this will
regional projects and funding. These activities cover the project’s entire lifecycle: its creation, drafting, presentation and
be even more so. So a well-
management. The proposals are developed according to the characteristics of the area in question and the programme
organised strategy is needed
priorities of the institution. Particular focus is given to: transnationality, sustainability, the compensation of critical points,
to overcome the difficulties
the European dimension, the ability for dissemination, the positive knock-on effects on the area’s economy and that of
associated with training and
project partners, as well as the added value obtained from an EU point of view. The Association’s Brussels office runs a
the acquisition of the right
desk-project that analyses and processes the information supplied by the presenter and identifies the funding that best
methods, approach, tools and
suites the needs of the area. It will then look for partners to set up the national and transnational partnership required by
skills.
community calls for proposals. The desk-project’s activities of monitoring and evaluation cover both funding areas of the
European Union: structural funds and direct management funds.
Focus Europe is involved at
institutional
level
in
the
Training
planning and implementation of
When carrying out its activities, local government needs to make continual reference to the actions, decisions and
training schemes to support
opportunities of the EU. Training objectives are a priority for Focus Europe which promotes learning models for
local
preparing community projects and which are specific to each sector of action proposed by the European Commission.
government
but
also
young citizens who want to
In particular there are two training courses designed as workshops for learning the skills required for project planning.
take
The courses are broken down into the following modules that handle all aspects of planning:
advantage
of
the
opportunities for professional
growth within EU institutions.

project lifecycle;

transnational partnerships;

budget and expense eligibility;

management of the project;

dissemination;

interim and ex post auditing;

validation;

sustainability.
For more information go to: www.focuseurope.org
Our
seminars
Focus Europe’s
Members
Honorary Members
Gianni Pittella - Sergio Silvestris - Fabio Porta - Gino Nunes
Pasqualina Napoletano - Roberto Di Giovanpaolo
Antonello Pezzini - Henning Holmen Moller
The Association’s
Organogram
Focus
Europe
organises
regular
information
and
training
seminars
on
funding
for
European
municipalities
in
Southern
Italy.
Chairman
Graziano Milia
In particular, the Association
will
organise
training
an
course
annual
that
is
reserved for administrators
and staff of all its members in
ViceChairman
Fabio Porta
Board of Directors
order to equip them with a
suitable
approach
towards
Community themes and to
ensure that they acquire the
Treasurer
Roberto Ciompi
Members' Assembly
skills
for
Member support
Fabio Roccuzzo
Planning
Fernando De Luca
Training
Francesco Carnovale
General Secretary
Luca Bortolussi
Comunicaztions
Giovanni Casula
NGO relations
Ernesto Piro
and
financial auditing in European
projects.
Mananging Director
Roberto Ciompi
planning
Our activities
Some statistics
Agreements:
The Association’s
Curriculum
Covenants signed and ongoing
with AICCRE, CIA, the ItaloEgyptian chamber of commerce,
CNA Basilicata
Financial agreements:
Province of Potenza,
Research and development in
Puglia
Events and Training:
 2 events in Brussels,
 6 in Sardinia,
 1 in Campania,
 1 in Calabria,
Our Curriculum from 2006 to date
Focus Europe is a young association that was founded as recently as 2006 and built on the desire of representatives,
from Italian and European Institutions, to give institutions in Southern Italy the chance to have closer contacts and
exchange with the European Union. An association seemed the appropriate format and it has based its mission on three
specific areas: Community planning, Training and Euro-partnerships.
The seminars and workshops run by Focus Europe have increased its profile, particularly with its In-Formazione initiative
at Community level at the Europarliament in Brussels, the European Commission and the European Investment Bank.
There were followed by In-Formazione events at regional level.
Projects already organised and currently underway have embraced a wide range of areas in European exchange; from
the internationalisation process between Southern Italy and the Mediterranean to energy policies, from agricultural
policies to culture, from decentralised cooperation to environmental policies. Today the Association has 80 members that
are mainly municipalities from the provinces of: Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Lazio, Liguria, Marche, Puglia,
Tuscany, Sardinia and Sicily.
 1 in Puglia,
 1 in Moscow,
 3 in Rome ,
 2 in Sicily,
 1 in Calabria,
 1 in Basilicata,
Project planning:
Projects organised by the Association
Fostering Organic Agriculture
This proposal has been concerted by two local public institution of Italy, a non-governmental public organization of
Bulgaria and an association of young farmers of Hungary: the COMUNE di CASTELBUONO – SICILY (applicant), the
Comune di San Gavino Monreale – SARDINIA, the Varna Chamber of Commerce and Industry – VARNA REGION and
the Agricultural and Rural Youth Association (AGRYA) - BUDAPEST
 5 projects funded,
 4 projects being assessed,
 3 projects not funded,
 12 projects presented
Board of Directors’ activities:
Europe Without Borders
“The Union needs to become more democratic, more transparent and more efficient. It also has to resolve three basic
challenges: how to bring citizens, and primarily the young, closer to the European design and the European
institutions…” (from Laeken Declaration on the future of the European Union – December 2001).
13 institutional and technical
meetings in Rome
Members:
Project “Pari opportunità:studi e confronti"
Planning and development of teaching modules on gender differences.
Currently the association has 81
members
«LAB.Giovani» resources and ideas of young people from the South
The Lab.Giovani project aims to support the active participation of young people in activities like research, training,
INFORMATION FROM THE
ANNUAL REPORT 2008
information, social communication and cultural growth to underpin their knowledge and skills in order to obtain genuinely
effective results to such problems as discrimination and the risks of exclusion of young people with disabilities in
Southern Italy.
Euro-Mediterranean Project
Pilot project “Dal Sud in Europa: I giovani e il dialogo fra i popoli e le culture nello Spazio Euromediterraneo”
Welcome To the South Of Italy
Valorisation of quality food products from Southern Italy on the Danish market.
Information Campaigns PAC Italy Bulgaria
Fostering Organic Agriculture: an Experience in Rural Bulgaria.
Our members
Information Campaigns PAC Italy Romania Hungary
Understand the EU perspective on GMOs.
Supporting
Vibo Valentia, Isili, S.Gavino,
Castelbuono,
Youth Project in Palestine
Caltagirone,
Lamezia Terme, Reino
Euromed Youth iii Programme in Palestine
Honorary
Culture 2007 – The Return of Dionysus – Popular festivals, Carneval
Buonalbergo, Castelvetere in
Part I INFORMATION ON THE PROJECT - DESCRIPTION
VFT, Apice, Foiano di VFT,
Molinara,
Montef.
di
IEE2007 AG.EN.LEVANTE
Valfortore, S.Bartolomeo in
Proposal made by Provincia di Bari as coordinator with all the partners intending to set up a new Energy Agency.
Galdo, S.Giorgio La Molara,
S.Marco
dei
Cavoti,
CIA Programme to promote Egypt 2008
Bernarda,
This project involves the promotion of Italian food products in Egypt.
Montalbano ionico, Nova Siri,
Calobraro,
Pisticci, Rotondella, S.Giorgio
Youth and Europe a discovery, an opportunity, a future
a
This project originated from the idea of educating young people on Europe and giving them a true idea of what European
Campodipietra,
citizenship means through a significant training programme.
Gambatesa, Gildone, Jesili,
Lucano,
Tursi,
Valsini,
Campolieto,
Macchia
Valfortore,
Happy days project
Monciliani, Pitricatella, Riccia,
A project that was born of the collaboration between the municipality of Lamezia Terme and Focus Europe to promote
S.Giovanni in Galdo, S.Elia a
exchanges and meetings between the youth of different countries.
Piarisi, Torotufara, Grassano,
Grottole,
Youth and the European Union: an increasing exchange
Irsina,
Milgionico,
Montecaglioso, Pomarico
A project that enables the young to have the confidence to approach government institutions and feel that these are
fulfilling their needs.
Ordinary
S.Arcangelo Tramonte, Cutro,
Little Italy – little Italy in Denmark
Rovito,
The Little Italy project will involve a promotional event dedicated to typical Italian products in the Danish town of Aahrus.
Assemini,
Casole
Bruzio,
Sarroch,
San
sperate, Villasor, Montignoso,
Training and exchange between Russian and Italian students
Gravina
Youth and the European Union, an exchange between the European Union and states of the former Soviet Union as
S.Antonio, Sutera, Palma di
seen through the eyes of young people.
Montechiaro,
di
Schiavoni,
Catania,
ACI
Ginestra degli
Castelfranco
in
Building Capacities and linkages for local industries
Miscano, Lacedonia, S.Croce
Project for cooperation with Egypt
del
Sannio,
Comunita
Montana Fortore Molisano,
C.L.E.A.N. – Cooperative Local Environmental Action Network
GAL
Project for cooperation and development with Albania
l'Abate,
COSVEL,
Fregneto
Campo
Lattaro,
Nocera Inferiore, Capodrise,
The process of internationalisation towards the United Arab Emirates
Casamassima,
International promotion event as part of a partnership process between Italian SMEs and DUBAI (the United Arab
Giovinazzo, Toritto, Comunità
Emirates).
Montana
Carrodano,
Minervino,
Fortore,
Carro,
Vareseligure,
Sesta, GAL Bradanica
Internationalisation
Partners
The
promotion
of
business
Associated members
in
foreign markets is an increasingly
difficult
task
for
Internationalisation
companies.
requires
the
right tools and strategies for the
sector, knowledge of the foreign
Italian Confederation of
Farmers
market and the financial resources
available.
Focus
Europe
information
offers
and
Italian association
of the council of
municipalities and
European
Regions
Medina Association
support,
promotional
services to help companies access
Nexya
international markets.
Les Rencontres: Association des villes et regions de la
grande europe pour la culture
Support service for the process of
internationalisation
involve:
the
selection of foreign markets, the
search for investment opportunities
and financial investment as well as
foreign partners via direct contact
between the businesses in the area
interested
and
in
the
United Nations
Regional Information Centre for Western Europe
internationalisation
network
consulates
Antenna
Europe Direct
Provincia di Cagliari
and
of
Italian
Focus
Europe
members. When establishing these
networks the association also uses
its connections with a number of
foreign chambers of commerce.
Internationalisation schemes may
also be included in European,
national
and regional
calls
for
FocusEurope
L ab ora t or io Pro g et tu a l e p er l ’I n te gr a zi o n e E ur o pe a
Co nta c t:
Web site: www.focuseurope.org - Email: [email protected]
Regional support: Fabio Roccuzzo
[email protected]
General Secretary: Luca Bortolussi
[email protected]
Project Planning Coordination: Fernando De Luca
[email protected]
Communications manager: Giovanni Casula
[email protected]
proposals.
For more information:
www.focuseurope.org
Training Manager: Francesco Carnovale
[email protected]