Noting that exchanges of persons between local authorities in the European countries is a great encouragement to local populations to consider themselves members of a European community;
Aware also that such exchanges of experiences and information would contribute to the development of human relations, the progress of culture and the improvement of all kinds of techniques,
Expresses its gratitude to the international organisations of local authorities which contribute to the growth of these exchanges;
Approves the "Plan to promote European intermunicipal exchanges" outlined below, drawn up by the Committee on Local Authorities on the basis of the draft submitted by the Rapporteur of the European Conference of Local Authorities;
Hopes that the Administrative Board of the Cultural Fund will realise the scope of this Plan which is designed to enable every year thousands of children from families of modest means to travel abroad and thus begin to develop their store of culture;
Requests the Administrative Board to grant as a matter of urgency the appropriations required for the implementation of this Plan whereby the Cultural Fund is endeavouring to ensure that culture shall not be confined to the privileged, i.e. highly educated or wealthy, few.
PLAN TO PROMOTE EUROPEAN INTERMUNICIPAL EXCHANGES
1. The Cultural Fund shall include in its budget a sub-head for the financing of European intermunicipal exchanges. Such assistance shall, in the initial period, be confined to financing exchanges of young people.
2. Each year the appropriation provided under the sub-head shall be divided up among the projects approved by the Selection Committee, whose composition and powers are defined in paragraph 4 below.
The projects shall be drawn up by several - preferably more than two - municipalities of different nationalities and belonging to countries that are Members of the Council of Europe or have ratified the European Cultural Convention.
3. The application files shall be forwarded, either direct or through international organisations of local authorities having consultative status with the Council of Europe,to the Secretariat of the European Conference of Local AuthoritiesNote.
4. A Selection Committee consisting of representatives of the Committee on Local Authorities and the European Conference of Local Authorities shall examine the applications and, taking into account the efforts made by, and the financial resources of, the municipalities concerned, determine the amount of the grant to be made in respect of the projects meeting the criteria laid down by the Committee of Local Authorities and the Standing Committee of the Conference.
5. In order to ensure liaison with the Administrative Board of the Cultural Fund, one of the members of that Board shall also be a member of the Selection Committee, which shall report to him regularly.
CRITERIA FOR GRANTS
1. Grants shall be made to local authorities which have decided to contribute to European unity by giving a European emphasis to their present or future exchanges with municipalities in the other European countries.
Particular importance shall be attached to the efforts of small and medium-sized communities.
2. These grants shall be made in respect of young peopleNote, students or workers and persons allowed to accompany them, who spend at least five days in a foreign municipality.
3. For a municipality to be entitled to a grant, the number of young people exchanged must be at least ten in the case of municipalities with less than 10,000 inhabitants and twenty for other municipalities and be carried out preferably between more than two municipalities, which must be at least 350 kilometres apart. Derogations may be made by the Selection Committee.
4. These exchanges must be carried out between countries which are Members of the Council of Europe or have ratified the European Cultural Convention.
5. The amount of the grant shall be determined by the Selection Committee before the exchange on the basis of a questionnaire to be completed by the local authorities.
6. The total amount of the grant shall be apportioned as follows : 75% according to the number of young people exchanged and the distances involved and the rest according to :
7. Of the total grant half shall be paid before the exchange and the remaining half after the exchange on presentation of a report by the local authorities concerned.