Carrefour Coordination Committee

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Carrefour Network
The network of the rural Carrefours, information
relays of the European Commission for the rural
areas of the European Union http//www.carrefo
ur.org
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A bit of history

• The EUs rural Carrefours were created in the
  wake of the European Commissions communication
  The future of rural society in 1988
• The first Carrefours were set up on a trial basis
  in 1989 and their number have increased ever
  since
• By late 2001, 130 Carrefours have been
  established in various regions across the EU

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A single objective

• The objective of the Carrefour network is to
  bring information about the EU to the very heart
  of rural communities.
• The Carrefour acts as a meeting point, a
  discussion forum and a place where people can
  plan activities and be innovative.
• The Carrefour disseminates information and, by
  taking multidisciplinary approach, facilitates
  the use of community programs and actions on the
  ground

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Five aims

• Disseminating general information on the EU, its
  institutions and policies
• Informing and promoting participation in EU
  programmes which could have an impact on rural
  life
• Facilitating and stimulating dialogue and
  cooperation between the various key players in
  the social and economic life of rural society
• Facilitating the exchange of information and
  experience between the various rural areas within
  the Community
• Providing feedback to the European Commission on
  rural life

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Whom are Carrefours for?

• The Carrefours provide information to rural
  dwellers and not only to the farming community
• They target their information both at the general
  public and at specific groups such as
• local associations
• social and economic organizations
• local authorities
• schools local media
• other special groups, including farmers

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Their working methods

• The Carrefours employ different methods in their
  work
• Opinion polls
• Newsletters
• Cooperative schemes with the local press
• Radio and TV stations
• Websites
• Exhibitions
• Documentation centers
• Regular contacts with schools
• Seminars
• Discussion meetings

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The host organizations

• The Carrefours are run by host organizations at
  regional level. These organizations must have
• Considerable experience of assisting and advising
  rural communities in their region
• A good knowledge of Community policies
• Close links with other organizations active in
  the rural sphere
• Contacts with national and national and regional
  administrations and with rural development
  networks

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Contract with the Commission

• Each host organization responsible for a
  Carrefour signs an agreement with the Commission
• The Carrefour must have experienced staff to deal
  with the public, legal premises, a documentation
  center and effective computer equipment
• The Commission provides the Carrefour with
  funding as well as technical and documentary
  help. Each Carrefour has free acces to the
  various Community databasses, Official Journal of
  the European Communities and basic information
  material on Europe. Also provides training for
  staff at the Carrefours, finances exchange visits
  and annual meeting of all the Carrefours

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Carrefours work

• Decentralization
• Promotion
• Informing to the public
• Putting young people first
• Sustainable development

Opening up Europe
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Carrefours work
Decentralization
In rural areas, distances can be very long. The
Carrefours therefore have to adopt a
decentralized approach by making use of other
local information outlets and networks

• Public accessibility

• Catalonia/ Spain. Libraries lend a hand
• Rhone-Alpes/ France. Town halls do a good turn
• Veneto / Italy. Tall oaks from little acorns grow
• Thessalie / Greece. Support from municipal experts

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Carrefours work
Decentralization
In rural areas, distances can be very long. The
Carrefours therefore have to adopt a
decentralized approach by making use of other
local information outlets and networks

• Working within a network

• West Wales / United Kingdom. All together for
  Europe
• Rhone-Alpes/ France. Where schoolchildren
   vote  for MEPs
• Sweden. The  jobs train  is on its way

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Carrefours work
Promotion
The Carrefours are much more than simple
information desks. They are pro-active -
encouraging debate and making people aware of
European issues. They engage in outreach
activities and employ a wide range of methods to
do so

• Seeking people out

• Corsi / Sardinia. Radio without frontiers
• Bragança / Portugal. Making contact with country
  schools
• Italy. All aboard the info bus

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Carrefours work
Informing the public
In order to play ones part as a European citizen
and benefit from Community programs, one has to
be able to understand the information available,
witch is by its very nature rather complex. The
Carrefours seek to tailor Community information
to local concerns and to translate into national
and regional languages

• Heeding local requirements

• Reggio Emilia / Italy. The European Laboratory
  a pilot Project
• Mittlere Elbe Carrefour / Germany. The
  countryside comes to town
• Swedish Carrefours. 9 May a day to everyones
  taste

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Carrefours work
Informing the public
The Carrefours also ensure that they inform
decision-makers about the reactions and comments
of rural dwellers regarding the policies which
affect directly

• Reaching those at the top

• Sweden. The rural Parliament has its say
• Finland. The Euro-sceptics also have their say
• France, the Netherlands, Sweden, Germany,
  Ireland, United Kingdom. Working with the EU
  Ombudsman

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Carrefours work
Putting young people first
Of all they various social and economic groups
affected by the Carrefours, young people rank
very highly, with particular attention being
given to primary school children

• All groups of society

• Aquitaine / France.  Europe points  in
  agricultural schools
• PACA region / France. Equal opportunities a
  contagious concept
• Lancashire / United Kingdom. The needs of rural
  schools

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Carrefours work
Sustainable development
The Carrefours provide information on all
European policies and programs with could benefit
the development of rural. This is illustrated by
the question of the environment, an area in which
the Carrefours have in the last four years put
together a large member of partnership schemes.

• Issues of interest to rural areas

• Midi-Pyrénées / France. Sustaniable agriculture
  what is needed to make it now
• Centre / France. Leader experience shared
• Germany. Water our greatest asset
• Wageningen / Netherlands. Promoting rural
  innovation

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Carrefours work
Sustainable development
Information for action. Information for change.
Carrefours are catalysts for initiatives to
promote social and economic cohesion in rural
areas

• Factors in social cohesion

• Ulster / United Kingdom. Breaking down imaginary
  barriers
• Serra do Caldeirão / Portugal. Working towards
  integrated local development
• Bornholm / Denmark. A driving force for island
  life

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Carrefours work
Opening up Europe
The transnational cooperation issues which the
Carrefours are involved in from region to region
are innumerable. By working together, the
European Network has accumulated expertise that
is an incomparable asset

• Regional cooperation

• Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Polland. Rural tourism
  in the Baltic Sea area
• Sweden, France, Germany, Ireland. Rural business
  shopping around
• Throughout Europe. Regional cuisine and cultural
  heritage

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Carrefours work
Opening up Europe
The Carrefours recently took the initiative of
increasing the number of cooperation projects
with partners in the future new Member States of
the EU. Indeed two satellite Carrefours have
just been set up in Estonia and in Lithuania. A
first!

• An open-minded Europe

• Italy - Hungary. Recycling waste transferable
  technology
• Netherlands - Romania. Sharing knowledge
• Belgium - Romania. Lowing the Carrefours example

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The Carrefours
At the very heart of Europe