Project "Promotion of Town Twinning between Croatian and European Local Units" aims for the increase of town-twinning readiness of Croatian local units with local communities in Member States and the recovery of old connections between Croatian and European towns and municipalities.
The survey revealed that only something more than one quarter of Croatian local units maintains connections with their counterparts in Europe. A great number of European twinning arrangements with Croatian towns, and there are 289 such twinning arrangements, present a good basis for further connection, increasing exchange with European towns, as well as for receiving funds under the "Europe for Citizens" programme.

On behalf of the host, City of Rijeka, the head of the City Office, Ksenija Linić pointed out that Rijeka for many years had been fostering twinning tradition with towns in Europe and worldwide. As emphasised by Linić, the reasons why Rijeka had twinned with foreign cities had changed over time. The first years of the new millennium brought a new trend – Croatia heading towards the EU and co-operating with countries having valuable experiences in the development of the local self-government. The transition to the new decade brings however a stronger demand by towns from the former state to restore or start friendship with Rijeka, so that the latest connection was set up with the Macedonian town of Bitola. Linić found foreign co-operation extremely useful, since such co-operation enables the cities to learn from others experiences instead of learning from one's own mistakes.

Further to Rijeka, good practice was presented by the municipalities of Omišalj and Lovran.

The survey into twinning revealed that Croatian municipalities and towns more often arrange twinning with Hungarian local units, which are followed by Italian, Slovenian and German towns. The first twinning in Croatia was arranged between Split and Dover in 1964. In addition to exchange of experience and good practice, cultural and economic co-operation, a favourable result achieved in tourism was highlighted since the three counties with most twinning programmes last year achieved a record number of tourist overnight stays.

With regard to forthcoming accession to the EU and cross-border co-operation projects, more intense co-operation with European towns is expected, and thus also more twinning programmes.

Within the project ''Promotion of Town Twinning between European and Croatian Local Units" the Association of Municipalities has implemented a number of activities, among others, it has issued two brochures and has developed a database on all twinning arrangements between Croatian and European local units.
(S.R.)