The results of the call for proposals for the Special Action for Third Countries 2011 are out. The projects selected will receive funding for more than €2 for cultural cooperation projects between European and Third Country partners. The eligible third country for 2011 was the United States of Mexico.

The results of the Special Action for Third Countries call for proposals 2011 have been released. By the deadline 3 May 2011, 58 applications had been submitted from 19 participating countries for projects involving third country partners in fields such as visual arts, cultural heritage, performing arts, literature, books and reading, architecture, design and applied arts, multi-media and new technologies and interdisciplinary areas. In 2011, United States of Mexico has been chosen as eligible third country. The Commission has also published that South Africa will be the country chosen in 2012.

The call for 2012 is already opened and the deadline for submission is the 3 of May 2012. To be eligible, the projects have to involve a minimum of three co-organisers drawn from three different countries taking part in the Programme; involve cultural cooperation with at least one partner from the selected Third Country (at least 50% of the project output should come from that country) and be the subject of an application requesting a grant of no less than €50,000 and no more than €200,000.

The call for the Special Action for Third Countries Cultural organisations gives support for projects to work together across borders and to create and implement cultural and artistic activities. This covered one of the strands of the Culture Programme. The general objective of the Cultural Programme is to enhance the cultural area shared by Europeans and based on a common cultural heritage through the development of cultural cooperation between the creators, cultural players and cultural institutions of the countries taking part in the Programme, with a view to encouraging the emergence of European citizenship.