The call seeks to support cultural cooperation projects aimed at cultural exchanges between EU countries taking part in the Programme and Third Countries, which have concluded association or cooperation agreements with the EU, provided that the latter contain cultural clauses.

Every year, one or more Third Country(ies) is/are selected for that particular year. The special action in 2010 is open for EU Neighbourhood countries, which have concluded association or cooperation agreements with the Community and ratified the 2005 UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. The eligible countries are: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Egypt, Georgia, Jordan, Moldova, occupied Palestinian Territory, Tunisia and Ukraine.

Projects must have duration of not more than 24 months; involve a minimum of three co-organisers drawn from three different countries taking part in the Culture Programme (see note) and 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).

Funds of between €50,000 and €200,000 are available, but EU support is limited to maximum 50% of the total eligible cost.

Note : Countries eligible under the Culture Programme are:

• EU Member States (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom); European Economic Area (EEA) countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway);
• Countries candidate to EU membership (Croatia, Turkey and Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) plus Serbia.