CIUMED is a project financed by the INTERREG IIIB SUDOE community program and its main objective is to contribute to the promotion, in south western Europe, of a balanced polycentric system of cities capable of transmitting to all municipalities, no matter how small they may be, the impulses of economic development and social well-being. In this project, which involves several south western European cities, the aim is to improve the group of urban functions that are located there, namely through promoting, passing on information and fostering initiatives that will involve the urban areas as well as the rural areas with which they are linked to. The Network for the Promotion of Medium-sized Cities in South West Europe (CIUMED Network) was founded on 31st July 2004. This is a non-profit private association, which is open to the adhesion of all medium-sized cities in South West Europe (having more than 20,000 inhabitants and less than 150,000 inhabitants) as well as other public or private authorities that can identify with the objectives of the network and work towards accomplishing them.