As a follow-up to the Japan-EU Grassroots Exchange Project for Community and Local International Cooperation conducted in 2005, JCIE has been carrying out research on the state of grassroots international cooperation with a focus on the activities of local governments in five countries in Europe—England, Germany, Holland, Italy, and Norway. This project was commissioned by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, which has been actively seeking collaboration with Japanese local governments when it proceeds with its ODA projects.

At the community level, local governments in Europe have been actively working along with NGOs to promote international cooperation with developing countries, and particularly those in Africa. The relationship between local governments and government funding agencies in the area of international cooperation is also advanced in comparison to Japan. The project involved interviews with local and national government institutions in each country to ascertain the state of cooperation between local governments and NPOs in this field, the relationship between local governments and government funding agencies, and the ODA strategy toward local governments. The final report is available in Japanese on the JCIE website, and an excerpt was published in the January 2007 edition of Kokusai kaihatsu jaanaru (International Development Journal).