News

• Two Spanish rural initiatives have been recognized in the "#EuropaSeSiente" 2025 competition, organized by the Ministry of Finance as part of the Annual European Funds Event held in Santa Coloma de Gramenet (Barcelona).

• Both projects have been co-financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), which co-finances rural development measures within the framework of the CAP.

Santa Coloma de Gramenet (Barcelona) hosted the awards ceremony for the #EuropaSeSiente 2025 competition , organized by the Ministry of Finance , last Friday, October 10. This event, held within the framework of the Annual European Funds Event, aims to give visibility to the positive impact of European funds in Spain, highlighting exemplary projects co-financed by instruments such as the European Regional Development Fund ERDF (including the European territorial cooperation goal), ESF+ (European Social Fund Plus) , ISF (Internal Security Fund) , IGFV (Border Management and Visa Instrument) , AMIF (Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund) , FEMPA (European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund) , JTF (Just Transition Fund) , European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development ( EAFRD ) and European Agricultural Guarantee Fund ( EAGF ) - as well as the projects of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan ( PRTR ), financed by the Recovery and Resilience Facility ( Next Generation - EU ).

In this third edition , the competition awarded initiatives in six thematic categories: competitiveness, sustainability, connectivity, social cohesion, proximity, and resilience. The awards were decided by a specialized jury and by votes from the in-person and virtual audiences.

Award Winners

1. Hanging pedestrian walkway and soft paved path sections
Located in Torrenueva Costa (Granada) , this project has been recognized with the Gold Star award , the competition's highest honor, and also as the best initiative in the #EuropeFeelsConnected category.
Thanks to support from the EAFRD (Economic and Development Fund), a unique footbridge has been built over the Mediterranean Sea, improving access to La Joya Beach, promoting nature tourism, and offering a unique experience to visitors. The project promotes sustainable tourism that respects the natural environment and also makes it the first beach in Spain to connect the urban center and the coast.

2. Magical Autumn in the Ambroz Valley
This event has been awarded in the #EuropeFeelsCultural category. The initiative, co-financed by the EAFRD , transforms the autumn landscape into a tourist and community experience, with cultural, sporting, and environmental activities that revitalize the area and combat seasonality.

Both projects have been funded by the EAFRD, a fund that promotes sustainability, competitiveness, and territorial cohesion in European rural areas. In the specific case of these two projects, the award was given for the pedestrian walkway project in Granada, which protects the environment, improves services, and strengthens the social fabric. The Ambroz Valley project demonstrates that rural areas can be a space for well-being, creativity, and community connection.

Previous editions

Last year, in 2024, two rural projects were recognized at the "EuropaSeSiente" Awards, among all the finalists: Millo e Landras (Galicia) and Somnia (Valencia). Millo e Landras won in the #EuropaSeSienteVerde category, and Somnia won in the #EuropaSeSienteCercana category.

Meanwhile, in its first edition in 2023 , there were three projects that were finalists: Cielos Andaluces, Broadband extension in municipalities (Asturias):   Adamo , and Living Museums   (Castile and León and Galicia). Finally, Adamo won the #EuropeFeelsClose category for his project to expand broadband in rural municipalities in Asturias, where he managed to bring fiber optics to nearly 30,000 families in hard-to-reach areas, significantly contributing to the fight against depopulation.