• The projects "Living Museums," "Broadband Extension in Municipalities," and "Andalusian Skies" are finalists in the "Europe Feels Close" competition for European funds.
• The winner of the contest will be revealed on September 22 at an event in Pontevedra.

In order to raise awareness of new projects that draw on Europe and to raise public awareness of the results and added value of European funds in Spain, the Directorate General for European Funds (DGFE) of the Ministry of Finance and Public Administration has once again organized the “ Annual European Funds Communication Competition – Europe feels close ”.

The 2023 edition has given the competition a multi-fund approach, by supporting projects that have received funding from shared European funds. Thus, in addition to ERDF projects, (including the European Territorial Cooperation objective), projects co-financed with the following funds have participated : ESF, ESF+, ISF, IGFV, AMIF, FEMPA, FTJ, EAFRD and EAGF, both within the framework of the 2014-2020 period and the 2021-2027 period.

With all this, the three finalists who had submitted their applications were announced on July 13th. Ten projects were presented in the semifinals, three of which will advance to the finals, which will take place on September 22nd at the Vilagarcía de Arousa auditorium (Pontevedra).

Semifinalists

The three projects competing for final recognition in the “Europe Feels” competition are:

1. Andalusian Skies: aims to enhance the sky as a driving force for development and contribute to solving the depopulation problem in Sierra Morena (Córdoba). This is a LEADER cooperation project. which coordinates the Sierra Morena Cordobesa Rural Development Group together with theSierra Morena Sevillana , Campiña Norte de Jaén , Alto Guadiato Valley and Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche Groups in Huelva.
2. Broadband expansion in municipalities (Asturias): Adamo , a telecommunications company based in Barcelona, is one of the main contractors of the Single Program . Furthermore, through the PEBA Project—with ERDF funding—it has brought fiber optics to 30,000 Asturian families in 13 municipalities, which translates to 14,000 Asturian municipalities with internet access that previously lacked or had a deficient connection.
3. "Museos Vivos-Living Museums " (Castilla y León and Galicia) : This is a network of 70 museums closed due to the economic crisis and located in small rural areas in Spain and the Czech Republic. Thanks to a "SMART" system, they have been reopened to the public, showcasing the ethnographic richness of the 19 territories of the Local Action Groups (LAGs) participating in this LEADER cooperation project. Furthermore, this system allows them to be open to the public 365 days a year at a minimal cost. This has enabled the Living Museums network to set a record for visitor attendance in 2022.

Categories

The projects submitted have competed in 6 categories:

1. #EuropeFeelsCompetitive category , for projects focused on industrial transformation, support for SMEs, research promotion, and digitalization.

2. #EuropeFeelsGreen category , for projects focused on energy transition, the fight against climate change, sustainable agriculture, environmental protection, environmental rehabilitation, biodiversity, the circular economy, or the efficient use of resources.

3. #EuropeFeelsConnected category , from the perspective of the transport of goods and the mobility of people. This category featured projects focused on sustainable mobility, environmentally friendly transport, the efficient and safe movement of people, and effective and secure border management, among others.

4. #EuropeFeelsSocial category , for projects that seek to promote inclusion, non-discrimination, and gender equality at all levels, including, among others, the reintegration of disadvantaged people into the labor market, family reconciliation and educational strategies, as well as actions related to asylum.

5. #EuropeFeelsClose category , for projects aimed at the sustainable and inclusive development of rural areas , or supporting local and regional strategies that help address specific development challenges in certain areas.

6. #EuropeMovesYourMove category , which is related to the New “European Bauhaus,” which encompasses projects that combine sustainability, aesthetics, and inclusivity.