- Vice-President Sara Aagesen opened the presentation of these projects for the development and consolidation of urban green infrastructure
- The aid is part of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and is in addition to the 73 projects that are being implemented with this same objective within the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan
The Vice-President of the Government and Minister for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, Sara Aagesen, today presented the 12 new projects that will promote renaturation and resilience in 12 Spanish cities, within the framework of aid from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), and which are in addition to the 73 projects that are being implemented with the same objective within the Recovery Plan. Transformation and Resilience, financed by the Next Generation_EU funds. These grants are managed by the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO).
The event was also attended by representatives of the beneficiary cities; the Secretary General of European Funds of the Ministry of Finance and Public Function, Mercedes Caballero; the acting director of the Representation of the European Commission in Madrid, Nikolaos Isaris, and the director of the Biodiversity Foundation, Félix Romero.
URBAN RENATURATION IN SPAIN
In total, the 12 selected projects have a budget of 39.3 million that will be executed over the next three years. Most of the proposals have among their main actions the creation of ecological corridors, as well as actions to restore wetlands, riverbeds and urban coastal fronts. There are also two in particular that will focus on the renaturalization of schools, and another three on the creation of urban and peri-urban forests and orchards. In addition, most will apply nature-based solutions to mitigate climate risks and improve biodiversity in the city.
“We are living in a climate emergency to which an adequate response must be given. We have to readapt, resize the actions, and we have to act in a coordinated and united way. I believe that today’s presentation is an example of how to do it together, from the cities, engines of growth, of development,” said the vice-president.
This call was extraordinarily well received, as 87 proposals were submitted for a total amount requested of 276.1 million, 693% of the amount available, which made clear the high need for these calls to transform the reality of Spanish cities and their inhabitants.
REGIONALIZATION OF ERDF
AIDOne of the main novelties of this ERDF call is the incorporation of regionalisation criteria that allow the level of co-financing to be adapted to the degree of development of each territory, thus guaranteeing a fair and balanced distribution of European funds.
Within this framework, the regions considered to be less developed, such as Andalusia, Castilla-La Mancha, Extremadura and Ceuta and Melilla, had a maximum economic endowment of 10.4 million and co-financing of up to 85%. The regions called in transition such as Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, La Rioja, Castilla y León, Murcia, the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands or the Valencian Community reach 60% (the Canary Islands 85%) and 16.6 million in endowment. For their part, the regions classified as more developed (Catalonia, Madrid, Aragon, Navarre or the Basque Country) had access to 12.8 million, with a maximum co-financing of 40%.
This call has made it possible to support initiatives that include a sample of the richness and diversity of our territory, and that are led by the Concello da Coruña; the city councils of Barcelona, Fuenlabrada, Salamanca, Vigo, San Sebastián de los Reyes, Valdepeñas, Andújar, Castellón de la Plana and San Bartolomé de Tirajana, as well as the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona and the Provincial Council of Jaén, in grouping with NGOs, local entities and the academic sector, in some cases.
233.3 MILLION TO PROMOTE THE RENATURALISATION OF CITIES
Following the resolution of this call, MITECO is already allocating 233.3 million euros for a total of 85 projects that are being carried out in Spanish cities of different sizes, geographies and profiles, with the common objective of returning nature to the urban fabric.
Within the framework of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, 194 million euros have been allocated for three calls for aid aimed at cities and local entities: two for the renaturalisation of urban environments and one more specifically aimed at the restoration of river ecosystems in urban environments and prevention of flood risks.
In addition, for this new period, the Biodiversity Foundation has been designated as an Intermediate Body of the ERDF 2021-2027, within the framework of the Multi-regional Programme of Spain (POPE). Through this designation, it will manage 102 million euros, with an ERDF grant of 64.3 million euros for restoration and green transition projects.
