Champs-Elysées Committee presents plan to "re-enchant" the iconic avenue
The organization aims to make the street attractive for Parisian residents again
This would enrich even further the varied themed capitals competitions on the Old Continent
Lost in the more prominent celebrations of Europe Day and Victory Day, 9 May was also the European Day of Local Trade. In that context, there is an ongoing campaign by the Catalonian Government (Generalitat) to promote this sector of the economy, which forms the traditional spine of what we define as small and medium enterprises (SME).
More specifically, the Generalitat is lobbying for the creation of a European Capital of Local Retail annual competition, similar to other such titles, such as European Capital of Culture, or European Capital of Sports. The proposal is to have Barcelona declared the first such capital in 2024, and to kick off a new tradition.
The possibilities of Barcelona's candidacy hinge fundamentally on the enormous prominence of the commerce sector both in the city itself and in Catalonia as a whole. There are currently 92,552 retail establishments in the autonomous region, in a sector that represents almost 12% of the Catalan economy's GDP and contributes 14% of the total employment. Retail employees are majority female (close to 60%) working on indefinite contracts (the temporary ones do not exceed 20%).
The European Capital of Local Retail is an initiative of the Barcelona Commerce Foundation and the European association Vitrines d'Europe that the European Parliament approved last January.
At the same time, the promoters presented Barcelona's candidacy to be the first city on the continent to receive this recognition. Both proposals have the support of the Generalitat and the Barcelona City Council, among other institutions. It is expected that the European Parliament will decide which municipality assumes the European Capital of Local Trade in October.
Voting in Belgium is not just a civil right, but also a compulsory duty
The legal battle has concluded one chapter but a new one might be yet brewing
Silesian will have to wait for better times after the Polish president vetoed the bill recognizing its special status
This is the first of its kind for the Irish capital and previews the usage of the flying machines in public services
Researchers are testing ways to remove "forever chemicals" from the environment and replace them in some commercial goods.
The legal battle has concluded one chapter but a new one might be yet brewing
“Requiem in Power”, as is the full name of the project, is promoted as the largest urban solar plant in Spain
At the start of the summer season, the European Environment Agency published an assessment
Voting in Belgium is not just a civil right, but also a compulsory duty
The legal battle has concluded one chapter but a new one might be yet brewing
At the start of the summer season, the European Environment Agency published an assessment
Urban dwellers across the EU are having a say in making their surroundings friendlier to people and the environment.
Forests in the EU can help green the European construction industry and bolster a continent-wide push for architectural improvements.
Apply by 10 November and do your part for the transformation of European public spaces
Catch up with some recommendations for the 2024 European Capital of Culture programme from the mayor of Tartu
An interview with the ICLEI regional director for Europe аfter the close of COP28
An interview with a member of the No Hate Speech Network team