The ‘Europe Direct Almeria’ centre of the Almeria Provincial Council has become an Andalusian reference point for European initiative offices. This has been specified by the Almeria Provincial Council of Economic Promotion, Carmen Navarro, who has detailed that the institution has renewed its commitment to collaborate with the European Commission within the 2021-2025 Programme. In this sense, it has approved the annual programme of activities for the year 2022 to coordinate and promote information and participation activities of the ‘Europe Direct’ centre in the province of Almeria.
This office aims to disseminate the European project and involve citizens in the future of Europe. Through its information activities, it enables the people of Almeria to make an informed choice about the future of the EU by participating fully in the European democratic process.
Carmen Navarro stressed that the main objective of the European Initiatives Department and the Almeria Provincial Council’s Europe Direct Office is «to ensure that no resource that Europe makes available to us escapes, to help local councils to ensure that our territory, the province of Almeria, grows together with Europe».
Likewise, the deputy highlighted the fact that Almeria is the reference point in Andalusia and young people from other provinces come to our centre to present their European volunteer projects: «We are the only organisation sending volunteers accredited in Andalusia within the European Solidarity Corps programme. Thanks to this accreditation we have fulfilled the aspirations of young people who have travelled all over Europe to live unique experiences for their personal and professional development».
Similarly, Navarro has highlighted the strong pro-European commitment of the Almeria Provincial Council to take responsibility for bringing the European Union closer to the citizens of Almeria, offering technical support and cooperation to support actions that promote territorial cohesion.
In this sense, Almeria Provincial Council contributes greatly to achieve an appropriate balance between the European Institutions, national and regional bodies that manage European funds and the small and medium-sized municipalities of our province.
Decisive projects for the growth of Almeria
The Provincial Institution has led and participated in very important projects for the economic and social development of the province of Almeria. In this sense, the ‘Europe Direct’ Office has made it possible for the province to receive investments coming from Europe for initiatives that entail the creation of employment and wealth.
Almeria has been observed from all over the world thanks to the ‘Life+ Alchemia’ project which has managed to find alternative methods to eliminate natural radioactivity from groundwater with investments and three pilot plants in: Tahal, Benizalón and Alboloduy.
Another major project that has been achieved for the province has been the Andarax Integrated Sustainable Urban Development Strategy (EDUSI), which will involve the transformation of the Viator-Huércal de Almería Bridge, as well as important actions in the Vega del Andarax (Almería), such as the construction of the long-awaited Vega Museum.
In addition, the Department is actively working to process municipal projects to access European Funds that promote equal opportunities and services in the 103 municipalities of the province of Almeria.