Mission City

Europe endorsement

The European Commission published on April 28 the list of the 100 cities selected for this ambitious Mission to which more than 377 municipalities from European countries applied, 25 of them Spanish. Along with Valladolid, Barcelona, Madrid, Seville, Valencia, Vitoria and Zaragoza constitute the vanguard in Spain, which joins the hundred cities of the 27 countries of the European Union and another 12 cities of 8 associated countries that do not belong to the EU.

Being part of this ambitious mission endorses the municipal policies that have been carried out up to now and that, ultimately, always seek to improve the quality of life of the citizen. 

A healthier future

These cities, as the president of the Commission, Úrsula von der Leyen, points out, “will show us the path to a healthier future. We will support them in that." The Mission will have 360 million euros in the period 2022-2023 for innovation applied to climate neutrality in sectors such as urban mobility, energy efficiency, sustainable urban planning, among others.

The benefits that the Cities Mission will bring include additional funds and financing opportunities, tailored advice and assistance through the European Commission platform, as well as the possibility of joining leading innovation projects as well as reinforcing collaborative work and exchange of good practices between this specific nucleus of cities.

Cities, engine of decarbonization

Cities are on the front line when it comes to tackling the climate crisis. New green spaces, actions against pollution, energy savings in buildings or sustainable urban mobility solutions..., "cities are the engine of the changes that Europe needs for the transition towards climate neutrality", as Frans Timmermans, Vice President of the EC who leads the Green Pact, points out.

This mission proves that Europe needs to accelerate this paradigm shift to achieve energy sovereignty and not depend on fossil fuels and access secure energy while enjoying cleaner air and healthier environments.

This is the path that Valladolid pursues; It represents a great milestone for the city that reinforces, with a qualitative leap, its position in Europe and in the international networks with which the Valladolid City Council works. In addition, it opens doors to European financing for the council itself and, above all, for other entities, both public and private, in such a way that having the "label" of the Mission will mean a step forward in attracting investment and in the process to be a cleaner and more resilient city.

Climate neutrality and energy sovereignty

Climate neutrality consists of the maximum reduction of polluting emissions, addressing sectors that affect the daily life of citizens such as sustainable urban mobility, freight transport, housing and its rehabilitation, the use of clean and renewable energy, efficiency and energy savings that will contribute to sovereignty in this sector.

With the European endorsement to be an active and preferential part of the Cities Mission, Valladolid reinforces its position as a city of reference in the fields of Innovation and Knowledge. In fact, it already is, and this is reflected in its integration into key European networks, its Sustainable, Safe and Connected Mobility Plan, the Valladolid Climate Strategy, the Innovation and Smart City Plan, the Circular Economy Plan, the Valladolid Urban Agenda 2030, as well as its achievements in reference Horizon 2020 projects such as Remourban, among others.

A decisive step in the roadmap approved by the plenary session on November 30, 2021, which marked as the first milestone getting here and integrating this nucleus of avant-garde cities hand in hand with the largest European Innovation program Horizon Europe.