— This award from the European Committee of the Regions, which recognises EU regions with innovative entrepreneurship strategies, also went to the Croatian province of Krapina Zagorje and the Polish region of Mazovia.

— The Regional Minister of Employment, Trade and Emigration expressed his gratitude for the recognition of the regional plan to develop the potential of the four Galician provinces with a diversity of business activities that take advantage of existing resources and the possibilities of new technologies.

— He framed the Galicia European Entrepreneurial Region 2025 Strategy within the Strategic Plan for Galicia 2022-2030, with which the Xunta seeks to address the demographic challenge and sustainable and green growth, among other objectives.

Brussels, June 20th 2024. The Regional Minister of Employment, Trade and Emigration, José González, accompanied by the Secretary General for Employment and Labour Relations, Pablo Fernández, collected this morning during the second day of the 161st plenary session of the European Committee of the Regions the award European Entrepreneurial Region 2025 award. This award recognises Galicia’s Government commitment to developing the potential of our four provinces through business activities that help to fix population.

Particulary, the proposal The rural as a competitive space for entrepreneurship was recognised, which aims to make non-urban Galicia visible as a territory full of opportunities, both for residents and for Galician returnees or the many who choose our land to settle. During the event, the Regional Minister praised the determination and perseverance of our “entrepreneurs to generate new ideas that bear fruit in business so that Galicia continues to grow, evolve and prosper”.

To accompany this progress, he emphasised that the Galician Government has been promoting for years measures such as the Network of Entrepreneurship and Employment Support Centres, with 13 centres currently active, which have attended to more than 2,000 business initiatives since they were set up almost two years ago. He also mentioned other innovative initiatives for the structuring and cohesion of the territory in which the Xunta is working to fix the population in rural areas, attract highly qualified workers and promote new businesses linked to the territory.

The Galician strategy

According to the Regional Minister, the Galicia European Entrepreneurial Region 2025 Strategy, drafted with the support of Fundación Galicia Europa (the regional delegation to the EU), is now part of Xunta’s Strategic Plan for Galicia 2022-2030. This document defines a specific roadmap to advance in the demographic challenge, in a green and sustainable Galicia, in competitiveness and growth, and in social and territorial cohesion.

Specifically, the proposal recognised today aims to achieve greater territorial equity, increase the number of entrepreneurs in non-urban Galicia, diversify the economic activities carried out in this area and strengthen collaboration with public and private agents.

Finally, the Regional Minister advocated continuing to work to continue to be worthy of recognition as a European Entrepreneurial Region 2025. Emphasising that this is the first time that Galicia has received an award of this kind, he pledged the work of the Galician Government to accompany and support “our entrepreneurs, helping them to navigate through the storms and celebrating their successes, because their success will be everyone’s success”, he concluded.

Context

The European Entrepreneurial Region – is an initiative organised by the European Committee of the Regions in partnership with the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW) that identifies and recognises EU regions with excellent and innovative strategies to boost entrepreneurship, regardless of their size, wealth and skills.

On this occasion, Galicia shares the recognition with the Croatian province of Krapina Zagorje and the Polish region of Mazovia. Since the creation of the EER label – European Entrepreneurial Region – in 2010, the award has been granted to 39 regions and cities and 17 EU Member States. This label is supported by EU stakeholders such as SME United, Eurochambres, Social Economy Europe and EURADA, among others.

More information: Xunta de Galicia