— Galicia’s Regional Minister for Finance and Public Administration, Miguel Corgos, presented the third-edition awards and called for a strong cohesion policy with sufficient funding and effective regional participation

— CEL_RURAL, Atlantic Youth Creative Hubs (AYCH), the YAM programme, the Artistea Artists’ Residency and LIFE FLUVIAL also received awards

Santiago de Compostela, 6 de November de 2026. Polybris was named European Project of the Year in Galicia during the third #EuropaXunta Awards ceremony, held on Thursday, 5 November, at the Galician Centre for Contemporary Art (CGAC) in Santiago de Compostela.

Coordinated in Galicia by the Galicia Institute of Technology (ITG), Polybris is a circular economy initiative that transforms plastic waste collected from the sea and beaches into materials that help remove pollutants from water and restore the ecological balance of the marine environment. It also won the #EuropaXunta Smart, Competitive and Digital category.

Organised by the Directorate-General for Cohesion and European Funds of Galicia’s Regional Ministry of Finance and Public Administration, the #EuropaXunta Awards recognise and raise the profile of projects that contribute to Galicia’s economic and social development with funding from the European Union.

Six projects recognised across five categories

In addition to Polybris, CEL_RURAL received the award in the #EuropaXunta Green and Connected category, while Atlantic Youth Creative Hubs (AYCH) won the #EuropaXunta Education, Employment and Social Inclusion category. The YAM programme, which promotes mental health and suicide prevention among young people, was recognised in the #EuropaXunta Innovative and Groundbreaking category.

Two awards were presented in the #EuropaXunta Local Level category: one to the Artistea Artists’ Residency, promoted by Ponteareas Town Council, and another to LIFE FLUVIAL for restoring natural habitats in the Ribadeo estuary.

Further information about all the award-winning and candidate projects is available on the 2026 #EuropaXunta Awards website.

Galicia calls for a strong cohesion policy

Galicia’s Regional Minister for Finance and Public Administration, Miguel Corgos, congratulated the teams behind the award-winning projects and stressed that European funds remain a fundamental instrument for Galicia’s economic and social transformation, modernisation and convergence. These projects help improve people’s lives and create new opportunities throughout the region.

Corgos concluded that results are the strongest argument in favour of European funding and that the best way to ensure its continuation “is to demonstrate that we are capable of managing it responsibly, effectively and with a long-term vision”.

He therefore reiterated Galicia’s support for a strong cohesion policy, with sufficient funding and effective regional participation in the planning and management of the European Union’s 2028–2034 Multiannual Financial Framework.

“Simplifying procedures must not lead to greater centralisation or reduce the decision-making capacity of territories,” Corgos said during the third #EuropaXunta Awards ceremony, which highlights initiatives undertaken by Galician public authorities with EU support.

The Regional Minister warned that funds do not produce results “by themselves”. Needs must be identified, high-quality projects selected and sufficient management capacity made available to implement them properly—an area in which, he said, “Galicia has extensive experience”.

Miguel Corgos announced that the Xunta de Galicia is already preparing its strategy for 2028–2034 by identifying priority investments and reforms and working on a possible regional chapter. Despite uncertainty surrounding the structure of the new financial instruments, he stated: “We want to enter the next period with sound planning that is tailored to Galicia’s needs and prepared to make the most of European funding opportunities.”

Watch the full 2026 #EuropaXunta Awards ceremony here: