23/01/2026 09:00 h.
The Barcelona Provincial Council approves a new Integrated Territorial Strategy for the Barcelona area to boost the sustainable development of the province's rural territories using ERDF funding
The Barcelona Provincial Council has approved the Integrated Territorial Strategy (ETI) for the Barcelona area. This document paves the way for submitting projects to secure ERDF funding for the 2021–2027 period.
The ETI is a planning instrument that identifies challenges and priority lines of action to promote sustainable development and territorial cohesion, and to combat depopulation in the province's rural areas.
This strategy falls under Policy Objective 5 of the Catalonia ERDF Programme 2021–2027 – "A Europe closer to citizens" and specifically Specific Objective 5.2, which aims to foster the territorial and social integration of non-urban areas through local economic, social, and environmental development initiatives, as well as the promotion of culture, heritage, and sustainable tourism.
The strategy has been developed by the Government of Catalonia following a tender process initiated by the Department of Economy and Finance; it was subsequently made available to the Barcelona Provincial Council, which participated in drafting the proposed actions outlined in Annex 4 of the document.
The ETI’s scope of action covers municipalities within the area that —according to the methodology established by the Government of Catalonia itself— are at risk of depopulation, as well as their surrounding areas of influence, with a particular focus on the province's inland districts. Based on this strategic framework, projects linked to digital connectivity, water management, and social and cultural cohesion —among others— can be launched.
Having an approved Integrated Territorial Strategy (ETI) is a mandatory requirement for obtaining funding under the Call for expressions of interest aimed at selecting projects from potential aid beneficiaries within the framework of the Catalonia ERDF Programme 2021–2027. This call, launched by the Directorate General for Local Administration of the Government of Catalonia, stipulates that operations proposed for co-financing must fall within the scope of a validated Integrated Territorial Strategy. Thus, the ETI for the Barcelona area paves the way for the submission and selection of future projects eligible for ERDF funding to contribute to the sustainable development of rural areas within the province.
Attached documents:
- Integrated Territorial strategy of the Demarcation of Barcelona (PDF)
- Call of expression of interest for the selection of performances for potentials beneficiaris of aid at the frame of the Program of the FEDER of Catalonia 2021-2027 (PDF)