Council of Europe: Terrassa (Spain) the “most European city”. Initiatives to celebrate identity and culture, numerous twinnings

Terrassa, in the Spanish region of Catalonia, is the most active town in promoting the European ideal. For this reason, it has been awarded the 2024 Europe Prize by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). The prize, established in1955, includes a trophy, a medal, a diploma, and a scholarship to be spent on a study visit to European institutions for young people from the winning town. Among the finalists were Rambouillet in France, Bamberg in Germany, and Formigine in Italy (province of Modena). Terrassa, however, with its 225,000 inhabitants and its “long history in European relations, with a specific department created more than 20 years ago, which manages European affairs”, deserved the first place, a press release informs. At the CIM School of Terrassa, which is an Ambassador School of the European Parliament, “European cohesion and European values are promoted for young students”. Moreover, many international initiatives are celebrated, such as the European Music Day, the European Day of Languages, Europe Day with Schools, the European Sustainable Energy Week, Mobility Week and Heritage Days, and the European Week for Waste Prevention. Terrassa’s twinning with Pamiers (France), Granada (Nicaragua), Tetouan (Morocco) and Tecoluca (El Salvador), and its participation in European projects and collaborations in the field of democracy, local autonomy and good governance, are other valuable elements of the life of the town.
Valentina Bombelli