The capital role is an initiative launched by Barcelona Comerç and Vitrines d’Europa, approved by the European Parliament in 2023 and open since July this year for all EU cities to take part in. Barcelona’s case for becoming the first host is based on a set of good practices in four areas: sustainability in commerce; support for enterprise and the link with the community; the digitalisation of businesses, and the attractiveness and vitality of the city.

Barcelona’s candidacy has been put together collectively and presents forty experiences, models and tested initiatives, underlining their impact and potential replication in other cities.

The unitary presentation ceremony for the candidacy was attended by Sergi Barrera, head of the EU office in Barcelona, along with representatives from the Àrea Metropolitana de Barcelona; Barcelona Provincial Council; the Ministry of Commerce at the Government of Catalonia; Barcelona Oberta, Foment Comerç, the Board of Guilds for Commerce, Services and Tourism, PIMEC and PIMEC Comerç, Comertia, the Federation of Municipal Markets of Barcelona (FEMM), Agrupament de Botiguers i Comerciants de Catalunya, and representatives and councillors from the municipal groups of Junts, BComú, the ERC and the PP.