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The Spanish Government has given the green light to almost €72 million in funding for a dozen local projects in the Region of Murcia that aim to reshape its towns and cities, improving everything from the environment and the economy to social life and community spaces.

 

The money comes through the EDIL Plan, backed by European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) money for the period 2021 to 2027. It is one of the biggest injections of European funding local authorities in the Region of Murcia have seen in years. The final decision, now published by the Directorate-General for European Funds at the Ministry of Finance, will unlock more than €118 million in total public investment once local contributions are added in.

 

Cartagena comes out on top, with the city will poised to receive €8.87 million in ERDF funding for a project worth almost €14.8 million, with the rest put up by the City Council. That makes it the largest and arguably the most ambitious project in the Region.

 

Running until 2029, the programme focuses on upgrading facilities, improving connections, creating new green and cultural spaces, and strengthening social cohesion, particularly in the densely populated San Antón neighbourhood and surrounding areas.

 

Close behind Cartagena come a cluster of municipalities set to receive around €6.6 million each. San Javier, Alcantarilla, San Pedro del Pinatar and Yecla all fall into this group, with projects that exceed €11 million in overall public investment. Torre Pacheco will receive €6.19 million, while Molina de Segura has secured just over €6.08 million to roll out its own Integrated Action Plan.

 

Further down the list, but still benefiting significantly, are Alhama de Murcia with €5.74 million, Jumilla with €4.98 million, Las Torres de Cotillas with €4.86 million, and Cieza, which will receive €4.68 million. There is also a joint project promoted by the Sierra Espuña Tourist Association, bringing together Mula and Pliego, which will receive €4.45 million for initiatives to protect and promote the Natural Park.

 

Across Spain as a whole, €1.774 billion will be distributed among 242 projects, with the aim of mobilising more than €2.5 billion in public investment by 2029 across 971 municipalities.

 

The Ministry of Finance describes the EDIL Plan as a major step up from earlier EDUSI programmes, not just because of the increased money involved, but because of how widely it reaches. A large share of the funding is directed at towns with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants, particularly in less developed regions of Spain, making this a major boost for the municipalities that need it most and a sort of redress or justice for rural and other overlooked areas.

 

Image: Ayuntamiento de Cartagena