Catalonia launches 400‑million Pla de Pobles rural plan

The Generalitat of Catalonia announced a new "Pla de Pobles" that will allocate €400 million over four years (2026‑2030) to support 807 local entities – 725 municipalities with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants, 65 decentralized municipal entities and 17 comarca capitals with fewer than 15,000 residents. The first call, worth €100 million, will open in October 2026 with the final award decision expected in April 2027, just before the municipal elections.

Grants range from €500,000 for the smallest towns to €6 million for larger comarca capitals and will fund four priority actions: rehabilitation of urban cores, conservation of historic heritage, refurbishment of vacant housing for affordable rent, and development of economic activity zones. President Salvador Illa presented the plan at the II Trobada de Municipis Rurals in Vergós de Cervera, stressing that it is a “transformative tool” to improve public spaces, services and housing in rural areas.

The programme is the product of a budget pact between the PSC and ERC, with ERC having made the plan a condition for supporting the 2026 budget. While the timing coincides with the upcoming municipal election campaign, officials said project selection will be based on technical criteria.

The Pla de Pobles builds on earlier urban‑renewal schemes such as the Pla de Barris and aims to address long‑standing funding and staffing gaps that have hampered small municipalities.