The Government of Spain proposes that 25 Spanish cities host the meetings of the Spanish Presidency of the EU during the second half of 2023

The Organising Committee of the Spanish Presidency of the European Union has approved the list of cities that the Government will propose, in coordination with the respective autonomous governments and local authorities, to host the main meetings to be organised in the second half of 2023, when Spain takes over the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union for the fifth time. This decision is an important milestone in the preparations for the Presidency, which will begin in just under a year's time.

The approved list includes cities from all the autonomous communities. In this way, the Government of Spain wants to bring Europe closer to all citizens, and to make the richness and diversity of our country visible to Europe and the world. Specifically, the cities chosen are:

• Albacete
• Barcelona
• Bilbao
• Cáceres
• Cadiz
• Cordoba
• Gijon
• Grenada
• Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
• Leon
• Logroño
• Madrid
• Murcia
• Palma de Mallorca
• Pamplona
• San Sebastian
• Santander
• Santiago de Compostela
• Seville
• Tarragona
• Toledo
• Valencia
• Valladolid
• Vigo
• Zaragoza

Preparations will be discussed with the ACs at the Conference for European Union Affairs to be held in the Basque Country at the end of the month, which will be attended by the ministers for Foreign Affairs and Territorial Policy.

The Organising Committee of the Spanish Presidency of the European Union is a body attached to the Presidency of the Government of Spain, which is responsible for programming, planning, coordinating and executing the activities of the public administrations in this field. It is chaired by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, and is assisted by the Coordination Office of the Spanish Presidency of the European Union, which is responsible for promoting this committee's work.

Non official translation