Catalonia’s government will launch the Arrel programme in June, with €2.1 million in aid to create and maintain shops in the smallest towns across the region. The Generalitat says the scheme is designed to support local economic activity, strengthen social cohesion and help tackle depopulation.
The programme will offer both subsidies and technical support, with a focus on multi-service establishments. These spaces combine catering, different services and community meeting areas, and the government sees them as a way to keep rural life active.
One example already in place is El Sindicat in Olvan, in central Catalonia. The former Workers’ Union building has been turned into a community services hub, with a farm shop, a cafeteria, co-working space for remote workers and cultural activities.
El Sindicat also has a municipal kitchen that prepares an average of 100 meals a day for local residents. The Generalitat presents this type of project as a model for the kind of establishment Arrel is meant to support in micro-towns across Catalonia.
The programme is part of a wider effort to help the region’s smallest municipalities remain viable over time. By backing local commerce and shared community spaces, the government hopes to encourage residents to stay and make these towns more attractive to new arrivals.
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