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Environment

Applying for the Awards

Key dates for 2026 competition

The competition for the European Green Capital & European Green Leaf Awards 2026 is open from 14 December 2023 to 30 April 2024.

For insights on the application process, check the application forms.

To apply:

1. go to the registration portal and download the requested documents.

2. go to the application portal and submit your application.

Find the key dates of the competition below:

  1. December 2023
    Opening of the competition
  2. February 2024
    Online Applicant City Workshop: How to make a good application

    Online applicant city workshop: how to make a good application

  3. 30 April 2024
    Closing of the competition (at 23:59 CEST)
  4. May/June 2024
    Assessment of applications by the expert panel
  5. July 2024
    Announcement of the finalist cities for 2026
  6. October 2024
    Finalists cities make presentations to the Jury
  7. October 2024
    Awards ceremony to announce the winner (Valencia, Spain)

Rules of contest and eligibility

Download the latest Rules of Contest for both the European Green Capital and European Green Leaf Awards.

The Rules of Contest must be adhered to in order for applicant cities to submit eligible applications.

This call for entries for the European Green Capital and European Green Leaf Awards is open to the following applicants:

  • Applicant cities from Member States as well as from third countries that are associated to the LIFE programme at the time of closure of the present call.
  • Cities from EEA countries can also participate in the call and win the awards, but the prize money will only be given to countries that are associated to the LIFE programme at the time of closure of the present call.
  • For the European Green Capital: applicant cities from the countries listed above which have more than 100 000 inhabitants.
  • For the European Green Leaf: applicant cities from the countries listed above from 20 000 and below 10 000 inhabitants.
  • For the purposes of this contest, a 'city' is understood to be an (1) urban area, including metropolitan areas (excluding agglomerations that combine more than one otherwise eligible cities), and must encompass an (2) administrative unit governed by a city council or another form of democratically elected body.
  • For population data, Eurostat will be the source of reference. For countries not covered by Eurostat, the European Commission will perform specific checks when assessing the eligibility criteria and might ask any concerned cities to prove they comply with this requirement.
  • In any given year, cities can apply for either the European Green Capital Award or European Green Leaf Awards, but not for both at the same time.
  • Past winners of the European Green Capital Award or European Green Leaf Awards titles may not re-apply.

How does my city apply?

Background document14 December 2023
Will Your City be the next European Green Capital winner?

To find out more about how your city can apply for the European Green Capital Award please view the 2026 leaflet 'Will Your City be the next European Green Capital?'.

The leaflet will all relevant information is available in all EU languages and downloadable here.

cover of the leaflet 'Will Your City be the next European Green Capital winner?'
English
(3.15 MB - PDF)
Download
General publications14 December 2023
Will Your City be the next European Green Leaf?

To find out more about how your city can apply for the European Green Leaf Awards please view the 2026 leaflet 'Will Your City be the next European Green Leaf?'.

The leaflet will all relevant information is available in all EU languages and downloadable here.

cover of the leaflet 'Will Your City be the next European Green Leaf?'
English
(3.07 MB - PDF)
Download

You can also find out if your city has what it takes to win by reading the evaluation section below.

Online Application

The applications for the 2026 cycle of the awards are opened from 14 December 2023 to 30 April 2024. The applications for the 2027 cycle will be launched by the end of 2024.

For information on putting together an application for the European Green Capital and European Green Leaf Awards you are advised to carefully read the guidance note and examine the draft application form for the 2026 competition

How to make a good application? 

The applicant workshop took place online on 1st February 2024. The aim of this workshop was to guide participants on how to write a successful application. Don't worry if you missed it, the entire workshop was recorded.

You can also follow the applicant workshop from last year.

Evaluation Process

The selection of awarded cities for both awards is assessed on the basis of seven environmental indicators:

  1. Air Quality
  2. Water
  3. Biodiversity, Green areas & Sustainable Land Use
  4. Waste & Circular Economy
  5. Noise
  6. Climate Change: Mitigation
  7. Climate Change: Adaptation 

Information to be provided by the applicant cities:

In the application process, cities are asked to provide information on their performance across the above seven environmental indicators.

Specifically, the application form has four sections per indicator, as follows:

  • Describe the present situation.
  • Describe the measures implemented over the last five to ten years.
  • Describe the short-term and long-term objectives for the future and approach to achieve these objectives.
  • Explain how the above information can be documented, adding links if possible.

For information on putting together an application for the European Green Capital or European Green Leaf competition, please take a look at our guidance note.

Technical assessment

The evaluation process is two-fold: 1) a technical pre-evaluation is carried out by a panel of experts, and 2) a final assessment is made by a jury.

The Commission sets up the panel of seven experts, one expert per indicator, following a public call for applications. The members of the panel of experts are bound by a contract.

The panel of experts provides a technical assessment (based on objective, reliable and comparable information) and prepares the groundwork for the selection of the cites to be awarded with the title of European Green Capital or European Green Leaf. The final decision on which cities will be shortlisted lies with the Commission (guided by, not bound by, the assessment of the panel of experts).

The finalist cities are then invited to present their action plans and communication strategies to a jury.

Panel of experts

The members of the panel of experts are responsible for the technical review of the applications of the European Green Capital and European Green Leaf 2026. Members of the panel of experts are individuals appointed in their personal capacity who act independently and in the public interest.

The Jury

Following these presentations, a jury deliberates and selects the winner of both awards. The jury is appointed by the Commission (as represented by the Director General of DG ENV – note that the Director General of DG ENV is the authorising officer responsible for awarding the financial prize).

This year, the jury includes representatives from:

Shortlisted cities

Following the evaluation process, cities are shortlisted for the next stage of the competition. The shortlisted cities will be invited to present their application in front of the jury. The Jury then assesses the shortlisted cities in the light of all the information provided and decides on the winners.

Representatives of each shortlisted city will be invited to give an oral presentation in front of the jury covering the following: 

1) The applicant city’s overall strategy, vision and commitment to sustainability, and how these are being and will continue to be implemented in practice – as well as the approach the applicant city intends to take as a European Green Capital or European Green Leaf respectively.

2)  The city’s communication strategy and actions as a European Green Capital or European Green Leaf for 2026, which should address:  

  • Citizen communication and involvement to date in relation to the seven environmental indicators, effectiveness via changes in citizen behaviour, lessons learnt and proposed modifications for the future.
  • The city’s ability to showcase its sustainability vision and plans at local and regional levels.
  • How the applicant city intends to fulfil their role in inspiring other European cities.

3)  Their proposal on concrete initiatives and measures for 2026 with the aim to enhance the transition to a greener and more sustainable city. The city should give examples and inform about planning to reach policy targets, such as those under the European Green Deal (see more detail in the rules of contest P 3-5).

Following these presentations, the jury will deliberate on the winner of the European Green Capital and European Green Leaf Awards. The Jury will select the winners on the basis of the award criteria.

The winner of the European Green Capital Award 2026 and winner(s) of the European Green Leaf Award 2026 will be announced at a festive ceremony in October 2024 in Valencia (European Green Capital 2024).

 

FAQs

Find a set of frequently asked questions below.