L’Hospitalet City Council sets-up a Local Support Group to develop the european project “Gastronomic Cities”.

The Deputy for “Economy and Employment Department”, Jose M. García Mompel, has presided over the first meeting for a Local Support Group setting-up from Gastronomic Cities European Project. As for L’Hospitalet city council taking part in this project its Deputy has stated “the importance for the city of promoting local trade regarding gastronomy as a milestone which helps to develop employment and economy growth”. Members of this Local Support Group come from L’Hospitalet City Council as well as from different private organisms, businesses and associations from the city such as Hospitality and Gastronomy Guild, Hotel´s guild, L’Hospitalet Chamber of Commerce, producers and food providers, restaurants and bars. Furthermore, a representative from Managing Authority is also a member of this group. The main goal of this group is to participate in helping the Gastronomic Cities project development within L’Hospitalet city in such a way that local gastronomy it’s placed as the milestone of economic city development. It will also help to increase employment rate as well as tourist´s flow around the area. This LSG role will be to analyze and contribute to carry with a “local action plan” that guarantee a sustainable urban development which assures the achievement of project´s goals. Also, the Local Support Group might participate in all proposed activities within the city as well as those that are hold both nationally and abroad. Deputy Jose M. García Mompel has pointed out that it´s absolutely necessary the participation and implication of all public-private groups and collectives for this Gastronomic Cities project to be successful. Currently, all these groups already collaborate with the City Council at other especific projects such as “The tapas trail”, “Gastronomic workshops”, “Hand-made and hand-craft festivals” as well as others promoting trade and street market´s activity. Gastronomic Cities started to run in last January under Burgos city (Spain) coordination role as Project´s Leader Partner. Also, other city members apart from L’Hospitalet work together as other Project Partners. These cities are: Fermo (Italy), Alba Iúlia (Romania) and Korydallos (Greece). L’Hospitalet main mission within this project as well as other project partners is to learn from “good practice” previously shown at Burgos city which was declared “Spanish Gastronomic City” in 2013. The experience from Burgos regarding tourism promotion as well as economic and employment growth are to be learnt and shared between all project partners through a series of visits and international exchanges. These exchanges will lead to promote and put on place the “gastronomic and tourism good practice” learnt as well as to identify the sucess key points on each partner city. Moreover, it will also lead to discover new ways in international cooperation. This project lengths for 14 months and it belongs to URBACT II European Programme frame which promotes sustainable urban development along with european know-how exchange. Since the project started to run there have been a few exchanges already related to Burgos “good practice” experience as well as Fermo´s “good practice learning process”. Different agents and representatives from L’Hospitalet have taken part in these visits and exchanges. Next meetings will be hold by Alba Iulia (Romania) and Korydallos (Greece) in September this year. Eventually, these exchanges series will get to its end by the end of 2014 when an international event will be hold by L’Hospitalet on 14th-15th November.