Online meeting of jury members of the 10th European Greenways Award 2021 

The jury of the 10th European Greenways Award was composed of experts whose professional background qualified them to approach, from different perspectives, the analysis of the 20 excellent shortlisted candidacies from 10 different countries:

• Kirsti ALA-MUTKA – DG Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs. Unit GROW G1 – Tourism and Textiles. European Commission
• Piet JASPAERT – Vice-President Europa Nostra.
• Gilles KITTEL  – Team Manager–European Commission –DG for Regional Policy and Urban Policy.
• Iulia NICULICA – Funding, Procurement & Development Manager –European Travel Commission.
• Ms Veronika SARIK  EIM , Technical Advisor (European Rail Infrastructure Managers).
• Mr Giulio Senes – President EGWA. (1) EGWA Vote, in case of a tie vote

The jury was technically supported by the EGWA representatives (with voice but without vote) Ms. Arantxa Hernández, General Secretary, and Ms. Mercedes Muñoz, Director and Jury Secretary.

As laid down in the award regulations, the jury set out to select a 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd prize for the Excellence and Exemplary Initiative categories, and one single prize for the Special European Greenways Award EYR 2021. This special award is part of the activities included in the European Year of Rail 2021 (EYR), Stakeholders Initiatives.

The 10th European Greenways Award 2021 is organized by the European Greenways Association (EGWA) in cooperation with the Generalitat Valenciana (Valencia Region), through the Regional Ministry of Territorial Policy, Public Works, and Mobility, and the Spanish Railways Foundation (FFE).

=> The winners will be announced in Valencia on Thursday, September 30^th 2021.

The awards contribute to the promotion of best practices in greenways, to encourage the qualitative development of these new facilities open to the general public in Europe, that are “Communication routes reserved exclusively for non-motorised journeys. These routes should meet satisfactory standards of width, gradient, and surface condition to ensure that they are both user-friendly and low-risk for users of all abilities. In this respect, canal towpaths and disused railway lines are a highly suitable resource for the development of greenways” (Lille Declaration, 2000).  Greenways are known with different names depending on the country: Voies Vertes, Vias Verdes, RAVEL, Ecopistas, Radwege auf alten Bahntrassen, railtrails.

We sincerely appreciate the involvement of the qualified international jury and their valuable contribution to select the highly competed prizes.

We warmly thank all participants for responding to the call: we have received 31 candidacies from 11 countries; the highest number of candidacies received so far.

We are very grateful to the Regional Ministry of Territorial Policy, Public Works and Mobility of Valencia Region, strongly committed to greenways and active mobility, for hosting these awards, and to the FFE – Vías Verdes, as a reference organization for the promotion of Spanish greenways for its collaboration in the whole organisation.

And of course and always to all the members of the EGWA, without whose continuous support it would not be possible to organise these recognised awards.

Many thanks to all of you for making the European Greenways Award possible. We are eagerly looking forward to celebrate this biannual feast to recognize the bests European Greenways in Valencia, on such a round date as this 10th edition, and after such a difficult year!