EUROPEAN COMMISSION
DIRECTORATE-GENERAL
ENVIRONMENT
Directorate C – Zero Pollution
ENV.C.3 – Clean Air & Urban Policy
European Green Capital
and Leaf Awards 2028
Call for Applications
Rules of Contest
European Green Capital & Leaf Award 2028 – Rules of Contest
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 3
1.1 Background .................................................................................................................. 4
1.2 Objectives themes and priorities ................................................................................. 4
1.3 Objectives of the EGC Award and EGL award .............................................................. 5
1.4 Available budget .......................................................................................................... 6
2 Timetable and admissibility/documents .......................................................................... 7
2.1 Indicative timetable and deadlines .............................................................................. 7
2.2 Admissibility and documents ....................................................................................... 7
3 Eligibility and exclusion ................................................................................................... 8
3.1 Eligibility ....................................................................................................................... 8
3.2 Exclusion ...................................................................................................................... 8
4 Evaluation and award procedure ..................................................................................... 9
4.1 The Panel of Experts – Role and composition ............................................................ 10
4.2 The Jury ...................................................................................................................... 10
4.3 Evaluation process – indicators ................................................................................. 11
4.4 Selection and award process ..................................................................................... 11
4.4.1 Pre-selection ........................................................................................................ 11
4.4.2 Pre-evaluation stage by the panel of experts ...................................................... 11
4.4.3 Jury Deliberation .................................................................................................. 12
4.4.4 Award stage ......................................................................................................... 13
5 Award criteria................................................................................................................ 13
6 Other conditions ............................................................................................................ 14
6.1 Event planning ........................................................................................................... 14
6.2 Letter of intent ........................................................................................................... 15
6.3 Payment arrangements ............................................................................................. 15
6.4 Communication — Dissemination — Visibility of funding ......................................... 16
6.5 Data protection and intellectual property rights ....................................................... 16
6.6 Checks, audits and investigations .............................................................................. 17
6.7 Withdrawal of the prize — Recovery of undue amounts .......................................... 17
6.8 Disputes concerning the present prize ...................................................................... 17
6.9 Applicability of penalties............................................................................................ 18
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European Green Capital & Leaf Award 2028 – Rules of Contest
7 How to submit an application ........................................................................................ 18
7.1 Rules for the submission of an application ................................................................ 18
7.2 Rules for the submission of finalists documents ....................................................... 19
8 Important information................................................................................................... 20
9 Annexes......................................................................................................................... 21
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European Green Capital & Leaf Award 2028 – Rules of Contest
1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND
The European Commission intends to select the winner of the European Green Capital (EGC) 2028
title and European Green Leaf (EGL) 2028 title through a Europe-wide contest. This contest is an EU
prize in the field of environment under the LIFE programme. The regulatory framework for this EU
Funding Programme is set out in the:
• Regulation 2024/2509 ((recast) Regulation - EU, Euratom - 2024/2509 - EN - EUR-Lex
(EU financial regulation, recast).
• Basic act, the LIFE Regulation.
The call is launched in accordance with the Multiannual Work Programme LIFE1 and will be managed
by the European Commission, DG Environment (hereinafter ‘DG ENV’). We invite you to read the call
documentation carefully, particularly the Rules of Contest and the attached documents.
You are also encouraged to visit the European Green Capital and Leaf Awards webpage to consult the
list of previously funded winning cities .
The present rules of contest established by the European Commission cover both the European Green
Capital Awards (EGC Award) 2028 and European Green Leaf Awards (EGL Award) 2028.
The European Commission manages the contest with the support of the European Green Capital and
European Green Leaf Awards (EGCL) Secretariat.
The award of the financial prizes will be managed solely by DG ENV.
1.2 OBJECTIVES THEMES AND PRIORITIES
In 2021, the UN Human Rights Council unanimously passed a resolution recognising the right to a
clean, healthy and sustainable environment as a human right. The text also calls on all stakeholders to
work together to implement this resolution. The statement on One Health, developed jointly by the
global health, food and environment organisations, recognises the close links between health and
environment and the need to collaborate across sectors adopting a holistic approach to ensuring clean
water, energy and air, safe and nutritious food, taking action on climate change, and contributing to
sustainable development.
Cities across Europe are facing significant environmental and climate challenges. Air pollution remains
the primary environmental cause of adverse health impacts, including premature deaths. Europe’s
water bodies still face significant pressures, and biodiversity and ecosystems continue to deteriorate.
Environmental noise remains a concern, and inefficient waste management practices result in the loss
of valuable resources, hindering the transition to a more circular economy. Cities continue to generate
increasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and at the same time are vulnerable to the impacts of
climate change. The urgent need for a green and just transformation of our societies starts in our
cities, where change management and the ability to adapt and innovate are most critical. EU
environment policies such as the Circular Economy and Zero Pollution Action Plans, and the inter-
related EU Biodiversity, Forests and Soil strategies, have delivered key results. Related strategies, like
the Farm to Fork and the Sustainable Finance Agenda, are also contributing to this transformation.
1 Commission Implementing Decision of 9.7.2021 on the financing of the LIFE programme and the adoption of the work
programme for the years 2021 to 2024, Brussels 9.7.2021 C (2021) 4997 final.
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European Green Capital & Leaf Award 2028 – Rules of Contest
The urban dimension features prominently in the mandate of the Commission 2024-2029. This is
crucial for Europe’s sustainability and competitiveness objectives, with the recently adopted policy
agenda for cities focussing on key issues such as housing, climate action, digitalisation, mobility, social
inclusion and equality.
For change to happen, a fundamental rethink of the relationship between our economy and the
natural world is needed. Properly integrating nature into our economy is more urgent than ever.
Many cities have recognised this and have started a transformation process towards a greener
future and better quality of life for their citizens. These frontrunners can demonstrate to others how
transition can be achieved, and we invite them to apply for the awards.
In connection to the awards, the European Commission launched the Green City Accord (GCA) in 2020
to spur development and support environmental action in cities, complementing the Covenant of
Mayors for Climate and Energy initiative. It provides a framework that empowers cities to tackle
pressing environmental challenges and accelerate the implementation of the European Green Deal
and the EU environmental law. To date, 124 mayors have signed the Accord and committed to take
further action on air and water quality and management, waste/circular economy, nature/biodiversity
and noise to make their cities cleaner, greener and healthier by 2030. The GCA is a key initiative that
supports cities in the urban green transition across five policy areas, helping them to become
frontrunners and increasing their chances to become award winners and finalists.
Complementing the efforts in helping cities to becoming climate-neutral, in 2021 the European
Commission initiated the 100 Climate-Neutral Cities Mission. The selected cities have the ambition to
become climate-neutral by 2030 focussing on their CO2 footprints. The EU Missions on Climate
Adaptation, Ocean & Waters and Soil also aim to involve and support cities, on research and
innovation combined with new forms of governance, collaboration and citizen engagement.
Supporting the transformation of our building stock, the New European Bauhaus initiative calls on all
of us to imagine and build together a sustainable and inclusive future that is beautiful for our eyes,
minds, and souls.
The European Green Capital and Green Leaf Awards operate in close cooperation with those urban
initiatives.
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE EGC AWARD AND EGL AWARD
The EGC Award was launched in 2010 and rewards cities over 100 000 inhabitants while the EGL Award
was launched in 2015 in order to honor smaller cities below 100 000 inhabitants.
The EGC and EGL Awards recognise cities for the comprehensive efforts to increase the quality of life
of their citizens, focusing on climate and environmental performance that directly affects them. The
Awards highlight the co-benefits of environmental action at all levels, and the network of past winners
and finalists continues to grow, fostering a group of frontrunning cities. This network provides added
value for cities by granting access to actors at EU level, city peers and assistance from a dedicated
Secretariat.
Throughout the Awards year, winning cities receive support from the Commission and the EGCL
Secretariat for day-to-day tasks.
Guimarães (Portugal) is the European Green Capital 2026 and Águeda (Portugal) with Vaasa (Finland)
are both winners of the European Green Leaf Award 2026. For the year 2027, Heilbronn (Germany)
was awarded the European Green Capital, and the Green Leaf winners are Assen (The Netherlands)
and Siena (Italy).
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European Green Capital & Leaf Award 2028 – Rules of Contest
The objectives of the EGC Award and EGL Award are to:
a. Recognise and publicly acknowledge cities with a consistent record of achieving high
environmental standards.
b. Encourage cities to intensify and accelerate their current targets, committing to ambitious
goals for further environmental improvement and sustainable development.
c. Engage citizens in embracing change, inspiring others and promoting experience and best
practice in other European cities.
More information on both awards is available here:
• [Link]
award_en
Social media channels:
• Facebook: EuropeanGreenCapitalAward
• Twitter: @EUGreenCapital
• LinkedIn: @EU Green Capital
1.4 AVAILABLE BUDGET
The prize budget is as follows:
• EGC Award
o The title of EGC 2028 awarded to one winning city.
o A financial prize2 of EUR 600.0003 to the winning city (one winner)
• EGL Award
o The title of EGL 2028 awarded to one or two winning cities.
o A financial prize4 of EUR 200.0005 per winning city (max. 2 winners)
2 The proposed financial prize will follow the rules on prizes as set out in the Financial Regulation applicable to the general
budget of the Union Regulation - EU, Euratom - 2024/2509 - EN - EUR-Lex
3 The availability of the resources for awarding the financial prize is subject to the adoption of the EU 2028 Budget and its
amendments.
4 The proposed financial prize will follow the rules on prizes as set out in the Financial Regulation applicable to the general
budget of the Union Regulation - EU, Euratom - 2024/2509 - EN - EUR-Lex
5 The availability of the resources for awarding the financial prize is subject to the adoption of the EU 2028 Budget and its
amendments.
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European Green Capital & Leaf Award 2028 – Rules of Contest
2 TIMETABLE AND ADMISSIBILITY/DOCUMENTS
2.1 INDICATIVE TIMETABLE AND DEADLINES
Timetable and deadlines (only for informative purposes but subject to
changes)
Opening: 8 December 2025
Deadline for submission: 1 April 2026 at 23:59 CET (Brussels)
Evaluation: April-June 2026
Evaluation results: June 2026
Jury and Award: Autumn 2026
2.2 ADMISSIBILITY AND DOCUMENTS
The Application Form can be downloaded in English from the registration portal, after submitting the
required information on basic city contacts and data.
Applications must be submitted before the call ‘deadline for submissions’ mentioned above. Late
applications will not be accepted. Notification emails acknowledging receipt of submitted applications
will be sent to applicant cities by the European Green Capital and European Green Leaf Awards
Secretariat within two working days. It is essential that applicants ensure that they receive such a
receipt. If they do not receive this confirmation e-mail, they should please write to
info@[Link] or info@[Link] as soon as possible to make sure their
application has been submitted correctly.
Applications must be submitted electronically in PDF format via the online Application Portal:
[Link]
Applications must be complete and contain all the requested information and all required annexes
and supporting documents.
Your application must be readable, accessible, printable.
The signatory of the application should be the mayor or highest-ranking city representative,
authorised by national law to legally represent the city.
You may be asked at a later stage for further documents (for legal entity validation, bank account
validation, ethics review, etc).
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European Green Capital & Leaf Award 2028 – Rules of Contest
3 ELIGIBILITY AND EXCLUSION
3.1 ELIGIBILITY
The European Union is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy,
equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to
minorities. These values are common to the Member States in a society in which pluralism, non-
discrimination, tolerance, justice, solidarity and equality between women and men prevail.6 Any
official statement or conduct from an applicant city that questions these principles or values may
result in the application being rejected.
This call for entries to the contest for the EGC Award and EGL Awards 2028 are open to the following
applicants:
• Applicant cities from EU Member States as well as from European third countries that
participate 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 award but the prize
money will only be given to countries that are participating to the LIFE programme by virtue
of the signature of an agreement at the time of closure of the present call.7
• For the EGC: Applicant cities from the countries listed above which have more than 100 000
inhabitants.
• For the EGL: Applicant cities from the countries listed above from 20 000 and below 100 000
inhabitants.
• In countries where there is no city with more than 100 000 inhabitants, the largest city is
eligible to apply.
• 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
cities8), and must encompass an (2) administrative unit governed by a city council or another
form of democratically elected body. In case of doubt whether an entity is a city or not, the
applicant will be requested to demonstrate the status of the city in question in accordance
with its national law.
• For population data, Eurostat will be the source of reference. For countries not covered by
Eurostat, the 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 EGC Award or EGL Award, but not for both at
the same time.
• Past winners of the EGC Award or EGL Award titles may not re-apply.
3.2 EXCLUSION
Applicants subject to an EU exclusion decision or in one of the following exclusion situations that bar
them from receiving EU funding CANNOT participate9: The following exclusion criteria apply:
6 Article 2 of the Treaty of the European Union.
7 Those EEA countries that have not acceded to the LIFE programme will receive the award title but not the material prize.
8 An agglomeration is understood to be a grouping of cities/towns/municipalities or other entities that form one or several
urban areas, however not governed by the same city council).
9 See Article 138 FR.s
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European Green Capital & Leaf Award 2028 – Rules of Contest
• Bankruptcy, winding up, affairs administered by the courts, arrangement with creditors, suspended
business activities or other similar procedures (including procedures for persons with unlimited
liability for the applicant’s debts).
• In breach of social security or tax obligations (including if done by persons with unlimited liability
for the applicant’s debts).
• Guilty of grave professional misconduct10 (including if done by persons having powers of
representation, decision-making or control, beneficial owners or persons who are essential for the
award/implementation of the prize).
• Committed fraud, corruption, links to a criminal organisation, money laundering, terrorism-related
crimes (including terrorism financing), child labour or human trafficking (including if done by
persons having powers of representation, decision-making or control, beneficial owners or persons
who are essential for the award/implementation of the prize).
• Shown significant deficiencies in complying with main obligations under an EU procurement
contract, grant agreement, prize, expert contract, or similar (including if done by persons having
powers of representation, decision-making or control, beneficial owners or persons who are
essential for the award/implementation of the prize).
• Guilty of irregularities within the meaning of Article 1(2) of EC Regulation No 2988/95 (including if
done by persons having powers of representation, decision-making or control, beneficial owners
or persons who are essential for the award/implementation of the prize).
• Created under a different jurisdiction with the intent to circumvent fiscal, social or other legal
obligations in the country of origin or created another entity with this purpose (including if done
by persons having powers of representation, decision-making or control, beneficial owners or
persons who are essential for the award/implementation of the prize).
Applicants will also be refused if it turns out that11:
• During the award procedure they misrepresented information required as a condition for
participating or failed to supply that information.
• They were previously involved in the preparation of the call, and this entails a distortion of contest
that cannot be remedied otherwise (conflict of interest).
Applicants must sign the declaration of honour stating that they are not in any of the situations above.
4 EVALUATION AND AWARD PROCEDURE
The evaluation process comprises two steps:
1. A technical evaluation carried out by a Panel of Experts.
2. A final assessment by the Jury that takes into consideration the experts’ technical opinion and
factors presented by the Commission.
Based on the evaluation by the Jury, the Commission, as the awarding authority, will decide on the
award of the prize.
10 Professional misconduct includes: violation of ethical standards of the profession, wrongful conduct with impact on
professional credibility, false declarations/misrepresentation of information, participation in a cartel or other agreement
distorting the contest, violation of IPR, attempting to influence decision-making processes or obtain confidential
information from public authorities to gain advantage.
11 See Article 143 FR
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European Green Capital & Leaf Award 2028 – Rules of Contest
4.1 THE PANEL OF EXPERTS – ROLE AND COMPOSITION
The European Commission sets up the panel of seven experts, with 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, laying the groundwork for the selection of the cities to be awarded with the titles of EGC
and EGL.
The final decision on which cities will be short-listed lies with the Commission, which is guided by,
but not bound by, the assessment of the Panel of Experts12.
Members of the Panel of Experts are appointed in their personal capacity and act independently and
in the public interest. They must disclose any circumstances that could give rise to a conflict of interest
by submitting a 'declaration of interests' ('DOI') form, based on the standard DOI form for expert
groups. The Commission is committed to ensuring that experts do not have a conflict of interest with
the applications that they need to analyse.
The Panel of Experts will meet a maximum of three times per evaluation cycle.
4.2 THE JURY
The jury is appointed by the European Commission, as represented by the Director General of DG ENV,
who is the authorising officer responsible for awarding the financial prize.
The jury will be composed of representatives from some of the following organisations13:
• The European Commission's Directorate-General for Environment (Chair).
• The European Committee of the Regions and / or the European Economic and Social
Committee.
• The European Environment Agency.
• Environmental non-governmental organisations.
For transparency purposes, information about the composition of the Jury will be posted on the
awards website site prior to the deliberations. Any attempt to contact a member of the jury will result
in automatic rejection of the applicant city.
All applicants will be informed in due time about the final decision. Successful applicant cities will be
awarded the prize, while non-successful cities will be informed accordingly and provided with the
reasons for the decision.
12 The Commission may, if evidence supports this, alter the assessment provided by the Panel of Experts, in particular in
circumstances where cities fail to live up to environmental standards established in EU Law).
13 [Link]
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European Green Capital & Leaf Award 2028 – Rules of Contest
4.3 EVALUATION PROCESS – INDICATORS
The Awards have been successfully running for more than a decade. The indicator areas are aligned
with the Green City Accord initiative, where signatory cities report key data and commit to
improvements in those areas.
The five key themes are: air, water, noise, nature and biodiversity and circular economy. To ensure
the holistic character of the Awards, two further indicators for climate change mitigation and
adaptation are included in the application forms.
A panel of seven independent experts will assess all applications against these seven indicators as
follows:
1. Air Quality
2. Water
3. Biodiversity, Green Areas and Sustainable Land Use
4. Waste and Circular Economy
5. Noise
6. Climate Change Mitigation
7. Climate Change Adaptation
Additionally, applicants are required to provide information on their good practices, which will be
assessed by the expert panel (see 4.4.2).
4.4 SELECTION AND AWARD PROCESS
4.4.1 Pre-selection
The admissibility of the application, eligibility and non-exclusion criteria will be examined first. These
are minimum requirements, and the applicants must meet these criteria for their application to be
further examined.
Applications not meeting these pre-selection requirements will be rejected and applicant cities wil
be duly informed on the reasons for their rejection.
4.4.2 Pre-evaluation stage by the panel of experts
In a first selection phase, the panel of experts will perform a technical assessment, providing
qualitative comments on each application. The assessment is initially conducted by the expert
competent in one of the indicators, then subsequently peer reviewed by another expert. Once the
seven indicators are examined and peer reviewed, they are endorsed by the Panel of Experts.
Due to their often-integral nature, good practices are assessed by each expert (more details in the
guidance note).
To ensure the use of objective, comparable and reliable environmental information, the Panel of
Experts will rely on environmental data and indicators from the European Environment Agency for
both awards.
The Panel of Experts will also consider if the city is subject to infringements in the field of EU
environmental law (or equivalent major procedures in non-EU cities). In the application form,
applicants should include information about any EU legal proceedings concerning their city in the
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European Green Capital & Leaf Award 2028 – Rules of Contest
following areas Air Quality, Water quality and efficiency, Biodiversity and Nature, Waste and Circular
Economy, and Noise.
Applications for the EGC Award and EGL Award follow the same criteria, but applicants for the EGC
Award are expected to provide more complete and detailed information than those applying for the
EGL Award.
Guided by the Panel of Experts’ recommendations, the Commission will establish a shortlist of cities,
which will then be submitted to the Jury.
A summary of the Panel of Experts assessment of the shortlisted cities will be made publicly available
on the EU Green Capital & EU Green Leaf Awards website. All eligible cities can request a copy of their
technical assessment report.
4.4.3 Jury Deliberation
In the second selection phase, the jury receives a detailed technical assessment report from the panel
of experts prior to the jury panel meeting. This report serves as a background document for the second
phase of the selection.
Shortlisted cities will be invited to present their applications in front of the jury panel. For the jury
briefing, the finalist cities are required to provide, at least two weeks ahead of the jury panel, the
following documents:
• A document (maximum length of two pages) on the city’s environmental governance, outlining
how they work across policy silos and engage citizens and stakeholders from various political and
societal fields, including businesses.
• A document (maximum length of two pages) with a vision of the city’s communication strategy and
actions for the year 2028 as an EGC or EGL. This document should provide an overview of the focus
areas and how the city plans to engage with others.
Representatives of each shortlisted city will be invited to give an oral presentation in front of the jury
panel covering as follows:
1. The city’s overall strategy, vision, and commitment to sustainability, and how these are
implemented in practice.
2. The city’s communication strategy and actions for its role as a EGC or EGL for the year 2028, which
should address:
• Communication to citizens and involvement related to the seven environmental indicators,
effectiveness via changes in citizen behaviour, lessons learned 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. The city’s proposal for concrete initiatives and measures for the title year 2028, aiming at
enhancing the transition to a greener and more sustainable city. The city should give examples and
inform about planning to reach targets set under the European Green Deal, in particular those
specified in the Zero Pollution Action Plan, the Biodiversity Strategy and Circular Economy Action
Plan and the Fit for 55 Package.
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European Green Capital & Leaf Award 2028 – Rules of Contest
Following these presentations, the Jury will deliberate on the winner of the EGC Award and EGL Award
2028, selecting the winners based on the award criteria. For transparency, the deliberation and
conclusions of the jury will be presented in a publicly available 'Jury Report' after the award ceremony.
Reports from the last competitions are published on the awards website/winning cities.
Presentations to the jury will take place in the autumn 2026 in Guimarães (EGC 2026).
4.4.4 Award stage
The winner of the EGC Award 2028 and winner(s) of the EGL Award 2028 will be announced at a festive
awards ceremony in autumn 2026 in Guimarães (EGC 2026).
5 AWARD CRITERIA
For the EGC Award and EGL Award, if cities are eligible, admissible, shortlisted and have presented
their city in front of the jury panel (details see ‘jury deliberation’ point 4.4.3) the jury will give scores
based on the following award criteria:
1. Technical assessment: the environmental performance of the applicant city, as well as the efforts
made to achieve high environmental standards, including innovative sustainable practices that
showcase exemplary performance and can inspire other cities.
2. Overall strategy covering vision, and commitment to sustainability, detailing how it has been
implemented, is being implemented and will continue to be implemented in practice. This includes
the approach the city intends to take as an EGC or EGL and covers effective governance. In this
regard, being a signatory of the Green City Accord is considered an asset.
• The 2-page document on governance included in the application will be assessed at the
jury stage.
3. Communication strategy and actions for the city’s role as an EGC or EGL, which should address:
• Communication with citizens and their involvement in relation to the seven environmental
areas, and indicating positive changes in citizen behaviour, lessons learned and proposed
future modifications.
• The applicant city's ability to showcase the city’s sustainability vision and plans at local and
regional levels.
• How the applicant city intends to fulfil its role as a Green Ambassador/role model, inspiring
other European cities.
• These three award criteria will be assessed inter alia taking into account the initiatives and
measures proposed for the Award year to enhance the applicant city’s environmental
sustainability and to contribute to achieving the applicant city’s sustainability vision.
• The 2-page document outlining the city’s communication strategy and actions for the year
20282028 as an EGC or EGL will be also assessed at the jury stage.
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European Green Capital & Leaf Award 2028 – Rules of Contest
Award criteria Product provided by Assessment Minimum Maximum Total Total
applicant city at a level of pass score score minimum maximum
pass score score
Technical assessment of the Application form duly
1a Expert 6 10
environmental filled in including good
panel
performance (7 indicators) practices 42 70
Per Per
indicator indicator
Strategy covering vision and City presentation and
2 Jury panel
commitment to 2-page document on
sustainability and related governance 18 30
implementation planning i
Communication strategy City presentation and
3 Jury panel
and planning of 2-page document on
events/initiatives during city’s communication 12 20
the title year in case the strategy and actions
city wins
Total scores 72 120
Applications must meet both the individual minimum pass scores for each indicator and the total
minimum pass score. The prizes will be awarded to the applications with the highest scores.
Applications that do not meet these criteria will be rejected.
6 OTHER CONDITIONS
6.1 EVENT PLANNING
The winner is expected to organise events and take initiatives during their title year, whereby the
following applies:
• The budget the city allocates for their title year must be maintained at a level capable of
delivering a high-quality programme.
• The European dimension must remain sufficiently strong, and a final draft of the events
planning be sent to the Commission ahead of the title year.
• The marketing and communication strategy and communication material (printed and online)
used by the winning city and the projects of the city to enhance its sustainability must clearly
reflect that the awards are an initiative of the European Commission. For this purpose, the
winning city shall exclusively use the official 'winning city' branding by the European
Commission, where applicable (see annex 4&5 'letter of intent'). Details on the rules and
requirements for applying the logo are detailed in the branding rules annexed to the letter of
intent.
• The winning city shall report on the use of the financial prize including the city’s vision, plans
and measures to achieve targets specified in the Zero Pollution Action Plan, the Biodiversity
Strategy and Circular Economy.
• The winning city shall report on the impact of the title no later than 6 months after their title
year expired.
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European Green Capital & Leaf Award 2028 – Rules of Contest
• A legacy report shall be provided no later than three years after the end of their title year,
reflecting on the impact the Award has had and continues to have on the city. It will be
assumed that the plans for monitoring and evaluation of the title awarded to the city are in
place.
The winning cities will gain attention Europe-wide and act as models inspiring other cities, creating a
multiplying effect to other cities.
6.2 LETTER OF INTENT
To support the winning cities in this endeavour, the European Commission will summarise a list of
activities that are enshrined in a non-binding agreement, called 'letter of intent', between DG ENV and
the winning city (annex 5 and 6 respectively).
The letter of intent is complemented by monitoring guidelines, a guideline document for monitoring
the impact of the EGC/EGL title, as well as a 'communication toolbox' with instructions to help
promote the year as the EGC/EGL. An important element of the communications toolbox is the graphic
design, ensuring continuity of the EGC Award/EGL Award 'brand' from year to year, enhancing the
visibility for the winning city even after the city's EGC/EGL calendar year expires.
6.3 PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS
For the EGC 2028, one winning city will receive the award and a final prize of EUR 600.000 (six hundred
thousand euros)14.
For the EGL 2028, one or two winning cities will receive the award and a final prize each of EUR
200.000 (two hundred thousand euros)15 per city.
The winner of the EGC Award and EGL Awards will be announced at the Awards Ceremony. Payment
of the prizes will occur in two instalments:
• 70% instalment will be paid after the city submits a more concrete plan of events and actions
for their winning year. Payment must be claimed within three months from the date the title
is awarded or by 31 December 2028 at the latest. Winning cities are encouraged to use the
prize as a contribution towards implementing the initiatives and measures to enhance the
city’s environmental sustainability as part of the winning city's EGC/EGL year 2028, as outlined
in the sustainability vision presented at the jury meeting. Prior to the payment of the first
instalment, a kick-off meeting between the winning cities and the European Commission will
be organised to assess compliance with this requirement.
o The kick-off meeting must take place no later than one month after the awarding of
the EGC/EGL 2028 titles.
• 30% instalment will be paid during the 'title year' and no later than 30 June 2028, provided
that the city continues to honour the commitments it made during the application stage,
including compliance relating to the payment of the first instalment. Compliance will be
assessed by the European Commission based on a follow-up report submitted by the winning
city no later than 6 months after the end of the winning year. This report shall outline the
actions that enhanced the city’s environmental sustainability vision implemented as part of
the cities’ EGC/EGL year programme.
14 The availability of the resources for awarding the financial prize is subject to the adoption of the EU 2028 Budget and its
amendments.
15 The availability of the resources for awarding the financial prize is subject to the adoption of the EU 2028 Budget and its
amendments.
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European Green Capital & Leaf Award 2028 – Rules of Contest
The financial prize will be paid to the winning city following the submission of the required financial
information16.
6.4 COMMUNICATION — DISSEMINATION — VISIBILITY OF FUNDING
Prize winners must actively promote the prize and its results by providing targeted information to
various audiences, including the media and the public, in a strategic and effective manner.
Communication activities related to the prize – such as media interviews, press statements,
conferences, seminars, information material (brochures, leaflets, posters, presentations, etc.), both in
electronic form and via traditional or social media, etc.) – and dissemination activities as well as any
infrastructure, equipment, vehicles, supplies or major result funded by the prize, must acknowledge
EU support and display the EGC or EGL logo.
The logo must remain distinct and separate and cannot be modified by adding other visual marks,
brands or text.
Further details are included in the branding rules as stated in the draft letter of intent (annex 5 and 6
respectively).
6.5 DATA PROTECTION AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS
The Commission is bound by Regulation 2018/1725 on the protection of natural persons with regard
to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the
free movement of such data.17 The Commission will process personal data from applicants in
accordance with this regulation. For more details, please refer to the data protection notice (annex
6).
The European Commission shall be authorised to publish or reference the following information in any
form or medium:
• The name of the winning city.
• The locality and address of the winning city.
• The completed application of the winning city18.
• The general purpose of the communication strategy and implemented projects / actions as
presented at the jury meeting.
• The amount of the financial prize legally committed.
Cities that are finalists or winners will automatically be entering the network of green cities. The city
shall designate the names of city representatives that take part in the network and authorise the
Commission and the EGCL Secretariat to handle the names for exchange with other network members.
The awarding authority does not obtain ownership of the results produced in the context of the prize.
However, the awarding authority has the right to use non-sensitive information relating to the prize
and materials and documents received from the winners (such as pictures or audio-visual material, in
paper or electronic form) for information, communication, dissemination and publicity purposes.
16 Financial information that is needed comprise the dully signed Legal Entity Form of the City and the Bank Account Form.
17 OJ C 288, 31.08.2017.
18 With due regard to data protection issues and protection of commercial interests if applicable.
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European Green Capital & Leaf Award 2028 – Rules of Contest
Photos and videos taken by the awarding authority, either in preparation of the award ceremony or
during the award ceremony, are the sole property of the awarding authority and may only be used in
reference with the present prize and in the context of EU policies
By responding to this call, the applicants acknowledge the norms19 relating to publicity. For
transparency purposes, the Commission must publish information on recipients of Union funds on a
centralised and dedicated website of Union institutions, such as the Financial Transparency System.
6.6 CHECKS, AUDITS AND INVESTIGATIONS
The awarding authority, the European Commission, the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), the
European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) and the European Court of Auditors (ECA) may carry out
checks, audits and investigations in relation to the prize.20
6.7 WITHDRAWAL OF THE PRIZE — RECOVERY OF UNDUE AMOUNTS
The awarding authority may withdraw the prize after it has been awarded and recover all payments
made, if it discovers that:
• False information, fraud or corruption was used to obtain the prize.
• The prize winners were not eligible or should have been excluded.
• The prize winners are in serious breach of their obligations under these Rules of Contest.
By responding to this call the applicants acknowledge and accept the norms21 relating to the
protection of the financial interests of the EU.
6.8 DISPUTES CONCERNING THE PRESENT PRIZE
EU law applies to any dispute concerning the present prize. The competent court or arbitration
tribunal to hear disputes in the General Court of the Court of Justice of the European Union:
General Court
Rue du Fort Niedergrünewald
L-2925 Luxembourg
Tel.: (352) 4303-1 Fax: (352) 4303 2100
E-mail: [Link]@[Link]
If applicants believe that there has been maladministration, they may lodge a complaint to the
European Ombudsman within two years of the date when they become aware of the facts which form
the basis for the complaint (see [Link]
19
[Link]
20 For the powers of OLAF, EPPO and ECA, see Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 883/2013 of the European Parliament and of
the Council of 11 September 2013 concerning investigations conducted by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and
repealing Regulation (EC) No 1073/1999 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Regulation (Euratom)
No 1074/1999 (OJ L 248, 18/09/2013, p. 1), Council Regulation (Euratom, EC) No 2185/1996 of 11 November 1996
concerning on-the-spot checks and inspections carried out by the Commission in order to protect the European
Communities' financial interests against fraud and other irregularities (OJ L 292, 15/11/1996, p. 2), Council Regulation
(EU) 2017/1939 of 12 October 2017 implementing enhanced cooperation on the establishment of the European Public
Prosecutor’s Office (‘the EPPO’) and Article 287 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU) and Article 257 of EU
Financial Regulation 2018/1046.
21
[Link]
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European Green Capital & Leaf Award 2028 – Rules of Contest
6.9 APPLICABILITY OF PENALTIES
Financial or administrative penalties, or both, may be imposed on applicants who have made false
declarations, or committed irregularities or fraud, in accordance with the conditions laid down in
Article 137 and Article 140 of the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the
European Union and in proportion to the value of the financial prize.
7 HOW TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION
All applications must be submitted directly online via the online Application Portal in PDF format.
Paper format applications are not accepted.
The full application must be written in one of the official languages of the European Union. However,
submission of the application in English is encouraged for the smooth and timely running of the
assessment of the applications.
Applications must be complete. Applicants must answer to all questions and must complete all
sections of the application form. If a question cannot be answered, reasons should be provided.
Applications must adhere to the word limits indicated in each section of the application form. Any
words exceeding the specified limit will not be taken into account and may leave application answers
incomplete. Text included in the captions and headings (titles) of graphics/images/tables will not be
included in the word count but should not exceed 20 words.
Applicant cities may be contacted in case of clerical and/or administrative errors or for missing
documents.
7.1 RULES FOR THE SUBMISSION OF AN APPLICATION
Download the application documents after having registered your city on the registration link.
Complete the application form (annex 1) and use the guidance note (annex 2) to facilitate completion.
• Complete the application form by providing detailed information for each of the seven indicators
of the application form. For each indicator, four sections must be completed:
1. Describe the present situation
2. Describe the measures implemented over the last ten years
3. Describe the short and long-term objectives for the future and approach to achieve these
objectives
4. Explain how the above information can be documented, adding links if possible.
The application must be uploaded to the application platform before the deadline (1. April 2026
midnight). Each document has a designated spot for uploading.
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European Green Capital & Leaf Award 2028 – Rules of Contest
The application must contain the complete set of separate PDF documents as follows:
Doc n°1 Mayor Declaration (form to be filled in annex 3)
Doc n°2 Declaration on Honour (form to be filled in annex 7)
Application Form (annex 1) separated into:
Doc n°3 Introduction and Context
Doc n°4 Indicator 1. Air Quality
Doc n°5 Indicator 2. Water
Doc n°6 Indicator 3. Biodiversity, Green Areas and Sustainable Land Use
Doc n°7 Indicator 4. Waste and Circular Economy
Doc n°8 Indicator 5. Noise
Doc n°9 Indicator 6. Climate Change Mitigation
Doc n°10 Indicator 7. Climate Change Adaptation
Doc n°11 Good Practices
• Please note that there is a limit on the number of graphics/images/tables to be provided per
indicator area, city introduction and context section and good practice section that should be
adhered to.
• Ensure that the Mayor Declaration is duly signed by the mayor or by the highest city representative,
authorised by national law to represent legally the city and stamp with the official city seal.
• Complete and sign the Declaration on Honour regarding exclusion criteria and selection criteria,
annex 7.
All queries should be directed to the Secretariat:
info@[Link] or info@[Link]
7.2 RULES FOR THE SUBMISSION OF FINALISTS DOCUMENTS
Shortlisted cities will be asked to submit additional documents as follows:
• A document (maximum length of two pages) on the city’s environmental governance, outlining
how they work across policy silos and engage citizens and stakeholders from various political and
societal fields, including businesses.
• A document (maximum length of two pages) with a vision of the city’s communication strategy
and actions for the year 2028 as an EGC or EGL. This document should provide an initial overview
of the focus areas and how the city plans to engage with others.
Those two documents must be submitted in PDF format and labelled correctly as follows:
Governance_City, DraftPlanning_City. The documents will need to be sent end of July to the EGCL
Secretariat and are intended for the jury’s review.
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European Green Capital & Leaf Award 2028 – Rules of Contest
8 IMPORTANT INFORMATION
IMPORTANT
• Don’t wait until the end — Complete your application sufficiently in advance of the deadline to avoid any
last-minute technical problems. Problems due to last-minute submissions (e.g. congestion, etc.) will be
entirely at your risk. Call deadlines can NOT be extended.
• Consult the Portal Topic page regularly. We will use it to publish updates and additional information on the
call (call updates).
• No double funding — There is a strict prohibition of double funding from the EU budget. Applications that
have already received an EU prize cannot receive a second prize for the same activities.
• Resubmission — Applications may be changed and re-submitted until the deadline for submission. For first
past the post prizes with cut-off dates, applications can be changed and re-submitted until the cut-off date.
• Cancellation — The awarding authority may cancel the contest or decide not to award the prize — without
any obligation to compensate participants (e.g. in case there are no applications, the jury cannot determine
winner, the winner is not eligible or must be excluded, objectives have already been achieved, etc). In such as
case, you will be informed via a call update.
• Transparency — In accordance with Article 38 of the EU Financial Regulation1, information about EU prizes
awarded and the winners (name, address and amount awarded) is published each year on the Europa website2.
Publication can exceptionally be waived (upon a reasoned and duly substantiated request), if disclosure risks
jeopardising your rights and freedoms under the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights or harming your
commercial interests.
• Data protection — Any processing of personal data in the context of this prize will be done in accordance
with Regulation 2018/17253. It will be processed solely for the purpose of evaluating your application (and
subsequent management of your prize and, if needed, programme monitoring, evaluation and
communication). Details are explained in the Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement4.
By submitting the application, all applicants accept that the awarding authority will publish information on
the finalists and winners.
1 [Link]
2. [Link]
3. [Link]
4. [Link]
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European Green Capital & Leaf Award 2028 – Rules of Contest
9 ANNEXES
Annex 1 European Green Capital and Leaf Awards 2028 Application Form
Annex 2 European Green and Leaf Awards 2028 Guidance Note
Annex 3 Mayor Declaration Form
Annex 4 Draft Letter of Intent – European Green Capital
Annex 5 Draft Letter of Intent – European Green Leaf
Annex 6 Data Protection Notice
Annex 7 Declaration of Honour Form
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