The Commissioner for Commerce, Consumer Affairs and Markets, Miquel Ortega, has presented the municipal government's new lines of strategy in these areas

The City Council is launching cross-cutting measures that put special emphasis on the needs of small and medium-size commerce, to ensure that it creates employment and boosts social cohesion.

• A shock plan with a budget of 150,000 euros is being implemented to regenerate local commerce in the 11 neighbourhoods worst affected by the crisis, with initiatives to prevent the closed-shutter effect and to raise the profile of commerce on social networks, among other things.

• The Christmas shopping campaign is to be revamped, based on a responsible consumption model and with greater emphasis on activities that link commerce to local neighbourhood.

• This year's Christmas lights will light up on 1 December, thereby adapting the official switching on to the Christmas festivities calendar and saving close to 20% of the energy consume.

• A consultation process open to the sector, professionals and city residents is being started, to establish the days when shops can open during public holidays in the summer of 2016.

More information: Press Kit