“European Personality of the Month” is a joint activity carried out by all the centres that form part of the European Information Network of Andalusia. Its main objective is to raise awareness and disseminate, through social media, the work of Andalusian citizens who are carrying out or have carried out outstanding and/or commemorative deeds in the EU.
Each month, a member of the Network will nominate the #EuropeanPersonOfTheMonth. In this post, we will compile a list of these citizens each month:
February 2026: European educational project by IES ATEGUA in Castro del Río
Since 2009, IES ATEGUA has been promoting a European educational project through its continued participation in European programmes, encouraging the internationalisation of the centre and the development of linguistic, cultural, civic and social skills among its students. This commitment has been recognised with its status as a finalist for the RIEA JACE Award and with close collaboration with Europe Direct centres. Its journey began with the Comenius U.T.O.P.I.A. project (2009–2011), alongside schools in Belgium, Norway and the Czech Republic, in parallel with the reinforcement of bilingualism that began in 2008/09 and was consolidated with language assistants. Subsequently, it has participated in various Erasmus projects focusing on European identity, culture, environmental protection, youth employment and sustainability. Since 2023/2024, it has been part of the OLIVE TRAIN TO EUROPE consortium for vocational training mobility and is currently participating in the Erasmus project “Empowering the democratic values and green culture of our schools” (2024–2026), aimed at education in democratic values, sustainability and civic awareness.
December 2025: Almeria Federation of Associations of People with Disabilities (FAAM)
The Almeria Federation of Associations of Persons with Disabilities (FAAM) is the leading organisation in the province of Almeria in the European Solidarity Corps programme. Since 1999, they have welcomed 78 European volunteers to their headquarters and sent 30 young people to other countries. All this has been possible thanks to the support of young people and collaborating organisations.
November 2025: Cecilia Gañán de Molina
She has a degree in Law and a PhD in Sustainable Agricultural, Food, Forestry and Rural Development from the University of Córdoba. She has specialised studies in European Communities from the Diplomatic School of Madrid. She began her career at the European Documentation Centre in Córdoba. She later worked at the Brussels office of the Regional Government of Andalusia as a European affairs specialist and held various positions in the Regional Ministries of Agriculture and Fisheries and the Environment. In recent years, she has developed her career as an independent professional in international consulting, collaborating with institutions such as the FAO, the World Bank and the IUCN. She is an expert for the European Commission on cohesion and regional and urban development policies. She chairs a European group on the Interregional Innovation Investment Instrument (I·3) and collaborates with EU programmes as an analyst, evaluator and researcher (HORIZON, URBACT, INTERREG, EKLIPSE). She is a visiting professor at the University of Sassari, Italy, in new territorial narratives, and a teaching collaborator in the Master’s Degree in International Relations and Diplomacy at the Open University of Catalonia.
October 2025: Olga González Galindo
With sixteen years of experience as a EURES advisor in Granada, Olga González has established herself as a key professional in European labour mobility in Andalusia. Her commitment and dedication to helping others have enabled numerous professionals to find opportunities in different European countries that match their profiles. As a EURES advisor, she has promoted European employment opportunities, guiding employers and workers on mobility and market demands. Her tasks include personalised advice, monitoring job offers, disseminating information on living and working conditions, and organising international recruitment processes. Guided by empathy and professional excellence, her work reflects the values of cooperation and solidarity of the European Union. Thanks to her dedication, the EURES network in Andalusia is now a benchmark for labour mobility and an inclusive European market. For this reason, Olga González has been recognised as European Personality of the Month.
September 2025: EURL-FV Project
EURL-FV is the “European Project of the Month” for September, presented by Amadeo Rodríguez Fernández-Alba (now Emeritus), Mª Jesús Martínez Bueno and Carmen Ferrer Amate, from the Department of Chemistry and Physics. This is the European Union Reference Laboratory for Pesticide Residues in Fruit and Vegetables, which ensures that results on pesticide residues in fruit and vegetables are reliable and comparable throughout the EU. They achieve this through proficiency testing (PT), harmonised methods, training and scientific support to both the European Commission (DG SANTE) and the network of laboratories (NRLs = National Reference Laboratories; OfLs = Official Laboratories).
July 2025: European Geotrans Project, Huelva-Alentejo Cross-Border Geopark
Led by the Huelva Provincial Council, the project is part of the Spain-Portugal Cross-Border Cooperation Operational Programme (POCTEP). Under the name GEOTRANS, the initiative promotes sustainable development, heritage conservation and the strengthening of cross-border links. The project covers 38 municipalities and almost 80,000 inhabitants, and aims to enhance the value of shared natural, cultural and intangible resources. The municipalities of the Sierra and Cuenca Minera de Huelva are participating in the project, together with the Portuguese municipalities of Barrancos, Mértola, Moura and Serpa. As a result of this joint effort, on 26 June 2025 an agreement was signed to create a European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC) based in Rosal de la Frontera. The Geotrans project aims to obtain recognition as a Global Geopark by UNESCO in the near future.
June 2025: European project “Back to a healthy society (BASE)”
The European project Back to a Healthy Society (BASE), recognised as European Project of the Month by the European Information Network of Andalusia, promotes active, healthy and connected ageing, placing older people at the forefront of social change. Its approach focuses on combating isolation, encouraging active living and strengthening community participation through communities of practice led by older people trained as agents of change. These local facilitators, supported by mentors, promote physical exercise and strengthen social ties, improving the health and emotional well-being of their communities. With the collaboration of organisations from six European countries, BASE has already been implemented in Malaga, in the municipalities of Alcaucín and Torremolinos, through pilot projects led by older volunteers.
January 2025:
European project of the month for January
The Custodia los Ríos de Granada project is supported by the Biodiversity Foundation within the framework of the European Union’s NextGenerationEU funds. pic.twitter.
com/NU0M9ymTqb
– Europa Granada (@Europa_Granada) 21 January 2025
September 2024: Manolo Sola
Manolo Sola is our #EuropeanPersonOfTheMonth for September! @cijpurchena
He is the head of the European Youth Information Office @Eurodesk in Purchena, the only one of its kind operating in the province of Almería
. https://t.co/6boH26T1rx #RIEA pic.twitter.
com/dZKyLSgDoL
– Almería European Documentation Centre (@cdeualmeria) 24 September 2024
November 2023: PAX – Patios de la Axerquía Association
A non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting social innovation processes for urban regeneration in areas of high heritage value, arising from the citizens of Cordoba, advocating the need to update the tangible and intangible heritage of the courtyard house as a model of a socially and environmentally sustainable city in Mediterranean Europe. In 2022, PAX was recognised with the European Heritage Award/Europa Nostra Award from the European Commission for its work in consolidating a “Heritage Community” around urban regeneration, as defined by the Faro Convention of the Council of Europe to which it belongs, as well as for promoting the rich tangible heritage with the inclusion of citizens as protagonists in the recognition of these values. In 2023, it is also recognised as a Good Practice by Eurocities in “Cultural Heritage in Action”.
October 2023: Héctor García
Héctor García, #EuropeanPersonOfTheMonth!
He is a Ramón y Cajal researcher at @CanalUGR with his research on robotic swarm control funded by the €1.5 million #StartingGrant from @ERC_Research
➡️ https://t.co/hpGXNf7gwY#AndalucíaEUropea #RIEA pic.twitter.
com/8fwEvxOmSm
– UGR European Documentation Centre (@cde_ugr) 11 October 2023
September 2023: Manuel Pleguezuelo Alonso
Mr Manuel Pleguezuelo Alonso is our #EuropeanPerson of the Month for September!
Since 2020,Manuel Pleguezuelo has been responsible for blue economy policies at the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of the @EuropeanCommission.
com/lu0Uc3CK55
– European Documentation Centre of Almería (@cdeualmeria) 7 September 2023
July 2023: Western Peninsula Jacobean Routes Project
EUROPEAN PROJECT OF THE MONTH‼️
Western Peninsula Jacobean Routes Project
Southern Route: “Huelva-Zafra
com/3pwpGl1BxH
– Europe Direct Huelva (@EDHuelva) 21 July 2023
June 2023: IES Benalmádena (Málaga)
IES Benalmádena is our European character of the month. Since 2014, it has been developing the European dimension in education through activities integrated into the European projects eTwinning, ERASMUS and EPAS. It has been a European Parliament Ambassador School. #RIEA pic.twitter.
com/86zKb6bVh4
– Europe Direct Málaga (@EuropeDirectMlg) 4 July 2023
May 2023: European Project “European University Ulysseus”
European Project of the Month: Ulysseus European University
Ulysseus European
University
is one of 44 European universities selected by the European Commission to become the universities of the future. pic.twitter.
com/dJ77cIbnAx
– CDE Seville (@cdesevilla) 22 May 2023
April 2023: European project “SEA-EU: European University of the Seas”
SEA-EU, the European University of the Seas, was created in 2019 thanks to the Erasmus “European Universities” initiative. It is one of four alliances coordinated by Andalusian universities within this initiative, with a total of 44 consortia selected by the European Union under the Erasmus 2021-2027 programme to improve the international competitiveness of higher education. These university networks not only cooperate with each other, but also with non-governmental organisations, businesses, and local and regional authorities to increase the quality and expand the reach of higher education in Europe. The main driving force and connecting factor of this consortium is the sea. SEA-EU will promote excellence in research to increase knowledge and improve understanding and management of the marine environment. It will help develop the human resources and skills needed to meet the needs of the evolving marine and maritime sectors, now and in the foreseeable future. It will provide and improve tools and techniques for measuring and predicting impacts on the oceans. This project already brings together 150,000 students, 18,000 employees and 75 associate members from the nine territories, including municipalities, port authorities, government, businesses and prestigious research centres such as GEOMAR, IFREMER and CSIC. SEA-EU is made up of the universities of Cadiz, Western Brittany (France), Kiel (Germany), Gdansk (Poland), Split (Croatia) and Malta, which have been joined in this second phase by the universities of Naples-Partenope (Italy), Algarve (Portugal) and Nord (Norway), with the aim of designing a new European higher education area to promote training and research and align it with the needs of each territory.
March 2023: Local Youth Board of Puente Genil (Córdoba)
RIEA Personality of the Month for March 2023: Local Youth Board of Puente Genil (Córdoba). Since 2007, this Board has been an assembly and executive body that promotes citizen participation in municipal decision-making. For more information , visit https://t.co/xwRnIiySwW pic.twitter.
com/sCso27QGrF
– EuropeDirect Córdoba (@EuropeDirectCor) 21 April 2023
February 2023: Europe Project in the Guadajoz Region
#EuropeanPersonOfTheMonth The 30 young people of the #EuropeanProject committed to their values. Local activists focused on European priorities. They have created the #DREAM2 initiative to rediscover rural Europe and get it moving with three other European territories #RIEA #AndalucíaEUropea pic.twitter.com/XnT0Gw1r8h
– Europe Direct Andalucía Rural (@AndaluciaRur_UE) 27 February 2023
January 2023: #VidaMadera for the Future
The University of Granada, the Provincial Council of Granada, local councils in the metropolitan area, the private and forestry sectors, as well as groups and associations involved in raising awareness and protecting the environment, are behind this project, which has become an emergency plan aimed at restoring the poplar groves of the Vega de Granada, combating air pollution in the metropolitan area and creating a new business and industrial fabric. Website: https://life-woodforfuture .eu
November 2022: Ana Ortiz Serrano
Ana Ortiz Serrano, Technical Engineer in Electricity and Electronics and Industrial Organisation. Engineer, Erasmus Programme coordinator; promoter of European projects and youth mobility in Europe; she is our #EuropeanPersonOfTheMonth#RIEA #CDEuropahttps://t.co/tbyiU6AO4l pic.twitter.com/FzrSwgdKDg
– European Documentation Centre of the UCO (@CDE_Cordoba) 14 November 2022
October 2022: IES Severo Ochoa Secondary School in Granada
September 2022: Amadeo Fernández-Alba
Amadeo Fernández-Alba, director of the European Reference Laboratory for Pesticide Residues (EURL) of the @EuropeanCommission (Directorate-General for Health -DG SANTE-) at the University of Almería is our #EuropeanPersonOfTheMonth#RIEA #CDEuropehttps://t.co/rI60di3WXd pic.twitter.
com/XdMcT5GiPA
– European Documentation Centre of Almería (@cdeualmeria) 9 September 2022
July 2022: Antonia Fernández Oreal
European Personality of the Month – Antonia Fernández Oreal
A staunch European who passes on her beliefs to her students, teacher and graduate in Educational Psychology, lecturer at @iesdonboscoVDC (Huelva). She is coordinator and senior ambassador for the Schools of Ambassadors @Europarl_ES pic.twitter.com/6vYIcF6paK– Europe Direct Huelva (@EDHuelva) 21 July 2022
June 2022: Bernadette Sebrechts
The Europe Direct Malaga centre nominates Bernadette Sebrechts Verwilghen as #EuropeanPersonOfTheMonth for her contribution to Europe through various projects and her collaboration in spreading the European message through her participation in talks on Europe and her major project. pic.twitter.
com/7qRnWKcO4m
– Europe Direct Malaga (@EuropeDirectMlg) 21 June 2022
May 2022: Ana Juárez and Vincenzo Cardarelli
Vincenzo Cardarelli
#EuropeanPersonOfTheMonth
He has been the main promoter and is now the director of the project to build a permanent headquarters for the #JRC of the @EuropeanCommission on the Isla de la Cartuja in #Seville.
More information: https://t.co/7gAXnjnci7 pic.twitter.
com/HEYMMqKutE
– Europe Direct Seville (@EuropeDirectUS) 19 May 2022
Ana Juárez, #EuropeanPerson of the month for May
Born in Seville, with a degree in Law from @unisevilla, civil servant in the European Commission’s DG Communication and recently awarded by the Commission itself after more than 20 years of service in the institutions. pic.twitter.
com/jXxwOEn2vC
– CDE Seville (@cdesevilla) 9 May 2022
April 2022: Sara Morales Vigo
Sara Morales Vigo is our #EuropeanPersonOfTheMonth. She is a physicist from Algeciras and one of the youngest scientists in the Campo de Gibraltar region. She currently works at CERN in Geneva (Switzerland). #EuropeanAndalusia pic.twitter.
com/Qj3S9Ceh9E
– Europe Direct Málaga (@EuropeDirectMlg) 19 April 2022
March 2022: Eduardo Cas
Our #EuroPersonalityOfTheMonth for March is Eduardo Cas @EduardoCCalzado, mathematics teacher and head of internationalisation at @IesTrassierra.
More info on our profile @europedirectcordoba #EurodeskSpain #Eurodesk #SomosEurodesk #AndaluciaEUropea pic.twitter.
com/Rbidpa071A
– EuropeDirect Córdoba (@EuropeDirectCor) 15 March 2022
February 2022: Mª del Mar Delgado Serrano
#EuropeanPersonOfTheMonth Mª del Mar Delgado Serrano, a researcher from Cordoba at @Univcordoba who leads the IN-HABIT and @H2020Moving_UCO projects, focused on increasing the sustainability and resilience of European urban and rural areas.#RIEA #AndalucíaEUropea pic.twitter.
com/O7VfzIoEzO
– Europe Direct Andalucia Rural (@AndaluciaRur_UE) 15 February 2022
January 2022: Marisa Viruéz
January begins and with it the first #EuropeanPersonOfTheMonth from #RIEA @Europe_Granada presents Marisa Viruéz, a graduate in Political Science and promoter of European projects through the association Las niñas del Tul.
More information at https://t.co/i6wcc7VYOi pic.twitter.
com/Zohm5pDL6f
– Europe Direct Seville (@EuropeDirectUS) 20 January 2022
November 2021: Josefina Pereira
Josefina Pereira, Head of Information and Training at @JuntaExterior, our driving force behind the European Information Network in Andalusia, always bringing the #EuropeanUnion closer to citizens. Thank you #EuropeanPersonOfTheMonth #RIEA #AndalucíaEUropea #EU #Europe pic.twitter.com/VHXxxUcBNf5
– UGR European Documentation Centre (@cde_ugr) 16 November 2021
October 2021: Cristina Lobillo
Introducing Cristina Lobillo, #EuropeanPersonOfTheMonth #RIEA for October from @CDE_Cordoba.
♻️Director of Energy Policy at the EU’s Directorate-General for Energy, Cristina has been a Commission official since 2004.
Would you like to know more about her?
pic.twitter.
com/UzXEhsXxRa
– UCO European Documentation Centre (@CDE_Cordoba) 13 October 2021
September 2021: Laura Diepstraten García
Introducing @lauradgmusic, #EuropeanPersonOfTheMonth for September from Almería ️. Winner of the first edition of the International Low Vision Song Contest representing Spain in Europe at just 15 years of age.
https://t.co/OQa6EJcDyx
Want to know more about her? pic.twitter.
com/kl9Zcsk870
– European Documentation Centre of Almería (@cdeualmeria) 10 September 2021
July 2021: María Vides
#EuropeanPersonOfTheMonth from Huelva #RIEA
María Vides, family doctor, from Huelva and volunteer at @D ipuHUTrained in International Health, she has participated with @MSF_Espana in several missions around the world in her commitment to protecting lives, preventing and alleviating human suffering. pic.twitter.
com/YZPLBMSiWy
– Europe Direct Huelva (@EDHuelva) 7 July 2021
June 2021: Maruja Gutiérrez
Maruja Gutiérrez, from Malaga, joined the EC in 1988. She is vice-president of the association of former EU officials, whose members have lived through the European project, are convinced of its value and defend the European ideal.https://t.co/B3G0BZcYWE#personajeuropeodelmes pic.twitter.
com/9JK7v5PeQT
– Europe Direct Málaga (@EuropeDirectMlg) 2 June 2021
May 2021: Emilia Gómez
#EuropeanPersonOfTheMonth: Emilia Gómez, born in Seville, is a telecommunications engineer (#EEUU) and researcher at the #JRC of the @EuropeanCommission in Seville.
She leads the HUMAINT project, which studies the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on human behaviour. pic.twitter.
com/L6AiRA46hG
– CDE Seville (@cdesevilla) 13 May 2021
May 2021: Isabel Noguer
Introducing the #EuropeanPersonality of the month for May: Isabel Noguer!
Isabel is an English teacher at @iesitaca with an impressive teaching and academic commitment to European projects.
Meet the fantastic Isabel https://t.co/YiKT8CG0rX pic.twitter.
com/iCPaGteQxC
– Europe Direct Seville (@EuropeDirectUS) 5 May 2021
April 2021: Juan Andrés Casquero Vera
March 2021: Cristina Segura
#EuropeanPersonOfTheMonth Cristina Segura (@criistiisegura), communications officer for @Equipo_Europa in Andalusia and member of the organisation’s press committee.
Her work brings Europe closer to citizens #Eurodesk #EurodeskSpain #WeAreEurodesk #EuropeanAndalusia pic.twitter.
com/wayVVJVG4Mr
– EuropeDirect Córdoba (@EuropeDirectCor) 15 March 2021
February 2021: Carmen de la Fuente
European #personofmonth Carmen de la Fuente, Head of ICU @HUReinaSofia and President of @samiuc_uci
Her work in intensive care represents EU healthcare workers in the fight against Covid-19
Professionalism, solidarity and human values in the EU @EuropeanDoctors @EFNBrussels @EU_Health pic.twitter.
com/nLymX2HIUg
– Europe Direct Rural Andalusia (@ED_AndaluciaRur) 16 February 2021
January 2021: Carmen Ruiz de Almodóvar
#Carmen Ruiz de Almodóvar, a biochemist from Granada, has dedicated her life to researching the vascular system in different EU countries. Her excellence has been supported by multiple grants from @ERC_Research and @EsHorizon2020 pic.twitter.
com/G9PKd0LGJC
– Europa Granada (@Europe_Granada) 13 January 2021
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