Information to be provided pursuant to Article 5(2) Establishment of a European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC) (Regulation (EC) No 1082/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 July 2006 (OJ L 210 of 31.7.2006, p. 19)) 2023/C 84/03
Date: 2023-03-07
Institutions: The Member States
Subjects: European territorial cooperation, Portugal, Spain, cross-border cooperation, economic and social cohesion, economic cooperation, local authority, regional authority, regional cooperation, regional development








C_2023084EN.01000501.xml










7.3.2023   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 84/5






Information to be provided pursuant to Article 5(2)
Establishment of a European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC)


(Regulation (EC) No 1082/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 July 2006 (OJ L 210 of 31.7.2006, p. 19))


(2023/C 84/03)

I.1)   

Name, address and contact point


Registered name: Agrupamento Europeu de Cooperação Territorial Eurocidade Porta da Europa (EN: Gateway to Europe European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation)

Registered office:Edifício da Alfândega, 6355-217 Vilar Formoso, Portugal

Contact point: Miguel Pinto, camara@cm-almeida.pt


I.2)   

Duration of the grouping


Duration of the grouping: unlimited

Date of registration:17.2.2023

II.   OBJECTIVES
The cooperation objectives of the Gateway to Europe Eurocity EGTC are to:






a)


work on joint proposals that identify the main problems and constraints impacting economic development, and respond with new measures to promote economic activity, job creation and the fight against depopulation in the territorial area of the Eurocity, ensuring economic and social cohesion, and communicating these proposals to the governments of both countries with a view to them working together to devise and implement public policies and attract support from the European Union;










b)


foster institutional, economic, social, cultural and environmental convergence in the territory covered by the EGTC, using the border effect as an opportunity for territorial and socio-economic development, while respecting the sustainable development objectives of the 2030 Agenda;










c)


establish mechanisms for managing and upgrading the territory, with the capacity to retain and attract people, to create and consolidate employment dynamics, and to secure investments in the productive sectors of the economy;










d)


boost local entrepreneurship and territorial innovation as the basis for integrated territorial development, thereby promoting economic competitiveness, environmental sustainability and welfare linked to social cohesion, which promote business creation and job creation and help attract investment;










e)


implement measures that eliminate or minimise costs associated with red tape, unfair competition and inefficient infrastructure that penalise businesses and individuals in the territory;










f)


develop mechanisms to promote the circular economy, the ongoing incorporation of new knowledge into the economic system, competitive integration within the global economy and the use of digitalisation;










g)


promote relations between its members, based on complementarities, local resources and a history of secular coexistence, by promoting a model of European citizenship focused on collective benefit and social justice;










h)


combine efforts and resources through the planning and joint management of existing or future equipment, services and infrastructure in the territory covered by the EGTC, promoting their use as a tool to foster the coexistence of the population;










i)


implement and manage territorial cooperation programmes and projects co-financed by the European Union; implement and manage other contracts and agreements for the development of all measures that may benefit from the financial tools adopted and provided for by both countries;










j)


foster, promote and stimulate the potential of industrial land and efforts to attract businesses;










k)


revitalise traditional commercial areas in the EGTC territory through support services for local trade and the development of open-air shopping centres;










l)


seek to improve the local public transport service between the main centres of the Eurocity, thus favouring mobility as a sustainable measure of existing resources;










m)


analyse the possibility of recognising and implementing the status of ‘cross-border worker’;










n)


implement joint mechanisms and programmes for modernising administrations and infrastructure in cross-border areas;










o)


promote the creation of bilingual content in the Eurocity area, particularly when it comes to the provision of services;










p)


through agreements and protocols with Scientific and Technological System organisations, training bodies and other bodies with a remit in this area, implement joint training programmes aimed at the existing business fabric, with the aim of supporting the implementation of innovative projects, the acquisition of new skills and the skilling of workers, targeting both the unemployed and workers, whether employed or self-employed;










q)


stimulate partnerships between the different training and education centres in the Eurocity area, in close cooperation with the other local authorities, in order to pursue joint projects;










r)


strengthen the coordination of border resources linked to civil protection and security by promoting and facilitating contact between the responsible bodies on both the Spanish and the Portuguese sides, with a view to the planning and joint management of human and material resources for risk prevention and joint action in the event of an emergency or disaster;










s)


work with the administrations of both countries to improve healthcare;










t)


set up joint programmes to stimulate economic activity, supported by Portuguese-Spanish relations and the involvement of business organisations within the Eurocity;










u)


organise a range of available public services by creating a ‘Eurocitizen card’ as the main tool for disseminating the benefits of co-existence;










v)


promote the development of a plan to boost tourism, with collaborative governance criteria, designed to transform the Eurocity into a tourist destination of excellence, leveraging its common distinct features and shared history;










w)


develop an integrated plan for themed and specialised fairs in order to promote existing local productive resources, jointly and with gains achieved through scaling up;










x)


organise extracurricular activities as well as sporting and cultural events annually and on a joint basis, thus fostering youth training geared towards promoting ‘Euro citizenship’;










y)


promote Iberian events in the geographical area of the Eurocity, with the capacity to attract tourists and visitors as well as investment and also foster business, commercial and cultural dialogue and exchanges;










z)


all those relevant for cross-border and interregional cooperation, respecting the internal remits of each member of the Gateway to Europe Eurocity EGTC, in accordance with Article 7(2) of the EGTC Regulation (1).




III.   ADDITIONAL DETAILS CONCERNING THE NAME OF THE GROUPING
IV.   MEMBERS








IV.1)



Total number of members in the grouping: 4












IV.2)



Nationalities of the members of the grouping: ES/PT












IV.3)



Member information (2)


Official name: Município de Almeida

Postal address:Praça da Liberdade, n.o 8, Almeida, 6355-130 Portugal

Internet address: https://www.cm-almeida.pt/

Type of member: local authority

Official name: Ayuntamiento de Fuentes de Oñoro

Postal address:Plaza España, 1, Fuentes de Oñoro, 37480 Spain

Internet address: https://ayuntamientofuentesdeonoro.com/

Type of member: local authority

Official name: Ayuntamiento de Ciudad Rodrigo

Postal address:Plaza Mayor, 27, Ciudad Rodrigo, 37500 Spain

Internet address: https://www.ciudadrodrigo.es/

Type of member: local authority

Official name: Freguesia de Vilar Formoso

Postal address:Rua do Externato, n.o 11, Vilar Formoso, 6355-265 Portugal

Internet address: http://www.jf-vilarformoso.pt/

Type of member: local authority






(1)  Regulation (EC) No 1082/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 July 2006 on a European grouping of territorial cooperation (EGTC) (OJ L 210, 31.7.2006, p. 19).

(2)  Please add for each member.