Would you like to see first-hand how other border regions are overcoming obstacles that hinder cross-border cooperation? What if you could visit another border region and discover how it has managed to address a cross-border obstacle similar to yours?

Until 16/09/2026, a new call for applications is open for the Border Regions Peer Exchange on Solving Border Obstacles programme, offering 100 participants the opportunity to gain first-hand insight into concrete experiences and solutions for addressing administrative, legal and governance obstacles to cross-border cooperation.

The initiative is promoted by the European Commission, through DG REGIO, and the CEER Foundation, in collaboration with the Association of European Border Regions (AEBR). The call is aimed at organisations involved in cross-border cooperation, including public administrations, universities, EGTCs/ECTs, Euroregions, development agencies, chambers of commerce and other relevant organisations.

10 peer exchange visits will be organised, lasting 2 to 3 days each, between November 2026 and January 2027. Each visit will provide an opportunity to explore real-life cases, exchange experiences and learn from other regions facing similar cross-border challenges.

In addition, the 50 highest-ranked applicants may receive financial support of up to €750 to cover travel and accommodation expenses.

The ‘Rio Minho case’

One of the planned visits is “Minho River Natura 2000: Boosting cross-border multi-level governance”, hosted by the Rio Minho EGTC (European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation of the Rio Minho). This exchange will focus on strengthening cross-border multi-level governance in the conservation and management of Natura 2000 sites along the Spain-Portugal border, building on the experience developed through the b-solutions initiative.

📅 Application deadline: 16 September 2026, at 17:00 CET.

More information and application form: visitors.borderexchange.fceer.org

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• With the participation of the Agency for Development and Cohesion (AD&C), as well as the Directorate-General for European Funds of Spain.

• Project co-funded by the European Union through the Interreg Spain–Portugal (POCTEP) 2021–2027 Programme.

• More news about FIREPOCTEP AVANZA and previous initiatives.

On 15 July 2026, the 1st FIREPOCTEP AVANZA Seminar was held at the Autonomous University of Madrid. The project is co-funded by the European Union through the Interreg Spain–Portugal (POCTEP) 2021–2027 Programme. The event marked the official launch of the youth volunteer programme and brought together institutional representatives, universities and wildfire prevention experts.

Under the motto bringing knowledge from the classroom to the field, the seminar showcased how the FIREPOCTEP AVANZA training programme is translated into practical wildfire prevention actions. In this context, the young participants of the “Vuelta al Mundo” initiative played a leading role, actively taking part in the discussions and raising numerous questions on wildfire prevention, environmental education and climate change adaptation.

Following this first session, the expedition continued its journey through the province of Ourense. In San Xoán de Río, participants took part in a Nendo Dango workshop, learning a technique for producing clay seed balls for environmental reforestation. They also visited an Aerial Firefighting Base, where they gained first-hand insight into aerial firefighting resources and the work carried out by wildfire suppression crews.

The seminar featured the participation of leading institutional and academic representatives. Among the keynote speakers were Miguel Manso Silvan, Vice-Rector for Campus and Sustainability at the Autonomous University of Madrid; M.ª del Carmen Hernández Martín, Deputy Director-General for European Territorial Cooperation at the Spanish Ministry of Finance; Isabel Gonçalves, from the Agency for Development and Cohesion (AD&C); Fernando Pulido Díaz, from the University of Extremadura; Juan Ramón Molina, from the University of Córdoba, who addressed different aspects of forest management; and José Miguel Pérez Blecua, Mayor of San Xoán de Río.

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Youth volunteering for wildfire prevention

The event marked the starting point of an initiative combining training, youth participation and field-based learning to strengthen wildfire prevention and promote greater environmental awareness in response to the challenges of climate change.

FIREPOCTEP AVANZA is a cross-border cooperation project co-funded by the Interreg VI-A Spain–Portugal (POCTEP) 2021–2027 Programme and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The initiative builds on the work carried out through projects such as FIREPOCTEP and FIREPOCTEP+, while also drawing on the experience gained through CILIFO, with the aim of strengthening wildfire prevention, risk management, training, public awareness and emergency response across the Spain–Portugal border region.

Its main areas of action include the development of Strategic Management Zones (ZEG), the creation and consolidation of productive firebreaks, improved preventive land management, the training of professionals and volunteers, and enhanced cooperation between public authorities and emergency services on both sides of the border. Through these actions, FIREPOCTEP AVANZA seeks to increase territorial resilience and improve coordination and response capacity in the face of increasingly complex and severe wildfires.

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The post From Learning to Action: FIREPOCTEP AVANZA Launches Its Youth Wildfire Prevention Volunteer Programme first appeared on POCTEP.

ATEMPO is a cross-border cooperation project with a total investment of €4.8 million, 75% co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the Interreg VI-A Spain–Portugal (POCTEP) 2021–2027 Territorial Cooperation Programme, Policy Objective 1, Priority 1, Specific Objective 1.1.

PRESS RELEASE

Porto, 8 July 2026. – The European project ATEMPO (Cross-Border Emergency Assistance under POCTEP 2021–2027) has concluded three years of cross-border cooperation, delivering tangible results, including reduced emergency response times, improved interoperability of civil protection systems, new joint operational protocols and the integration of technological tools, including Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), to support operational coordination between Galicia, Castile and León, and Northern Portugal. Active across 21 NUTS III regions in Spain and Portugal, ATEMPO has been recognised as an Operation of Strategic Importance under the POCTEP 2021–2027 Programme. The initiative has a direct impact on more than 570,000 people within the cooperation area and extends its potential benefits to over 9 million people.

ATEMPO held its Final Conference today at the Alfândega do Porto Congress Centre, bringing together the project’s seven partners, more than 100 participants, and representatives of the European Commission and the Managing Authority of the Interreg VI-A Spain–Portugal (POCTEP) 2021–2027 Cross-Border Cooperation Programme. Jointly organised by the Axencia Galega de Emerxencias (AXEGA) and the Northern Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDR-N), the event marked the conclusion of three years of collaborative work in the field of civil protection and emergency management across the Spanish-Portuguese border region.

The conference provided an opportunity to present the project’s main achievements and milestones, including the equipment acquired, the coordination protocols developed, the training activities carried out, and the materials and resources produced throughout the project. The event also marked the launch of the project’s new official website.

The opening institutional addresses were delivered by Pedro Machado, Vice-President of CCDR Norte; Santiago Villanueva Álvarez, Director-General for Emergencies and Interior of the Xunta de Galicia; Ángel Manuel Sánchez, Director-General for Fire Prevention and Extinction of the Regional Government of Castile and León; António Barbosa, President of CIM Alto Minho; and Commander Paulo Jorge Macedo Gonçalves. This was followed by a round table on cross-border emergency assistance, bringing together representatives from CITIC at the University of A Coruña, CIM Alto Minho, the Viana do Castelo District Command, and the Regional Government of Castile and León. The discussion was moderated by Joaquim Mamede Alonso, from the Polytechnic Institute of Viana do Castelo.

During the afternoon, following a visit to the exhibition and a brief demonstration exercise carried out as part of the project, each of the ATEMPO partners presented their conclusions and an overview of the results achieved. The session concluded with remarks by Marcos Araújo, Manager of the Axencia Galega de Emerxencias (AXEGA) and lead partner of the project, who highlighted the progress made over the past three years, during which ATEMPO significantly strengthened cross-border emergency response between Galicia, Castile and León, and Northern Portugal.

The institutional closing session featured the participation of João Manuel Esteves, Portugal’s Secretary of State for the Environment; Diego Calvo Pouso, Regional Minister for the Presidency, Justice and Sports of the Xunta de Galicia; Álvaro Santos, President of CCDR Norte; and, via videoconference, Simona Pohlova, Deputy Head of Unit for the Interreg Programme, who presented the future outlook for cross-border territorial cooperation.

A strategic project benefiting more than 570,000 people

Recognised as an Operation of Strategic Importance by the Monitoring Committee of the Interreg VI-A Spain–Portugal (POCTEP) 2021–2027 Cross-Border Cooperation Programme, ATEMPO developed, throughout its implementation, a cross-border emergency response model with a direct impact on 570,000 residents in the cross-border area. Several of its actions also have the potential to benefit a population of more than 9 million people.

The project brings together seven organisations from three territories: the Axencia Galega de Emerxencias (AXEGA) as lead partner; the Directorate-General for Natural Heritage and Forest Policy of Castile and León; the University of A Coruña (CITIC and CITENI Research Centres); the Alto Minho Intermunicipal Community (CIM Alto Minho); the Northern Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDR-N); the Portuguese National Republican Guard (GNR); and the Portuguese National Institute of Medical Emergency (INEM). Over the course of three years, this partnership established a common operational framework that reduced response times in border areas, improved the interoperability of emergency systems, and developed technological tools, including Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), to support operational coordination.

The end of one cycle and the consolidation of a model

ATEMPO builds on a long-standing process of cross-border cooperation in the field of emergency management, following previous projects such as ARIEM and PROTEMPO, which mobilised more than €3 million. The Final Conference formally marked the end of this cycle while also confirming that the model developed—based on the principle that emergencies do not recognise administrative borders—has proven effective and can be replicated in other territories across the Euroregion.

The clearest demonstration of this progress took place last December, when the ATEMPO 2025 Multi-Hazard Exercise brought together around 200 emergency personnel from Portugal, Galicia and Castile and León in a LIVEX cross-border simulation exercise held in A Guarda. The exercise tested, in real time, the protocols and capabilities developed throughout the project through five simultaneous scenarios, including road traffic accidents, wildfires, high-angle rescues and missing-person search operations.

ATEMPO COMMUNICATION

Isabel Blanco

644 679 679

Isabel.blanco@cecubogroup.com

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“We’re Already in the First Minute of the Next Fire”: What Europe Can Learn from the Iberian Peninsula’s Megafires

As Europe experiences yet another summer of extreme heat, memories of last year’s devastating wildfires on the Iberian Peninsula serve as a warning. For forestry expert Juan Picos, those fires were never just an isolated crisis—they were a preview of what could become Europe’s new normal.

Interreg.eu, 30/06/2026

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When devastating wildfires swept across the Iberian Peninsula in August 2025, forestry expert Juan Picos saw something he had long feared become a reality. In just 20 days, more than 500,000 hectares of forest and agricultural land burned. Thousands of people were forced to leave their homes. For Picos, Professor of Forest Engineering at the University of Vigo (Spain), it was not simply another fire season.

“I didn’t just know those places by name—I also knew the people behind them.”

For years, Picos has worked on wildfire prevention on both sides of the Spain–Portugal border through projects such as FIREPOCTEP and FIREPOCTEP+, funded by the Interreg Spain–Portugal Programme. These projects help communities, researchers and public authorities prepare for increasingly extreme wildfires.

Despite everything he has experienced, he still describes himself with characteristic simplicity: “A forester is always an optimist. We plant trees that we may never live to see fully grown.”

When the fires broke out, he cancelled his holiday. From home, he monitored the advance of the flames almost in real time, using satellite tools to map fire perimeters and simulation models to understand where they were likely to spread next. At the same time, his Forest Engineering students and former students working on the ground were sending him photographs.

He also remained in close contact with farmers and forest landowners he had worked with through the project, providing them with information, context and, sometimes, simply reassurance.

“It was important to provide information that was as accurate and calm as possible because, in situations like this, the closer you are, the less you can actually see.”

At the same time, he spoke regularly to the media to help explain what was happening and counter misinformation. And while the fires were still burning, it also became clear that some of the tools and approaches developed through FIREPOCTEP were proving their value, even if they could not, on their own, prevent the disaster.

.Fire management operations around Corno do Bico Area (Portugal) as part of a FIREPOCTEP+ pilot. Photo: Emanuel Oliveira.

‘Today’s big fires become the parents of tomorrow’s big fires’

The emergency, in Picos’ view, does not end when the flames are gone. Large fires leave behind risks that can shape the next one. Some people abandon the land because they no longer have the means or the strength to start again. Forests often grow back in a more uniform way, making future fires harder to control. And in the most damaged areas, the soil loses its ability to retain water, making drought worse.Together, these create the conditions for another crisis. ‘Today’s big fires become the parents of tomorrow’s big fires’.

‘We cannot waste time, because even if it sounds catastrophist, the next fire has already started. We’re already in the first minute of the next fire and it is in our hand to prevent the same situation from happening again’.

The first step is stabilisation: identifying the most damaged areas and preventing rain from carrying soil and ash into rivers and wetlands. Then comes restoration. But restoration does not always mean rebuilding exactly what was there before. Sometimes, Picos says, it is a chance to build something more resilient.

The post FIREPOCTEP+ Featured on the Interreg Website: “What Europe Can Learn from the Iberian Peninsula’s Megafires” first appeared on POCTEP.

The first day began with a visit to the FORTOURS III project, which focuses on enhancing the value of border fortifications as a resource for tourism and heritage development. The visit included a tour of Niebla Castle, where restoration works are being carried out as part of the project. Participants then visited La Rábida Monastery and took part in a working session devoted to monitoring the implementation of the Interreg POCTEP 2021–2027 Programme and discussing the forthcoming calls for proposals.

The second day focused on projects related to innovation and the energy transition. At the University of Huelva, participants were introduced to the OLIVAR_IA project, an initiative applying intelligent cooperative robotics to precision olive farming. The group then visited the El Arenosillo Experimental Centre (Mazagón), where they learned about the AGERAR_PLUS project, dedicated to renewable energy storage and management; AIHRE, which promotes renewable hydrogen; and COMPITE, which aims to strengthen regional capacities to advance the energy transition across the Euroregion.

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These visits provided participants with first-hand insight into the progress and results of initiatives promoting cross-border cooperation between Spain and Portugal in areas such as heritage conservation, technological innovation and the energy transition. They also encouraged the exchange of experience among Programme managers, participating authorities and project teams.

Regional Coordination Units Meeting

Coinciding with the event, the meeting of the Regional Coordination Units (RCUs) of the Interreg POCTEP 2021–2027 Programme was held in Huelva on 17 June. During the meeting, participants reviewed the Programme’s implementation progress and the status of the first to fifth calls for proposals. They also examined preparations for the sixth, seventh and eighth calls and discussed the framework and timetable for the forthcoming ninth and tenth calls.

The meeting also provided an opportunity to review the 2026 events calendar, discuss preparations for the post-2027 programming period, and address a range of management issues, including the Programme’s mid-term evaluation and technical assistance.

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04/06/2026, published on the EUROACE website

The Cross-Border Cooperation Observatory of the EUROACE Euroregion (Alentejo–Central Portugal–Extremadura) held its first meeting. The event took place in Badajoz, at the Faculty of Documentation and Communication Sciences, and brought together representatives of all the institutions that make up the Observatory, namely the Regional Government of Extremadura – which leads the project – and the Universities of Extremadura, Évora and Beira Interior.

Among the initiatives of the EUROACE Observatory project is the creation of cross-border research teams, which will produce studies, forecasts and other research aimed at helping identify solutions to the challenges facing the EUROACE Euroregion.

The aim is to develop territorial analyses, foresight studies, maps and other materials that will help the authorities of the three regions assess the impact of their actions, identify new challenges and potential opportunities, and design effective development policies for the future. In addition, Euroace Analytics will be created, a platform that will provide access to all the scientific content generated.

The Observatory’s activities will initially focus on three areas: Entrepreneurship and Innovation; Economy and Energy; and Competitiveness, although additional fields of study may be incorporated over time.

Participation of the European Commission and POCTEP

The meeting was attended by Ricardo Ferreira, representative of the European Commission, who stressed the importance of having interoperable cross-border data to improve knowledge of border areas and contribute to their territorial development. Also attending were Pablo Hurtado, Director-General for European Affairs and External Action, who thanked the university teams from the three regions for their commitment and highlighted the need to transfer this knowledge to public administrations and the business community in order to support strategic decision-making, as well as representatives of the three participating universities.

Also present at the meeting were Rosa Ramos, Director-General for Regional Financing and European Funds of the Regional Government of Extremadura; Elena de Miguel, Director of the POCTEP Joint Secretariat; representatives of the Regional Coordination and Development Commissions (CCDR) of Alentejo and Central Portugal; and representatives of the Statistical Institutes of Extremadura and Portugal.

The EUROACE Cross-Border Cooperation Observatory project is co-funded by the European Union through the Interreg Spain–Portugal (POCTEP) 2021–2027 Programme and will run until 2028.

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The new edition of the #EuropaSeSiente Project Competition is now underway. This competition, organised by the Directorate-General for European Funds (Ministry of Finance of Spain), once again aims to raise awareness and increase public understanding of the results and added value of European funds in Spain.

These awards are the best opportunity to highlight projects that transform neighbourhoods, change lives and demonstrate that Europe can be felt in every corner of the country.

For this reason, POCTEP encourages project beneficiaries to share their success stories so that the 2026 edition becomes the largest and most exciting one yet.

• More about previous editions of the competition and the participation of POCTEP projects

What’s new in 2026

The 2026 edition introduces several new features to make the competition more participatory, dynamic and aligned with current strategic challenges:

• New Category #EuropaMovesYou: Strategic Autonomy: This year, the special category focuses on the Union’s sovereignty and resilience, rewarding large-scale projects in digital technologies, biotechnology, clean energy and critical infrastructure.
• Popular Vote Semi-finals: The 48 pre-selected projects will be subject to public voting. The EuropaSeSiente 2026 website will host the vote, where citizens will choose the 3 finalists in each category.
• A “Eurovision”-style Final: The final stage at the Annual Event will combine the assessment of a technical jury (60%) with a live public vote (40%) to select the winners in each category.
• Double Golden Star: For the first time, two top awards will be presented: the Jury Golden Star and the Public Golden Star, further increasing recognition and visibility for the best projects.

Which projects can apply

Only completed projects will be considered, meaning that all planned activities must have been carried out and the operation certified or declared closed by the beneficiary or the Managing Authority, regardless of whether the final balance payment is still pending accounting execution.

POCTEP projects interested in applying are kindly requested to inform the Joint Secretariat of their intention to participate and/or submit an application.

Categories

Projects submitted to the competition must apply under one of the following six categories:

1. #EuropaSeSiente Competitive Category
2. #EuropaSeSiente Green Category
3. #EuropaSeSiente Connected Category
4. #EuropaSeSiente Social Category
5. #EuropaSeSiente Close-to-You Category
6. #EuropaMovesYou: Strategic Autonomy Category

Calendar and key dates

• Until 12 June: Deadline for submitting applications through the official form.
• 29 June: Official announcement of the semi-finalist projects.
• Until 31 July: Deadline for semi-finalists to submit their 3-minute short videos.
• Second half of September: Online semi-finals and public voting.
• November: Grand final during the 2026 Annual Event (venue to be confirmed).

Information and rules

All information and the competition rules are available on the European funds portal:

• Competition rules
• Access the application form

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