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An event in Santiago de Compostela will bring together representatives from Spain, Portugal and the European Commission, alongside projects from the main European territorial cooperation programmes: SUDOE, POCTEP, Atlantic Area and Interreg Europe.
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Under the motto “Stronger Together: Projects Transforming Territories”, the event is part of the activities taking place throughout September to celebrate Interreg Cooperation Day.
On 22 September, Galicia will become a meeting point for European territorial cooperation with the Interreg Cooperation Day 2026. The event, held in Santiago de Compostela, will bring together institutional representatives and projects from the main European territorial cooperation programmes — Interreg SUDOE, POCTEP, Atlantic Area and Interreg Europe — to share experiences and showcase how cooperation between territories can help address common challenges and create new opportunities.
Under the motto “Stronger Together: Projects Transforming Territories”, the event will take place at the FEUGA Auditorium and will bring together representatives from the Xunta de Galicia, the Directorate-General for European Funds of Spain’s Ministry of Finance, Portugal’s Agency for Development and Cohesion, and the European Commission, represented by DG REGIO.
The event will provide an opportunity to discover first-hand experiences from different cooperation areas and programmes, highlighting how collaboration between regions, public administrations, universities and other stakeholders can help address challenges that go beyond borders.
FOUR ROUNDTABLES TO ADDRESS SHARED CHALLENGES
The programme is structured around four roundtable discussions focusing on different dimensions of territorial cooperation.
The first, “Cooperation for Territorial Management”, will address challenges related to forest management, fire prevention and response, and territorial resilience. Projects including USE4FOREST, CILUMES INTEROPERA, RAT_EOS PC, ALERT-PFAS, FIREPOCTEP+, FIREPOCTEP AVANZA and ATEMPO will take part, together with representatives from the Xunta de Galicia, the University of Vigo and the Galician Emergency Agency.
The second roundtable, “Innovation and Technology for Cooperation”, will focus on the role of innovation and technology as tools for connecting territories, transferring knowledge and developing solutions to emerging regional challenges.
The marine environment will take centre stage in the third session, “A Shared Sea, Shared Challenges”, which will bring together initiatives focused on the protection and sustainability of marine ecosystems and resources. The MAREST, REVALGAE, DiadSea and MARINNONET projects will address the challenges facing a shared Atlantic space from different perspectives.
Finally, the fourth roundtable, “Tourism and Heritage: Cooperating to Grow”, will focus on tourism, culture and heritage as drivers of connection and territorial development. Ultreia SUDOE, POST, EnoGastroDEST and Visit Rio Minho will share their experiences and demonstrate how cooperation can contribute to more sustainable tourism models and enhance cultural and territorial resources.
AN EVENT TO SHARE EXPERIENCES AND BUILD NEW CONNECTIONS
Interreg Cooperation Day 2026 will feature a dynamic and participatory format, with dialogue sessions where participants will share experiences, results and lessons learned in response to questions from the moderators.
The aim is not only to highlight the added value of cooperation, but also to create a space where participating projects and organisations can build new connections and explore future opportunities for collaboration.
The event will conclude with a closing session and a networking reception, providing an opportunity to continue the exchange among participants and foster new relationships between stakeholders from different territories.
Through this event, Galicia further strengthens its role as a meeting point for European territorial cooperation, bringing together project experiences that demonstrate how many of today’s major challenges — from wildfires and territorial management to marine sustainability, innovation and tourism — require shared responses and collaboration across borders.
• Registration: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/qfDcpn3rnQ