Representatives of the Directorate-General for European Funds, the national authorities of Spain and Portugal, and the coordination structures of the Interreg Spain-Portugal Programme (POCTEP) 2021-2027 took part, on 28, 29 and 30 September 2026, in a series of technical visits to projects funded by POCTEP in Galicia and northern Portugal.
The initiative provided an opportunity to see first-hand some of the results of cross-border cooperation between the two countries and to encourage the exchange of experiences with the project beneficiary partners.
The visits began in Lobios (Ourense) and the surrounding area of the Gerês-Xurés Transboundary Biosphere Reserve, where several initiatives relating to territorial enhancement, environmental sustainability and rural development were presented. These included the EGEXUR project, focused on the Reserve’s territorial development strategy; GEXPOCTEP, aimed at promoting innovation and sustainability in native livestock farming; and RAIA_GX, dedicated to promoting Gerês-Xurés as a sustainable tourism destination.
The delegation also visited Bande, where it learned about the FRONTEIRA ESQUECIDA project, an initiative focused on restoring and enhancing the shared historical and cultural heritage of the Spanish-Portuguese border.
The second day took place in Verín and Chaves, with a visit to the Cross-Border Aerial Resources Base, where the INTERLUMES project was presented. This project focuses on cooperation in the prevention and fight against forest fires. Subsequently, at the headquarters of the Chaves-Verín EGTC, several projects related to cross-border governance, thermal tourism, entrepreneurship and health innovation were presented, including EUROCIDADE2030, Thermal and Water Eurocity, INCUBTRANS and TRANSFIRESAUDE.
These visits provided an opportunity to see first-hand the impact of POCTEP-funded projects in areas such as environmental protection, risk prevention, heritage enhancement, sustainable tourism, entrepreneurship and the improvement of services for citizens in border territories.
As part of this meeting, a meeting of the Programme’s Coordination Units was also held, focusing on monitoring POCTEP implementation and exchanging information on the main challenges and opportunities in cross-border cooperation.