31 Jan The European Commission and the OECD select the EGTC Rio Minho as a pilot project to improve governance in Europe’s cross-border regions
The General Directorate of Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO) of the European Commission and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) have selected the EGTC Rio Minho as one of the representatives of five pilot regions throughout Europe to participate in the launch of the project ‘Building more resilient cross-border regions’. It is an initiative that aims to improve governance in cross-border areas to improve the quality of life of citizens.
This 15-month project aims to help the pilot cross-border regions to improve multi-level cross-border governance through the joint development of cross-border cooperation initiatives. In particular, the project will look at the joint creation and implementation of public policies (e.g., cross-border fiscal policy) and services (e.g., medical care, transport, education) in functional border areas. ~
The official start of the project was last Wednesday in Brussels, with a face-to-face meeting with the director of EGTC Rio Minho, Uxío Benítez and Rui Teixeira, respectively. The purpose of the meeting was to familiarize the pilot regions with the different components of the initiative and to outline the tools that will be developed to support multi-level cross-border governance.
However, this meeting also sought to create an opportunity for the pilot regions to present themselves and share ideas and views on how to strengthen investment and public provision of cross-border services, as well as to clarify the participation of the pilot regions, DG REGIO and the OECD in the development of the project.