CAAC coordinator, Ms. Tamara Guirao was invited, together with leaders of the 34 members of Eixo Atlantico, and a large representation of mayors and business leaders from the Iberian Cross-Border Network (RIET) to participate in an intense workshop. On November 21st 2013, the event counted on outstanding speakers like the Secretary of State for Regional Development of Portugal, Manuel Almeida Castro and other senior officials of the Spanish , Portuguese and EU administrations , responsible for the 11 major programs of European funds to be distributed from 2014 to 2020 .
Held in Braga (Portugal) the meeting lasted seven hours and gathered together over one hundred corporate and municipal representatives of the Spanish- Portuguese border. In it, the potential of new funds for border territories, as well as the main difficulties that the beneficiary institutions have found these years as their management were thoroughly discussed.
One of the most positive points of the day, was that from next year, the EU co-financing , which to date was 75 % , could increase, in the case of Spain and Portugal , to 85. Also, for the first time, the coordination of the various funds distributed in a territory is possible, implementing the Common Strategic Fund, preventing duplication in spending and facilitating management improvements that will significantly strengthen the initiatives to be funded.
Besides, the rest of the new financial instruments were discussed , not only in terms of regional development and cross-border cooperation , but also in the European Social Fund research and innovation and culture as well as new tools that will be implemented , among which the ” Integrated Territorial investments ” .
The presentations can be downloaded HERE.