Galicia-North Portugal EGTC: A Blueprint for Cross-Border Strategic Planning

1. TERRITORIAL OVERVIEW

The Galicia-Norte de Portugal EGTC encompasses a substantial cross-border territory of 50,862.6 km², comprising 399 municipalities across both regions. With approximately 6.4 million inhabitants and a combined GDP of €156 billion (2023), this dynamic Euroregion represents a significant economic and demographic force in the Iberian Peninsula. Its extensive 1,641 km coastline further underscores its strategic geographical position.

2. INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK AND GOVERNANCE

The EGTC functions as both a vital nexus for institutions, businesses, and citizens across the border and as the operational arm of the Galicia–Norte de Portugal Working Community, which was established in 1991. The Working Community operates under a rotating presidency system that alternates every two years, with the President of the Government of Galicia (Xunta de Galicia), Mr. Alfonso Rueda, currently holding the presidency.

The EGTC's core mandate includes:

 Establishing institutional guidelines for cross-border cooperation.

 Addressing matters of common interest and preparing strategic programmes.

 Fostering robust collaboration between public and private entities.

3. STRATEGIC PROGRAMMING DOCUMENTS

The Euroregion has developed a comprehensive suite of strategic instruments to guide cross-border cooperation, many of them co-financed by European programmes:

 Joint Investment Plan 2021-2027: this foundational plan strengthens regional resilience while preparing for critical transitions: digital, ecological, energy, and demographic. It sets the framework for projects under the EU's Multiannual Financial Framework, prioritizing innovation, knowledge transfer, employment, environmental protection, and institutional cooperation. A mid-term review is currently underway.

 Cross-Border Smart Specialization Strategy 2021–2027: building upon the pioneering 2014 Cross-Border S3 (recognized by INTERREG Europe as best practice), the updated strategy reinforces public innovation policies. It ensures the Euroregion responds effectively to green, digital, and just transitions and bolsters resilience against emerging external challenges

 Strategic Cross-Border Plan 2025–2028: currently under development, this forward-looking strategy prepares the EGTC for the next EU Multiannual Financial Framework (2028-2034). It will strengthen cross-border governance, define future objectives for the EGTC, provide policymakers with practical tools, and establish a monitoring and evaluation system to identify gaps, risks, and opportunities.

4. FLAGSHIP INITIATIVES AND PROJECTS

The EGTC manages several high-impact initiatives co-financed through various European programmes (POCTEP, ESF+, B-Solutions, ESPON, etc.):

 IACOBUS programme: since 2014, this programme has promoted cross-border cooperation and human resource exchange within the R&D ecosystem . Managed by the EGTC in collaboration with key partners, it has administered €2.2 million, supporting research stays, scientific publications, and patent development across universities, polytechnic institutes, technology centres, and biomedical foundations.

 NORTEAR programme: this cultural cooperation initiative promotes shared artistic endeavours, including literary awards, exhibitions, creative residencies, and transdisciplinary projects. With approximately €650,000 invested between 2015 and 2025, NORTEAR was honoured in 2019 with the prestigious “Sail of Papenburg” award for Best Cross-Border Cooperation Project.

 Cross-Border labour mobility: recognising existing obstacles, the EGTC established a working group that produced a comprehensive report detailing cross-border labour challenges. This report was submitted to the Spanish and Portuguese governments to facilitate employment, mobility, and cooperation across the Euroregion.

5. EUROPEAN PROJECTS PORTFOLIO

The EGTC has successfully secured co-financing through diverse European programmes, including Interreg POCTEP, Resilient Borders, European Social Fund+, B-Solutions, Interreg Atlantic Area, Europe for Citizens, and ESPON. Current projects span governance, mobility, tourism clustering, cultural cooperation, and territorial impact assessment.

6. STRATEGIC ADVOCACY AND FUTURE OUTLOOK

The Euroregion actively engages in strategic advocacy at the highest levels:

 Spain-Portugal Summits (Iberian Summits): the EGTC acts as a unified territory to advocate for key cross-border priorities, notably the advancement of the high-speed rail connection (AVE Vigo-Porto and A Coruña-Lisbon) and the adoption of the Cross-Border Workers Statute.

 Vigo Declaration: emerging from the 2024 Iberian EGTCs’ Meeting, this declaration consolidates the role of EGTCs as pivotal actors in European multilevel governance. It emphasizes the importance of borders as spaces for cooperation, champions cohesion funds and INTERREG programmes, and seeks to strengthen EGTC governance within European institutions.

The overall goal is to achieve a more, and better, cross-border cooperation, making the Euroregion more dynamic, resilient, and prepared to face the evolving global context.