CIM of Alto Tâmega e Barroso signs Joint Declaration for the constitution of the EGTC in the context of the “Raia Seca”
Yesterday, 14th December, in the Main Hall of Arcos de Valdevez Town Hall, took place the Public Signing Ceremony of the Joint Declaration for the Constitution of the European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC) in the context of the “Raia Seca” and the Gerês-Xurés World Biosphere Reserve, of which the Municipality of Montalegre is part – holding about one third of the Park on the Portuguese side.
This grouping is made up of 22 entities, namely: the Deputación de Ourense, three Intermunicipal Communities (Alto Minho, Cávado and Alto Tâmega e Barroso), 5 Portuguese Municipalities (Arcos de Valdevez, Melgaço, Ponte da Barca, Terras de Bouro and Montalegre) and 13 Galician Municipalities (Bande, Calvos de Randín, Entrimo, Lobios, Lobera, Baltar, Padrenda, Verea, Quintela do Leirado, Muíños, Cualedro, Oímbra and Monterrei).
The constitution of this EGTC allows joint work between the various entities, making it possible that at the moment various proposals for inter-municipal coordination are already being studied, namely at the level of Environmental, Cultural and Socio-economic Enhancement of this area of territorial cooperation:
– Promotion of the cross-border natural and cultural heritage;
– Promotion and internationalisation of the intervention territory
– Promotion of the territory’s sustainable development;
– Making the intervention territory more attractive to live, work, invest and visit;
– Intensification of the dynamics of cross-border cooperation in the territory, namely through the joint operationalization of an entity appropriate to the new challenges of cross-border cooperation in the context of the European network of EGTCs.
In the Ceremony, and among the several mayors of the entities which constitute this grouping, we point out the presence of the Secretary of State for Regional Development, Isabel Ferreira, of the President of the North Regional Coordination and Development Commission, António Cunha, of the Mayor of Montalegre, Fátima Fernandes, and of the First Executive Secretary of the Intermunicipal Community of Alto Tâmega e Barroso, Ramiro Gonçalves.
