Interreg POCTEFA (Spain – France – Andorra)

Description

The Spain-France-Andorra (POCTEFA 2021-2027) cooperation program aims to promote and co-finance cooperation projects carried out by French, Spanish and Andorran socio-economic agents located in the eligible cross-border area. It constitutes the fifth generation of financial support for the promotion of economic and social integration projects in this cross-border area. This European financial support offers new opportunities for cooperation between institutions and agents from both sides of the Pyrenees.

The programme improves the life of the population living in the cross-border area. One of the stakes is to enhance local, regional or interregional strategies to a cross-border scale by fostering exchanges and common knowledge. The financed projects are acting on both sides of the frontier and are preserving the territory resources.

The POCTEFA 2021-2027 is organized in calls for projects. Throughout each one of them, the actors of the territory interested in developing cross-border projects that fall into the cooperation zone must submit their candidatures to the Programme. Once presented, the Programme managing authority chooses the projects that suit the requirements of the territory and the proposal criteria. 

The cooperation zone unites these areas :

• Spain: Bizkaia, Gipuzkoa, Araba / Álava, Navarra, La Rioja, Huesca, Zaragoza, Lleida, Girona, Barcelona
• France : Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Ariège, Haute-Garonne, Hautes-Pyrénées, Pyrénées-Orientales
• Andorra : the entire territory

All these areas are eligible-except for Andorra which is not a UE member-  to receive the ERDF.

The program has identified key common challenges, grouped into 7 priorities:

1. Create a common space for knowledge and innovation.
2. Protection and consolidation of ecological values.
3. Facilitate access to employment and quality training.
4. Building an inclusive and more socially integrated cross-border area.
5. Promote sustainable tourism and develop common culture and heritage.
6. Strengthen the territorial, social and economic integration of the cross-border area
7. Towards a more integrated cross-border area