Policy and tools

The functional area of the Cross-Border Catalan Space is now up and running

January 2024

On 18 January in Girona, with over 200 participants in attendance, a presentation was held on the functional area of the Catalan Cross-Border Space (EsCaT), which brings together the province of Girona and the department of Pyrénées-Orientales to form one of the five functional areas of the POCTEFA 2021–2027 programme.

Local stakeholders emphasised their commitment to “turning this area into a functional zone”, that is to say, “a space for cooperation without geographical or administrative boundaries”, with the following priority themes: knowledge of the region, climate change and the development of cross-border citizenship. An initial call for projects, worth €2.2 million under the POCTEFA programme, was launched and remained open until 19 April.
It should be noted that since 2023, the MOT has been conducting a study, in partnership with the University of Girona and the consultancy firm Res publica, to support the Department of the Pyrénées-Orientales, the Generalitat de Catalunya and the Diputació de Girona in drawing up their cross-border strategy. Based on three pillars, the study involves updating the White Paper on the Catalan Cross-Border Area, a public consultation on residents’ expectations for improving their quality of life, and recommendations for the coming years.