11 territorial cooperation projects – Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands approved under the PCT-MAC programme
The Regional Director for Planning and Structural Funds, Rui Amann, attended in Las Palmas on Tuesday and Wednesday several meetings on the management and monitoring of Community transnational programmes in which the Autonomous Region of the Azores participates as a partner and recipient of EU funding.
With regard to the meeting for the submission of applications for the 3rd axis of the programme, which is addressed at the cooperation of the Macaronesia regions with third countries, all expectations concerning the partners of the Azores were surpassed, which submitted a large number of proposals, over three dozens, with the respective framework; however they largely exceeded the financial availability.
In fact, with an allocation of structural funds in the amount of 800,000 Euros, the regional proposals have reached a total of 3.4 million Euros, ranging from applied research, technological development, innovation, energy efficiency and social inclusion to environmental issues and risk prevention.
The financial adjustment between the availability of the programme and the regional proposals, with the final resolution of all approved projects, has implied an intensive and thorough analysis, and negotiation between the representatives of regional authorities. The approval of 11 applications intended to reflect, on the one hand, the universe of the priority themes for the programme itself and, on the other hand, the diversity of the respective promoters.
The origin of proposals for interregional and transnational programme involves various sectors of the Azorean society, including various departments and the respective regional directorate of the Autonomous Region of the Azores, such as the Azorean Association of Municipalities, business associations, departments of the University of the Azores and institutes, amongst others.
The aforementioned meetings were attended by representatives of governments of the Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands in addition to representatives of the European Commission and the national governments of Portugal and Spain.