Eurocities of the Iberian Borderland: A Second Generation of Border Cooperation Structures. An Analysis of Their Development Strategies
Abstract
:1. The Starting Point: Deactivation of the Portuguese–Spanish Border and the Creation of New Structures for Border Governance
2. Materials and Methods
3. Outcomes of the Iberian Eurocities
3.1. Eurocities and Their Demographic Dynamics
3.2. Features of the Iberian Eurocities
3.2.1. Overall Features and Marketing Strategies
3.2.2. Public Participation and the Eurocity
3.2.3. Citizens Knowledge about Eurocities Potential
3.2.4. The Local Cooperation Policies and Strategies
3.2.5. Iberian Eurocities and the Common Urban Planning
3.2.6. Iberian Eurocities and Networking
3.2.7. Envisioning the Iberian Eurocities Future
3.3. Summary
3.3.1. Eurocity Cerveira–Tomiño
3.3.2. Eurocity Tui–Valença Do Minho
3.3.3. Eurocity Moncão–Salvaterra
3.3.4. Chaves–Verín, the Water Eurocity
3.3.5. Eurocity Elvas–Badajoz–Campo Maior
3.3.6. Eurocity of the Guadiana
3.4. Critical Factors
4. Conclusions
- They have become outstanding, autonomous and sufficient CBC entities.
- They are entities that are benefitting and working for sustainable territorial development, which is, in fact, the basis of the cooperation along with the shared management of public services and facilities. The Eurocities’ strategic plans confirm the desire to achieve sustainability and sustainable development.
- They have created and fostered common public services in cross-border areas: "one city as the ultimate objective."
- They intend to be territorial lobbies, creating task forces that are more immediate than those of higher administrative entities, mainly community, state and regional.
- They become structures or pressure groups within other cross-border institutions (Euroregions) for the obtaining of funding for projects.
- The existence of quite low demographic thresholds (less than 100,000 inhabitants), in most cases, makes it difficult to obtain more community funds.
- The legal and administrative limitations still exist, and their resolution does not depend on the Eurocity but instead on regional and national state structures.
- The high dependence on European funds for their development implies a high uncertainty regarding their viability if those funds were to be reduced. In many cases, when this occurs, the Eurocity’s priorities change.
- The preservation of national sovereignties within the European Union means that in certain circumstances, the internal borders may "rise" again to separate territories [4,64,65]. Besides, the current crisis caused by the COVID19 pandemic [66] shows that prohibitions and authorizations originate outside the Eurocities, mainly in the state capitals, without taking into account their particular needs and demands. Any other similar episode could erase decades of integration and free internal mobility.
- In the development strategies, a clear commitment to activity niches based on environmental and historical heritage has become evident, as the Eurocities try to take advantage of their productive potentials while preserving and enhancing them through specific or more comprehensive projects. Many of them have required the support of European and national financing, which requires an influence that they would not have separately.
Author Contributions
Funding
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Designation | Establishment Year | Approx. Population (Inhabitants) | Information Sources |
---|---|---|---|
EGTC Eurocity Chaves–Verín | 18.12.2007 17.07.2013 in EGTC | 55.500 | [34,35] |
Eurocity Tui–Valença do Minho | 10.02.2012 | 31.000 | [36,37] |
Eurocity of the Guadiana (Ayamonte–Vila Real de Santo António–Castro Marim) | 09.05.2013 07.02.2018 in EGTC | 46.000 | [38,39,40] |
Eurocity Monção–Salvaterra de Miño | 28.03.2015 | 29.000 | [41,42,43] |
Eurocity EUROBEC (Elvas–Badajoz–Campo Maior) | 03.05.2018 | 190.000 | [44,45] |
Eurocity Cerveira–Tomiño | 04.10.2018 | 23.000 | [46] |
Critical Factors | Chaves–Verín | Tui–Valença do Minho | Eurocity of the Guadiana * | Monção–Salvaterra de Miño | EUROBEC ** | Cerveira–Tomiño |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Improved connectivity—Movement between cities | x | |||||
Promotion of a strong territorial strategy | x | x | x | x | ||
Development of strategies to avoid duplication of infrastructure | x | x | x | x | ||
Common equipment/services, offer of Eurocitizenship | x | x | x | x | x | x |
Enhancing access to European funds | x | x | x | x | x | x |
Promotion of strategies to retain young and talented people | x | |||||
Public participation | x | x | x | x | ||
Marketing and advertising of the Eurocity | x | x | x | x | x | x |
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Jurado-Almonte, J.M.; Pazos-García, F.J.; Castanho, R.A. Eurocities of the Iberian Borderland: A Second Generation of Border Cooperation Structures. An Analysis of Their Development Strategies. Sustainability 2020, 12, 6438. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12166438
Jurado-Almonte JM, Pazos-García FJ, Castanho RA. Eurocities of the Iberian Borderland: A Second Generation of Border Cooperation Structures. An Analysis of Their Development Strategies. Sustainability. 2020; 12(16):6438. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12166438
Chicago/Turabian StyleJurado-Almonte, José Manuel, Francisco José Pazos-García, and Rui Alexandre Castanho. 2020. "Eurocities of the Iberian Borderland: A Second Generation of Border Cooperation Structures. An Analysis of Their Development Strategies" Sustainability 12, no. 16: 6438. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12166438