23/08/2022 (Agence Europe) – On Tuesday, 23 August, the European Commission approved a €320 million budget for the EU programme for cross-border cooperation between Spain and Portugal for the 2021–2027 period. Also known as ‘Interreg POCTEP’, the cooperation programme between the two countries’ cross-border regions will serve to develop networks between small and medium-sized enterprises on both sides of the border, will finance projects that aim to improve the energy efficiency of public buildings, and will notably support sustainable tourism and the preservation of cultural heritage. “Many of the challenges Europe’s regions are facing today can only be tackled with more regional cooperation”, commented Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms Elisa Ferreira. ‘Interreg POCTEP’, whose funding is allocated under the European Regional Development Fund, is the 30th programme that has been adopted for the 2021–2027 period, and its overall budget amounts to just over €4 billion in funding. (TM)