Spain and Portugal make progress on cooperation in energy matters and on the common strategy for the demographic challenge on both sides of the border

She also presented the progress made and the next lines of action in terms of the demographic challenge, articulated in the Common Strategy for Cross-Border Development (ECDT).

The ECDT, approved a year ago in Guarda (Portugal), is a framework document to jointly promote territorial cohesion and socio-economic development in the area of La Raya, establishing a strategic cooperation agenda with the aim of overcoming border contexts and turning the cross-border area between the two countries into a central area of development within the Iberian Peninsula.

"With the Common Strategy for Cross-Border Development, we set our sights, and our political determination, on the more than five million people and 2,500 local authorities who live in the Spanish-Portuguese border territories and who felt that for too long they had been on the margins of their countries' development, in a clear situation of socio-economic and demographic decline," said the vice-president.

Ribera pointed out that we have a "very favourable" framework for intensifying actions on the border, based on the respective recovery plans of Spain and Portugal. "We now have the opportunity to drive projects that accelerate green and digital transformation, economic growth, job creation and equal opportunities," she added.

Boosting electric mobility

On energy, Spain and Portugal analysed the situation of high gas prices and the impact on consumers and the economy in general, as well as ways of cooperation with a view to the implementation of the European Fit for 55% package to achieve the new European climate objectives and the imminent holding of COP26.

Electric mobility and the establishment of support instruments to promote it, together with the development of an electric vehicle charging infrastructure and the entire industrial value chain, played a prominent role at the Summit.

Thus, a working platform has been agreed to develop an Iberian electric car cluster. It will have support instruments to promote integrated industrial projects based on innovative products and services. Both countries will also cooperate in promoting the reinforcement of an electric vehicle charging network and its interoperability, ensuring its deployment on road corridors on both sides of the border.

In addition, an Iberian programme for sustainable batteries will be created that includes measures to promote sustainable mining, the refining of raw materials and their products; the design, production and assembly of new generation batteries, their recycling and professional training.

The deployment of renewables in cross-border areas - more than 700 projects are being processed and analysed - and in inland waters - such as offshore wind - has also been addressed, as has energy storage and the associated industry, from batteries for electric vehicles to hydrogen produced from renewables.

Towards a status for cross-border workers

A total of 3.3 million Spaniards and 1.7 million Portuguese live in areas at demographic risk in our common cross-border territory. During the summit, Vice-President Teresa Ribera also shared the progress made by both countries in the priority measures for the demographic challenge, including the development of the figure of the cross-border worker.

"We work to avoid an administrative judicial border where people are used to living less than 20 kilometres away from each other, looking for work and services in towns and cities that are very close to each other, even though they belong administratively to different countries. For this reason, we have made progress in the Cross-Border Worker Statute, to protect vulnerable groups, such as unaccompanied minors or abused women", the vice-president pointed out.

In this regard, and within the framework of the ECDT, Spain and Portugal have defined the concept of cross-border worker and its legal framework, and have drawn up a diagnosis of the personal and territorial scope of application. The aim is to work on the development of a statute that will improve the social and working conditions of these workers and help to guarantee their rights.

Advances in emergency services and mobility of minors

Spain and Portugal have also made progress in work to facilitate the mobility of minors across the border. In Spain alone, there are more than 160,000 minors living within 20 kilometres of the border with Portugal, many of whom attend cultural, educational or sporting activities in both countries.

In addition, Spain and Portugal have worked in a coordinated manner to learn about the technical and regulatory situation regarding emergencies in cross-border areas and have analysed the situations crossed at the border and the different procedures existing in each autonomous community, with the aim of greater cooperation. In this sense, the implementation of a specific model of cross-border collaboration in 112 between Galicia and the Northern Region of Portugal is being evaluated, a pilot project that could be extended throughout the cross-border area.

Next lines of action in Demographic Challenge

The vice-president also presented the next lines of action for the years 2021/2022, which will focus on the fight against gender violence; territorial innovation, with the promotion of projects linked to teaching and research centres in the cross-border area; the promotion of the Cross-Border Strategy on Tourism and a Cultural Agenda on both sides of the border; and the recovery of villages, to convert them into areas of attraction and fixation of new settlers.

"We have the opportunity, but also the obligation, to continue to deploy specific cross-border projects in these key areas in a coordinated manner, in line with the Plan of 130 Measures for the Demographic Challenge, for the quality of life of people living on both sides of the border," said Teresa Ribera.

Non official translation