Developing Cross-Border Spatial Planning: Establishing a Common Understanding Through a Forthcoming European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation Between Galicia and Portugal

Roberto Vila-Lage, Alejandro Otero-Varela and Valerià Paül ()
Additional contact information
Roberto Vila-Lage: Department of Geography, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Praza da Universidade 1, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain
Alejandro Otero-Varela: Department of Geography, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Praza da Universidade 1, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain
Valerià Paül: Department of Geography, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Praza da Universidade 1, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 3, 1-19

Abstract: At the border between Galicia (Spain) and Northern Portugal, where three European Groupings of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC) currently operate, the process to establish a fourth one is underway: Raia Seca Gerês/Xurés (RSGX). This new cross-border cooperation structure covers an area rich in natural and cultural heritage and mostly matches the Gerês/Xurés Transboundary Biosphere Reserve designated in 2009. The goal of this paper is to decipher to what extent a common understanding between both sides of the border might enable the delivery of a common spatial plan managed by the EGTC under the auspices of the sustainable development paradigm. The findings obtained from the interviews conducted indicate that borders remain present in the experiences and mentalities of the interviewed stakeholders and that cross-border spatial planning largely depends on territorial agendas linked to national-state sovereignty, hindering its factual implementation. The interviewees expect the future EGTC to serve as a mechanism to channel cooperation and redefine the role of the already designated Transboundary Biosphere Reserve, moving beyond isolated actions funded by Interreg and embracing a more integrated approach to cooperation.

Keywords: cross-border cooperation; European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation; spatial planning; Galicia; Spain; Portugal (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/3/542/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/3/542/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jlands:v:14:y:2025:i:3:p:542-:d:1605729

Access Statistics for this article

Land is currently edited by Ms. Carol Ma

More articles in Land from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().