The rural and fisheries Local Action Groups of the Euroregion come together to promote three days of joint work to face common challenges
The rural and fisheries Local Action Groups of the Euroregion come together to promote three days of joint work to face common challenges
The Euroregional network for rural and fisheries development will meet from November 26 to 28 at the “Cooperate to Transform” meeting.
The meeting will include the reading in the Parliament of Catalonia on 27 November of a joint declaration aimed at consolidating Mediterranean cooperation and its positioning towards the European Union.
The Association of Rural and Maritime Initiatives of Catalonia (ARCA), the Euroregion Pyrenees Mediterranean, and the Generalitat de Catalunya are organizing the Euroregional meeting “Cooperating to Transform”, a strategic space for reflection and exchange of experiences to strengthen cooperation between the rural and fisheries Local Action Groups (LAGs and GALPs) of the three Euroregional territories in the field of rural and maritime development.
The event, which will be held from 26 to 28 November at the Diagonal One Tower in Barcelona, aims to consolidate a shared Mediterranean vision and a joint voice towards Europe. This cooperation will be publicly materialized on 27 November with the reading of a joint declaration in the Parliament of Catalonia, reaffirming the commitment of the three territories to coordinated action and a strong Mediterranean voice towards Europe. In addition, the meeting will feature the intervention of institutional representatives of the European Commission, the Spanish State, the Generalitat de Catalunya, the Government of the Balearic Islands and the Occitania Region.
The meeting comes at a decisive moment. Both the rural and fishing worlds of the Euroregion face common challenges: guaranteeing the continuity of sustainable primary production, strengthening small and medium-sized agri-food companies, promoting shared infrastructures and short marketing circuits, promoting local products, encouraging the return of young talent and women’s leadership, improving sustainable forest management and fishing, facilitating mobility and affordable housing, and making generational change possible both in the countryside and at sea. The rural and fishing Local Action Groups (LAGs and GALPs) are actively working on these challenges through innovation, cooperation and territorial development projects.
In this context, “Cooperate to Transform” becomes a space for strategic positioning in the face of the European Commission’s budgetary movements for the next programming period, which may compromise the continuity of the Leader methodology. For this reason, the event aims to reinforce a common position to defend both Leader and FEMPA, claiming the essential role of Mediterranean cooperation in economic, social and community development.
The Leader methodology and the positioning of the Euroregion
The LAGs and GALPs are based on the Leader methodology, a recognized European model that advocates local leadership and the participation of all actors in the territory. Farmers, livestock farmers, fishermen, companies, social entities, administrations and other agents participate to identify needs and promote transformative projects. Faced with the serious challenges currently facing the fishing sector in the Pyrenees-Mediterranean Euroregion, the Euroregion has set up a Fisheries Working Group. In parallel, the three territories have promoted a Declaration in defense of Mediterranean fishing and fishing communities, as well as a letter addressed to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, to convey shared concerns and demand measures that guarantee the continuity and sustainability of the sector.
Agenda of the Euroregional meeting “Cooperate to Transform”
- On 26 November, the meeting will open with a day dedicated to the rural world, with presentations and debates on the LAGs’ cooperation systems: support for local production, agricultural relief, forest management, ecotourism, basic services, mobility and housing.
- 27 November will be dedicated to Leader experiences, with visits to Barberà de la Conca and Vilanova i la Geltrú. In the afternoon, a Euroregional event to defend Leader will be held in the Parliament of Catalonia, with the reading of a joint appeal from Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Occitania to guarantee European funding beyond 2027 and strengthen the link between territory, citizenship and local development.
- On 28 November, coinciding with Mediterranean Day, the sessions will focus on the maritime sphere: challenges of fishing, fish consumption and the role of GALPs in improving fishing communities. This conference is also part of the Catalonia World Region of Gastronomy 2025 distinction, and will have the collaboration of the Union for the Mediterranean.
The conference is open to professionals from the primary sector, administrations, development agents, researchers, students and entities linked to territorial development. Registration is free and can be done through the official website of the meeting.
The event aims to consolidate itself as the Euroregional meeting point of reference for rural and maritime areas, a space to share experiences, generate alliances and project a strong Mediterranean voice in Europe. Cooperation between Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Occitania is more necessary today than ever to build a sustainable, resilient and shared future for all the territories of the Pyrenees Mediterranean Euroregion.
All the information about the Euroregional Meeting here.
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