Revista Galega de Economía includes 2 articles on the cross-border Miño River area in its latest issue

The special on "Euroregions in Perspective: Old issues and new challenges for cooperation”recently published (September 2022) by the Revista Galega de Economía, of the University of Santiago de Compostela, includes two contributions from our territory. 

On the one hand, Valerià Paül (professor at USC and author of the 2030 Cross-border Minho River Strategy) signs an article entitled ' The Cross-Border Minho River Strategy 2030: Spatial Planning for the Minho River Lower Valley? ', in which he talks about the process of creation of the AECT Rio Minho. The Cross-Border Minho River Strategy 2030 was written between 2017 and 2019, a document detailing participative mechanisms for its elaboration. This applied to the area covered by the River Minho European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC), also known as the Galician-Portuguese ‘wet border’ (Minho River final stretch). Said document is discussed with the general theoretical and conceptual spatial planning principles, particularly taking place in cross-border regions. The article’s methodology draws from participatory action research. Results are structured according to three analytical and discursive periods, each one of which has fostered strategic action plans. Their economic dimension has gradually lost force, except in the case of that of the tourism sector. In parallel, aspects relating to governance have slowly acquired more relevance. Furthermore, a constant tension between two areas within the EGTC is also here examined.

On the other hand, University of Vigo professors Carlos Fernández-Jardón and Xavier Martínez Cobas (and Coordinator of the Cross-Border Dynamics Observatory) do an 'Value chain analysis in cross-border integration. The agri-food chain value in the shared Minho area' which analyzes a cross-border value chain in the Miño River area. For this, the paper analyses a cross-border value chain in the area of the River Minho. To do so, a gross value added estimation of the value chain per municipality on both sides of the border has been carried out. By doing this, homogeneous magnitudes could be used and the generation of value in each area could be compared. Subsequently, the level of productive integration for the three main activities (fishing, viticulture, and vegetable and market gardening) has been analysed using a representative survey. The results indicate the relevance of the production part of the chain on the Galician side. Analysis per subchain presents basic levels of integration for suppliers and customers and medium levels of integration for the end consumer. In the fields of cooperation and innovation, integration barely exists and leaves the door open for joint development in the cross-border area.