Hexagone Project strengthens territorial cooperation dynamics until 2022, says Regional Director for European Affairs
The Regional Director for European Affairs stressed in Ponta Delgada the importance of extending the "Hexagone" project until 2022 to strengthen the dynamics of cooperation between its partners.
We believe this meeting is taking place at a particularly important time for two complementary reasons. Firstly, because it is the first meeting since the formal acceptance of the extension of the project until December 31, 2022 and, secondly, because there have been changes in its management with the entry of new members from the governments of the Canary Islands and Madeira," said Célia Azevedo. She spoke on the sidelines of the coordination meeting of this project under the MAC 2014-2020 territorial cooperation programme.
For the Regional Director, this "necessarily leads partners to strategically think about the next phases of the project until 2022 and the actions to be jointly developed."
Célia Azevedo also highlighted the fact that this meeting took place at a time when there was "a substantial change" in the project, with the entry of new officials from the governments of the Canary Islands and Madeira, after the respective regional elections, which could provide a new momentum for this project.
The Regional Director also mentioned “the need to define the role to be played by this strategic project” in the 2021/2027 programming period. According to her, “the experience and networks established under this project should be harnessed for the projects that will be developed in the next programming period."
This coordination meeting, which brings together the European partners of the project (Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands), takes place after the approval of a series of projects under the 2nd MAC 2014-2020 call, which will be under consideration for the possibility of promoting the conciliation between ERDF and EDF or other European funding lines.
In addition to Célia Azevedo, the meeting was also attended by the new Regional Director for European Affairs, Fernanda Cardoso, representing the Government of Madeira, as well as by the General Director for Economic Affairs with Africa, Nasara Abu, representing the Government of the Canary Islands. Both officials have recently taken office following elections in their respective archipelagos.
"Hexagone" is a strategic project approved under the MAC 2014-2020 programme - with a budget of about one million Euros and co-funded by ERDF at 85% - involving European partners from the Azores, Madeira and Canary Islands and non-European partners from Cape Verde, Senegal and Mauritania.
The project aims to increase cooperation between the European regions and the non-European member countries, while promoting the conciliation between the European Development Fund (ERDF), the European Development Fund ( EDF) and other European funding lines.