Cross-border cooperation between Spain and Portugal has several constraints resulting from differences regarding the institutional and regulatory framework between the two Member States, making the joint management of equipment and collective services of proximity more difficult.

Considering this context, the Study consisted of elaborating the scenarios of new joint management models of equipment and collective services of proximity in cross-border areas of low density by local administration (Norte-Galicia framework) in order to contribute to the formatting of adjustable solutions to different types of equipment and services in six specific themes: education, health, mobility and transport, culture, sport and leisure, tourism and social work, civil protection.

From the elaboration of Case Studies (Valença-Tui; Melgaço-Arbo-A Cañiza; Chaves-Verín), the Study established an institutional and regulatory framework – considering the legislation and the legal framework specific of the two countries – and four types of management models and funding mechanisms for the cross-border cooperation, conceived so that they can be applied across all thematic areas addressed and replicated in other territorial contexts of the Luso-Spanish area.

The recommendations also focused on communication and promoting and monitoring the implementation of new management models.