Representatives from the Algarve have arrived at a Portuguese-Spanish meeting in Tordesillas, Valladolid, bringing with them three requests: a bridge over the River Guadiana linking Alcoutim and Sanlúcar de Guadiana, a rail link from Faro to both Huelva and Seville by 2040, and closer co-operation on the management of the waters of the aforementioned river.
The Algarve Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDR Algarve) hopes to turn these projects, which have been long talked about on both sides of the border, into reality. It says they would radically improve transport links, the economy, and quality of life.
These requests are being made at the 17th Portuguese-Spanish Commission for Cross-Border Cooperation. The CCDR’s two vice-presidents, Cristiano Cabrita and Jorge Botelho, were both in attendance.
Cabrita set out the three priorities, in line with the stance the Algarve has taken with the Portuguese and Spanish governments and, in particular, the Andalusian regional government, the Junta de Andalucía.
“The Algarve and Andalusia share challenges, opportunities and a vision for the future,” said Cabrita. “Our priority is to turn cross-border cooperation into concrete results, with better transport links, greater territorial integration and sustainable management of the resources we share.”
First on the list is an international bridge between Alcoutim, in the north-east Algarve, and Sanlúcar de Guadiana, in Spain’s Huelva province. It would create a direct road link between two communities that sit within a stone’s throw of each other but are divided by the Guadiana, with no local road crossing between them, save for the Guadiana International Bridge 30km to the south.
The CCDR argues that a second bridge is vital for cross-border mobility and would open up new economic, social,and territorial opportunities, especially in an inland area where poor access still holds back development. The project has therefore been put back among the main priorities for Portuguese-Spanish cooperation.
CCDR vice-president Botelho highlighted the “renewed commitment to build the Alcoutim–Sanlúcar de Guadiana bridge as quickly as possible”, calling it an important step for the development of the border territories. The CCDR’s statement, however, gives no firm date for the start of construction.
The second priority is a rail link between Faro, Huelva, and Seville. Taking this step would connect the Algarve into a wider international network with a direct line to Andalusia, making onwards travel elsewhere in Spain far more straightforward
The CCDR claims that 2040 should be the reference date for delivering the project, taking into account the EU’s trans-European transport networks. On the flip side, turning promises into railway tracks will demand closer coordination between the authorities in both countries. The CCDR stresses the requirement to make progress on the necessary technical studies, and create the necessary investment conditions to develop the infrastructure.
Cabrita said the commitments to “the rail link by 2040, the Alcoutim–Sanlúcar bridge and the enhancement of the Guadiana are three strategic commitments that we will continue to defend”.
The third priority is the sustainable management of water resources shared by Portugal and Spain along the Guadiana. The CCDR is calling for deeper cooperation within the framework of the Albufeira Convention, which governs the protection and sustainable use of the waters of the river basins the two countries share.
The position put forward in Tordesillas rests on the principle that “water should be a force for unity and development in both territories’” The aim is an integrated approach that covers the requirements of agriculture, environmental sustainability, civil protection, risk prevention, and adaptation to climate change.
The CCDR has made it clear that cooperation around the Guadiana must produce joint projects that improve water security, protect the environment, and strengthen territorial cohesion, for both parties involved. This factor is especially important in a region such as the Algarve, where water scarcity is a recurring structural problem, affecting residents, farming, and the wider economy.
Botelho said ‘the need to step up investment in water resources’ is among the most important commitments for the future of the Algarve and its neighbouring territories.
For both vice-presidents, the main challenge now is to make sure these priorities become reality. “The outcome of this meeting reflects the strong commitment of the Algarve and Andalusia to turning the needs felt by their people into real results on the ground, for the benefit of people, the economy and regional development,” said Mr Botelho.
The CCDR has pledged to keep working with the Portuguese government, the Spanish authorities, and the Junta de Andalucía to develop all three projects.
Source: CCDR
Photo credit: Vitor Oliveira
