EU - Brazil cooperation on regional and urban policy

Against this background, on 29th November 2007 a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between DG REGIO and the Ministry of National Integration of Brazil to set up a structured dialogue on regional policy with the objective to promote mutual understanding and bilateral cooperation in the field of regional policy and to establish communication channels to strengthen the exchange of information.

This reflected the commitment made by the Commission in its Communication: 'Towards an EU-Brazil Strategic partnership', in which regional policy was identified as an important area on which both sides could share information and experience.

The policy dialogue has the principal objectives of reducing regional inequalities and encouraging the exploitation of endogenous potential. European regional policy experience has largely inspired Brazilian regional development model (Política Nacional de Desenvolvimento Regional -PNDR) both in terms of objectives and implementation systems.

Brazil has been and remains an important partner for the EU in the actions carried out to further this cooperation, namely:

• International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) programme for city-to-city cooperation on sustainable urban development and region-to-region cooperation on regional innovation
• INNOV-AL project promotes the exchange of knowledge and good practices on the definition and implementation of decentralized innovation policies and smart specialization policies at the regional level and the cooperation between the national and regional authorities of six countries in Latin America (including the Brazilian States of Ceará, Pará, Paraná, Pernambuco and Santa Catarina) and between these and their counterparts in the EU.
• INNOVACT project diffusing EU regional policy experience and good practices in Latin America
• to facilitate the sharing of information and lessons between European and Latin-American cross-border regions on promoting cross-border cooperation, innovation systems, clusters and competitiveness;
• to identify and develop strategies, action plans and concrete projects or programmes for the development of cross-border value chains,
• and to stimulate and contribute to a learning process based on concrete examples and best practices.

Seven Latin Americas border areas were covered by INNOVACT, including Brazil-Argentina border area