Hello! My name is Marina, and I just completed two months as an Interreg Volunteer Youth (IVY) Reporter in the Joint Secretary of Interreg Program V-A Spain-France-Andorra (POCTEFA) in Jaca, Spain. An European program for cross border cooperation at the frontier between France, Spain and Andorra, which aims to reinforce the economic and social integration of the area and to promote sustainable development, thanks to the financial support of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
From the moment I stepped into the building, I felt really welcomed by my fellow Interreg Volunteers and colleagues. They introduced me to the charming town of Jaca, and the functioning of the Interreg programme. During the different meetings I participated in and the tasks I performed, I found myself really integrated in the team and I learned a lot about the working stages of what it takes to launch an European funding programme geared towards the improvement of the living conditions for the population in the cross-border area.
During these two months, I took part in several working groups, in which both spanish, french and andorran regions debated to build the next call for cross border projects POCTEFA 2021-2027. In addition to that, I worked on different documents intended for the next programme 2021-2027, I translated press releases and other official documents and also helped with the financial side of the programme.
I believe the IVY Volunteer Programme is an excellent opportunity to get immersed in a mostly unknown part of European Cooperation. It opens you up to a lot of interesting professionals in diverse fields, as well as different perspectives on cooperation.
– Marina, IVY Reporter at the Joint Secretariat Interreg France-Spain-Andorra (POCTEFA)
