Ordino Hosts Launch of POCTEFA PP3N Project for Pyrenean Park of the Three Nations

Ordino hosted the launch seminar for the POCTEFA PP3N project on Wednesday, uniting technicians and representatives from Andorra, Catalonia, and France in the first in-person meeting to outline actions through 2026 for the Pyrenean Park of the Three Nations.

The three-year effort, funded 65% by European POCTEFA funds, topped the scoring among 68 approved projects out of 115 submissions. Partners included Ordino and La Massana parishes alongside Parc Natural de l’Alt Pirineu, Parc Natural Comunal de les Valls del Comapedrosa, Parc Natural de la Vall de Sorteny, Parc Naturel Régional des Pyrénées Ariégeoises as lead partner, and ANA-CEN Ariège.

Project coordinator Matthieu Cruège, director of Parc Naturel Régional des Pyrénées Ariégeoises, described the event as the official launch of joint efforts, building on near-daily technical exchanges since the park's 2018 creation in La Massana. He emphasized transforming the cross-border zone into a lived space for residents, beyond mere administration, by overcoming borders and promoting exchanges—especially among youth—to build a shared Pyrenean identity.

Sessions defined key priorities: youth exchanges to raise territorial awareness, trail improvements linking natural parks, and border gatherings to strengthen neighborly bonds. Discussions also addressed work timelines, cofinancing requirements, and shared action lines.

Biodiversity efforts assign emblematic Pyrenean species to partners—Ordino the chamois (isard), La Massana the Pallaresa lizard (serenalla pallaresa), with others covering rock partridge (trencalòs), capercaillie (gall fer), and alpine accentor (elmesquera). Annual scientific-technical seminars will share management knowledge and develop interpretive trails. The first, focused on chamois, is planned for late May in Andorra; a second in early October at La Massana will bring together biodiversity experts and specialists from related fields.

Marc Font, head of Ordino's Environment and Agriculture Department, stressed tightening institutional and community ties while revitalizing natural and cultural heritage. Prior steps like joint mapping now intensify under POCTEFA. Long-term goals feature a 10-year roadmap for enhanced public management, ecological connectivity, biodiversity protection, and UNESCO Biosphere Reserve status.

The initiative aligns with POCTEFA's push for Pyrenean transborder cooperation, complementing projects such as Spiral, SolPyr, Desbosiguem!, and Permapyrénées on soil risks, permafrost, forests, and hazards amid climate shifts.