The Algarve Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDR Algarve) pointed out, on March 21, 45 years of activity, with a special session that included a tribute to Engineer David Assideira, the institution’s first president, who held roles between 1980 and 1996.
The event celebrated not only the history and mission of CCDR Algarve, but also promoted a reflection space on regional development and the impact of European funds on the growth of the region.
The session began with an analysis of the Regional Territory Planning Plan (PROT), approved on May 21, 1991, a milestone in the management of the Algarve territory. The panel was attended by David Assideira, José António Campos Correia (former president of CCDR Algarve) and José António Pacheco (vice president of CCDR Algarve), under the moderation of Valentina Calixto, also former vice-president of the institution.
This was followed by a second panel dedicated to European funds and their impact on regional and local development. Francisco Mendonça Pinto, former Vice-President of CCDR Algarve, highlighted the importance of these funds in promoting the region’s growth and quality of life, while Vasco Alves Cordeiro, chairman of the European Union’s Political Cohesion Commission and budget, addressed the future of cohesion backgrounds. Moderation was in charge of Aquiles Marreiros, executive vowel of the Algarve 2030 regional program.
At the end of the session, the president of CCDR Algarve, José Apolinário, highlighted the fundamental role of the institution in the implementation of regional public policies, highlighting the impact of European funds on the Algarve. It also expressed its recognition to the members of the Board of Directors, leaders, employees and all who contribute to the public service.
The ceremony culminated in the intervention of the Secretary of State for Planning and Regional Development, Hélder Reis, who stressed the importance of CCDR in territorial planning and the challenges of the execution of PRR and Portugal 2030.
The event ended with a symbolic moment of tribute to David Brotherhood, through the unveiling of a sign that gives its name to the CCDR Algarve auditorium, IP, recognizing its contribution to the development of the region.
CCDR Algarve thanked “all present and reiterates its commitment to the sustainable development of the region”.
José Apolinário highlights the importance of CCDR Algarve
During the celebration of the 45th anniversary of the Algarve Coordination and Regional Development Commission (CCDR Algarve), the institution’s president, José Apolinário, stressed the importance of regionalization and the impact of the entity on territory development over the last decades.
In the speech given at the ceremony, José Apolinário pointed out that “the regionalization of the continent, with five flat regions, is still necessary”, highlighting that the proximity in the management of common interests is essential for a better articulation of public policies. In this sense, he mentioned Valente de Oliveira, stating that “the decentralization of the state is done with the reinforcement of the role of the regions.”
Referring to the evolution of the CCDR Algarve since its inception, Joseph Apolinário recalled that its foundation in 1979 represented “a letter of manumission to the Algarve region”, allowing greater protagonism in regional planning. In the year of 40 years of Portugal’s adhesion to the then European communities, the president of CCDR stressed the importance of the institution in the growth of the Algarve, noting that “the CCDR Algarve Board of Directors took the initiative to organize this act of public recognition to Eng. David Assideira, and to all who performed and perform public functions in this state administration entity”.
José Apolinário also stressed the crucial role of European funds in the development of the region, namely in the areas of health, mobility, innovation and entrepreneurship. He pointed out that “with European funds managed in the region, we reinforced and qualified the response of the National Health Service, for example, with technological equipment in the treatment of stroke patients, funded a new research center, ABC, and a European -level clinical simulation center at the University of Algarve”.
In the area of mobility, the president of CCDR pointed out as a priority the completion of the electrification of the Algarve railway line and the advance of Metrobus, which will connect Faro, the airport, the University of Algarve, Olhão, Loulé and Albufeira. In addition, he stressed that “the Algarve had 94,449 companies based in the region in late 2023. The GDP generated in the region grows above the national average”, reinforcing the region’s economic dynamism.
Regarding the coordination of public policies and regional planning, José Apolinário reinforced the need for a closer performance to the CCDR in the area of education, agriculture, fisheries and culture, stating that “we can and should reinforce the intervention of CCDR in planning, immediately in the area of education, in articulation with decentralization for local authorities at the intercity and municipal level”.
The president of CCDR Algarve concluded his intervention with a message of recognition and commitment: “I want to leave a word of recognition to my colleagues of the Board of Directors, for the commitment to joint work, as well as all the managers and employees, the 262 employees active, and all who make public service happen”. He also stated that the entity’s main objective is to “strengthen the credibility of CCDR Algarve, provide better service to all entities and the region, to affirm CCDR Algarve as an entity of trust in the exercise of its mission and in the pursuit of its attributions and competences”.
With these words, José Apolinário reiterated CCDR Algarve’s commitment to remain a fundamental agent in the sustainable development of the region, promoting a greater articulation between public policies and local needs.
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