Despite the circumstances, the Eurocity Chaves-Verin EGTC cross-border office has remained operational throughout the state of emergency, and the technical support cabinet has continued to work (from home) on planning strategies and joint activities for a post-COVID-19 scenario.

 Some of the cross-border cooperation initiatives developed during the COVID-19 crisis include:

• ​The creation of a COVID-19 Cross-Border Information Point (CBIP) for Chaves-Verin eurocitizens. This brings together important guidance, information and resources on the state of emergency in both countries in order to help the people who work in the Eurocity Chaves-Verin. A cross-border compendium of the regulatory decrees issued under the state of emergency has been compiled to inform the EU citizens in this area about the rights of cross-border workers and the security measures to be adopted in the two countries. Likewise, the inquiries received have been forwarded by the CBIP to the corresponding competent bodies in Spain and Portugal, always taking into account the principle of facilitating contacts for the specific resolution of administrative legal questions on both sides of the border.

• The launch of the "EurocityTalks project: ideas for the post-COVID future". This involves online seminars to bring eurocitizens closer to cross-border cooperation matters in order to find joint responses to the post-COVID-19 scenario.

• A webinar entitled "Iberian Eurocities in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic". The purpose of this webinar was to provide a space for dialogue and reflection with the mayors of the Iberian Eurocities to find out what impact COVID-19 has had on cross-border cooperation, how the state of emergency and the closure of borders has affected the citizens of the different Eurocities and to discuss measures to strengthen their ties after the crisis. This resulted in a joint manifesto by all of the mayors, who, with one voice, called on the states of Portugal and Spain to put in place specific measures for the Eurocities and open the borders for the residents of those Eurocities.

Eurocity Chaves-Verin, EGTC Headquarter (Spanish-Portuguese border)