The Pays Pyrénées Méditerranée,About us

The area


The Pays Pyrénées Méditerranée brings together 58 municipalities grouped themselves into 4 municipalities communities. It covers 1150 km² and acount 108 000 inhabitants (INSEE, 2018), population that increased over the recent years. It was set up in order to carry out a common sustainable development project and in the quest for balance between the coastline and the inland areas (in relation to economic and geographical aspects).


The river, Le Tech, is the common element that unites this area, as well as the Catalan culture and the 110 km border with South Catalonia. Agriculture and tourism are two of the main socio-economic sectors in this rural region, which lives to the rhythm of the seasons. To deal with climate change, local stakeholders are getting involved in the energy and ecological transitions.




The association


Created in 2001, the Pays Pyrénées Méditerranée is a local development tool based on bottom-up and land-based approaches, using local initiatives as the driving force behind economic, social and environmental transitions. It serves everyone, coordinates and federates initiatives and gives greater coherence and impact to public funding. More broadly, it provides leadership and engineering expertise to support local projects. 


Thus, the association assumes missions of territorial coordination, project emergence and management, financial engineering, support to project leaders, European programs handling, knowledge and tolls supporting decision-making. Its general assembly is the representative instance of the local players : it groups representatives of political, socio-economic, associative, scientific and cultural sectors. 

The assembly shapes and monitors the annual action plan. 


See our leaflet and our last annual activity report here (in French) >>


Chaired by Nathalie Regond Planas, the association employs 12 people you can meet here >>


The strategic framework


The renewed Pays Pyrénées Méditerranée’s strategy for the 2021-2027 period is a framework for its actions. It has been collectively designed with local players and is complementary to local, regional, national and European policies.


Within this framework, the Pays Pyrénées Méditerranée leads and participates in several actions,

such as : 

  • The Climate, Air and Energy Local Plan (PCAET - Plan Climat Air Énergie Territorial) : a common action plan to handle energy consumptions and to support renewable energies production.
  • The Trajectories for Local Climate Change Adaptation (TACCT - Trajectoires d’Adaptation au Changement Climatique des Territoires) : the Pays Pyrénées Méditerranée is one of the 12 French areas to build a local strategy for adaptation to climate change, with the support of national experts.
  • The Local Food Project “Mar I Munt” (PAT – Projet Alimentaire Territorial) : this project’s aim is to restore local food chains by allowing qualitative agriculture and food for all.
  • The Local Forest Charter (CFT - Charte Forestière de Territoire) : a local strategy for the sustainable and multifunctional management of forests. Coordinated by the Pays Pyrénées Méditerranée, the charter is implemented by several public and private stakeholders.
  • Sustainable tourism - the Mountain Program for Future (Programme Avenir Montagne) : local support and engineering to implement a sustainable and diversified mountain tourism. 
  • Culture and cinema - MIRE, local office to support film shoots (bureau d’accueil des tournages) : the Pays Pyrénées Méditerranée supports public and private stakeholders in the audiovisual field (production, direction, distribution, training, image education).
  • Research collaborations to support public policies and decision-making – GRANULAR, a European research project: the Pays Pyrénées Méditerranée is one of the first 7 living labs.

The Pays Pyrénées Méditerranée also manages and coordinates cross-sectional National and European funds and contractual agreements, such as : 

  • LEADER : The Pays Pyrénées Méditerranée has been driving the LEADER Local Action Group (LAG) for over twenty years. The 2023-2027 program is focused on ecological and environmental transitions. LEADER act as a transition accelerator and as a transition demonstrator. 
  • GALPA : the Pays Pyrénées Méditerranée and its partners have been selected in 2021 by the Occitanie Region to draw up, lead and manage a strategy to promote a sustainable blue economy, supported by the European Maritime Affairs, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (FEAMPA).


Let’s keep in touch


You can get in touch with us : 

  • By mail : contact@payspyreneesmediterranee.org 
  • By phone : +33 4 68 87 43 24 

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