The Atlantic Culture Promotion Agency - APCA Madeira - is part of an international consortium led by the Department of Tourism and Economic Regeneration of Newry, Morne and Down District Council, in Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, which saw the approval of the its candidacy for the INTERREG Espaço Atlântico transnational cooperation community program for the implementation and execution of the AtlanticCultureScapes project, whose basic idea is to develop tourist experiences based on the Intangible and Natural Cultural Heritage of the Atlantic Area applied to rural areas. An analysis of the tourist offer in the Atlantic coastal area will be prepared in order to provide guiding principles for sustainable economic growth, a fundamental aspect of the project, which aims to provide creative solutions to common problems and develop innovative mechanisms to maximize common opportunities.

The consortium, made up of 18 entities spread over four countries, United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain and Portugal, will develop the CultureScape project: Intangible Cultural Heritage inspired by Designated Land and Seascapes in the Atlantic Area between January 2019 and December 2021. APCA's experience with regard to the participation and development of transnational cooperation projects, the role of the Madeiran entity will involve consultancy and support in matters related to the Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Atlantic coastline, and in addition to APCA, which enters as an associated partner, the only Portuguese entity to integrate the project is the municipality of Rio Maior.

INTERREG Atlantic Area is a funding program that promotes transnational cooperation in 36 Atlantic regions of five European countries. With a total budget of 185M euros, of which 140M euros are from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the Program co-finances cooperation projects in the fields of Innovation & Competitiveness, Resource Efficiency, Territorial Risk Management, Biodiversity and Natural Heritage and Cultural.