With respect to bilateral cooperation, ANACOM given priority to relations with Brazil, Portuguese-speaking African countries (PALOP), East-Timor and certain European countries, including the most recent entrants to the European Union, for which the Portuguese experience in the field of communications, has proved extremely appropriate and useful.
Relations with these countries are governed by different cooperation protocols, under which training programmes and information exchanges are organised in ANACOM's areas of competence, in addition to the provision of consultancy services and the donation of equipment, as well as the organisation of high level coordination meetings.
With relations with the countries of the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries (CPLP), which encompass the majority of initiatives, considered a priority and given the new models of international cooperation, in order to optimize resources and based on the results of initiatives carried out in recent years, ANACOM has developed two mechanisms of cooperation: Cooperation Indicative Plans (CIP) and the Annual Cooperation Plans (ACP).
CIPs have an average duration of three years and identify courses of action over the medium term for each country. These courses of action are defined in conjunction with the receivers and are based on identified needs. They allow activities to be defined and duly scheduled, ensuring that responsibilities are shared and goals and objectives are set which enable results to be appropriately monitored and evaluated.
On the other hand, ACPs have a duration of one year and govern the implementation of the PICs through the various activities identified and contracted with several countries, ensuring the permanent monitoring and evaluation of results.