"MACRO-REGIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE ALPS" WORKING GROUP
Presidency: Switzerland, Italy and Germany 
 
After the launch of two macro-regional strategies – for the Baltic area (adopted by the European Council in October 2009) and for the Danube (adopted by the European Council in June 2011) – discussion about possible other future European macro-regional strategies are ongoing. Territorial cohesion is cited in the EU Treaty as one of the main European objectives and Art. 174 mentions directly mountains regions. In this context macro-regions are areas of common weaknesses and opportunities to which funds and resources could be prioritised. The Alps constitute a potential territory for a macro-regional strategy. The Alpine Convention, the only existing binding instrument of international law in the Alpine regions, is a reference for the ongoing discussion and directly contributes to  it.
 
1. What is the “Macro-regional Strategy for the Alps” Working Group?
 
The “Macro-regional Strategy for the Alps” Working Group was set up by the XI. Alpine Conference to consider a possible contribution by the Alpine Convention to the current debates on macro-regional strategies in Europe.   
 
The Working Group’s activities contribute to the evaluation and networking of the results of the Working groups and Platforms of the Alpine Convention as well as to implementation of Multiannual Work Program 2011 to 2016.   
 
The contracting parties to the Alpine Convention delegated members to the Working Group. Observers to the Convention may put forward representatives selected by the observers themselves.
 
List of members

2. Objectives

The main objectives of the “Macro-regional Strategy for the Alps” Working Group are to:

• define the objectives and the main challenges of such a strategy;
• identify the added value that can be made by the Alpine Convention;
• steer and manage the process in coordination and cooperation with other committed organisations.

3. Activities, documents, results

Documents:

• Mandate of the “Macro-regional Strategy for the Alps” Working Group (in DE, FR, IT, SL) 
• Download the Input Paper “Contribution of the Alpine Convention to the process towards a Macro-regional Strategy for the Alps”
• Download the decisions of the XIth Alpine Conference* regarding the Macro-regional Strategy WG
• The Alpine Convention as an instrument for Regional Policy, Marco Onida, Regions, no280, Winter 2010

Activities:

• Download two presentations of the first Meeting of the Working Group: one on the experiences from the EU strategy for the Danube Region and other on the macro-regional strategy activities of the Alpine space programme.

4. Links and Additional Information

• Institutions of the Contracting Parties:
  • Avstria
    • Lebensministerium
  • France
    • Ministère de l'Ecologie, du Développement durable et de l'Energie
    • Délégationinterministérielle à l’aménagement du territoire et à l’attractivitérégionale (DATAR)
  • Germany
    • Bayrisches Staatsministerium für Ernährung, Landwirtschaft und Forsten (STMELF)
    • Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Umwelt und Gesundheit
    • Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorsicherheit
  • Italy
    • Ministero dell’Ambiente della tutela del territorio e del mare
  • Liechtenstein
    • Amt für Umweltschutz
  • Monaco
    • Ministère d'État
  • Slovenia
    • Ministrstvo za infrastrukturo in prostor
  • Switzerland
    • Bundesamt für Raumentwicklung (ARE)
    • Bundesamt für Umwelt (BAFU)
  • European Union
    • DG for Regional and Urban Policy

Additional information:

• Alpine Regions
  • Declaration of the Third conference of the network of the regions of
    the Alps, Brdo, 9.3.2011
    Declaration of the Second conference of the network of the Regions
    of the Alps, Trento, 1.-2.3.2010
  • Towards a European Alpine Strategy, Alpine Regions Road Map,
    8.11.2011
  • Mittenwald declaration on a strategy for the Alps, Mittenwald,
    12.3.2010
• CIPRA Austria 'Perspektiven für die Alpen", Vienna, 19.9.2011
  
  • Makroregion Alpen und Alpenkonvention - Gegensatz oder ideale
    Ergänzung? (Werner Bätzing)
  • Die laufenden Aktivitäten der Alpenkonvention (Marco Onida)
  • Eine Makrostrategie als Mikrokosmos alpiner Interessensträger?
    (Georg Schadt)
  • Makroregionale Strategien und Alpenkonvention aus
    regionalpolitischer Sicht (Herwig von Staa)
• CIPRA International
  
  • The Alpine Convention - first step towards a common Alpine policy, 2.2011
    The Alpine Region as a macro-region? 29.7.2011
• Club Arc Alpin
  
  • CAA position - Macro-regional strategy for the Alps, 10.9.2011
• ALPE-ADRIA
  • Villa Manin Declaration, 19.11.2009
• Alpine Space Programme of the EU
  • A macro-regional strategy for the Alps?
• 20 Jahre Alpenkonvention: eine Bilanz mit einem Blick in die Zukunft
• Yes to an "Alpine Macro-region" but on a coherent territory - Werner Bätzing, 07.2.2011 (Find the link in DE, FR, IT, SL)
• The Alpine Convention and the macro-region "Alpine Space" of the
  European Union, Werner Bätzing, L'Eco delle Dolomiti, 11, 2011
• Die Alpen - periphere Verstädterung einer ländlichen Makroregion
  in Europa, Werner Bätzing, Alpen Forum 2010
• Der neue Status der Alpen als Makroregion. Braucht es veränderte
  politische Strategien für das Herz Europas?, Werner Bätzing,
  Zeitfragen, 28. april 2001
• Perspektiven für die Alpen, Hannes Schlosser, Die
  Alpenkonvention nr.65, 2011
• Die Alpen lösen ihre Probleme gemeinsam oder gar nicht, Wener
  Bätzing, Die Alpenkonvention nr.65, 2011
• Auf dem Weg zur Makroregion, Das Land Südtirol, december 2011