Welcome to the Alpine Convention web pages!
The main purpose of these pages is to reach and inform all who are in any way concerned by the Alps.
This territory is of great importance not only for the populations living in the Alpine region, but also for all the inhabitants in other regions that are connected to it and use it, for example, for recreation purposes, for use of water coming from the Alps or for high quality products from alpine agriculture.
At the same time, the intensive use is posing an increasing threat to the alpine area and to its functions. The only way to preserve the nature and the ecosystem from being irretrievably damaged is to balance the economic interests with the needs to protect the ecosystems.
That was the main reason for establishing the Alpine Convention: all eight states having in common part of their respective territory in the Alpine arc agreed to create a common policy in the field of sustainable development to protect and preserve this unique piece of land, where natural, economic and cultural factors determine the borders of regions which do not always coincide with national borders, and therefore need a true international coordination of policy measures.
Based on these considerations the Alpine States signed on 7th November 1991 the Convention on the Protection of the Alps, recognizing the Alps as a unique, common area which needs a common development and preservation Policy.
The Alpine Convention reflects a global awareness of the importance of the mountains, defines our responsibility for the Alpine world and draws our attention to the potentials and challenges for the development of the natural, cultural and social patrimony.
Its goal is to develop the common heritage of the Alps and preserve it for future generations through transnational cooperation between the Alpine countries, the regions and the local authorities and with the involvement of the scientific community, the private sector and the civil society.
With this approach, the Alpine Convention is an example for other mountain regions and similar cooperation initiatives, such as the Carpathian Convention.