The 2025 Annual Forum of the European Union Strategy for the Alpine Region (EUSALP) brought together delegates from across the Alps for three days of exchange in Innsbruck, Austria, from 25 to 26 November. The event marked the celebration of the 10th anniversary since EUSALP was created, as well as the conclusion of the first EUSALP Co-Presidency, shared by Austria and Liechtenstein under the motto ‘Cooperation empowers transformation’.
The Alpine Convention was present and active throughout the three days of the Annual Forum, starting with Alpine Convention Secretary General Alenka Smerkolj’s participation in the General Assembly. During this high-level meeting hosted by Tyrol’s Governor Anton Mattle and Liechtenstein’s Deputy Prime Minister Sabine Monauni, delegates from all seven EUSALP countries and several regions adopted the revised EUSALP Action Plan and confirmed the Action Group Leaders. An official ceremony followed during which the EUSALP Presidency was handed over to Bavaria, whose motto is ‘Concentrate. Innovate. Elevate.’
Alpine Convention Secretary General Alenka Smerkolj took part in a panel discussion on ‘Shaping the future together – the Alpine region 2035’. During her interventions, she highlighted many good practice examples of projects and initiatives that are implementing the Alpine Convention as well as the important role of mountains in the global context. She also celebrated the news that a 2026 dialogue on mountains and climate change was adopted at the UNFCCC COP30.
Between the sessions, a Networking Village offered the Action Groups as well as other EUSALP partners, including the Alpine Convention, the chance to be present with dedicated stands, exhibiting publications and showcasing activities, as well as offering a space for networking.
The second day was fully dedicated to discussing and exchanging ideas. Several EUSALP Action Groups, the Co-Presidency, the EUSALP Secretariat, and other partners organised 11 workshops. Alpine Convention Secretary General Smerkolj welcomed participants of a workshop on ‘Brokering Spaces: Optimising local Alpine land use’ organised by EUSALP Action Group 6. During her opening words, she highlighted the importance of working across borders and finding a “balance between protection and development through the conservation and rehabilitation of natural habitats with healthy soils and the careful assessment of land-use needs and priorities”.
This Annual Forum also marked the end of the Alpine Convention’s coordination role in Action Group 6: after 10 years of co-leading the AG, the Alpine Convention has decided to hand over this role, which will be taken over by the Edmund Mach Foundation from 2026.
The Alpine Convention’s Transport Working Group also played an active role at the Annual Forum, as transport and mobility were central points on the agenda. The group organised a workshop on ‘Shaping sustainable tourism and mobility in the Alpine Region’ that took place following the 7th EUSALP Mobility conference on ‘Mobility transition in the Alpine region: sustainable, energy-efficient, multi-modal’, organised by EUSALP AG 4.
The location of the Annual Forum in Innsbruck also offered opportunities for several bilateral meetings with partners in the Permanent Secretariat’s offices.