8TH STRUCTURED DIALOGUE WITH COMMISSIONER DANUTA HÜBNER
BRUSSELS, 18 JUNE 2008
Association Européenne des Elus de Montagne
Associazione Europea degli Eletti della Montagna
Associação Europeia dos Eleitos de Montanha
Europäische Vereinigung der Mandatsträger aus Berggebieten
Asociacion Europea de Autoridades Politicas de Regiones de Montaña
European Association of Elected representatives from Mountain Regions
CoR - 18 June 2008
The European association of elected representatives from mountain regions (AEM) is the European
network of local and regional authorities from the EU's mountain regions.
From mayors to MEPs, the AEM brings together regions and provinces and national associations of local
authorities to raise awareness within the European institutions of the specific interests of mountainous
areas, referred to in the new Article 158 of the Lisbon Treaty. The AEM represents, both directly and
indirectly via its national associations, some 50 regions, 120 provinces and 10 000 municipalities.
Upland regions are found in 21 of the EU's 27 Member States, comprise 35.69% of its surface area and
are home to 17.73% of its population1;
The AEM supports the Committee of the Regions' own-initiative opinion (drawn up by Luis Durnwalder,
President of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano, Alto Adige) entitled TOWARDS A EUROPEAN UNION
POLICY FOR UPLAND REGIONS: A EUROPEAN VISION FOR UPLAND REGIONS.
In line with the opinion drawn up by Mercedes Bresso (President of the Piedmont region and new AEM
president) on the EGTC, and in the context of the debate on territorial cohesion, we propose a new
cross-border, transnational vision of EU multilevel governance (focused on the Alps, the Pyrenees, the
Carpathian Mountains, the Iberian Sierras, the Balkans, the Mediterranean mountains including those on
islands, the Nordic mountains, the central mountains, etc.) aimed at framing an EU strategy for upland
regions whilst respecting their diversity.
Although they have permanent natural and geographical handicaps, upland regions are also areas with
natural and human assets conducive to growth and job creation; however, this requires a more coherent
shared strategy across the various strands of cohesion policy, and across sectoral policies with a
territorial impact.
Initial consideration of the 2007-2013 programming period, the EU drive to reform Community policies
and the trend towards budget cuts have prompted the AEM to call on the European Commission to draw
up proposals for the next programming period.
This could be done post-2009 by means of a Green Paper on the future of European policies on upland
regions, as a precursor to an integrated, partnership-based European strategy for upland areas led by
the European Commission, the Member States and regional and local authorities, supported by socioeconomic and environmental players, and involving national and European associations representing
regional authorities from upland areas.
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1
Study on Mountain Areas in Europe: Analysis of mountain areas in EU member states, acceding and other European countries, Nordregio for DG
Regio, January 2004. http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/docgener/studies/pdf/montagne/mount1.pdf
Delegation to the EU
16 avenue Boileau
B-1040 Brussels
tel: +32 (0)2 739 15 45
fax: +32 (0)2 739 15 39
email: aem@promonte-aem.net
Company registration No: 382 465 920 00025
CdR 193/2008 EN-FR/RL/ET/mg
Administrative and technical headquarters
Maison des parcs et de la montagne
256 rue de la République
F-73 000 Chambéry
tel: +33 (0)4 79 71 42 30
fax: +33 (0)4 79 71 50 16
email: info@promonte-aem.net
www.promonte-aem.net
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