“We encourage the initiative which aims at obtaining the recognition of the specific status for mountain regions in the EU Treaty, as presented by Enrico La Loggia, Italian Minister for Regional Policy, yesterday (13th March) to the President of the European Commission” declared Liese Prokop, President of the Assembly of European Regions. “Mountain regions suffer from demanding conditions for development and must therefore benefit, in this new phase of European integration, from the same status and European support as accorded to outermost maritime and peripheral regions since the Treaty of Amsterdam” she underlined.

“The AER requests that both the EU and member states support regional authorities in mountain areas in their action in favour of sustainable economic development, de-isolation, nature conservation, the improvement of the standard of living of local populations, particularly by the maintaining of public services and in their struggle against desertification” stressed Brian Greenslade, President of the AER Regional policies Committee.

At the occasion of the International year of Mountains 2002, the Assembly of European Regions calls for the rapid ratification of the Convention for the protection of the Alps in order to ensure its entry into force, and for the adoption of the European Convention on mountain Regions by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.

At the Conference of Presidents of European interregional organisations, to be held in Linz on 21st March 2002, the AER will propose to the interregional organisations working in this field -Working Community of the Adriatic Alps (ALPEN ADRIA), Working Community of the Alpine Countries (ARGE Alps), Working Community of the Danube Countries (ARGE DONAULÄNDER), Working Community of the Western Alps (COTRAO), Working Community of the Jura (CTJ), Working Cmmunity of the Pyrenees (CTP) – the creation of an ad hoc structure aiming at providing political support for all mountain regions and at developing co-operation between mountain regions from the East and West of Europe.

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