Press release Creation of the Intergroup "Specific territories"

The European Association of Elected Representatives from Mountain Regions (AEM) is very pleased about the creation of an official intergroup at the European Parliament on “specific territories”. The specific challenges of mountainous, islands and outermost, sparsely populated regions will be a strategic element of debates within the European parliament on the future of the cohesion policy, on the coordination of sectoral policies (CAP, Environment, Energy, Transport, Energy and Climate, SMEs, Research, etc.), on multilevel governance and on macroregional strategies (Baltic, Danube, Alps, Mediterranean, etc.).

AEM would like to congratulate for their action the MEPs from mountain regions, especially from the EPP-ED - Jean-Pierre Audy, Michel Dantin, Boguslaw Sonik, etc.- from the EFD - Fiorello Povera -, from the GUE/NGL- that have supported the intergroup for “specific territories: mountains, islands and sparsely populated regions ”; but also the MEPs from the S&D - as Adrian Severin, Ines Ayala Sender, Kader Arif, Vittorio Prodi, etc.-, the Greens/ALE - Alyn Smith, François Alfonsi, Eva Lichtenberger-. These MEPs were the main activists in favour of this initiative and its success is largely due to the mobilization of mountain elected representatives.

AEM will continue to cooperate closely with them in encouraging a “bottom-up approach of information” coming from all mountain regions, on their experiences, their willingness, their potentialities and their difficulties, but also to help the regional and local authorities to be regularly informed on the work of the European Parliament on relevant policies with territorial impacts.

In this sense, a mountain “COSAC” should be created between MEPs, National Members of the Parliaments or even some regional parliaments.

The Lisbon Treaty opens a new period for the European integration where the diversity of territories becomes an economic, social and environmental asset of the European Union. The article 174 in particular, outlines the need of a specific attention to regions with natural and geographic permanent handicaps. The European orientations on green growth, giving a relevant answer to climatic urgency and financial crisis and raises a strategic role of mountain regions in this new economic and environmental paradigm.  The valorisation  of environmental resources (water, grass, wood, biodiversity) of mountain regions, with their potential in renewable energies (i.e. hydropower) and an extensive quality agriculture, remain the very credible options to achieve the objectives of the Energy- Climate package or to present realistic ambitions at Cop 15. The industrial know-how based on precision developed in mountain ranges remains a proof of their capacity of innovation; the quality of their products and their traceability help to shorten food chains and contributes to improve living standards.