Associazione Europea degli Eletti della Montagna

1. Sostegno alle attività economiche nelle regioni di montagna e nuova disciplina comunitariadegli aiuti di Stato Bologna, 15 novembre 2011 Facoltà di Scienze Politiche - Sala dei Poeti Palazzo Hercolani - Strada Maggiore, 45 Associazione Europea degli Eletti della Montagna

2. AEM : European network of regional and local authorities with mountain territories • 1991: creation of AEM: fromCoE to UE Institutions • 2 main Status Objectives: sensibilisation and networking • Direct and non direct Members • EverypoliticallevelsfromMayors to MEP (intergroup) with a majority of Regionalactors • DemocraticLegitimity and political positions (policymakers and policy managers) • Territorial stake in European debate , challenge of European governance (nowbased on LisbonTreaty & Art 174 ) • EP, CoR, CoE, Alpine convention, etc.

3. MountainS of Europe : unity in diversity • Europe is a mountainousterritory ! Mountain is a European continental challenge ! • EU with 27 Member states: • 21 concerned MS • 35, 69% of itssuperficy • 17,73% of its population • 30 744 municipalities • From studyNordRegio DG Regio 2004 (critère de pente, altitude, topographie et climat) • But with a greatdiversityincreased by enlargement • Alps, Mediterranean, Nordic, Carpates, Balkans, Apennini, Iberic, Pyrenees, etc.

4. The Lisbon treaty should support a new deal to valorize mountain assets • Article 174: "In order to promote its overall harmonious development, the Union shall develop and pursue its actions leading to the strengthening of its economic, social and territorial cohesion. In particular, the Union shall aim at reducing disparities between the levels of development of the various regions and the backwardness of the least favoured regions. Among the regions concerned, particular attention shall be paid to rural areas, areas affected by industrial transition, and regions which suffer from severe and permanent natural or demographic handicaps such as the northernmost regions with very low population density and island, cross-border and mountain regions.“ • Article 175 (ex Article 159 TEC) : Member States shall conduct their economic policies and shall coordinate them in such a way as, in addition, to attain the objectives set out in Article 174. The formulation and implementation of the Union’s policies and actions and the implementation of the internal market shall take into account the objectives set out in Article 174 and shall contribute to their achievement.

5. European framework for an integrated approach • Territorieswithgeographicspecificities have a potential to deliver EU2020: • Smart growth specific innovation potential • Green growth  highpotential for green economy • Inclusive growth  communitystrength, quality of life • They are facingspecificconstraints and needadaptedpolicies to developtheirpotentialities  articles 170/174/175 of EU treaty to beaddressed in all policies • Integratedapproach of differentpolicies: Cohesion, CAP, Transport, Energy, Infso, Environment… and Competition How to cross over a compensation logic to a strategy of valorisation of territorial assets?

6. European economic crisis openning the way to a renewed multilevel govenance • Strategic challenge : deep economic crisis but also a European governance crisis • Political challenge: to build up Euro zone economic governance but with what political governance ? • Efficiency challenge: to bring closer European policies and territorial realities and assets; • Citizenship challenge: to bring closer European institutions and citizens; • Climatic challenge: to adapt economic activities to climate change.

7. To reachcoherencerespectingdiversity: AEM answers to consultation on State aidsregulations and cohesionpolicy • Additionalcosts of mountaineconomyshouldbebettertakenintoaccount. • Specificsocioeconomic organisation (i.e. PPP, public procurement, etc.) shouldbebetterrecognised as keyelement of mountaineconomy. • Services of General interest are a framework component of mountaineconomy. • Somesectors are strategic and can not face a « pure and perfect » global competition. • Environmental and climate change dimensions shouldbe part of public economy (TEEB study on economic valorisation of ecosystem services). • De minimisceilarshouldberisedat 800 000€ over 3 years, only for art. 174 territories. • State aidsregulationsshouldtakeintoaccountfunctionnal areas and not indicatorsat NUTS III or NUTS II levels. • National policiesshouldtakeintoaccount the opportunitiesopenned by EU regulationsregarding art. 3C (foot note). • National and regionalpoliciesshouldtakeintoconsideration the role of EU policies in their territorial policies to developintegrated/place basedpolicies

8. Challenges: going over permanent handicaps to valorise assets • A clear need of multiregional adaptation of the European strategies at a coherent territorial level : the range (massif) level (cross-border or not) : where to give coherence to public policies by adaptationg them to territorial specificities, by identifying main challenges and assets; • A clear need of a close operationnal level for action and mobilsation of assets: district /valleys level at NUTS IV or V level (= a place based policy as def. in Barca’s report) : could support a « state aids » mapping regarding strategic sectors in an integrated local strategy of sustainable development (ESF, ERDF, EARDF + national and regional ressources). Special attention to initiative opinion of Luis Durnwalder voted by the CoR in June 2008 : a European strategy for mountain regions should be based on functionnal areas !

9. Whatscale for a specific attention to mountainregions ? • Could geography help policy making ? • The territorial issue is a analysis of the organic link between environment and humain being activities (place based policy). • From a European point of view, ranges give a capacity of political action considering mountain specificities.

10. An exemple of integrated policy in favor of mountain ranges (French massifs): POMAC & POIA : From a national law (1985) to the creation of interregional operationnal programmes for Massif central and for the Alps; Coherence between national, regional, local and European political actions. Some details. What internal governance for an added value of political action ? (Comité de massif) What scales of policy definition and intervention? An exemple of existing experiences and exciting debates regarding mountain macroregional strategies (« massifs » or ranges).

11. The opportunity of macroregionalstrategies (Balticsea, Danube, …) During the last months, the Alps are structuring some poposals to be one of the next Macroregional strategy. A wide debate is open between Regional authorities, Alpine convention, Alpine space program and National authorities. Last meeting 8th of November Brussels Bayern representation & Next meeting in Grenoble 13 January 2011. Opportunities: to developp a coherent strategy at Alpine transnational level on several topics.

12. 1. macro-regional strategies are key elements for MultiLevelGovernance : from Baltic sea level to an Alpine model (EU-AlpineConv° -euroregions-crossborder coop – valleys) that could become a strengthen territorial cooperation in the Eurozone between Italy, France, Germany, Austria Slovenia and Switzerland. 2. Economic crisis, sovereign debt crisis , recovery plans and modification of general philosophy regarding competition and Internal market could open a wider debate of Euro zone political governance. 3. A dynamic European networking to exchange best practices at local and regional level which the various associations, institutions (EGTC) and the CoR are the visible part of interregionality (still out of the European core decision process). Elements for analysis and for action

13. Association européenne des élus de montagne Nicolas Evrard Secrétaire généralnicolas.evrard@promonte-aem.net ---http://www.promonte-aem.net/ ---AEM - siège technique Maison des Parcs et de la Montagne 256, Rue de la République F-73 000 Chambéry ---Tél.: +33 (0)4 79 71 42 30 Fax:  +33 (0)4 79 71 50 16---AEM - délégation UEAvenue Boileau, 16B-1040 Bruxelles---Tél.: +32 (0)2 739 15 45 Fax:  +32 (0)2 739 15 39---