Madam President, our hearts leap up as we talk about mountains today, although, as always, the numbers in the Chamber are on the low side. The very fact that this debate is being held is an achievement and I would say that, this year, in honour of the International Year of Mountains, the European Parliament too has endeavoured to make its contribution. The Commission and I remember that memorable seminar of 17-18 October, we discussed this matter in the context of the mid-term review of the common agricultural policy and Agenda 2000 too, and we are discussing it today. It is a shame that, as always, this is an intimate conversation between a few friends, but that has always been the fate of the mountains in the history of the Community. Madam President, if you were to do a little research on the Internet and search in our databases for the word ‘mountain’, you would find three references to past resolutions. The first was tabled by a certain Mr Colleselli in 1983, the second tabled by myself in 1998 and the third tabled in 2001 by Mr Ebner, who spoke just now. If you add these names to the few Members present today in this Chamber, you have the mountain people, the champions of the mountains, if I may be so bold as to use that phrase. However, mountains, as we know, cover 30% of the Community’s territory. In countries such as my own, Italy, and in Greece, Portugal and Spain too, over 50% of the land is defined as mountainous. Why, then, has there been so little attention paid to mountains throughout history? Because the inhabitants of the mountain regions are few. Between 5 and 7% of the European citizens live in mountain regions, on average. There are few inhabitants who are therefore unable to form a strong lobby in terms of either numbers or wealth. That is a shame, for this may well be a historic time for the mountains in terms of their future and prospects. First and foremost, they have to convert their diversity from the weakness it has been hitherto into added value in order to start to exploit the genuine potential they offer. Europe is not a depressed region: it is a complex, complete economic and social system. I would say that, strangely, Europe does not need economic assistance so much as credibility and specific legislation which will allow it to launch its initiatives for the future. That, Madam President, is why, if you search for a directive in the database, you will find that the most recent directive dates back to 1975. Twenty-seven, almost thirty years have passed: the mountains have changed dramatically in that time but we are still working with a very outdated directive. What, then, can we suggest? Some of the Members have already made proposals and I too would like to make some demands. We must cling to the proposals of Article 158, which the Commissioner mentioned just now. This article calls upon the European Union to reduce and avoid development divides between the regions of Europe. Then the same article recognises the specific situation of the Community’s islands. We are not demanding another article or a different legal basis: we are asking for the specific situation of the mountains, at least, to be recognised alongside the specific situation of the islands. It is clear for all to see that the mountains are different from the rest of the territory: they are different environmentally, biologically and in terms of natural history and social conditions. In this regard, I would mention a suggestion made by Mr Mantovani – who is unable to be here because he was unable to get a flight at an appropriate time – who laments the fact that, in addition to the environmental and economic problems, life is difficult in the mountain regions when it comes to healthcare too. When a hospital closes in a mountain region a serious problem is created. When, in particular, healthcare networks are insufficient, genuine difficulties ensue. That is why the mountains need overall, general measures. All we have to do is give them a hand: they are not asking for aid, they are just asking for a little attention and, as I said just now, for the specific nature of their situation to be recognised.

Political group: PPE-DE