COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Action Plan Accompanying the document COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN CONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMITTEE AND THE COMITTEE OF THE REGIONS concerning the European Union Strategy for the Alpine Region
Date: 2015-07-28
Institutions: Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy, European Commission
Subjects: Alpine Region, action programme, climate change, job access, natural resources, operational programme, regional cooperation, regional development, renewable energy, road transport

EUROPEAN 
COMMISSION 

Brussels, 28.7.2015  
SWD(2015) 147 final 

COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 

Action Plan 

Accompanying the document 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN CONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMITTEE AND THE COMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

concerning the European Union Strategy for the Alpine Region 

{COM(2015) 366 final} 

EN 

   EN 

 
 
 
 
  
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 

INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................................... 4 

Organisation of the Action Plan.......................................................................................................... 5 

Objectives ............................................................................................................................................ 6 

Actions................................................................................................................................................. 6 

Project examples ................................................................................................................................. 7 

1st THEMATIC POLICY AREA: ECONOMIC GROWTH AND INNOVATION.............................. 8 

1st OBJECTIVE: Fair access to job opportunities, building on the high  competitiveness of the  
Region ................................................................................................................................................. 8 

Presentation of the topic ...................................................................................................................... 8 

Action 1: To develop an effective research and innovation ecosystem ..................................... 8 

Action 2: To increase the economic potential of strategic sectors........................................... 12 

Action 3: To improve the adequacy of labour market, education and training in strategic 
sectors ........................................................................................................................................... 17 

Links with other objectives ............................................................................................................... 19 

Support of the Europe 2020 Strategy ................................................................................................ 19 

2nd THEMATIC POLICY AREA: MOBILITY AND CONNECTIVITY .......................................... 21 

2nd OBJECTIVE: Sustainable internal and external accessibility to all........................................... 21 

Presentation of the topic .................................................................................................................... 21 

Action 4: To promote inter-modality and interoperability in passenger and freight 
transport....................................................................................................................................... 21 

Action 5: To connect people electronically and promote accessibility to public services ..... 25 

Links with other objectives ............................................................................................................... 28 

Support of the Europe 2020 Strategy ................................................................................................ 28 

3rd THEMATIC POLICY AREA: ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY............................................... 30 

3rd OBJECTIVE: A more inclusive environmental framework for all and renewable and reliable 
energy solutions for the future........................................................................................................... 30 

Presentation of the topic .................................................................................................................... 30 

Action 6: To preserve and valorise natural resources, including water and cultural 
resources....................................................................................................................................... 30 

Action 7: To develop ecological connectivity in the whole EUSALP territory ...................... 34 

Action 8: To improve risk management and to better manage climate change, including 
major natural risks prevention .................................................................................................. 38 

Action 9: To make the territory a model region for energy efficiency and renewable energy
....................................................................................................................................................... 41 

Links with other objectives ............................................................................................................... 45 

CROSS-CUTTING POLICY AREA: GOVERNANCE, INCLUDING INSTITUTIONAL 
CAPACITY ........................................................................................................................................... 46 

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4th OBJECTIVE: A sound macro-regional governance model for the Region (to improve 
cooperation and the coordination of action) ............................................................................. 46 

Background.................................................................................................................................. 46 

Governance of EUSALP ............................................................................................................. 47 

Delivering the results: Monitoring, reporting and evaluation ............................................................... 54 

Exploiting synergies with other macro-regional strategies ................................................................... 54 

Funding.................................................................................................................................................. 55 

Annex I: EIB Financing 2010-2014 by country and by sector.............................................................. 59 

By Country ........................................................................................................................................ 59 

By Sector ........................................................................................................................................... 61 

Annex II: Map showing the areas of EUSALP, Alpine Space Programme and Alpine Convention .... 62 

3 

 
 
 
 
 
INTRODUCTION 

Macro-regional strategies represent a new opportunity for the comprehensive development of 
a larger region, addressing common challenges and opportunities. 

The EU Strategy for the Alpine Region (EUSALP) will be the fourth macro-regional strategy. 
The general objective is to promote sustainable economic and social prosperity of the Alpine 
Region through growth and job creation, by improving its attractiveness, competitiveness and 
connectivity,  while  at  the  same  time  preserving  the  environment  and  ensuring  healthy  and 
balanced ecosystems.  

The Alpine Region is one of the richest areas in the world and among the most economically 
dynamic,  innovative  and  competitive  areas  in  Europe.  However,  significant  economic 
differences  still  exist  within  the  territories,  requiring  a  common  response.  Common 
environmental,  economic  and  social  challenges  are  also  clear:  the  Alpine  Region  contains 
Europe’s  largest  mountain  range,  with  low  population  density,  high  vulnerability  to  climate 
change and biodiversity loss, a high degree of seasonality, especially in some touristic areas, 
and ageing populations. 

Cooperation structures are historically well developed in the Alpine area; they are fragmented 
in terms of topics, policy levels and instruments, territories and stakeholders, thus leading to 
some  overlapping  and  discontinuities.  Strengthened  coordination  between  the  existing 
structures, and a better integration between public policies, and between public policies and 
private initiatives, is necessary and would benefit the area.  

By  further  strengthening  co-operation  in  order  to  improve  the  efficiency  and  optimise  the 
effect and impact of European, national, regional and local policies, as well as by improving 
coordination and by creating synergies between actions, resources and existing programmes, 
the EUSALP is a unique opportunity to provide effective solutions to the common challenges 
of the Alpine Region and to improve the sustainable exploitation of its assets and increase the 
benefits of its unused potential in terms of economic and administrative capacity. 

The Strategy builds upon the existing preparatory work: 

−  The Bad Ragaz Decision and the Initiative Paper of the Conference of Alpine Regions of 

29 June 2012; 

−  The European Parliament resolution of 23 May 2013 on a macro-regional strategy for the 

Alps; 

−  The  Grenoble  ‘Political  resolution  towards  a  European  Union  Strategy  for  the  Alpine 

Region’ of 18 October 2013; 

−  The  work  of  the  Steering  Committee  composed  of  representatives  from  States  and 
Regions  as  well  as  observers  from  the  Alpine  Space  Programme  and  the  Alpine 
Convention; 

−  The outcome of the extensive public online consultation (July-October 2014); 
−  The debate in the Stakeholder Conference on EUSALP and the Milan Declaration of the 

Alpine States and Regions (Milan, 1-2 December 2014); 

−  The Opinions adopted by the Committee of the Regions and by the European Economic 

and Social Committee on EUSALP in December 2014; 

−  Further input from experts. 

4 

 
 
 
It will benefit from the: 

−  Long experience of a large number of cooperation structures already operating in the area: 
Arge-Alp1,  Alpine  Convention,  Alpe-Adria,  Euregio,  Cotrao,  trilateral  cooperation 
between  Slovenia,  NE-Italy  and  Austria  and  other  ad  hoc  structures  such  as  the  ‘Zurich 
Group’;  

−  Timing of its launch coinciding with the start of the European Structural Investment Funds 
2014-2020 programming period, allowing the Strategy to be systematically embedded in 
EU, national and regional policies and programmes; 

−  The  lessons  from  the  existing  macro-regional  strategies:  need  to  focus  on  a  limited 
number  of  challenges  and/or  opportunities,  and  to  secure  ownership,  commitment  and 
leadership  from  the  participating  States/Regions;  need  to  establish,  at  an  early  stage,  a 
sound governance and management system with a clear division of tasks and roles. 

The Strategy is described in two documents: A Communication from the Commission to the 
European  Parliament,  the  Council,  the  European  Economic  and  Social  Committee  and  the 
Committee of the  Regions  and  an  Action Plan which complements the Communication. An 
accompanying  analytical  document  provides  details  about  stakeholder  consultation  and 
evidence base used for the preparation of the Strategy. 

EUSALP constitutes a strategic agenda that should guide relevant policy instruments at EU, 
national and regional level, by closely aligning and mutually reinforcing them. It constitutes 
‘an integrated approach’ with coordination of actions across policy areas which are expected 
to  achieve  better  results  than  individual  initiatives.  The  combined  effects  on  a  specific 
territory of the interventions of focused policy areas can lead to achievement of sustainable, 
balanced and harmonious development. 

The  Action  Plan  takes  advantage  of  the  extensive  input  of  a  wide  range  of  stakeholders.  It 
aims  to  provide  an  integrated  framework  for  long-term  cooperation  and  identifies  common 
challenges, specific to the Alpine Region that require concerted responses from the countries 
and regions concerned. As priority is given to the issues of strategic relevance for the macro-
region as a whole and to the issues that go beyond national borders and require coordinated 
responses,  the  Action  Plan  presents  a  limited  number  of  objectives  with  a  first  set  of 
supporting actions. 

Organisation of the Action Plan 

The  Action  Plan  translates  the  identified  common  challenges  and  potentials  into  concrete 
actions and is built on the basis of the existing preparatory work (see previous section).  

A very crucial role in this context was the extensive public online consultation, held from 16 
July  to  15  October  2014  (in  English,  French,  German,  Italian  and  Slovenian),  which  led  to 
close  to  400  contributions  from  individuals/private  persons,  public  authorities,  international 
organisations,  civil  society  organisations,  private  enterprises,  academic/research  institutions 
and other stakeholders. The public consultation, as well as the large stakeholders conference 
in Milan on 1 and 2 December 2014, allowed stakeholders at all levels to comment on and to 
endorse  the  selected  policy  areas,  which  are:  (1)  economic  growth  and  innovation,  (2) 
mobility  and  connectivity,  and  (3)  environment  and  energy.  These  policy  areas  are 
concretised  and  substantiated  with  three  interdependent  thematic  objectives,  which  are 
implemented by nine actions. These actions – which will be supported by projects – appeared 

1 ARGE ALP was already founded in 1972. 

5 

 
 
 
 
                                                            
promising  for  responding  to  challenges  and  opportunities  shared  by  participating  States  and 
Regions  as  well  as  all  relevant  stakeholders.  This  underlines  the  very  strong  bottom-up 
approach in the identification of the needs and desired answers for which the whole Strategy 
aims to provide a framework for coordination and cooperation between the different actors. 

However, since the existing cooperation frameworks in the Region are primarily sector-based 
or do not match the geographical scope of the Strategy, a cross-cutting policy area has also 
been identified, which will address ‘governance, including institutional capacity’.  

All  four  policy  areas  as  well  as  the  corresponding  objectives  are  interlinked  and 
interdependent. This needs to be reflected in the implementation of the Strategy. 

Objectives 

Following  the  recommendations  from  the  report  on  the  added  value  of  macro-regional 
strategies  (new  macro-regional  strategies  should  concentrate  on  a  limited  number  of  well-
defined objectives, matching particular needs for improved and high-level cooperation), and 
taking  into  account  the  outcomes  of  the  previous  works  in  the  Region  oriented  towards 
EUSALP  and  the  consultation  process,  the  Commission  has  identified  the  following 
objectives which aim to offer: 

1. 
2. 
3. 

Fair access to job opportunities by building on the high competitiveness of the Region; 
Sustainable internal and external accessibility; 
A  more  inclusive  environmental  framework  and  renewable  and  reliable  energy 
solutions for the future. 

In addition, there will be a cross-cutting objective aiming to build: 

4. 

A  sound  macro-regional  governance  model  for  the  Region  (to  improve  cooperation 
and the coordination of action). 

Each  objective  starts  with  a  presentation  of  the  background  information  on  issues  and 
potentials as well as their regional characteristics. Then, the added value of the objective for 
the Alpine Region is presented as well as its contribution to the support of the Europe 2020 
Strategy and the links with other objectives of the Alpine Strategy. All core objectives agreed 
on should receive the same level of interest and commitment from all participating countries. 

Actions 

To keep the EUSALP Action Plan manageable and to ensure a high level of ownership of the 
participants, the Action Plan focuses on nine actions which represent the main areas where the 
Strategy can contribute to delivery at the present stage. 

Actions can be of different nature: some may require financial support while others consist of 
better  coordinating  national  policies  and  decisions.  In  a  number  of  cases,  actions  aim  at 
highlighting  the  areas  where  activity  is  already  in  progress  –  either  at  EU  level  or  in  other 
international  frameworks  –,  but  which  require  enhanced  efforts  of  coordination  within  the 
Alpine  Region  and  coherent  funding  strategies  as  a  condition  for  success  in  their 
implementation. The Strategy provides a unique opportunity in this respect. All actions should 
be  carried  out  in  close  coordination  with  other  relevant  developments  (in  particular  new 
regulations), including at EU level, to ensure coherence and efficiency. 

6 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Action Plan also includes lists with indicators and targets that illustrate the performance 
of the actions with a view to reaching the objectives. These indicators and targets, provided by 
States  and  Regions  during  preliminary  work,  should  be  completed  after  the  adoption  of  the 
Strategy (see chapter on Evaluation, Monitoring and Evaluation). 

Project examples 

In  addition,  examples  of  projects  are  also  presented.  Nevertheless,  the  Action  Plan  is  not 
meant to list specific projects. These projects are mainly of illustrative character and serve to 
stimulate  further  initiatives,  as  the  Strategy  progresses  and  as  new  ideas  emerge.  These 
examples are drawn from the work of the Steering Group2 as well as from inputs made during 
the stakeholder consultation and its closing conference. 

The  Action  Plan  should  be  stable  for  a  certain  period  of  time,  even  it  is  designed  to  be  a 
‘living document’, meaning that new actions and projects may be added as needs change or 
priorities  evolve  over  time,  while  existing  actions  and  projects  may  be  updated,  modified, 
deleted  or  replaced.  The  Action  Plan  is  therefore  ‘rolling’,  and  will  be  regularly  reviewed 
according to rules for revision to be defined by the governing board of the Strategy. 

When  identifying  projects  to  be  included  in  the  Strategy,  the  following  criteria  should  be 
taken into account: 

•  They should demonstrate their strategic macro-regional relevance, scope and impact: 

o  Added  value  of  macro-regional  solution  higher  than  EU/national/regional/cross 

border or transnational solutions; 

o  Common  issues  strengthened  through  additional  governance  coordination  and 

cooperation; 

o  Need for joint action at macro-regional level to address the challenge and exploit 

the potential; 

o  Their  scope  or  impact  should  be  of  strategic  relevance  to  a  macro-regional 

approach. 

•  They  should  address  identified  priorities,  meeting  well-substantiated  needs  and  be 

widely supported from participating countries and regions. 

•  They should have reached a fair degree of maturity, be realistic and credible (i.e. they 
can  be  achieved  in  a  reasonable  time  and  their  funding  can  be  secured)  and  should 
build on existing initiatives. 

•  Alpine specifics: issues have to be specific to the Alpine Region. 
•  They  should  pay  attention 
the  cross-cutting  aspects 

to 

identified 

in 

the 

Communication, further developed in this Action Plan, like governance. 

•  They  should  be  coherent  and  mutually  supportive.  While  mainly  relating  to  one 
particular  policy  area,  each  action  or  project  must  fully  take  into  account  possible 
impacts  on  actions  and  projects  carried  out  under  another  policy  area.  Actions  and 
projects undertaken under the different policy areas must thus be compatible with each 
other and create win-win solutions. 

2  The  Steering  Group  is  composed  of  representatives  of  all  States  and  some  Regions  participating  in  the  Strategy,  which 
supported the Commission services in the process of preparation of the Strategy. In addition the Alpine Convention and the 
Alpine Space Programme were included as observers. 

7 

 
 
 
                                                            
1st THEMATIC POLICY AREA: ECONOMIC GROWTH AND INNOVATION 

1st  OBJECTIVE:  Fair  access  to  job  opportunities,  building  on  the  high  
competitiveness of the  Region 

Presentation of the topic 

The  first  thematic  policy  area  focuses  on  improving  the  competitiveness,  prosperity  and 
cohesion  of  the  Alpine  Region.  The  objective  is  to  offer  all  inhabitants  fair  access  to  job 
opportunities,  building  on  the  high  competitiveness  of  the  Region,  and  is  supported  by 
three specific actions.  

The Alpine Region constitutes the largest European economic and productive hub, with a 
high potential for development. 

However,  lack  of  economic,  social  and  territorial  cohesion  is  still  an  issue.  Mountains 
constitute a challenge to homogenous development, entrenching disparities among different 
territories in the Alpine Region. For instance, access to social services as well as economic 
services of general interest still remains quite difficult in rural areas at the core of the Alps, 
while  surrounding  urban  areas  develop  more  easily.  Likewise,  the  innovation  capacity  in 
the  Alpine  Region  can  vary  very  much  from  one  geographical  area  to  another  (see 
analytical document). 

Alpine  metropolitan  areas  and  cities  are  key  locations  for  activities  which  compete  and 
innovate in a global economy. At the same time, it is important to ensure that all parts of 
the  Alpine  Region  are  linked  to  the  growth  dynamics  generated  in  the  cities  and 
metropolitan areas. Development opportunities must be exploited in all parts of the Alpine 
Region, urban areas as well as remote and lagging areas, bearing in mind that ecosystems 
and their services need to be improved. 

To bridge these territorial gaps, the Strategy therefore aims to support innovative economic 
development  in  the  whole  Alpine  Region  by  building  on  the  complementary  assets  of  its 
sub-territories.  

This should be facilitated by cooperation embracing a variety of economic activities, in the 
domains  of  agriculture,  environment,  industry,  commerce,  tourism  and  other  services, 
which have to be able to rely on a skilled and well-trained labour force (see action 3). 

Therefore, the main actions envisaged to support this objective are: 

Action 1: To develop an effective research and innovation ecosystem 

Based on one of the main drivers of the Europe 2020 agenda which aims at creating jobs 
and growth, action 1 focuses on the development of an effective innovation ecosystem in 
the Alpine Region. It aims to bring together the existing potentials of the Alpine Region to 
better exploit synergies in the strategic sectors described in the next action and overcome 
challenges as regards innovation. 

8 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Regional characteristics concerning the proposed action 

The  Alpine  Region  comprises  a  large  number  of  internationally  profiled  research  and 
innovation  centres.  These  provide  a  backbone  and  potential  for  further  developing  and 
strengthening  research  and  innovation  in  the  Alpine  Region.  High  levels  of  R & D 
expenditure, universities and research centres with strong capacity, as well as the presence 
of international and private research centres of global relevance, make the Alpine Region 
one of the most innovative places in Europe. This is complemented by high levels of ICT 
endowment,  excellent  endowment  of  infrastructure  and  connections  in  the  metropolitan 
areas (e.g. through high-speed internet networks). 

Already  today,  R & D  expenditure  in  the  Alpine  Region  is  comparatively  high  in  a 
European perspective. In 2011, it ranged from 1% to 2% in most regions in Northern Italy 
to 2% to 3% of GDP in many French and Austrian regions, Switzerland and Slovenia and 
over  3%  in  German  regions  and  in  some  Austrian  regions  of  EUSALP.  In  many  Alpine 
Regions, the share of private R & D expenditure is above the European average. 

Moreover,  the  countries  involved  in  the  Alpine  Region  have  largely  high  levels  of 
innovation performance in the European Innovation Scoreboard. Germany is classified as 
one  of  four  innovation  leaders  in  the  EU.  Switzerland  is  overall  innovation  leader  in 
Europe.  Austria,  France  and  Slovenia  are  innovation  followers.  Only  Italy  belongs  to  the 
moderate innovators. 

Most of the EUSALP-Regions recently developed smart specialisation strategies based on 
EC requirements. Swiss regions in parallel are developing Regional Innovation Strategies 
(RIS). However, in most cases the domains/smart specialisation areas are very broad and/or 
vague and need to be more focused on areas of economic opportunity. For this, continuing 
consultation  with  stakeholders  from  business  and  innovation  communities  through 
entrepreneurial discovery processes will be necessary.  

At regional level, the ESPON KIT project identifies five types of innovation region. This 
analysis shows the strong innovation profile of the Alpine Region, but which at the same 
time  can  vary  a  lot  from  one  country  or  region  to  another.  For  example,  large  parts  of 
southern  Germany  are  classified  as  European  science-based  areas,  which  are  the  most 
knowledge-intensive  and  innovation-intensive  regions,  Lombardy,  Piedmont,  Veneto 
(Italy)  and  Alsace,  Rhone-Alps  (France)  are  classified  as  smart  technological  application 
areas, with high potential for knowledge and innovation, but remaining regions have lower 
profiles in terms of R & D and development.  

However,  the  SWOT  analysis  carried  out  for  the  Alpine  Space  Programme3  points  out 
several of the region’s weaknesses as regards innovation: the limited inter-Alpine research 
and innovation cooperation between the different countries, the limited research on topics 
of  specific  Alpine  importance  such  as  high-quality  agricultural  products,  the  limited 
visibility  and  awareness  and  thus  uptake  of  existing  research  and  innovation  results, 
spatially  fragmented  local  markets,  significant  intra-  and  inter-regional  and  social 
disparities in innovation, limited capitalisation of applied research results, high competition 
for  securing  the  basic  production  factors,  growth  poles  which  are  suffering  from 
agglomeration disadvantages and dependency on a few big global players. 
The need for the proposed action and its spatial macro-regional relevance 

In  the  period  2014-2020  the  EU  research  and  innovation  (R&I)  policies  are  based  on  the 

9 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
smart specialisation approach and the EU countries/regions have developed R&I Strategies 
for  Smart  Specialisation  (S3).  However,  inter-regional  and  transnational  collaboration  in 
similar  S3  priority  areas  across  the  regions/countries  are  still  very  limited.  The  EUSALP 
aims  to  address  the  challenges  of  smart,  sustainable  and  inclusive  growth  and 
competitiveness  through  a  coordinated  set  of  activities  integrated  through  the  S3  concept 
which will contribute to identifying competitive R&I priorities and the right policy mix to 
achieve them in full coherence with the vision, strategic positioning and the S3 strategies of 
the  Alpine  countries/regions.  Addressing  these  challenges  through  the  S3  concept  and 
through  transnational  collaboration  will  cater  for  more  effective  coordination  between 
different  stakeholders  in  the  process  of  multilevel  governance  and  hence  overcome 
fragmentation  of  R&I  activities.  It  will  also  facilitate  implementation  of  well-defined 
competitive  innovation  policies  in  the  macro-region.  Transnational  approaches  in  support 
of  smart  specialisation  through  mutual  learning  will  also  reinforce  the  implementation  of 
S3  and  advance  generation  of  transnational  S3  collaboration  projects  in  vertical  priority 
areas and the cross-cutting objective. 

Because  this  action  aims  at  building  a  research  and  innovation  ecosystem  that  does  not 
exist  at  macro-regional  level,  actions  that  include  setting  up  of  transnational  frameworks, 
platforms and networks for the identification of existing innovation resources, potential and 
obstacles,  or  setting  up  of  trans-border  frameworks,  platforms  and  networks  for  the 
coordination  of  innovation  policy,  should  be  envisaged.  Also,  in  order  to  give  equal 
chances to economic operators to develop their activities wherever they are located in the 
Alpine Region, closing of white areas on maps of high-speed Internet connections can be 
an opportunity to open the entire Alpine Region to the information economy and society, 
which is of high importance especially as regards declining rural regions4 (see objective 2 
of the Action Plan). 

The  overall  context  described  in  the  previous  section  offers  a  good  starting  position  to 
develop such ecosystems, although a geographical limitation of cooperation in the Alpine 
Region may need to go hand in hand with a thematic focus on issues of specific relevance 
to  the  Alpine  Region  as  set  out  in  national/regional  smart  specialisation  strategies.  This 
would  put  a  particular  focus  on  a  limited  number  of  research  topics,  i.e.  where  further 
research  and  innovation  makes  use  of  particular  Alpine  Region  potentials  (e.g.  use  of 
vegetation  for  pharmaceuticals,  or  topographic  benefits  for  renewable  energy)  or  meets 
particular  Alpine  Region  challenges  (e.g.  climate  change  and  Alpine  tourism,  high-tech 
equipment  linked  to  Alpine  navigation,  development  of  high-quality  climbing  and  skiing 
equipment). This can involve innovations in the field of ICT and high-tech manufacturing 
which is quite typical for industrial or urban areas. 

By way of example, in the field of clean renewable energy (i.e. with low emissions of air 
pollutants such as PM), there is a vast pool of specific knowledge and innovation potential 
distributed  in  the  Alpine  Region.  To  strengthen  and  better  exploit  this  brain  pool  by 
promoting exchange of knowledge throughout the EUSALP territory clearly contributes to 
fostering the competitiveness of the Region. 

The  experience  so  far  in  other  macro-regional  strategies  shows  that  to  frame  such  an 
ecosystem,  a  series  of  key  conditions  need  to  be  fulfilled:  key  strategic  sectors  where 
cooperation  in  research  and  innovation  can  impact  either  in  economic  or  societal  terms 
must  be  identified,  as  well  as  the  mapping  of  existing  clusters  or  competence  centres 

10 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
related to the economic and academic landscape in the Region; good knowledge about the 
specific value chains characteristic for the Region and their overall economic  impact and 
relevance needs to be established. 

This action could be facilitated by further coordinating efforts between the Alpine countries 
and  Joint  Research  Centre  activities,  by  enhancing  capacity  building  of  research 
institutions, networks and infrastructure with an Alpine Region dimension and taking into 
consideration existing international research / innovation coordination activities. 

By doing so, the Strategy could reduce the risks of losing some competitive edge in front of 
new  global  competitors,  especially  taking  into  account  the  lack  of  an  Alpine-specific 
approach  and  capitalisation.  It  could  also  cope  with  the  issue  of  fragmented  governance 
systems  and  administrative  discordance  which  can  limit  the  potential  for  transnational 
exploitation of the Alpine Region’s strengths and opportunities. 

The table below provides an overview of examples of possible projects: 

Examples of possible projects  

Towards a EUSALP Research and Innovation Strategy: With a view to assessing the 
feasibility and added value of a joint Alpine Innovation and Research Strategy a number 
of key pre-conditions need to be fulfilled: 

• 

Identification of the key strategic sectors where cooperation in R&I can impact either 
in economic or societal terms; 

•  Mapping  of  existing  clusters,  competence  centres  related  to  the  economic  and 

academic landscape in the Region; 

•  Mapping and matching of specific value chains and capabilities related to key areas 

of competence related to national/regional smart specialisation strategies; 

•  Working  towards  joint  pilots  with  industry  participation  in  areas  of  smart 
specialisation to demonstrate opportunities for scaling up innovations for co-creating 
joint value chains; 

•  Further coordinating efforts between the Alpine countries and JRC activities; 

•  Enhanced capacity building of research institutions, networks and infrastructure with 

an Alpine Region dimension; 

•  Taking  into  consideration  existing  international  research  /  innovation  coordination 

activities of EUSALP. 

Alpine  Transfer  Centres:  Setting  up  a  network  and  toolkit  for  Technology  Transfer 
Centres  following  the  example  of  ‘Danube-INCO.Net’.  The  toolkit  would  support 
collaboration  between  R & D  organisations  and  enterprises  –  organised  as  ‘one-stop-
shops’  mainly  for  SMEs.  Transfer  Centres  can  be  regional  hosts  for  common  projects 
regarding innovation and technology transfer. They can coordinate and create synergies 
and  links  between  existing  technology  transfer  activities  in  the  area  and  build  a 
transnational network of technology transfer centres in order to ensure the involvement 
of international experts at any stage. 

11 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Living  Alps:  Mountain  research  must  be  targeted  to  better  meet  the  socio-economic 
development  and  environmental  needs  of  the  Alpine  Region.  To  this  end,  the 
establishment of ‘demonstrators’ territories’ (as a living lab) can be a benefit to ensure a 
continuum between fundamental research and applied research.  

Research  actions  on  Alpine-specific  products  and  services  (e.g.  agricultural,  3D 
navigation):  Research  actions  could  focus  on  Alpine  agriculture  and  production  and 
processing of specific Alpine products and services. Moreover they could focus on the 
development  of  high-technology  services  and  equipment  such  as  3D  navigation  in  the 
Alpine Region. 

Further project ideas could relate to the following strategic and common issues: 

Strategic issues: 

•  Alpine  Region  think  tank  promoting  the  innovative  process  of  local  and  inter-

regional development. 

Common issues: 
•  Promoting investments in innovation and industrialisation of research results; 
•  Creating synergies / networks between companies and research centres / universities; 
Supporting  innovation  /  laboratories  working  with  herbs,  genetic  conservation  of 
Alpine species, clean renewable energy, transport, etc. 

Indicative research and innovation measures and actions under this thematic policy area I 
are  often  closely  related  to  the  other  two  policy  areas  of  EUSALP.  This  will  require 
coordination between the policy areas. 

Examples of indicators and targets: 

Indicator 

Unit 

Target value  

Joint  EUSALP  research  and 
innovation agenda 

Joint  Alpine  Region  research 
to  specific 
actions  related 
Alpine development fields 

Number of agendas 

1 by 2020 

Number  of 
actions 

research 

Baseline  and  source  to  be 
defined 

Action 2: To increase the economic potential of strategic sectors 

Action 2 focuses on the economic potential of strategic sectors of the Alpine Region and 
their economic and social environment, and in particular support to SMEs and e-services.  

Regional characteristics concerning the proposed action 

Despite a number of large enterprises being present in the Alpine Region, SMEs form an 
important backbone of the economy and employment in the Alpine Region5. The analysis 

12 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
carried out for the Alpine Space Programme mentions that networks and clusters of SMEs 
are the backbones of a prosperous alpine economy. 

Strong  concentrations  of  SMEs  exist  in  different  parts  of  the  Alpine  Region.  They  are 
rooted in different backgrounds of Alpine productive cultures and form an economy where 
local businesses are well connected to innovate and to compete at more global levels. Their 
ability to invest in the Region and to keep and create jobs is important. According to the 
Alpine  Space  Programme 2014-2020,  the  Alpine  space  is  a  region  covering  specific  and 
niche  aspects  of  SME  competitiveness.  SMEs,  mid-sized  cap  companies  and  large 
enterprises  are  leaders  in  their  field  and  enjoy  a  high-innovation  competitive  edge  at  the 
regional and local level with sustainable economic cycles6. 

Still,  to  release  their  full  potential,  SMEs  must  overcome  the  barriers  that  limit  their 
growth. The average SME is smaller in Europe than in the US. There are also differences 
between  SME  sizes  within  the  EU:  The  average  SME  in  Germany  has  7.6  workers, 
compared  to  3.2  workers  in  Italy.  This  has  significant  consequences:  the  smaller  the 
company,  the  greater  its  difficulty  in  investing  in  innovation,  exporting  and  integrating 
global value chains, thus compromising competitiveness. 

At  the  same  time,  there  are  also  considerable  challenges  within  the  Alpine  Region,  in 
particular between its urban and rural/remote areas: (i) start-up conditions in Alpine rural 
areas  are  often  rather  weak,  (ii)  there  is  a  lack  of  ‘business  angels’,  of  tradition  and  of 
institutions  to  obtain  risk  capital  for  fast-growing  or  financially  intensive  companies,  and 
(iii) there are only limited incentives for young people to return to their region after their 
education and start a business7. Intensifying links between urban and rural/remote areas is 
therefore crucial. 

The need for the proposed action and its spatial macro-regional relevance 

The added value of cooperating at macro-regional level in the fields of innovation, support 
of  enterprises  and  the  labour  market  is  tightly  linked  to  identifying  specific  themes  or 
sectors where cooperation at other levels (European, national etc.) cannot achieve the same 
results as macro-regional cooperation. 

The focus of this action is mainly to support and to accompany start-ups and dynamically 
growing SMEs. The added value of the Strategy will be to combine a better use of Alpine-
specific  resources  in  various  sectors  with  investment  opportunities  for  transnationally 
designed products, services, investment models, as well as funding support instruments of 
business  support  centres,  chambers  of  commerce,  public  administration  and  financing 
institutions.  Following  themes/sectors  might  offer  a  strong  potential  to  approach 
innovation, support of enterprises and the labour market in a more integrated manner: 

Agriculture and sustainable forestry sector based products and services throughout the 
full  value  chain  (including  for  example  the  pharmaceutical  and  wooden  building  sector) 
show  potential.  In  2013,  2.7 %  of  total  employment8  in  the  Alpine  Region9  was  in 
agriculture,  forestry  and  fisheries.  The  percentage  is  slightly  lower  compared  with  2012, 
when  it  reached  3 %.  The  region  of  Vzhodna  in  Slovenia  has  the  highest  share  of 
employment in the agriculture and forestry sector (11.46 %). 

The  distinctiveness  of  the  conditions  in  the  Alpine  Region  may  serve  as  good  basis  for 
strategic  actions  related  to  supporting  innovation,  SME  development  and  labour  market 
integration  with  regard  to  Alpine  agriculture  and  forestry  and  distinct  Alpine  products  in 

13 

 
 
these sectors. In particular, moving higher up the value chain, this also offers cooperation 
opportunities for rural and metropolitan parts of the Alpine Region. Moving up the value 
chain  or  adjusting  products  and  services  to  the  green  economy  will  require  work  in  the 
fields of research and innovation, SMEs and training of the labour force. 

The Alpine Region has a wide range of economic operators in the agriculture and forestry 
sector which are strongly  rooted in their locations. Opportunities  in  the agriculture  sector 
can  arise  for  example  through  organic  farming  or  the  use  of  geographical  indications, 
which allow the production of high-quality and region-specific products. Therefore, smaller 
farms  and  farmers  should  be  recognised  and  supported.  Further  opportunities  in  the 
agricultural sector can arise when combined with the tourism and health sectors. Rural life 
and agriculture can be promoted through special tourist offers and agro-tourism, while the 
production of pharmaceutical products can be of importance for the health sector. 

The  tourism  sector  is  an  important  economic  factor  in large  parts  of  the  Alpine  Region, 
while  SMEs  in  the  Region  dominate  in  the  tourism  sector  both  as  regards  economic 
development  and  employment  opportunities.  The  number  of  total  nights  spent  by  non-
residents10 in the Alpine Region11 between 2009 and 2013 has increased by 20 % between 
2009  and  2013.  When  compared  to  the  European  Union  picture,  the  Alpine  Region 
accounted  for  15 %  in  2009  and  17 %  in  2013  of  the  total  nights  spent  in  tourist 
accommodation by non-residents. 

The  level  of  activity  and  services  varies  seasonally  and  the  core  activity  and  level  of 
services  for  the  year-round  population  can  then  be  limited.  To  further  strengthen  Alpine 
tourism  and  ensure  that  the  sector  is  fit  for  meeting  future  challenges  (e.g.  coming  from 
climate  change  and  air  quality)  and  increasingly  turned  towards  environmentally 
sustainable  tourism  and  year-round  tourism,  it  needs  to  involve  research  and  innovation, 
SMEs and training of the labour force. 

Through the support of SMEs and innovative tourist sectors, such as agro-tourism or health 
tourism, the tourism sector can offer more job opportunities of high qualification, but also 
make the Alpine Region a more attractive destination. Further opportunities for the tourism 
sector also lie in the development of sustainable year-round tourism. 

The  Alpine  Region  can  benefit  from  the  European  Tourism  Indicators  System  (ETIS),  a 
management tool which can help tourist destinations monitor and measure their sustainable 
tourism performances. 

The  energy  sector  is  important  both  with  regard  to  applying  potential  clean  renewable 
energy production (i.e. with low or no emissions of air pollutants such as PM) and energy-
storage building on the specificities of the Alpine Region, as well as for increasing energy 
efficiency.  Hydropower  is  the  major  renewable  energy  resource  available  in  the  Alpine 
Region, already used intensively. However, there is potential for optimising the efficiency 
of  existing  plants  and  hydropower  has  a  high  potential  as  an  energy  storage  system.  The 
Alpine Region also provides a potential for other renewable energy sources: wind and solar 
power; biomass and geothermal sources for heating. In this regard, as in many areas in the 
Alpine Region, air quality is poor, notably in the heating season, special ultra-low emission 
biomass  applications  should  preferably  be  used  for  biomass  energy  production. 
Furthermore, the countries in the Alpine Region have a strong potential related to energy 
efficiency, in particular in the building sector. An innovative example is the passive house 
design  which  involves  reducing  energy  demand  without  reducing  the  level  of  energy 
services. This provides an ideal framework for working together on innovative solutions for 

14 

 
 
the Alpine Region. Supporting SMEs operating in the energy sector described above will 
not only create sustainable job opportunities, but also contribute to fighting climate change 
and improve air quality, by providing technical and economic options for Air Quality Plans 
and National Air Pollution Control Programmes. 

The health  sector  is  another  important  economic  sector with regard to untapped existing 
potential  in  the  Region  and  creating  new  opportunities.  The  health  sector  can  be  closely 
linked  to  the  agricultural  sector,  especially  as  regards  the  production  of  pharmaceutical 
products.  It  can  also  be  combined  with  the  tourism  sector,  focusing  on  therapeutic  and 
recreational  activities.  In  addition,  the  cooperation  among  providers  of  health  services 
(including  e-Health)  and  health  authorities  across  borders  can  improve  access  to  and 
efficiency  of  healthcare  and  support  the  implementation  of  European  legislation  on 
patients’  rights  in  cross-border  healthcare.  Research  and  innovation  in  health  at 
transnational level can support the cooperation among centres of excellence and specialised 
providers  of  healthcare,  in  particular  in  the  framework  of  the  European  Reference 
Networks in health that are created under the above-mentioned European legislation. 

The high-tech sector is an important economic factor in many areas in the Alpine Region. 
The share of employment in the high-tech sector out of total employment12 in 2013 in the 
Alpine  Region  ranges  from  2 %  in  the  autonomous  province  of  Bolzano  in  Italy  and  the 
region of Vorarlberg in Austria to almost 8 % in the regions of north-west Switzerland and 
Upper  Bavaria  in  Germany.  Many  areas  in  the  Alpine  Region  have  a  number  of  global 
players but also smaller players focused more on regional assets and demands. Intensified 
macro-regional  cooperation  might  help  areas  where  the  development  of  services  and 
products is linked to specificities of the Alpine Region. 

Opportunities  to  develop  this  sector  come  with  the  strong  innovation  profile  and  large 
number  of  R & D  and  high-tech  companies  in  the  Alpine  Region.  Furthermore,  the 
topographic  specificities  of  the  Alpine  Region  may  also  hold  potential  for  further 
developments  in  the  sector  e.g.  linked  to  specific  computer  software  (e.g.  destination 
management systems, GPS-based 3D navigation and information systems or mobile apps to 
support  visitors),  high-end  products  based  on  specific  Alpine  Region  raw  material  (e.g. 
pharmaceuticals),  or  high-end  products  linked  to  typical  activities  in  the  Alpine  Region 
(e.g. ropeways, ski and boot manufacturers, climbing equipment or artificial snow-making 
installations). 

In  many  regards  this  cooperation  is  strongly  linked  to  accessibility  and  transport 
challenges,  i.e.  transport  between  urban  areas  and  their  larger  hinterland  as  well  as 
transport across the Alpine Region, which are subject to Thematic Policy Area II.  

The table below provides an overview of examples of possible projects: 

Examples of possible projects  

Labelling Alpine Wood and Wooden Products: The idea is to support the use of local 
wood  from  Alpine  forests  for  buildings  and  wooden  products  across  all  stages  of  the 
value chain (whether for mobilisation of resources and operations, or the first or second 
transformation).  A  quality  label  for  Alpine  wood  can  help  to  develop  a  better 
management of mountain forests and wooden products ensuring a better carbon footprint 
by  reducing  transport.  It  would  contribute  to  a  professionalization  of  actors  and  also 

15 

 
 
 
 
facilitate maintaining and developing networks of companies. 

AlpNet: Building on research results, the aim would be to improve product innovations 
for  companies  working  in  Alpine  tourism  for  year-round  tourism.  The  project  would 
strengthen  the  exchange  of  knowledge  and  best-practice  between  tourism  regions.  As 
competition  in  the  tourism  industry  is  becoming  more  and  more  intense,  the  aim  is  to 
ensure  a  strong  position  for  the  Alpine  Region  in  the  global  market.  The  mission  is  to 
strengthen  sustainable  Alpine  tourism,  to  force  innovation  and  to  bring  new  inputs  for 
development  and  promote  joint  strategies  in  the  furthering  of  knowledge  in  Alpine 
tourism. 

Further project ideas could relate to the following strategic issues: 
•  New tourism models (e.g. including shared IT-solutions); 
•  Strengthen trade relation between companies in different parts of the Alpine Region; 

Examples of indicators and targets: 

Indicator 

Unit 

Target value  

to 

Support 
trans-border 
cooperation  structures  aiming 
to  enhance 
innovation 
the 
capacity of SMEs 

Number 
of 
SMEs  receiving 
support 

Target, baseline, deadline and source 
to be defined 

Established  Alpine  Region 
brands 

Number 
brands 

of 

Target, baseline, deadline and source 
to be defined 

Youth 
entrepreneurship  – 
individual  business  owners 
younger than 30 years  

Share  of  youth 
entrepreneurs 

Target, baseline, deadline and source 
to be defined 

Action  3:  To  improve  the  adequacy  of  labour  market,  education  and  training  in 
strategic sectors 

The third action aims at improving the adequacy of labour market, education and training 
with  employment  opportunities  in  strategic  sectors  in  the  Region,  and  at  increasing  the 
employment levels of the Region through joint macro-regional activities. 

Regional characteristics concerning the proposed action 

The  Alpine  Region  has  a  quite  positive  labour  market  compared  to  Europe  where  many 
areas have high employment rates. Indeed all but one of the regions located in the Alpine 
Region  have  employment  rates  more  than  3 %  points  above  their  national  2020  target, 
according to the 6th Cohesion Report13.  

16 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Also, the share of university students is above the EU average. Overall education levels are 
high in the Alpine Region, especially in the metropolises and the larger cities. In 2011, the 
share of inhabitants aged 25-64 holding a tertiary education qualification ranged from 13 % 
to  36 %  in  the  Alpine  Region.  Numerous  high-end  universities,  research  institutes  and 
vocational training centres are located in the area. 

Overall,  the  labour  markets  in  the  Alpine  Region  are  quite  integrated,  as  they  stretch 
beyond national borders in many cases. The integration of labour markets is an important 
feature  for  the  development  of  the  Alpine  Region,  as  it  facilitates  its  economic 
development.  There  are  also  considerable  numbers  of  seasonal  workers  coming  for  the 
tourist season, to specific areas of the Alpine Region for example. Also they often work in 
other  countries  than  their  country  of  origin.  Depending  on  the  definition  they  are  also 
considered cross-border workers.  

The need for the proposed action and its spatial macro-regional relevance 

Due  to  the  topographic  and  demographic  challenges  of  the  Region  a  macro-regional 
approach  supporting  stronger  cooperation  can  foster  new  job  opportunities  in  the  Region 
and  overcome  existing  challenges,  such  as  language  barriers  or  out-migration  of  skilled 
labour. 

These challenges are also linked to the territorial imbalances within the Region, with less 
favourable conditions for the labour market in rural and remote areas. To some extent, this 
can be linked to the accessibility of rural and remote areas addressed under the Thematic 
Policy  Area  II  of  EUSALP.  Challenges  concern  both  access  to  jobs  as  well  as  access  to 
highly  qualified  labour.  The  access  to  skilled  labour  with  the  right  competence  is  an 
important  labour  market  challenge  in  large  parts  of  the  Alpine  Region,  while  there  is  a 
more  general  concern  with  the  problem  of  ‘brain  drain’  and  the  development  of 
professional  skills,  particularly 
that  are  already  suffering  from 
in  remote  areas 
depopulation. 

Therefore the integration of the labour markets is an important feature for development in 
the Alpine Region. Some aspects related to access to skilled labour throughout the Region 
might  be  better  addressed  at  the  macro-regional  level.  This  concerns  both  actions  in  the 
field of labour market integration as well as in the field of joint training for increasing the 
access to skilled labour in rural and remote areas. Initiatives under this action can benefit 
from  the  involvement  and  close  cooperation  with  civil  society.  These  actions  could  offer 
appropriate  replies  to  the  issue  of  dependence  of  seasonal  workers,  especially  in  the 
tourism  industry,  where  the  labour  market  is  relying  partly  on  seasonal  workers  from 
outside of the area14. 

The table below provides an overview of examples of possible projects: 

Examples of possible projects  

Youth  Alpine  Dialogue  (YAD):  Many  Alpine  Regions  face  demographic  challenges 
(ageing  population,  out-migration  of  skilled  labour).  For  young  people  to  commit  to 
building  their  lives  in  their  home  communities,  they  need  to  be  engaged  in  decision-
making  and  in  shaping  their  future  living  and  work  environments.  The  Youth  Alpine 
Dialogue  will  support  young  people  in  understanding  the  needs  and  potential  of  their 

17 

 
 
 
own villages or towns as well as those of the entire Alpine Region. Dialogue tools will 
involve  transnational  exchanges  of  young  people  as  well  as  decision-makers  across  all 
Alpine countries. 

Alpine Region Training: Besides the organisation of specific trainings there is also an 
issue  of  labelling  trainings,  and  of  offering  education  of  high  quality,  relevant  for  the 
Alpine Labour Market. 1. Identification and promotion of training (basic and vocational) 
offers in the Alpine Region. 2. Implementation of an educational label for Masters level 
training on topics related to the issues of the Alpine Strategy. 

Further project ideas could relate to the following strategic issues: 
•  Multilingual  (online)  job-centre  for  the  Alpine  Region,  including  support  to 
employees and potential employers (in particular SMEs, start-ups, entrepreneurs); 

•  Alpine  training  centre  /  activities  for  joint  education  and  vocational  training  or 
standard  education  (related  to  languages,  entrepreneurship,  sustainable  tourism, 
sustainable forestry and agriculture, industry, commerce); 

•  Alpine mobility programme for secondary school students, but also for workers. 

Examples of indicators and targets: 

Indicator 

Unit 

Target value  

Joint  Alpine  Region 
centres  

job-

Number 
platforms 

of 

online 

Target,  baseline,  deadline 
and source to be defined 

provided 

Joint  Alpine  Region  training 
sessions 
(or 
participants  in  these  sessions) 
related 
to  specific  Alpine 
development fields 

of 

Number 
sessions 
participants) 

training 
(or 

Target,  baseline,  deadline 
and source to be defined  

Links with other objectives 

Economic  growth  in  the  Alpine  Region  and  innovation  in  particular,  even  though  it  is 
identified as a specific objective, will have to be considered and treated in the Strategy as a 
cross-cutting  issue,  building  on  the  high  competitiveness  of  the  Region,  but  in  close 
connection with the environmental challenges and transport issues developed in the other 
objectives of the Action Plan. 

The three actions under the first objective of EUSALP can be linked to the actions pursued 
under  other  objectives  and  Thematic  Policy  Areas.  For  instance,  action  2  of  the  first 
thematic policy area on the cooperation of SMEs in the Alpine Region suggests that better 
accessibility  between  urban  and  rural  areas  as  well  as  throughout  the  Alpine  Region  is 
necessary.  This  issue  is  stressed  in  more  detail  in  the  second  Thematic  Policy  Area  of 
EUSALP, actions 4 and 5. Initiatives under action 1 on innovation can also be linked to the 
objectives  2  (Sustainable  internal  and  external  accessibility)  and  3  (A  more  inclusive 
environmental framework and renewable and reliable energy solutions for the future). 

18 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Support of the Europe 2020 Strategy  

The Thematic Policy Area I and its objective and actions strongly support the Europe 2020 
Strategy – further strengthening RDI, the competitiveness of SMEs and the development of 
an  integrated  labour  market  including  increasing  access  to  skilled  labour.  These  are 
priorities  of  EUSALP  which  are  in  line  with  the  growth  priorities  of  the  Europe  2020 
Strategy. 

•  Smart  growth:  Creating  an  effective  innovation  ecosystem  in  the  Alpine  Region  can 
contribute to smart growth in the Region. Investments in innovation (action 1), but also 
actions for increasing the economic potential of strategic sectors of the Region (action 
2)  can  stimulate  new  jobs  and  therefore  contribute  to  the  Europe  2020  employment 
targets set for smart growth. 

The  Communication  from  the  Commission  for  a  European  Industrial  Renaissance15 
states  that  the  potential  of  clusters  to  create  favourable  innovation  ecosystems  for 
mutually  reinforcing  groups  of  SMEs  needs  to  be  better  exploited  as  a  means  of 
promoting growth. In this context, effectively linking the world of education, business 
and research,  and involving  social  partners and civil society at all  levels of education 
and  training  raise  the  relevance  of  educational  offers  and  the  Region’s  innovation 
capacity.  An  advanced  level  of  cooperation  also  increases  the  level  of  awareness  and 
readiness of EUSALP partners to implement their strategy. 

Value-added chains must be better integrated. Cluster-facilitated demonstration projects 
for value chain innovation will also be financed through Horizon 2020 in support of the 
implementation of smart specialisation strategies. 

Moreover,  action  3  on  improving  high  levels  of  employment,  education  and  training 
also reflects the smart growth targets on better educational attainment, and the ‘Youth 
on the move’ flagship initiative on the better equipment of young people and students. 

•  Sustainable growth: Innovative actions to support and increase economic potential of 
strategic sectors in the Region such as agriculture, forestry, tourism, energy and high-
tech  can  contribute  to  the  Europe  2020  priority  of  sustainable  growth.  The  energy 
sector is important both regarding the clean renewable energy potentials in the Region, 
as well as energy storage building on the specificities of the Alpine Region and energy 
efficiency in buildings. Moreover, the support to SMEs in these sectors (action 2) is in 
line  with  the  sustainable  growth  flagship  initiative  ‘An  industrial  policy  for  the 
globalisation  era’,  where  the  support  to  business  and  especially  small  businesses,  the 
support  of  entrepreneurship  and  the  covering  of  the  increasingly  international  value 
chain from access to raw materials to after-sales service are addressed16. The creation of 
jobs in these sectors is linked to both the action 3 of EUSALP as well as the sustainable 
growth priority. In addition, such innovative actions would provide synergy effects with 
environmental  policy  objectives  by  providing  technical  and  economic  options  for  Air 
Quality Plans and National Air Pollution Control Programmes, for example. 

•  Inclusive  growth:  Initiatives  in  the  three  EUSALP  actions  can  create  new  jobs. 
Especially  action  3  which  is  dedicated  to  the  improvement  of  high  levels  of 
employment, education and training which contribute to the targets of inclusive growth. 
More  specifically  it  addresses  the  flagship  initiative  on  ‘Agenda  for  new  skills  and 
jobs’, which focuses on acquiring new skills and adapting to a changing labour market, 
as well as the modernising of labour markets to raise employment levels. In addition, 

19 

 
 
 
 
the  creation  of  new  jobs  in  innovation,  the  link  of  innovation  to  the  economy,  the 
support  of  SMEs  in  specific  sectors  of  the  Region  also  contribute  to  increasing 
employment in the Region. Actions in the aforementioned fields related to training and 
education  also  contribute  to  the  Europe  2020  inclusive  growth  targets,  and  can  be 
conducted in close cooperation with civil society stakeholders.  

In  addition  to  contributing  to  achieving  the  objectives  of  the  Europe  2020  Strategy,  the 
Strategy  also  contributes  to  the  overall  community  objectives  of  economic,  social  and 
territorial  cohesion.  It  may  also  help  consideration  of  possible  investments  under  the  EU 
investment plan (the so-called Juncker Plan) in the Alpine Region.  

The  objectives  of  the  Common  Agricultural  Policy  (CAP)  also  follow  the  Europe  2020 
agenda, targeting three long-term strategic objectives for EU rural development policy in the 
2014-2020  period  within  the  territorial  restrictions  of  national  and/or  regional  rural 
development programmes (RDPs): fostering the competitiveness of agriculture; ensuring the 
sustainable  management  of  natural  resources,  and  climate  action;  and  achieving  a  balanced 
territorial  development  of  rural  economies  and  communities  including  the  creation  and 
keeping of employment. 

2nd THEMATIC POLICY AREA: MOBILITY AND CONNECTIVITY 

2nd OBJECTIVE: Sustainable internal and external accessibility to all 

Presentation of the topic 

The  overall  objective  of  this  policy  area  is  to  address  the  ‘most  important  challenges  and 
opportunities’ concerning mobility and connectivity in the Alpine Region. The Alpine Region 
is  a  major  European  crossroads  in  which  mobility  and  connectivity  pose  significant 
challenges. The location of the Alpine Region requires that this Region is crossed by traffic 
flows (freight and passenger) linking the south to the north of Europe, as well as the east to 
the west. The geomorphology of the area, including the mountainous part, reaching a width of 
more  than  300 km  in  some  parts,  is  a  natural  obstacle  to  crossing.  In  addition  the  Alps 
represent a very vulnerable area and ecosystem. The impact of road transport infrastructure on 
air  and  noise  pollution  is  a  major  challenge;  several  areas  within  the  Alpine  Region  have 
difficulties  in  reaching  EU  legal  limit  values  on  emission  of  pollutants.  Based  on  traffic 
census data, an increase of 30 % of heavy goods vehicles occurred between 1995 and 2005 in 
the most congested highways crossing the Alps. Therefore, there is an urgent need for greener 
transport through and within the Alpine Region. 

At  the  same  time,  connections  of  local  areas  within  the  Alpine  Region  are  crucial  for  their 
economic  survival.  The  Alpine  Region  suffers  from  an  unbalanced  demographic  trend, 
whereby cities and peri-Alpine areas grow constantly in population while remote areas suffer, 
in  some  cases  significantly,  from  ageing  and  depopulation.  The  availability  of  good 
connectivity networks (including public transport and high-speed internet) is closely related to 
the survival of commercial activities in remote areas as well as to the supply of basic services 
such as education, health, postal and administrative services. Physical transport (of passengers 
and  goods)  is  not  the  only  relevant  dimension  in  a  society  increasingly  more  dependent  on 
virtual  connections.  Remote  and  mountainous  areas  are  often  lagging  behind  in  terms  of  e-
connection  possibilities.  At  the  same  time,  e-connectivity  raises  new  opportunities  for  the 

20 

 
 
 
 
provision  of  services  (for  example  e-government,  e-health,  e-learning)  as  well  as  for  the 
uptake of technologies. Addressing these issues in a coordinated way allows for maximisation 
of the potential benefits for the economy and the population alike. 

Another  critical  aspect  of  transport  and  mobility  in  the  Alpine  Region  relates  to  the 
seasonality of transport flows, as the economy of the Alpine Region is heavily dependent on 
seasonal activities (in particular winter sports). 

Action  4:  To  promote  inter-modality  and  interoperability  in  passenger  and  freight 
transport 

This  action  aims  to  promote  inter-modality  and  interoperability  in  passenger  and  freight 
transport,  in  particular  by  removing  infrastructure  bottlenecks,  bridging  missing  links, 
coordinating planning and timetables of public transport (including multi-modal information 
and  planning  services),  modernising  infrastructure,  and  enhancing  cooperation.  In  this 
context,  the  term  ‘inter-modality’  means  combining  several  means  of  transport  during  the 
same  journey,  using  different  types  of  vehicles  to  get  from  one  place  to  another. 
‘Interoperability’, on the other hand, is defined as the capability to operate on any stretch of 
the  transport  network  without  any  difference.  In  other  words,  the  focus  is  on  making  the 
different  technical  systems  on  the  EU’s  railways  work  together.  Moreover  the  removal  of 
bottlenecks in transport infrastructure needs to be accompanied by modernisation of customs 
infrastructure,  equipment  and  systems,  so  that  processing  capacity  and  speed  of  procedures 
are matched with the needs of transport. 

Regional characteristics concerning the proposed action 

The geomorphology of the Alpine Region greatly affects the construction and maintenance of 
transport infrastructures. At the same time, transport infrastructures have a significant impact 
on  landscape  and  the  environment,  which  are  the  core  resources  of  the  Alpine  Region.  The 
search for a balance between transport infrastructures and the preservation of the territory has 
been  identified  for  decades  as  a  major  challenge  and  an  objective  of  the  international 
community of States and Regions sharing the Alpine Region. To this end, among other things, 
an international treaty (the Alpine Convention) has been equipped with a specific protocol on 
transport, adopted in 2000 and ratified also by the EU in 2013 as a significant contribution to 
the greening of transport policy in the core Alpine Region. This protocol aims at reducing the 
negative effects of and risks posed by intra-Alpine and transalpine transport to a level which 
is not harmful to people and the environment, inter alia, by transferring an increasing amount 
of transport, especially freight transport, to railways as well as ensuring movement of intra-
Alpine and transalpine transport at economically bearable costs by increasing the efficiency of 
transport systems and promoting modes of transport which are more environmentally friendly 
and more economic in terms of natural resources. 

The need for the proposed action and its spatial macro-regional relevance 

The EU has made the choice to promote modal shift as part of the greening transport policy, 
ensuring that an increasing share of goods which today are transported by road, in particular 
over long distances, will be gradually shifted to rail. The development of railway links is not 
only  aimed  at  a  freight  traffic  modal  shift  from  road  to  rail,  but  also  for  passenger  traffic. 
While  the  transport  protocol  of  the  Alpine  Convention  significantly  contributes  to  the 
objective  of  making  transport  in  the  Alpine  Region  more  sustainable,  this  Treaty  is  only 
applicable  in  the  mountainous  part  of  the  Alpine  Region,  while  the  location  of  the  Alpine 

21 

 
 
 
Region  as  an  important  transit  area  requires  a  concerted  action  extending  beyond  the  core 
mountainous region: this is why efficient and sustainable transport through the Alpine Region 
is  an  issue  of  concern  at  an  EU-wide  scale  and  as  such  several  cross-border  or  national 
infrastructure projects belonging to TEN-T networks are located in the Alpine Region. 

TEN-T  reduce  travel  time  and  contribute  in  a  decisive  way  to  the  creation  of  a  functioning 
single market. The EU is currently investing, together with the Member States, considerable 
resources in nine different corridors. This is a strategic long-term policy, given the time and 
resources needed to construct key parts of the corridors, such as tunnels and bridges. At the 
same  time,  cross-border  links  are  the  weak  part  of  TEN-T.  The  complexity  of  the  railway 
infrastructure and the need to jointly work across borders, based on different legal, economic 
and policy conditions, makes the cross-border part of TEN-T particularly challenging. 

The Alpine Region is directly concerned by two key cross-border links related to TEN-T core 
networks:  the  Brenner  Base  railway  tunnel  in  the  Scandinavian-Mediterranean  corridor  and 
the  Lyon-Turin  railway  tunnel  and  link  in  the  Mediterranean  corridor.  Also  the  new 
Karavanks tunnel between Austria and Slovenia and the Semmering base tunnel are relevant 
for  the  Baltic-Adriatic  corridor.  The  Gotthard  base  tunnel,  the  Ceneri  base  tunnel  and  the 
‘terzo valico dei giovi’, though not cross-border, are also major elements of the Rhine-Alpine 
corridor. Moreover,  the  Rhine-Danube  and  Mediterranean corridor affect the Alpine Region 
in  parts  of  their  extension,  and  allow  for  a  better  connection  of  the  Alpine  Region.  Certain 
main  rivers  (e.g.  the  Po,  the  Rhône)  or  river  stretches  (the  Danube  and  the  Rhine)  become 
relevant in relation to transport inter-modality, due to their navigability. For the complete list 
of relevant works, EUSALP should take as reference the corridor work plans put forward by 
the  European  Coordinators  under  the  TEN-T  guidelines  (Rhine-Alpine,  Scandinavian-
Mediterranean, Baltic-Adriatic, Mediterranean and Rhine-Danube Core Network Corridors). 

The TEN-T Network aims at connecting national patchworks towards an integrated European 
transport network. TEN-T are like arteries, aimed at transporting the main share of traffic. At 
the same time, they are inserted in  the  territories and  therefore necessary  in  order  to  ensure 
that  the  territories  surrounding  TEN-T  infrastructures  also  benefit  from  them  in  the  best 
possible way. In other words, TEN-T ensure the possibility of travelling fast across thousands 
of  kilometres,  but  the  ‘last  kilometre’,  the  access  to  the  main  links,  the  connections  to  the 
spread-out communities, all this requires veins. EUSALP should facilitate the development of 
these  veins,  in  the  form  of  access  roads  and  accompanying  measures,  to  the  benefit  of  the 
Region  and  of  Europe  as  a  whole.  This  will  have  considerable  spill-over  effects  on  local 
transport. A solidarity effect between mountainous and plain areas is expected. Overall, it is 
important to join forces in order to make TEN-T an opportunity – and not a burden – for the 
territories crossed, including mountainous areas. The Declaration signed by the Ministers of 
transport of the 7 Alpine States on 20 March 2015 in Innsbruck acknowledges the potential of 
Alpine  crossing  sections  of  the  relevant  core  networks  as  frontrunners  of  a  sustainable 
mobility  system,  and  makes  reference  to  EUSALP  as  a  platform  aimed  at  enhancing 
cooperation  in  this  area.  A  follow-up  meeting  in  which  the  state  of  play  of  the  agreed  actions 
referred to in the ministerial Declaration is planned for 2016. 

Within the trans-European Network for Transport (TEN-T), the Alpine Region has a special 
place,  due  to  its  challenging  geographical  structures,  its  ecological  systems  and  its  transit 
function,  leading  towards  a  sensitive  balance  between  ecological,  economic  and  social 
parameters. Within the core Alpine Region, local transport plays a major role in maintaining a 
balanced  demographic  development  of  the  area.  Local  communities  are  keen,  as  it  clearly 
appeared from the public consultation, that regional and local railways and public transport in 

22 

 
 
general,  are  upgraded  and  modernised.  Connections  between  valleys  or  across  passes  are 
often insufficiently coordinated to allow for a systematic use of public transport. In order to 
improve  this  situation,  better  coordination  intervention  at  a  sufficiently  large  scale  is 
necessary.  Given  that  remote  areas  in  the  Alps  are  often  closer  to  the  border  than  to  the 
regional  or  national  capitals,  the  transnational  dimension  is  very  important.  Cross-border 
projects  on  sustainable  mobility  have  proven  to  be  positive  for  the  diffusion  of  innovative 
solutions, including e-bikes where appropriate. 

There  is  a  long  tradition  of  cooperation  in  the  Alpine  Region.  Several  platforms  for 
cooperation and collaboration in the field of transport exist, besides the Alpine Convention, 
such  as  the  ‘Zurich  Group’  and  bilateral  conferences  relating  to  cross-border  projects  (as  in 
the case of Brenner and Turin-Lyon). Regional cooperation bodies such as Euro-regions and 
working  Communities  (Arge-Alp,  Alpe-Adria)  are  also  promoting  sustainable  mobility 
projects at regional or local level. 

EUSALP  can  play  a  role  in  ensuring  that  consistent  initiatives  are  taken  in  the  field  of 
transport and mobility, avoiding possible duplications and exploiting synergies, to the benefit 
of increased  productivity  and reduced costs. This can be done by better linking the existing 
platforms for exchange of information and good practices, as well as facilitating the access of 
the existing cooperation bodies to funding instruments. One cannot say that cooperation in the 
field  of  transport  in  the  Alpine  Region  has  not  been  developed  –  but  what  appears  to  be 
necessary is a greater integration between the existing bodies and structures, for the sake of 
greater efficiency of expenditure and effectiveness of infrastructure. 

The table below shows an overview of examples of possible projects:  

Examples of possible projects 

•  Removal of infrastructure bottlenecks and bridging missing links, which would 
allow  the  improvement  of  inter-modality  and  interoperability,  to  the  benefit  of 
shifting traffic from road to rail. 

•  Development of access routes towards the cross-border projects. 

•  Coordination of local and regional transport planning at macro-regional level, 
which will allow for increasing the efficiency of existing networks and the share of 
population using less impacting transport means. 

•  Upgrading  of  rail  cross-border  sections  of  TEN-T  projects.  Electrification  of 
railway  lines,  operation  of  740-meter-long  trains  and  development  of  the  European 
Railway Traffic Management System – ERTMS. 

•  Upgrading  of  local  railways  such  as  Turin-Aosta,  Nice-Ventimiglia-Cuneo-Turin, 
Munich-Lindau-Bregenz-Zurich,  Ulm-Friedrichshafen-Lindau,  Trieste-Ljubljana, 
Brescia-Edolo, Durance Valley, Milano-Tirano, Dolomiti valleys of Trentino. 

•  Building  on  existing  cooperation  projects  for  reducing  the  impact  of  transalpine 

traffic, and upgrading them at a macro-regional scale. 

Examples of indicators and targets17 

23 

 
 
 
 
Indicator 

Internal 
external 
and 
connectivity  in  the  Region 
including travel time (km of 
railway 
complying 
with  TEN-T  criteria  and 
guidelines) 

lines 

Strengthening 
regional 
transport systems by linking 
peripheral regions to TEN-T 
networks and secondary  

Streamlining  of  connections 
identified 
– 
of 
n° 
eliminated 
bottlenecks 
small-scale 
through 
interventions 
Improvement 
the 
interoperability  procedures 
of  rail  public  transport  at 
transnational 
cross 
border level 
Promoting resource-efficient 
use of infrastructure 

and 

of 

transport 

Use  of  public 
compared to private means 
Common 
ticketing  and 
systems 

management, 
information 

Optimal  interconnection  of 
national transport networks  
of  main 
use 
Annual 
networks 
collective 
of 
passenger transport at cross-
border level 

Unit 

Km 

Target value 

N°  of  passengers  using 
public 
train 
transport 
services 
Availability  of 
infrastructure 

last-mile 

/ 

N°  of  identified  bottlenecks 
(infrastructure, capacity) 

Infrastructure utilisation rate

Emissions (PM, NOx, SO2). 
refuelling 
Availability  of 
infrastructures 
for 
alternative fuels 
Ratio and trends 

N°  of  schemes  developed
common 
of 
for 
management systems 

use 

Border waiting time 

N°  of  users,  border  waiting 
time 

Increase  potential  capacity 
of 
trains/day, 
travel time 

reduction 

N° of trains – %  of increase 
mean travel time by sections

of 

Tons 
loaded/unloaded 
interchange nodes 

goods 
in 

Ratio 
transported goods 

out 

of 

total 

24 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
traffic 
passenger 
Rail 
generated  by  ports,  logistic 
centres and airports 
Coverage  of  basic  services 
(medical,  postal,  grocery) 
for local communities  
Quality of transport 

 %  of 
covered 

the  communities 

Transport time, mean speed, 
parking 
frequency, 
availability  for  freight,  road 
safety 

Action 5: To connect people electronically and promote accessibility to public services 

The  focus  of  this  action  will  be  twofold.  On  the  one  hand  to  draw  up  a  comprehensive 
strategy for guiding and shaping the ongoing process of digitisation in the Alpine Region and 
on  the  other  hand  the  accessibility  to  services  which  are  provided  by  public  authorities  to 
people  living  within  a  certain  area.  This  can  be  achieved  by  making  the  best  use  of  new 
available  technologies,  such  as  satellite  broadband  connections  in  the  most  remote  areas  as 
well as developing take-up of e-services. 

Regional characteristics concerning the proposed action 

The EU aims at ensuring 100 % coverage by the next-generation broadband network (min. 30 
Mbps download) by 2020. This agenda includes both the digital infrastructure and its use for 
the  purpose  of  providing  e-services.  The  latter  requires  in  turn  the  take-up  of  new 
technological  opportunities  by  business,  citizens  and  public  administration.  The  greater  the 
use  of  e-services,  the  faster  the  innovation  in  this  area,  therefore  the  development  of  the 
infrastructure  is  both  a  condition  and  a  consequence  of  the  use  of  e-services.  The  Digital 
Agenda and the Digital Single Market of the EU are particularly relevant for the area covered 
by  EUSALP,  since  the  way  of  achieving  the  goals  of  100 %  coverage  of  high-speed 
broadband and 50% household take-up by 2020 are greatly affected by the particularities of 
the  Region.  One  of  the  main  characteristics  of  the  Alpine  Region,  and  in  particular  of  the 
mountainous  part  of  this  Region,  is  the  presence  of  sparsely  populated  communities,  in  a 
territory  where  land  connections  such  as  wires  and  glass  fibres  are  a  real  challenge.  Even 
where  land  connections  are  technically  feasible,  the  costs  are  often  too  high  to  make 
investments profitable, and as a consequence no private investor shows interest. The result is 
that  a  share  of  communities  in  remote  areas  cannot  benefit  from  available  technologies 
without public intervention. In the absence of a public intervention on connectivity, there is 
the risk of a detrimental effect on the e-services and innovative applications offered by public 
and private providers, which leads to the further depopulation of remote areas. The possibility 
of  exercising  a  given  profession  in  a  remote  mountainous  area  is  greatly  dependent  on  the 
speed of available connections. There is, moreover, a share of the population which, even if 
investments  are  subsidised,  cannot  be  reached  by  land  connections  in  the  short  run.  In  this 
case, the only available solution is offered by broadband satellite technologies. 

The need for the proposed action and its spatial macro-regional relevance 

When  dealing  with  new  connectivity  technologies,  such  as  modern  glass-fibre  and  satellite, 
there  is  a  need  to  achieve  a  critical  mass,  to  exploit  economies  of  scale  and  make 
infrastructures both economical and better performing. This is particularly true in relation to 

25 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
the ‘last mile’ of land connection networks, which is the most expensive in terms of the ratio 
between investment cost and profit. In the case of satellite connections, which are available 
without limitations of geomorphology, a critical mass of users is crucial in order to make the 
technology perform in the best possible way. For a satellite signal to perform well, users must 
be scattered around a sufficiently large area and not concentrated in one of a few spots. For 
this reason, sparsely populated large areas such as mountainous regions, an area of significant 
relevance  for  the  total  area  of  EUSALP,  represent  an  ideal  scale  for  implementing  satellite 
solutions for the purpose of connecting remote households, business and administration which 
cannot be connected by land. 

The table below shows an overview of examples of possible projects  

Examples of possible projects  

•  Satellite  access  for  populations  in  the  most  remote  areas  (using  the  satellite 
voucher  scheme).  Using  available  structural  funds,  the  EU  has  developed  a 
competition  rules  complying  scheme  which  allows  for  subsidising  the  initial 
investment  necessary  for  installing  satellite  broadband  equipment.  It  is  possible  to 
significantly increase the users of this scheme. 

•  Development  of  take-up  and  e-services.  Once  the  technology  is  available,  a 
coordinated investment in training and communication is necessary, especially in the 
initial phase, to the benefit of potential users. This allows for further upgrading and 
fine tuning of the relevant technologies. 

•  Use of common 112 emergency numbers. A European directive set up a common 
dial system for emergency situations. The use of this system, in particular in cross-
border  remote  areas,  can  be  improved  by  the  widespread  use  of  available 
communication technologies. 

•  Develop  ITS  –  Intelligent  Transport  Systems,  interconnecting  modes  and  devices 

and leading to greater efficiency and safety of transport. 

Examples of indicators and targets18 

Indicator 

Unit 

Target value 

Coverage  of  households  by 
broadband with minimum 30 
Mbps download speed 
Coverage  of  households  by 
broadband  with  minimum30 
Mbps download speed in the 
most remote areas 
Coverage  of  enterprises  and 
public  buildings  covered  by 
broadband with minimum 30 
Mbps download speed 
Rate of e- health users 

% of households 

100 % by 2020 

% of households 

100 % by 2020 

% of enterprises and public 
buildings 

 % 

26 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Rate of e-commerce users 
Rare of e- government users 

Rate  of  population  close  to 
minimum  services  (less  than 
20 min drive) 
N°  of  developed  innovating 
services 
cross-border 
solutions  (cross  border  and 
e-services) 
Percentage  of  people  using 
Internet 
Building  of  a  composite 
for 
indicator 
the 
assessing/comparing 
quality  of  e-services  of 
general interest 
Use of the common 112 dial 
emergency number 

 % 
 % 

 % 

N°  

 % 

N° of uses 

Links with other objectives 

Compared  to  the  past,  there  is  a  widespread  awareness  of  the  close  relationship  between 
transport and environment. Transport infrastructures and related traffic in general pose great 
challenges to the environment and the population, to the extent that certain projects encounter 
firm opposition from resident populations. 

Links  such  as  railway  tunnels  and  bridges  are  particularly  complex  structures,  requiring 
considerable  resources  and  also  having  a  significant  economic  impact.  It  is  unthinkable  to 
conceive  such  infrastructures  today  without  a  sufficient  consideration,  mitigation  and 
compensation of the environmental and social impacts, towards which a considerable amount 
of resources are channelled. Environmental policies which are particularly relevant during the 
construction  phase  are  water  and  waste  management,  as  well  as  landscape  planning.  These 
complex projects represent laboratories for developing green technologies and new planning 
concepts.  A  whole  stream  of  green  economy  is  benefitting  from  the  inclusion  of 
environmental consideration in transport policies. 

Moreover,  the  concentration  of  intellectual  and  technological  efforts  around  such  works 
makes  them  suitable  poles  of  innovation  testing  and  knowledge/data  sharing.  The  use  of 
geothermal sources for energy purposes discovered during excavation works is an illustrative 
example. 

Also  from  the  SMEs  perspective,  the  way  contracts  are  managed  may  well  allow  for 
increasing  involvement  of  SMEs  in  the  design,  contraction  and  management  phase  of  the 
infrastructures.  In  a  nutshell,  there  are  considerable  spill-over  effects  in  environmental  and 
social areas which can and should be exploited, but this requires coordination both at macro-
regional scale and between policy areas. 

The  sector  of  e-connectivity  is  very  fertile  ground  for  innovation,  as  some  of  the  most 
dynamic  and  innovative  clusters  relate  to  ICT.  E-connectivity  is  a  proven  factor  for 
competitiveness, in particular for SMEs. At the same time, it promotes the diffusion of green 

27 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
economy solutions: digitally managed car-sharing and e-services replacing physical transport 
are relevant examples. 

Support of the Europe 2020 Strategy 

The  envisaged  actions  are  expected  to  contribute  to  attaining  a  good  and  sustainable 
connectivity  network  for  the  whole  EUSALP  Region.  Therefore,  this  policy  area  strongly 
supports  the  Europe  2020  Strategy.  EUSALP  is  fully  in  line  with  the  flagship  initiative  ‘A 
resource-efficient Europe – Flagship initiative under the Europe 2020 Strategy’, within which 
the  implementation  of  key  proposals  and  initiatives,  such  as  ‘Future  of  transport’,  ‘Low 
Carbon Economy’, ‘Trans-European Networks’ play a key role; as well as with the flagship 
initiatives ‘digital agenda for Europe’ and ‘an agenda for new skills and jobs’. 

• 
Smart growth: Building a connected region contributes to smart growth. The Alpine 
Regions  have  an  enormous  capacity,  heritage  and  unused  potential  in  terms  of  high-quality 
products  (food,  handicraft)  and  services  (tourism,  especially  in  certain  areas),  which  an 
efficient network of physical and virtual connections can bring to the global market. This will 
lead to new jobs and therefore contribute to the Europe 2020 employment targets set for smart 
growth. 

• 
Sustainable  growth:  It  is  well  know  that  several  developments  related  to  transport 
and planning in the Alpine Region have led to unsustainable patterns, the cost of which is still 
high in terms of pollution, congestion and lost landscape. A new approach, whereby transport 
is led by connectivity needs and environmental concerns on an equal footing, will allow for 
sustainable further growth. Lessons learned can be used in order to implement new solutions 
in areas which lag behind in terms of connectivity infrastructures. Green transport solutions 
are also beneficial in terms of creating jobs (e.g. management of collective car share or bye 
share systems at local level). 

• 
Inclusive  growth:  There  is  a  clear  problem  of  unbalanced  growth  in  the  Alpine 
Region,  with  significant  differences  between  medium  and  large  cities  and  peri-Alpine  areas 
and remote villages, especially at high altitude. Ageing and lack of professional opportunities 
result in the dramatic demographic decrease of certain areas, to the detriment of local culture 
and environment. The digital agenda opens great possibilities for inversing these trends and 
opening  new  jobs  and  market  opportunities.  There  are  already  several  cases  where  ‘new 
mountaineers’  have  settled  in  remote  areas,  where  network  connections  allow  for  a  quick 
interchange with the global market. 

28 

 
 
 
3rd THEMATIC POLICY AREA: ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY  

3rd  OBJECTIVE:  A  more  inclusive  environmental  framework  for  all  and 
renewable and reliable energy solutions for the future 

Presentation of the topic 

The overall objective of this policy area is to address the ‘most important challenges and 
opportunities concerning the environment’ in the Region. A sound environment is essential 
for underpinning human activities in the Region and for ensuring economic and social well-
being for its peoples. This is also reflected in the outcome of the public consultation, which 
shows  that  the  environment  is  among  the  most  important  areas  where  macro-regional 
cooperation is needed. In this opinion survey, around two-thirds of the respondents stated 
that environment, sustainable development, or specific environmental issues are among the 
main topics where cooperation should be fostered. 

This objective will deal with the environmental issues that can only be adequately tackled 
through cooperation at the level and scale of the macro-region. The involvement of a wide 
range  of  stakeholders  in  the  implementation  of  all  actions  proposed  under  this  objective 
and, more specifically, the social partners and private-sector actors from all relevant fields, 
as well as the scientific community and civil society, will further contribute to an integrated 
approach.  Last  but  not  least  it  has  to  be  underlined  that  these  actions  in  particular 
(especially  actions  6  and  7)  have  strong  interlinkages  to  the  Alpine  Convention  and  its 
protocols. 

Action  6:  To  preserve  and  valorise  natural  resources,  including  water  and  cultural 
resources 

The  environment  of  the  Alpine  Region  is  extremely  vulnerable.  The  use  of  the  resources 
and the exploitation of their potential need to be carried out in a proportionate way. Against 
this  background,  this  action  has  a  twofold  character.  On  the  one  hand,  it  will  aim  to 
reinforce the Alpine  natural  and  cultural resources as assets of a high-quality living area. 
On  the  other  hand,  it  will  pursue  the  goal  to  valorise  the  existing  natural  and  cultural 
resources. 

Regional characteristics concerning the proposed action 

One  of  the  main  features  of  the  Alpine  Region  is  its  outstanding  natural  and  cultural 
heritage. The Alpine Region forms an area of mountainous habitats and is extremely rich in 
biodiversity and resources like minerals and water. The ways in which these resources have 
been  transformed  into  economic  assets  have  varied  through  history  and  had  distinctive 
effects both on the Alpine environment and on the resource itself. Humankind benefits in 
many ways from all these ecosystems. Collectively, these benefits are known as ‘ecosystem 
services’.  Apart  from  this,  cultural  aspects  such  as  language  diversity  in  the  Alps  are 
unique compared to the rest of EU (many isolated settlements with original languages such 
as Occitan, Franco-Provençal, Walser, Ladin, Friulian, etc.). It is therefore consistent with 
the  specific  natural  and  cultural  characteristics  of  the  Alps  that  there  are  also  already 
several UNESCO World Heritage Sites and several are pending. 

29 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Important parts of the natural richness of the Alps are the rivers, lakes and glaciers, which 
make  this  Region  the  ‘water  tower’  of  Europe.  This  natural  storage  mechanism  benefits 
some very important rivers in Europe, including the Rhine, Danube, Po and Rhône. These 
four  rivers  flow  through  15  countries,  including  ten  EU  Member  States.  In  some  seasons 
the  Alps  provide  up  to  90  percent  of  water  to  lowland  Europe,  particularly  to  arid  areas 
during  the  summer  months.  Preservation  of  the  quality  and  quantity  of  Alpine  water 
resources  is  therefore  very  important  to  Europe  as  a  whole.  One  important  threat  to  the 
water reserves of the Alps over the long term is climate change, which is expected to result 
in  melting  of  all  glacial  ice  in  the  entire  eastern  Alps  and  much  of  the  western  Alps  by 
2100. This shows that this action has to be closely interlinked with action 8 (To improve 
risk management and to better manage climate change). 

The need for the proposed action and its spatial macro-regional relevance 

The  action  ‘To  preserve  and  valorise  natural  resources,  including  water  and  cultural 
resources’  has  a  twofold  character.  With  regard  to  the  second  element,  the  term 
‘valorisation’ has to be interpreted in a broad sense, meaning that the resources are not only 
the  essential  basis  but  also  the  medium  of  territorial  development.  According  to  this 
approach,  preservation  and  valorisation  of  sources  like  biodiversity,  water  and  soil  are 
closely  interwoven.  The  sustainable  use  of  resources  and  protection  of  biodiversity  have 
not only an intrinsic value in themselves but have also proven to be highly beneficial for 
local economies especially in sectors such as tourism and quality food production that are 
very  important  for  the  Alpine  area.  In  this  regard  NATURA  2000  provides  a  range  of 
benefits to society and the economy which are important for the Alpine area. However, it 
must  be  underlined  that  there  are  conflicts  of  interest  between  the  elements  to  protect 
natural  resources  and  their  economic  use.  Dealing  with  these  issues  at  a  macro-regional 
level  could  ensure  expertise  and  exchanges  of  experience  with  local  and  regional 
stakeholders. It could also contribute to improving the multi-level governance of resource 
exploitation, and ensure that the interests of different territories and groups are reflected in 
a more balanced way when it comes to distribution of economic returns. The objective is to 
set  up  an  Alpine  strategic  framework  that  allows  the  establishment  of  sustainable  and 
balanced models of resource management and production. 

The issue of water resources is a paradigm, which is generally best addressed at the level of 
river basin management districts through corresponding river basin management plans. As 
water  flows  out  from  the  Alps,  the  Alpine  Region  does  not  have  river  basins  which  are 
common to all EUSALP countries. However, there is a similarity in terms of the types of 
water  reserves  (glaciers,  glacial  lakes,  fast-flowing  rivers  and  streams)  as  well  as  in  the 
challenges (especially climate change and hydropower). Therefore, the transnational river 
basin  management  plans/schemes,  the  sharing  of  knowledge  and  information  among 
stakeholders  facing  similar  circumstances,  as  well  as  the  identification  of  best  practice 
solutions can be of high added value. 

In  the  field  of  cultural  heritage,  the  use  of  Alpine  herbs  in  cosmetics,  pharmaceutical 
products  and  other  products  using  agricultural  raw  materials  is  already  practised,  for 
example  many  multinational  cosmetics  companies  market  products  containing  Alpine 
herbs.  However,  there  is  still  scope  to  find  innovative  ways  of  valorising  local  products, 
benefiting local Alpine communities, ensuring the authentic nature of these products, and 
providing  local  business  opportunities  (research  and  innovation,  manufacturing  and 

30 

 
 
 
marketing) and through the entire value chain enabling a stronger connection between the 
core Alpine area and the surrounding urbanised areas. In addition, valorisation is possible 
with regard to human settlements (art, buildings and churches). In this regard, exchange of 
experiences and best practices among stakeholders involved in these sectors is essential. 

This action addresses the high dynamic and large diversity within the Alpine area and at the 
same  time  provides  a  link  between  towns  and  rural,  core  and  peri-Alpine  areas.  This 
applies  especially  with  regard  to  potential  linkages  to  economic  aspects  like  the  ‘green 
economy’ and the bio-economy. Concerning the cultural aspects of the action, it has to be 
underlined that  they are  closely linked to the ‘regional identity’ of the territory  and are a 
particular asset of the territory in a European context. Furthermore, this action is of special 
importance because its main characteristic is its coherent common approach in contrast to 
many isolated activities within the territory. A further governance need beyond the existing 
institutional framework is that this action facilitates a better coordination between different 
actors according to sectors (nature protection, agriculture, processing industry, consumers), 
political  levels  (local,  regional  and  national  within  the  European  rural  development 
schemes),  and  territories  (both  producing  and  consuming,  with  particular  importance 
attached  to  the  relation  of  core  and  peri-Alpine  areas).  It  should  also  lead  to  stronger 
political ownership, as the topic has the potential to become a matter of common identity. 
This  is  also  underlined  by  the  fact  that  it  is  of  clear  spatial  relevance  as  it  addresses  the 
entire area: the Alpine Arc, the foothills and the urban areas. Especially due to this fact, this 
action is expected to encourage solidarity and mutual understanding between the core area 
and  the  metropolises  and  will  be  a  platform  to  join  ongoing  activities  and  to  gain  wider 
public and political attention to the Strategy itself. 

The table below provides an overview of examples of possible projects: 

Examples of possible projects  

•  Building  on  the  progresses  made  by  the  NATURA  2000  biogeographical  process, 
and in particular on the results of the Alpine Workshop and Seminar held in 2013 in 
Austria  and  of  the  Workshop  dedicated  to  river  restoration  held  in  Slovakia  in 
September 201419. 

•  Valorisation  of  the  services  of  the  Alpine  Region’s  ecosystems  and  of  their 

functional relationships within and outside its territories: 

o  Strengthening  the  range  of  benefits  to  society  and  the  economy  including 
tourism  provided  by  NATURA  2000,  taking  into  account  the  study  ‘The 
economic benefits of NATURA 2000 network’20. 

o  Promoting  traditional  land  use,  especially  farming,  in  order  to  foster 

biodiversity and preserve protected areas. 

o  Promoting services provided by forests for the protection of biodiversity and 

mitigation of climate change. 

o  Strengthening  soil  protection  and  sustainable  land  use  in  the  Alps,  in 
particular  regarding  the  issues  of  land  take  and  soil  sealing  and  the  risk  of 
landslides. 

o  Promoting labelling of sustainable goods produced in the area of the Strategy. 
•  Promoting integrated small-scale economic circuits in rural areas and balanced rural-

31 

 
 
 
urban  partnerships  with  the  objective  of  maintaining/creating  local  capacities  for 
sustainable  food  production  and  marketing  on  the  basis  of  endogenous  natural 
resources, local knowledge and social network capital. 

•  Creating  a  network  of  actors  for  integrated  management  of  the  Alpine  water  tower 

from the Alpine Arc to peripheral regions. 

•  Developing  an  action  plan  with  priorities,  opportunities,  costs  and  benefits  of 
decreasing fragmentation in rivers and other ecosystems limiting water management 
impacting  biodiversity  in  the  Alpine  Region  based  on  river  basin  units,  taking  into 
consideration  the  Alpine  Convention  Energy  Protocol  and  building  on  its  related 
activities21  and  on  the  activities  developed  by  the  Alpine  Convention  Water 
Management Platform22. 

Examples of indicators and targets: 

Indicator 

Unit 

Target value 

and 

development 

Unlocking  creative  potential 
in 
of 
the 
products 
services, 
and 
building  on  natural 
cultural resources through the 
development  of  an  ‘Alpine 
innovation label’ for products 
from 
the  ‘green  economy 
sector’  building  on  natural 
and 
resources 
including  bio-based  products 
in the bio-economy sector 

cultural 

Improved  valorisation  of  the 
an 
at 
resources 
Alpine 
international 
through 
level 
improved  representation  of 
the  Alpine  Sites  within  the 
UNESCO world list23 

Guaranteed  long-term  access 
through 
to  drinking  water 
public  water 
is 
(completely)  organised  by 
public  institutions  in  order  to 
ensure equal accessibility 

supply 

Watershed 
management 
systems  are  established  at 
cross-
transnational 
the 
sectorial 
an 
establishment 

and 
through 
of 

level 

Number of products 

Development  of 
label  and 
award  of this label  to at  least 
150 products or services over 
5 years 

N° of nominations 

new 

nominations 

2 
of 
UNESCO  World  heritage 
sites  by  UN  (especially  of 
trans-boundary 
serial 
transnational sites) 

and 

percent 
Regions/States 

of 

100 %  of  drinking  water 
state 
under 
supply 
supervision 

Yes/No 

established  with 
Network 
relevant  public 
institutions 
from  all  EUSALP  countries 
represented 

32 

 
 
 
 
stakeholders’ 
international 
network  for  integrated  water 
management  for  the  Alpine 
Region 

a 

integrated 
for 

‘identity’ 
Joint 
sustainable 
plan 
and 
development 
attractiveness  of  the  Alpine 
Region  based  on  richness  of 
different  natural,  bio-based, 
cultural  values  and  typical 
products 

Yes/No 

Joint plan developed 

Investments in valorisation of 
cultural  and  natural  heritage, 
in  ecosystem  services  and 
green infrastructures 

Number of enterprises 

200  enterprises  involved  in 
investments 

and 

enhance 
Protect 
agricultural 
forestry 
systems of high natural value 

and 

Percent  of  agricultural 
and forestry area 

Increase  in  the  percentage  of 
the surface of agricultural and 
under 
forestry 
areas 
supporting 
commitments 
biodiversity  in  line  with  the 
EU Biodiversity Strategy, the 
EU  Forest  Strategy  and  the 
Rural  Development 
EU 
Policy  as  laid  down  in  the 
Rural 
Development 
Programmes 

Action 7: To develop ecological connectivity in the whole EUSALP territory 

The integrity and functioning of ecosystems, including the conservation of biodiversity and 
provision  of  ecosystem  services,  largely  depend  on  the  existence  of  effective  ecological 
connectivity.  The  promotion  of  ecological  corridors  and  also  of  green  infrastructures  in 
unprotected  areas  has  been  suggested  through  the  public  consultation  and  is  currently 
largely missing. 

Regional characteristics concerning the proposed action 

The Alps are very rich in protected areas, which cover up to 25 percent of their territory. 
However,  the  co-existence  of  protected  areas  on  the  one  hand  and  intensively  used 
territories on the other hand (e.g. through transport, settlement and tourism) has the effect 
of  increasing  fragmentation  and  entails  the  danger  of  creating  a  dichotomy  between 
protected  and  unprotected  areas.  This  dichotomy  exists  especially  in  small  and  narrow 
Alpine  valleys,  but  of  course  also  on  a  larger  scale  (‘protected  Alps’,  ‘protected 
environmental  Alpine  containment’).  This  poses  a  big  threat  to  Alpine  biodiversity  and 
prevents  essential  ecological  processes  from  taking  place.  Furthermore,  the  Alps  have  a 
number  of  ecological  links  respecting  physical  corridors  with  other  mountain  areas  in 

33 

 
 
 
 
Europe. These traditional migration routes for wildlife are currently at least partly defective 
or interrupted due to the high number of roads and motorways as well as a further increase 
in settlements (this applies for example to the links between the Alps and the Carpathians, 
the  Dinaric  Alps/Balkans,  the  Apennines,  Jura  Mountains  and  the  Vosges).  All  of  this 
shows that often only the Alps as such are regarded as a protected and ‘recreational area’, 
whereas the so-called surroundings or the hinterland are considered to be ‘land for use’. In 
this regard we need a change of mind-set, a better-integrated view and more environmental 
accountability. 

The need for the proposed action and its spatial macro-regional relevance 

The promotion of ecological connectivity will therefore be an important priority. Land-use 
policies,  sprawl  and  high  pressure  from  human  activities  will  also  be  addressed.  Projects 
which  focus  not  only  on  protected  areas  but  also  on  common  rules  for  landscape 
development  to  promote  ecological  connectivity  have  been  suggested  in  the  public 
consultation, as they are currently largely missing. 

The EU-wide Strategy on Green Infrastructure is addressing the spatial structure of natural 
and  semi-natural  areas  but  also  other  environmental  features  which  enable  citizens  to 
benefit from its multiple services. The underlying principle of Green Infrastructure is that 
the  same  area  of  land  can  frequently  offer  multiple  benefits  if  its  ecosystems  are  in  a 
healthy state. Green Infrastructure investments are generally characterised by a high level 
of return over time, they provide job opportunities, and can be a cost-effective alternative 
or  complementary  to  ‘grey’  infrastructure  and  intensive  land  use  change.  It  serves  the 
interests of both people and nature. Green Infrastructure also reflects the fact that there are 
long-term  experiences  in  the  core  area  of  the  Alps.  However,  there  is  a  need  to  define 
Green Infrastructure at a regional level and to create stronger links between the core area 
and the surroundings. Apart from this, there is further need for better coordination between 
national policies, across different sectors and in spatial terms (core area and surroundings). 
Connectivity is not just connecting protected areas but also integrating the issue in a wider 
territorial  scale  and  in  a  cross-sectorial  approach.  Particularly  this  point  underlines  the 
governance needs beyond the given institutional framework. Therefore, a main feature of 
this  action  will  be  a  multi-level  approach  to  ensure  consistent  implementation  of  EU 
policies.  This  means  that  the  existing  networks  of  protected  areas  (e.g.  NATURA  2000) 
will  be  further  strengthened.  In  addition  all  activities  to  improve  connectivity  will  also 
involve policy fields other than nature protection (such as spatial planning) and territories 
which are not protected. Against this background the main feature of this action will be that 
it  addresses  connectivity  between  the  Alpine  core  and  peri-Alpine  area  on  a  wider 
geographical  scale  but also on regional scale between rural and urban areas, bridging the 
areas of high natural value. However, this action will also strengthen the above-mentioned 
links to other mountain regions. 

The table below provides an overview of examples of possible projects: 

Examples of possible projects  

•  Sharing  the  concept  of  ecological  connectivity  and  the  results  of  relevant  projects 
with  a  wide  range  of  sectors  and  administrations  (such  as  municipalities), 
contributing to the preparation and implementation of measures aimed at protecting 

34 

 
 
 
 
or  enhancing  ecological  connectivity  and  biodiversity  within  the  Alps  and  with 
adjacent regions. 

•  Set up of a comprehensive macro-regional scheme in the Alpine Region, ensuring a 
broad,  consistent  and  coordinated  process,  aimed  at  enhancing  Alpine  ecological 
connectivity at a larger scale, including a recommendation dimension, and make the 
Alps one candidate for a Green Infrastructure of European-wide  importance (TEN-
G). 

•  Promoting  implementation  of  ecological  networks  at  macro-regional  level,  by 
making  best  use  of  experiences  from  protected  areas  and  by  strengthening  cross-
border  cooperation  in  the  design  and  management  of  protected  areas  such  as 
NATURA 2000 sites, building also on the joint French-Italian European Grouping of 
Territorial  Cooperation  (EGTC)  in  the  Mercantour-Marittime  area24,  the  Econnect 
project25,  the  activities  developed  by  ALPARC26  and  by  Alpine  Convention 
Ecological  Network  Platform27,  and  avoiding  further  fragmentation  between 
protected areas and other areas. 

•  Strengthening  connectivity,  long-range  movements  and  cross-border  presence  of 
large  carnivore  species,  taking  into  account  the  European  Commission  Large 
Carnivore  initiative  and  the  platform  dedicated  to  cohabitation  between  large 
carnivores  and  human  beings28  and  building  on  the  work  done  by  the  Alpine 
Convention WISO platform29 on sharing of information, exchange of best practices, 
cross-border protection and management of large carnivores. 

•  Strengthening  ecological  continuity  and  connectivity  between  the  Alps  and  other 
mountain ranges and sharing of experiences with other mountain ranges, such as the 
Carpathians, building also on the Alpine-Carpathian corridor project30. 

•  Promoting  the  development  of  a  joint  guiding,  integrated,  trans-sectoral  landscape 
vision for the Alps. This vision should be based on existing biodiversity policies and 
strategies,  both  at  EU  level  and  at  a  national  and  provincial  level,  but  it  must  be 
supplemented by concrete actions that will guide the implementation on the ground. 

Examples of indicators and targets: 

Unit 

Yes/No 

Target value 

Alpine-wide 
software is established 

standardised 

Indicator 

Alpine States and Regions are 
sharing 
cross-border 
harmonised  information  and 
ecological 
on 
methods 
connectivity 
the 
implementation  of  an  Alpine-
wide  standardised  publicly 
accessible software tool  

through 

35 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Yes/No 

Joint  monitoring 
established 

system 

of 

through  a 

Alpine States and Regions are 
sharing 
cross-border 
harmonised  information  and 
methods 
joint 
landscape 
monitoring 
fragmentation 
using 
European-wide indicators e.g. 
effective  mesh  size,  effective 
mesh density, weighted urban 
sprawl, indicator species) and 
implementation of results into 
systems 
other  monitoring 
(e.g.  biodiversity  monitoring 
or  monitoring  of  sustainable 
development) 

Yes/No 

Strategic  vision  developed  on 
an  Alpine  level  and  officially 
endorsed  by  all  EUSALP 
countries 

Number  of  planning 
instruments referring to 
landscape vision 

50 %  of  States  and  Regions 
their  planning 
referring 
in 
the  Alpine 
to 
instruments 
landscape vision 

Number 
adopted 

of 

plans 

1  additional  concept  per 
region per year. 

Development  of  a 
trans-
sectorial  strategic  landscape 
vision  to  improve  ecological 
connectivity  between 
and 
outside  protected  areas  and 
between 
surrounding 
mountainous regions 

planning 

Connectivity is integrated into 
spatial 
and 
coordinated  with  all  relevant 
sectors  through  consideration 
of  the  trans-sectorial  strategic 
landscape  vision  in  regional 
and  national  spatial  planning 
instruments 

at 

Adoption  of  plans  and/or 
exploiting 
programmes 
international 
synergies 
level between protected areas, 
such as the NATURA 2000 or 
Emerald  network  sites, 
in 
view  of  improving  ecological 
connectivity 
the  whole 
in 
Alpine Region 

36 

 
 
 
 
 
 
including major natural risks prevention 

Due to its geomorphological conformation, the Alpine territory is extremely vulnerable to 
environmental  disasters,  which  can  cause  severe  damages  to  ecosystems,  people  and 
infrastructures.  The  existing  circumstances  and  risks  are  further  exacerbated  by  the 
occurring climate change causing additional pressure and challenges in terms of availability 
of  resources  and  threats  to  population.  With  regard  to  environmental  disasters,  the  focus 
will  be  for  example  to  conduct  an  adequate  comprehensive  risk  assessment  and  to 
implement a disaster risk management policy. As regards climate change, the focus will be 
for  example  on  conducting  a  comprehensive  vulnerability  assessment  of  the  affected 
sectors and systems and to develop a regional strategy on adapting to climate change. 

Regional characteristics concerning the proposed action 

The Alpine Region is particularly vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change as 
recognised  by  the  EU  Strategy  on  adaptation  to  climate  change.  In  the  20th  century,  the 
temperature in the Alps increased by almost 2°C, while during the same period temperature 
increase  in  nearby  regions  averaged  around  1°C.  Small  glaciers  are  likely  to  disappear, 
while  larger  glaciers  will  suffer  a  volume  reduction  of  between  30 %  and  70 %  by  2050. 
This will lead to a significant impact on the quantity, quality and seasonal distribution of 
water with an especially large reduction of water discharge in summer. 

Biodiversity is under threat, with the European Environment Agency (EEA) estimating that 
up to 60 percent of plant species can become extinct if they are unable to adapt by moving 
northwards or uphill. The melting of permafrost above an altitude of 2 500 m will lead to 
landslides and rock falls more often than in the past. Consequently, an important share of 
climate  sensitive  sectors  and  systems  further  increase  the  economic  vulnerability  of  the 
Region. Although these illustrations do not completely reflect all relations, they show how 
closely  different  actions  are  interlinked.  Serious  impacts  on  biodiversity  and  the  water 
tower role of the Alps show how closely actions 6-8 are interlinked. 

The need for the proposed action and its spatial macro-regional relevance 

This  action  addresses  the  entire  EUSALP  Alpine  area,  but  at  the  same  time  respects  the 
specificities  of  the  core  and  peripheral  areas.  With  regard  to  environmental  disasters,  the 
focus  will  be  for  example  to  conduct  an  adequate  comprehensive  risk  assessment  and  to 
implement a disaster risk management policy. Concerning climate change, comprehensive 
actions to adapt to the new circumstances are needed. Enhancing cooperation, establishing 
efficient  management  systems  and  joint  regional  responses  in  this  area  will  make  the 
Region  more  resilient  to  such  changes.  Due  to  the  fact  that  the  territory  is  a  hotspot  of 
climate  change,  it  can  serve  as  a  reference  area  in  Europe  in  terms  of  observation  and 
management of its effects. With regard to climate change, the focus will be for example to 
conduct a comprehensive vulnerability assessment of the affected sectors and systems and 
to  develop  a  regional  strategy  on  adaptation  to  climate  change.  The  adaptation  actions 
pursued should be in line with the national adaptation strategies of the Alpine countries31. 
In addition, both dimensions (risk management and climate change) need to be combined, 
because they are closely interrelated. Furthermore, concerning the needs posed by climate 
change, there is added value in cooperation between the Alpine Region and the EU (i.e. the 
European  Environment  Agency  and/or  the  European  Commission)  to  address  this 
challenge, because it requires action in the Alps but has much wider trans-boundary effects 

37 

 
 
 
in the whole of Europe. Considering the scale of the impact on Alpine water reserves which 
will be caused by climate change, there is a need to considerably scale up activities in this 
field. Cooperation with stakeholders implementing the EU Strategy for the Danube Region 
(EUSDR) should also be envisaged, as some of the States and Regions are covered by the 
two strategies. Finally, the existing cooperation, which already has a macro-regional nature, 
should  be  strengthened.  Exchange  of  knowledge  and  good  practice  with  other  mountain 
areas, such as the Carpathian region, is relevant in this regard. In sum, there is no coherent 
international legal climate change framework for the Alps that addresses these questions. 

Concerning  the  governance  needs  beyond  the  given  institutional  framework,  both 
dimensions of this action will focus on good cross-boundary coordination and harmonised 
policies. Moreover, this action will allow a better coordination between different political 
levels  (integrating  European,  national  and  regional  scale)  and  will  cluster  all  relevant 
projects within one integrated action. 

The table below provides an overview of examples of possible projects: 

Examples of possible projects 

•  Set up of a Virtual Alps Observatory which brings together Alpine research centres 
and  helps  to  improve  prognosis  and  common  efforts  in  the  research  on  climate 
change adaptation, concerning areas like atmosphere, Alpine environment and water 
balance. 

•  Strengthening  of  existing  Alpine  platforms  for  integrated  risk  management  for  the 
mobilisation of Alpine skills, through benchmarking of current practices in the field 
of risk management with regards to climate change consequences. 

•  Research  on  regional  and  transboundary  adaptation,  fostering  the  use  of  more 
standard data and protocols for risk assessment in the Alpine Region. Many direct or 
indirect  impacts  of  climate  change  spill  over  frontiers  (e.g.  on  biodiversity,  health, 
water  resources,  etc.)  and  can  be  better  assessed  regionally,  complementing  more 
spatially delimited approaches. 

•  Specific  programmes  involving  monitoring,  modelling  and  evaluation,  to  quantify 

climate change, identify hot spots, evaluate impacts and support adaptation: 

o  Development  of  solutions  to  the  need  for  very  high  resolution  models  to 
capture  climate  variability  of  mountains  and  to  allow  for  realistic  impact 
projections. 

o  Development of integrated assessments to address the confluence of several 

effects of climate change. 

• 

In  close  cooperation  with  action  7  promoting  the  use  of  Green  Infrastructure 
implementation as a risk management tool in the sense of mitigation and adaptation 
in the Alps for climate change induced risks, taking into consideration the important 
role of natural areas, especially Natura 2000 sites. 

Examples of indicators and targets: 

38 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Indicator 

Unit 

Target 

Improve adaptation strategies through 

Development of a strategy for 
observation  and  modelling  of 
climate  change  impact  and 
vulnerability assessments.  

Creation  of  an  Alpine 
of 
network 
climate 
change 
observatories 
(Yes/No) 

Yes  (strategy  available 
regularly updated version) 

in 

Creation of an Alpine network 
change 
of 
observatories  

climate 

Yes/No 

of 

strategy 

Develop 
an  Alpine 
and 
adaptation 
accompanying  action  plan 
based  on  a  comprehensive 
vulnerability  assessment  and 
in 
the  existing 
national adaptation strategies  

line  with 

of 

risk 
Implementation 
management 
information 
systems  and  early  warning 
systems  (EAS)  at  regional 
level 

mechanisms 
Coordination 
risk 
between 
management 
climate 
change adaptation established 

disaster 
and 

An  Alpine  adaptation 
strategy exists (Yes/No) 

Action 
(Yes/No) 

Plan 

exists 

Number 
implementing 
according to AP 

of 
actions 

Percent of regions 

Percent of regions 

Creation  of  observatory  with 
countries 
all 
participating 

EUSALP 

Yes  (1  Alpine  adaptation 
strategy available in regularly 
updated version) 

Continuously 
number 

increasing 

Percent  of  regions  having 
risk management information 
EAS 
systems 
implemented. 
Information 
available to stakeholders. 

and 

Percent  of  regions  having 
coordination  mechanisms  in 
place 

Action 9: To make the territory a model region for energy efficiency and renewable 
energy 

This  action  focuses  on  promoting  energy  efficiency  and  the  production  and  use  of 
renewable energy in the Alpine Region, in line with the EU’s energy efficiency framework 
and the Energy Union Package. Energy policy in the Region focuses on energy efficiency 
in the public and private sectors. A significant reduction in energy consumption could be 
achieved,  in  particular  in  the  housing  sector.  The  Alpine  Region  has  substantial  potential 
for renewable energy production which must be developed in a balanced way, taking into 
account ecological, economical and land use issues and considering societal trade-offs. 

Regional characteristics 

The countries in the Alpine Region have a strong potential related to energy efficiency, in 

39 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
particular in the building sector. This provides an ideal framework for working together on 
innovative  solutions  for  the  Alpine  Region.  Due  to  the  vulnerability  of  the  Region  to  the 
effects  of  climate  change  there  is  a  certain  degree  of  awareness  within  the  population 
concerning  the  need  for  saving  energy.  The  Alpine  Region  developed  several  isolated 
energy  efficiency  solutions  like  highly  energy  efficient  buildings  or  sustainable  mobility 
solutions. Further, it is feasible to extend existing energy model regions to the whole area 
of the Alpine Region and thus create a model Alpine Region of modern energy efficiency. 

The Alpine Region plays an important role when it comes to the production of renewable 
energies  providing  hydropower,  solar  energy,  biomass,  wind  energy  and  geothermal 
sources.  The  major  energy  resource  available  in  the  Alpine  Region  is  hydropower,  being 
one of the most important energy economic components. It is already used intensively in 
over 100 large hydroelectric plants with a total capacity of more than 28 Gigawatts [GW]. 
Added  to  this,  the  high  number  of  smaller  hydroelectric  plants  also  has  an  impact  on  the 
Alpine  ecosystem.  In  particular,  hydropower  has  a  high  potential  as  an  energy  storage 
system  (the  ‘battery’  function  –  pumped  storage  hydropower).  However,  a  balance  of 
interests between energy policy, nature protection and land use purposes is crucial for the 
further prosperous development of the Region, also taking into account the different needs 
in mountain regions and plains. 

The Alpine Region will make a long-term contribution to meeting Europe’s energy needs 
and at the same time people in that Region need to have sufficient energy resources at their 
disposal to improve local living conditions and economic productivity. 

The need for action and its spatial macro-regional relevance 

This action addresses the entire EUSALP Alpine area, whereas in particular the solidarity 
aspect is relevant between rural and urban areas at a regional scale but also on a wider scale 
between core and peri-Alpine areas. 

The  European  Union  has  developed  a  comprehensive  energy  efficiency  framework 
(COM(2014)  520  final)  that  rests  on  an  indicative  headline  target  of  20 %  of  energy 
savings  by  2020  and  is  currently  comprised  of  the  EU  Energy  Efficiency  Directive 
(Directive 2012/27/EU of the European Parliament and the Council of 25 October 2012 on 
energy efficiency). As regards energy efficiency, an unbalanced expertise in the territory of 
the  Alpine  Region  can  be  identified.  In  some  areas  of  the  Region  there  is  world-leading 
know-how, whereas in other parts this still needs to be developed. This knowledge could be 
transferred thanks to a comparable territorial setting. A certain number of possible projects 
have  the  potential  for  visible  short-term  results.  This  will  also  help  to  raise  political 
visibility in order to increase energy efficiency in the whole EUSALP territory. In addition 
to  small-scale  projects,  the  promotion  of  energy  efficiency  requires  a  wider  framework 
which  provides  the  needed  legislative  and  financial  support  for  the  development  of 
sustainable  energy  solutions.  Support  schemes  and  the  legislative  framework  aimed  at 
addressing non-financial barriers to energy efficiency differ from one country to the other, 
and not all countries in the Alpine Region have equally supportive policy frameworks. A 
crucial  aspect  of  this  action  will  be  the  setting  of  new  impulses  and  leverage  effects  by 
combining currently individual measures to one integrated action (‘Energy efficient Alps’). 

According  to  the  Energy  Union  Package  (COM(2015)  80  final),  the  European  Union  is 
committed  to  becoming  the  world  leader  in  renewable  energy,  the  global  hub  for 
developing  the  next  generation  of  technically  advanced  and  competitive  renewable 

40 

 
 
 
energies.  The  EU  has  also  set  an  EU  target  of  at  least  27 %  for  the  share  of  renewable 
energy  consumed  in  the  EU  in  2030.  In  the  Alps,  the  coverage  of  energy  demands  by 
renewable  resources  with  the  aim  of  carbon-free  production  is  a  top  priority.  The  Alpine 
Region is an ideal region to reach energy autonomy. In the light of the aim of developing 
into a model region for renewable energy, in a united exchange between the mountain area 
and the plains, it is of high importance to make use of the renewable energy resources in a 
smart way. This means taking into account ecological, economical and land use aspects but 
also  considering  social  trade-offs.  The  acceptance  within  the  population  of  the  whole 
EUSALP territory is essential. 

efficiency 

Resource 
and 
requires  well-functioning  networks, 
interoperability. The action will help identify how developments in energy efficiency and 
renewable  energy  drive 
infrastructure.  Cross-border 
cooperation in the planning and development of energy infrastructure is addressed through 
national and European network development plans and the action will give useful feedback 
to  these  processes,  e.g.  in  terms  of  helping  to  ensure  that  energy  networks  are  suitably 
prepared for renewable energy. 

investment  needs 

interconnections 

in  energy 

The table below provides an overview of examples of possible projects: 

Examples of possible projects  

41 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
•  Setting  up  an  Alpine  energy  efficiency  cluster.  This  Alpine  Energy  Efficiency 
Cluster  would  aim  at:  Being  a  forum  for  cooperation  and  innovation;  Bringing 
technical  solutions,  adapted  to  the  specific  energy  needs  of  the  Alpine  Region; 
Developing  energy  efficiency  processes  and  products  particularly  adapted  to  the 
Alpine Region, especially in the housing and mobility sectors. 

• 

‘Greening  the  Alpine  infrastructure’  focusing  on  energy  efficiency  in  the  building 
sector.  The  intent  is  to  develop  harmonised,  affordable  and  operational  assessment 
tools  to  be  used  by  public  authorities  in  policies  targeted  to  promote  and  boost 
sustainable and low-carbon buildings in the Alpine Region. 

•  Setting up an Alpine renewable energy cluster. 

•  Smart  energy  management  systems  in  Alpine  areas.  Developing,  sharing  and 
installing  energy  efficiency  and  decentralised  RES  monitoring  systems  at  the  local 
level  (i.e.  municipalities  of  the  Alpine  area)  to  monitor  public  lighting,  RES  units, 
waste collection, means of transport and freight traffic. Existing best practices among 
municipalities of the Alpine area can lead the way. 

•  Projects  that  support  a  better  use  of  local  resources  to  increase  energy  self 

sufficiency and reduce climate and environmental impacts. 

o  A) Setting up bio-energy supply chains based on sustainable woody biomass 
resources in the Alpine Regions and on the optmisation of co-generation. The 
aim  is  to  support  the  use  of  local  biomass  resources,  encouraging  a 
sustainable  use  of  forests  and  to  enhance  the  mitigation  role  of  the  forest 
sector (forests, forest products and bioenergy). 

o  B)  Develop  an  integrated  territorial  approach  to  waste  management.  Laying 
out  integrated  plans  and  measures  to  enhance  waste  management  and 
encourage its use for energy purposes (particularly  manure, waste  treatment 
by-products). The goal is to develop win-win solutions that reduce the impact 
of  waste  disposal,  and  waste  transport,  generate  energy,  reduce  the 
environmental 
labour 
opportunities. 

impact  of  waste  management  and 

increase 

Examples of indicators and targets: 

Indicator 

Unit 

Target value 

Establishment  of  a  cluster  on 
Alpine  Energy  Efficiency 
(e.g. for buildings) 

Number 
stakeholders 
cluster 

of 
the 

in 

Renewable energy production 
in the Alps 

TWh,  in  total  and  by 
RES source 

42 

least  200  stakeholders 
cluster 
all  EUSALP 

At 
involved 
representing 
countries 

the 

in 

Increasing  RES  production  in 
the  whole  EUSALP  territory 
in  proportion  to  the  EU  RES 
target  for  each  State  and 
in  particular  by 
Region, 
improving  the  efficiency  of 

 
 
 
 
the 

through 

Alpine 
‘Greening 
the 
infrastructure’ 
and 
development 
implementation 
joint 
energy efficiency indicators32 

of 

Organisation  of  a  continuous 
energy  dialogue  with 
the 
public 

exiting power plants 

Set  of  Alpine-wide 
indicators  is  developed 
or  implemented  (Yes  / 
No) 

Yes 

of 

Number 
administrative 
(approval 
procedures 
funding 
procedures, 
public 
schemes, 
procurement 
law) 
including  joint  Energy 
Indicators 
Efficiency 
Alpine 
for 
on 
infrastructure 
different 
levels 
(international,  national, 
regional) 

Number  of  participants 
in dialogue 

1  administrative  procedure 
per State/Region 

120  participants  involved  in 
energy  dialogue 
annually, 
with  all  EUSALP  countries 
represented 

Development  of  a  set  of 
sustainability 
for 
electricity grids  

criteria 

Development  of  a  set 
of sustainability criteria 
for electricity grids  

Development  of  a  set  of 
sustainability 
for 
electricity grids  

criteria 

transnational 
Strengthen 
cooperation  when  planning 
and 
energy 
infrastructure 

evaluating 

Number 
transnational 
agreements 

of 

Development of smart energy 
monitoring  and  management 
systems  

Number 
energy 
platforms 

of 
smart 
monitoring 

up 

Set 
bioenergy supply chains 

of 

sustainable 

of  woody 
Tonnes 
biomass 
for 
used 
energy purposes 

Number of municipalities that 
have  shared  and  adopted 
smart  energy  management 
systems 

Amount  of  biomass  used 
sustainable 
according 
to 
approaches/schemes 
(PEFC, 
certified  by 
FSC,  LCA, 
biomass 
sustainability 
standards) 

local 
Integrated  plans 
waste management for energy 

for 

KWh  produced  from 
local  waste 
different 
(domestic 
sources 

Number  of  municipalities 
adopting the plans 

43 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
use 

organic  waste,  manure 
etc.) 

Links with other objectives 

The  objective  ‘A  more  inclusive  environmental  framework  and  renewable  and  reliable 
energy  solutions  for  the  future’  runs  across  the  other  three  objectives  of  the  Strategy.  Its 
aim is to limit the ecological footprint of, for example, transport and energy projects. 

Another link to the other objectives is that it directs attention to how environmental quality 
can ultimately enhance prospects for smart and inclusive growth under the other objectives, 
for example making the Alps a circular economy hotspot and a case-study for other macro-
regions.  Furthermore,  it  contributes  to  sustainable  nature-based  tourism  by  ensuring 
preservation of natural resources and the cultural heritage on which tourism depends. 

This objective also contributes to bolstering the resilience of macro-region’s economies and 
societies in the face of existing and/or potential impacts of climate change. Among others, 
changes  in  temperature,  precipitation  and  the  frequency  of  extreme  weather  events  will 
affect  future  energy  production,  transmission  and  consumption  in  the  Alpine  Region. 
Therefore climate change adaptation measures are required to increase the resilience of the 
energy sector at both the large-scale and household levels to changing climate conditions. 
Another strong link to the first objective, which comes from the Europe 2020 Strategy, is 
that investing in cleaner, low-carbon technologies will help our environment, contribute to 
fighting climate change and create new business and employment opportunities. There are 
other  concrete  conjunctions  that  concern  the  three  other  objectives  even-handedly.  An 
example is that the issue of ecological connectivity could be combined with ‘connectivity-
actions’  in  the  areas  of  transport,  social  connectivity  and  jobs  creation.  This  would  mean 
developing  the  Alpine  area  from  a  territory  of  barriers  to  a  connected  roof  of  Europe.  In 
sum, economic activity and transport have a significant impact on the environment in the 
macro-region; there are therefore strong links to the three other objectives of the Strategy. 

Support for the Europe 2020 Strategy 

The  actions  envisaged  are  expected  to  contribute  to  attaining  a  good  ecological  and 
environmental  status  for  the  whole  ecosystems  by  2020.  Therefore,  this  policy  area 
strongly supports the Europe 2020 Strategy: 

It contributes to smart growth by strengthening of technical and scientific capacities and 
establishment of common platforms and innovative solutions for research, observation and 
monitoring.  The  Strategy  is  also  in  line  with  the  flagship  initiative  ‘Innovation  Union’. 
With  this  initiative  the  Commission  declared  a  strategic  research  agenda  focused  on 
challenges  such  as  climate  change  and  resource  efficiency,  environmentally-friendly 
production  methods  and  land  management,  and  to  enhance  joint  programming  with 
Member States and regions. 

It contributes to sustainable growth, in particular to the objectives of ‘A resource-efficient 
Europe – Flagship initiative under the Europe 2020 Strategy’. The actions under this policy 
area will support efficient and sustainable use of natural resources, including preservation 
of biodiversity, habitats, ecosystems, water and minerals and will contribute to minimising 
the  impact  of  climate  change  on  ecosystems.  Close  cooperation  with  the  Network  of 
Energy  and  Managing  Authorities  (EMA),  which  brings  together  representatives  from 
national energy authorities and from Managing Authorities and with the European Network 

44 

 
 
 
of  Environmental  Authorities  for  the  Cohesion  Policy  (ENEA),  can  contribute  to 
sustainable growth. 

It  contributes  to  inclusive  growth  by  promoting  stakeholder  involvement  in  exploring 
sustainable  options,  including  the  involvement  notably  of  farmers  and  all  other  relevant 
actors,  thereby  ensuring  the  economic  and  social  sustainability  of  actions.  Moreover, 
investments in the area of the third objective can provide great returns for the population of 
the macro-region in terms of growth and jobs. 

Taking appropriate actions to address environmental and energy issues faced by the macro-
region  will  contribute  to  implementing  the  EU  Environmental  and  Energy  acquis  and 
policy  documents,  in  particular  the  Habitats  and  Birds  Directives,  the  Water  Framework 
Directive,  the  7th  Environment  Action  Programme,  and  the  Biodiversity,  Green 
Infrastructure,  Soil,  Forest  Climate  Change  Adaptation  Strategies,  the  Energy  Union 
Package, the Energy Efficiency Communication 2014, the Energy Efficiency Directive and 
the 
the  Renewable  Energy  Directive.  Furthermore, 
implementation  of  the  Alpine  Convention,  which  is  also  part  of  the  EU  environmental 
acquis, as the EU, together with all the countries involved in the Strategy, is a Contracting 
Party, and to most of its thematic protocols33 and related documents, such as the Climate 
Change Declaration and Action Plan34. 

these  actions  contribute 

to 

CROSS-CUTTING POLICY AREA: GOVERNANCE, INCLUDING INSTITUTIONAL 
CAPACITY 

4th  OBJECTIVE:  A  sound  macro-regional  governance  model  for  the  Region  (to 
improve cooperation and the coordination of action) 

Background 

Finding the right governance arrangements for collaboration is one of the most complex tasks 
for macro-regional cooperation and one of major importance as well.  

Further to the adoption by the Commission of the report concerning the added value of macro-
regional  strategies35,  which  underlines  that  the  governance  issue  is  one  of  the  outstanding 
questions  in  the  implementation  phase,  a  Communication  on  the  governance  of  macro-
regional  strategies  was  adopted  by  the  Commission36,  followed  by  Council  conclusions37. 
They  both  emphasise  the  importance  of  involving  all  actors  and  stakeholders,  the  need  to 
ensure political leadership and ownership, sound coordination and implementation, as well as 
the need to cooperate between these three levels of governance. 

The OECD also considers that governance is a key issue and can have a significant impact on 
the success or failure of public policies. 

In  various  reports  and  territorial  reviews38,  it  points  out  that  governments  are  seeking  new 
ways  to  work  effectively  with  their  regions  and  cities.  This  means  looking  beyond 
administrative  boundaries  to  consider  ‘functional’  areas  and  to  better  understand  the  links 
between different types of regions. Policy must take better account of the places where people 
live and the issues that matter for their daily lives. 

45 

 
 
It  also  underlines  the  positive  impact  of  an  efficient  trans-border  governance  system  on  the 
implementation  of  policies,  even  though  it  acknowledges  that  governance  frameworks 
covering different countries are complex and that the process is inevitably gradual. 

This  overall  background  sets  the  scene  for  the  establishment  of  a  sound  and  effective 
governance system for EUSALP. 

Governance of EUSALP 

The EUSALP governance model has to ensure a sound and effective implementation of the 
Strategy, which will contribute to reaching its thematic objectives. 

The  governance  system  for  EUSALP  will  take  into  account  some  specific  features  of  the 
Alpine Region and of the Strategy: 

a)  The  Alpine  Region  already  has  a  long  tradition  of  cooperation.  A  high  diversity  of 
structures  is  already  operating  in  the  area  with  a  wide  variety  of  governance  systems. 
Countries,  regions,  policy  strategies,  sectors,  and  funding  resources  should  avoid 
compartmentalisation  –  be  it  between  sectorial  policies,  actors  or  different  tiers  of 
government. There is a need for an approach that encourages participants to overcome not 
only national frontiers, but also sectors and barriers in order to allow thinking that is more 
strategic  and  imaginative  concerning  the  opportunities  available.  This  strategic  approach 
should  also  ensure  consistency  between  existing  initiatives,  avoiding  duplications  and 
providing an alignment to existing financial instruments. 

In  addition  to  the  guiding  principles  adopted  by  the  Council  and  described  above,  the 
governance system that will be designed in EUSALP also needs to take into account some 
specific features of the Alpine Region and of the Strategy. 

b) The Strategy has been developed around interlinked policy areas. The governance structure 

that will be adopted should also consider and reflect this cross-cutting aspect. 

The  basis  of  the  governance  system  of  the  Strategy  has  been  laid  down  in  the  Milan 
Declaration  of  the  Alpine  States  and  Regions,  adopted  at  the  EUSALP  Stakeholder 
Conference in Milan on 1 December 2014. It is in accordance with the Grenoble Political 
Resolution of 18 October 2013, the Commission report on governance of macro-regional 
strategies39 and the Council Conclusions of 21 October 2014. 

The  detailed  governance  and  management  arrangements  of  EUSALP  will  be  further 
developed by the participating States and Regions in cooperation with the Commission after 
the adoption of the macro-regional strategy by the Commission and before its endorsement by 
the European Council. 

The general functioning of the Strategy is described below. It is based on experience with the 
existing  strategies,  and  takes  into  account  the  Commission  report  on  governance  of  macro-
regional strategies40 and the Council Conclusions, and specificities of the Alpine Region.  

Political leadership 

Political leadership implies both a political and operational dimension. Strong and structured 
political  support,  with  ministers  determining  the  overall  direction  of  the  Strategy,  taking 
ownership  and  responsibility,  aligning  policies  and  funds,  and  providing  the  resources  and 
status for decision making, is crucial. 

46 

 
 
This  level  should  ensure  the  overall  political  orientation  as  well  as  providing  strategic 
thematic  guidance  and  decisions  on  actions.  To  ensure  a  balanced  distribution,  a  rotating 
presidency will be set up. It can be allocated to all participating States and Regions with the 
agreement of the Commission. As already experienced in other macro-regional strategies, the 
organisation of a ministerial meeting concerning each policy area gathering together ministers 
and/or  presidents  of  the  Regions  (according  to  the  political  and  institutional  organisation  in 
each  State  and  Region)  on  a  regular  basis  is  considered  as  a  good  practice.  It  would  help 
maintain  the  political  momentum  of  the  Strategy  in  the  area  concerned  and  deliver  clear 
political messages about actions to take and priorities to achieve. 

Each country should show its commitment, in particular by making sure that the key partners 
in the implementation of the Strategy (such as coordinators and implementers at objective and 
actions level) get the necessary recognition and legitimacy to fulfil their  tasks. They should 
receive  a  clear  mandate  and  appropriate  resources  and  time  allowing  them  to  work  in 
satisfactory  conditions  and  in  effective  collaboration  with  the  relevant  national/regional 
administrative departments and policy-making and implementing bodies. 

As regards the level of overall political steering and decision-making, the Milan Declaration 
foresees  the  setup  of  ‘a  General  Assembly  to  be  held  on  a  regular  basis’.  The  General 
Assembly  should  gather  the  high-level  political  representatives  of  States  and  Regions 
involved in the Strategy, the European Commission, and the Alpine Convention as observer. 
Decisions  should  be  made  by  consensus,  with  one  vote  for  each  country  delegation.  The 
European Commission will act as a facilitator and coordinator and will co-chair the meetings, 
without  voting  right.  The  Commission  will  confirm  that  decisions  taken  by  the  General 
assembly comply with EU legislation, when appropriate. 

The  General  Assembly  should  mainly  be  responsible  for  laying  down  the  general  political 
guidelines  for  the  Strategy.  Furthermore,  the  General  Assembly  has  the  possibility  of 
organising  ministerial  meetings  in  order  to  create  the  necessary  political  awareness  for  the 
Strategy. 

Annually,  the  general  Assembly  can  meet  in  an  extended  format,  open  to  all  relevant 
stakeholders (Annual Forum). 

Coordination 

The  governance  of  a  macro-regional  strategy  requires  greater  dialogue  and  substantial 
coordination  across  all  decision-making  levels,  and  sectors  inside  each  state  and  region  as 
well  as  between  participating  States  and  Regions,  to  reduce  fragmentation,  improve 
realisation  of  actions  and  encourage  effective  participation  from  the  actors  involved.  It  also 
requires the capacity to exchange information and to detect policy gaps when they arise. 

Based  on  the  experience  with  the  other  macro-regional  strategies  and  in  order  to  provide  a 
more  effective  and  efficient  implementation,  a  two-level  coordination  built  upon  national 
coordination and objective coordination is highly recommended. 

a) At national level: National Coordinators 

National  Coordinators,  coming  either  from  the  national  or  regional  level,  represent  the 
position of their respective countries, while looking at the same time for convergent opinions 
and  decisions  that  will  facilitate  the  implementation  of  the  Strategy.  They  should  be  duly 
empowered  by  their  governments  (at  national  and/or  regional  level,  depending  on 
competencies in each country). They play a major role coordinating and supporting the design 

47 

 
 
and implementation of macro-regional strategies, and encouraging stakeholders’ involvement. 
They should liaise with the administrations participating in the thematic areas covered by the 
Strategy  in  their  State/Region  as  well  as  with  the  managing  authorities  responsible  for  the 
implementation of the relevant European and national/regional programmes. The experience 
so  far  in  existing  macro-regional  strategies  shows  that  National  Coordinators  usually  come 
from  Ministries  of  Foreign  Affairs  or  Prime  Minister  Services,  in  order  to  provide  the 
overview of the State/Region they represent. Moreover a further good practise is the sharing 
of  the  National  Coordinator  role  with  one  ministry  having  more  direct  responsibility  in  the 
operational implementation of sectorial and territorial policies. 

b) At macro-regional level: Objective Coordinators 

The role of these Objective Coordinators is different from that of National Coordinators in so 
far as they must represent the macro-regional interest (coherence between participating States 
and Regions) and views on a specific policy. They are policy experts in the area concerned 
and  they  must  be  able  to  steer  and  coordinate  the  activities  carried  out  by  the  various 
operators  involved  in  the  policy  area  in  the  different  countries  and  regions  covered  by  the 
Strategy.  They  should  report  back  to  the  Executive  Board  about  any  issue,  progress,  idea, 
possible action, etc. that may occur in the implementation phase of the Strategy. 

They play an interface role between coordination level and implementation level, therefore in 
practice  they  participate  at  both  levels  (their  implementation  role  is  described  in  the  next 
point). 

The  actions  in  each  objective  in  EUSALP  have  been  developed  in  an  interconnected  and 
complementary  way.  This  requires  an  efficient  coordination  in  each  of  them  and  underlines 
once more the need to appoint Objective Coordinators. 

In order to promote the transnational dimension of their task, it is in general advised that two 
objective coordinators from different States and Regions are appointed for each objective, on 
a rotating basis. 

As  in  the  existing  macro-regional  strategies,  the  European  Commission  will  act  as 
independent facilitator and will ensure strategic coordination in areas where it provides added 
value  for  the  macro-region  (as  stated  in  Council  conclusions),  supported  by  the  High-Level 
Group  on  macro-regional  strategies  with  representatives  of  the  EU-28,  as  well  as  non-EU 
countries participating in the strategies. 

The  experience  also  shows  that  other  participants  can  be  associated  as  observers,  when 
appropriate (e.g. external experts, regional organisations on an ad hoc basis). 

Concerning this level of governance, the representatives of States and Regions participating in 
the  EUSALP  have  agreed  in  the  Milan  Declaration  to  put  in  place  ‘a  standing  Executive 
Board  in  charge  of  overseeing  the  implementation  of  the  EUSALP  Action  Plan,  formed  by 
representatives of the States and Regions’. The European Commission will act as a facilitator 
and  coordinator  and  will  co-chair  the  meetings,  without  voting  right.  The  Commission  will 
confirm  that  decisions  taken  by  the  Executive  Board  comply  with  EU  legislation,  when 
appropriate. The Alpine Convention and the Alpine Space Programme will participate in the 
Executive Board as observers. In case decisions have to be taken, they are made by consensus 
with one vote for each country delegation.  

The  Executive  Board  will  mainly  be  responsible  for  the  overall  horizontal  and  vertical 
coordination of the Strategy (including inter- and intra-objective coordination which will be 

48 

 
 
guaranteed  by  the  Objective  Coordinators)  and  the  preparation  of  the  General  Assembly 
meetings.  The  Executive  Board  may  invite  Action  Group  Leaders  in  charge  of  the 
implementation  of  the  actions  (see  next  point)  to  certain  thematic  meetings.  In  addition  the 
Executive Board has to collect the reports of the Action Groups and monitor implementation. 
To  ensure  coherence,  the  rotating  chair  of  the  Executive  Board  will  coincide  with  the 
presidency of the General Assembly. 

Implementation 

Implementation is a key step, as it is mainly based on the results of joint actions and projects 
completed at macro-regional level that better and informed decisions can be taken at political 
level to improve the efficiency of the policies concerned and to reach the objectives assigned 
to the Strategy. 

Key conditions for good implementation include: 

•  Countries recognising the Strategy as cutting across sector policies, and of concern to 

every level of government (national and/or regional). 

•  High level of intra-governmental coordination. 
•  As guarantor of the EU dimension, the Commission ensuring a strategic approach at 

EU level. 

•  Countries  steering,  monitoring,  and  evaluating  progress,  and  providing  guidance  for 

implementation; appropriate policy responses may be required. 

•  Good  use  and  valorisation  being  made  of  the  work  of  existing  organisations  in  the 

Region. 

•  Making  full  involvement  of  key  stakeholders  possible  by  offering  them  a  structured 
dialogue. This will produce valuable inputs and will increase the awareness about the 
Strategy.  In  practise  this  could  be  done  also  through  a  permanent  stakeholder’s 
platform. 

The objectives of the Strategy will be implemented through several complementary actions. 
The coordination between different actions of the same objective should be ensured by one or 
two objective coordinator(s) for each objective. 

Beyond ensuring the interface between action level and coordination level, and participating 
in and reporting to the coordinators group, their functions should be to support and coordinate 
the tasks of the Action Group Leaders, who are also experts in their field. 

Objective Coordinators and Action Group Leaders should be able to organise their activities 
together, so as to ensure an effective implementation of actions and projects in the policy area 
concerned,  and  across  policy  areas,  where  appropriate,  by  carrying  out,  inter  alia,  the 
following actions: 

• 

•  Developing  specific  criteria  for  selecting  actions/projects  that  enhance  the  concerted 
and  macro-regional  characters  of  the  projects  and  propose  them  to  the  Executive 
Board; 
Identifying  actions/projects  to  be  included  in  the  Action  Plan,  ensuring  that  they 
comply with the objectives; 
Identifying  relevant  funding  sources  for  the  actions/projects  selected  and  facilitating 
and  following  up  implementation  of  actions/projects,  including  monitoring  and 
evaluation; 

• 

•  Ensuring linkages with the other actions; 

49 

 
 
•  Liaising with Managing Authorities of other programmes in the area; 
•  Liaising with the relevant EU programmes managed directly by the Commission; 
•  Preparing  policy  proposals  and  recommendations  that  will  be  submitted  to  the 

coordinators group. 

As well as for Objective Coordinators, Action Group Leaders (preferably two for each action, 
ensuring  a  balanced  representation  from  different  States/Regions)  should  be  appointed  to 
develop the transnational approach and spirit in the action concerned. 

In  this  respect  the  Milan  Declaration  suggests  setting  up  ‘Action  Groups,  to  be  defined  in 
greater  detail  depending  on  the  content  of  the  Action  Plan,  which  will  be  responsible  for 
implementing the actions’. To find Action Group Leaders, States and Regions have to express 
their  interest  to  the  Executive  Board.  Action  Group  Leaders  will  be  appointed  for  an  initial 
period  of  three  years;  after  this  initial  period  a  revision  will  follow  with  the  objective  of 
promoting rotation. The Action Group Leaders have to fulfil certain requirements; inter alia, 
expertise in the policy field, to bring in own resources (e.g. personnel, travel costs), to be able 
to  bridge  the  different  interests,  especially  concerning  implementing  and  financing 
institutions. 

The  need  to  improve  the  institutional  capacity  and  to  change  the  partners’  mind-set 
towards more cooperation and coordination of actions 

Deploying political willingness, means and resources to make sure that the first objective can 
be  reached  requires  a  change  of  mind-set  at  each  political,  institutional  and  administrative 
level. As already noted, this is even more complex in a transnational context and it can only 
be gradual. 

This approach could start and develop on the basis of some preliminary findings from studies, 
the public consultation and experience with existing strategies: 

(i)  Successful  implementation  requires  broadening  the  involvement  to  actors  other  than  just 
public administrations and bodies as they will contribute to boosting public efforts. Private 
sector,  the  business  community  and  people  living  in  the  Region  should  be  actively 
associated to ensure engagement and ownership of the Strategy. 

(ii)  A  study  carried  out  by  the  Alpine  Space  Programme41  concludes  that  Alpine  multilevel 
governance needs to be redesigned: none of the Alpine organisations in place meet all the 
requirements  to  achieve  the  strategic  objectives  for  the  Region.  Networking  between 
these organisations and making them function in a more cooperative and integrated way 
is a key factor to an enhanced Alpine policy. Their various instruments need to be better 
coordinated to contribute to the achievement of shared strategic objectives. 

(iii) The replies to the public consultation also highlighted the following important aspects: 

•  EUSALP should become a platform to join ongoing activities and to gain wider public 

and political attention. 

•  EUSALP  is  expected  to  encourage  solidarity  and  mutual  understanding  across 
different sectors and in spatial terms (between mountain core area and metropolises). 
•  Many isolated activities are developed within the territory without common approach. 
•  New  impulses  and  leverage  effects  could  be  set  through  combining  currently 

individual initiatives to one integrated action. 

50 

 
 
 
 
 
Therefore,  this  objective  of  building  a  new  model  of  macro-regional  governance  should  be 
followed at an appropriate level. The Executive Board should decide how to build this new 
model step by step and who should be responsible for it. This or these person(s) should also 
ensure  coordination  with  existing  regional  cooperation  organisations,  as  appropriate,  and 
develop a monitoring and evaluation framework. 

The creation of a permanent stakeholder platform should be envisaged in order to strengthen 
the involvement of civil society, including cooperation of consultative networks or platforms 
already in place. 

The European Network for Rural Development and the corresponding national networks, help 
to  facilitate  an  effective  exchange  among  stakeholder  organisations  and  administrations 
involved  in  the  various  stages  of  rural  development  programme  implementation.  This 
networking  can  play  a  very  important  role  in  improving  the  quality  of  rural  development 
programmes  also  concerning  the  Alpine  Region,  notably  by  increasing  the  involvement  of 
stakeholders  in  the  governance  of  rural  development  and  disseminating  knowledge  and 
experience about programme implementation.  

Along  the  same  lines  and  with  a  particular  focus  on  interlinking  science,  farming  practice, 
agribusiness, administration and stakeholders in innovative projects, the ‘European Innovation 
Partnership for Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability’ (EIP-AGRI) has been set up. The 
EIP-AGRI is underpinned  by  an EIP network  that aims at facilitating information exchange 
and the sharing of good practice. This can also be helpful for the Alpine Region. 

The  Commission  will  support  this  multilevel  governance  approach,  but  the  success  of  the 
approach  depends  on  the  commitment  of  key  stakeholders  and  partners  (including  different 
ministries  and  decision-making  levels within each State/Region, national, regional and local 
authorities,  members  of  parliaments  (regional,  national  and  European),  economic  and  social 
actors, civil society, academia, and NGOs). 

Potential bottlenecks and challenges in EUSALP governance and implementation 

Bottlenecks and challenges 

Measures 

Indicator and target 

Getting  a  stronger  political 
leadership 
decision-
and 
making process 
Maintaining  political  support 
implementation 
during 
phase  of 
to 
ensure effective delivery 

the  Strategy 

the 

Organise  Alpine  ministers 
meetings on a regular basis 

Deliver  a  clear  mandate  and 
appropriate time and resources 
to  key  partners  (coordination 
and implementation level) 

Avoid  compartmentalisation 
between sectorial policies 

National  Coordinators 
to 
ensure  sectorial  dialogue;  plan 
and  organise  cross-sectorial 
meetings  

one 

least 

At 
ministerial 
meeting/year  
Resources allocated by 
ministries/regions  for 
the 
implementing 
(minimum: 
Strategy 
for  each 
one  FTE 
State/Region 
for 
coordination,  one  for 
implementation)  
Number 
sectorial 
leading 
practices/actions 

cross- 
meetings 
improved 

of 

to 

Ensuring  strategic  approach  Continuous  monitoring 

of  Number 

of 

51 

 
 
 
 
 
and reaching the targets  

progress.  Alert  governance 
body  of  risks  of  deviation  in 
targets  or  the  emergence  of  a 
problem or a bottleneck 

Difficulties 
common solution 

in 

reaching  a 

Lack of financial resources 

all 

Keep 
stakeholders 
regional  and 
involved 
implementation 

interested 
(transnational, 
level) 
local 
the 
in 

conflict 
Providing 
mechanisms; 
management 
or 
solutions 
Providing 
procedures 
deal  with 
to 
‘competing  demands’  among 
different areas or actors 
the  embedding  of 
Ensuring 
EUSALP into the programmes 
for  the  2014-2020  financial 
cycles  and  the  mobilisation  of 
the  relevant  EU  funds  and  of 
other 
national/regional/local 
available  resources  to  support 
the 
implementation  of 
the 
Strategy  and  the  achievement 
of its objectives 
Constantly  raising  awareness; 
and 
organise 
divulgence  actions;  create  a 
stakeholders’ 
to 
structure debate 

publicity 

platform 

of 

by 

by 

recommendations 
the 
made 
coordinators 
group 
discussed  and  solved 
at ministerial level 
Number 
recommendations 
the 
made 
coordinators 
group 
discussed  and  solved 
at ministerial level 
Number 
programmes 
mobilising 
funds  or 
selection  criteria  for 
EUSALP 
actions/projects (target 
to be defined) 

of 

of 

a 

Creation 
stakeholders’ 
platform: 1 

Number  of  divulgence 
actions organised 

DELIVERING THE RESULTS: MONITORING, REPORTING AND EVALUATION 

Because  strategies  do  not  have  their  own  financing,  they  can  only  influence  policies  or  the 
way they are implemented. So, in order to capture the changes linked to the implementation of 
the Strategy, two types of indicators can be used: 

•  Results  indicators  to  measure  the  cooperation  dimension  and  changes  in  the  way 
partners  cooperate,  i.e.,  coordinate  EU  and  domestic  policies/instruments  across  the 
Alpine Region; 

•  Policy indicators to capture the policy dimension and changes in socio-economic and 

environmental situation in the Alpine Region (influenced by cooperation). 

Baseline  and  target  values,  as  well  as  clear  deadlines  need  to  be  associated  with  these 
indicators. 

Targets should be fixed at an objective level; their number should be limited. They could be 
complemented in a consistent way with targets at action level. At objective level, the targets 
should have, if possible, a cross-cutting dimension (which means they should be relevant and 
valid for several actions at the same time). They would be endorsed politically. They should 
be supported by indicators that are measurable, realistic, robust and feasible. 

52 

 
 
 
 
 
Above all, they should be able to capture the expected change the Strategy is going to bring 
about. 

A sound monitoring and evaluation system will have to be put in place, and it will be one the 
first tasks of the partners of the Strategy, with the support of the European Commission and 
external experts as appropriate. 

For  reasons  of  transparency  and  comparability,  indicators  for  monitoring,  reporting  and 
evaluating  the  Strategy  shall  include,  where  possible,  a  set  of  regional  indicators  collected, 
validated and disseminated by Eurostat.  

As a first step, it might be necessary to fill gaps in available data needed to establish baseline 
situations  or  missing  information.  Data  collection  will  be  promoted  via  the  Alpine  Space 
Programme. While the prime indicator of success is implementation of the Action Plan, more 
refined indicators will have to be developed in some cases. 

Evaluation  will  be  based  on  the  work  of  the  Objective  Coordinators  and  Action  Group 
Leaders, who will report progress towards targets. 

The annual forum of the Strategy will offer opportunities for the participating countries and 
their partners to present and evaluate results, to consult on revised actions, and to develop new 
approaches. 

EXPLOITING SYNERGIES WITH OTHER MACRO-REGIONAL STRATEGIES 

Some  of  the  counties  involved  in  the  EUSALP  are  also  involved  in  other  strategies,  like  Germany, 
Austria,  Slovenia  or  Italy.  This  entails  added  value  in  terms  of  exchange  of  good  practises  and 
experiences. Moreover, far from creating new borders and bringing territorial continuity into jeopardy, 
the  Strategy  will  allow  for  exploiting  of  synergies,  notably  with  the  EU  Strategy  for  the 
Danube Region (EUSDR) and the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR) 
countries and addresses transport, energy and the environment as key fields of action.  

While the INTERACT programme can play a central role in ensuring coherence and synergy 
between the three strategies, efforts are already being made to ensure that the same people are 
acting as National Coordinators for those strategies.  

Common issues to all macro-regional strategies, such as governance, monitoring or funding, 
are  also  discussed  in  the  High  Level  Group  composed  of  representatives  of  all  EU  28 
Member-States  and  non-EU  participating  countries.  The  High  Level  Group  can  make 
recommendations aimed at improving the implementation of the strategies. 

Furthermore,  ETC  transnational  territorial  cooperation  programmes  can  act  as  facilitators 
where stakeholders from different macro-regional strategies can meet, as was the case for the 
Apline Space Programme in the period 2007-2013.  

FUNDING 

A  key  principle  of  macro-regional  strategies  is  that  they  do  not  have  their  own  financing. 
Therefore, the Strategy is implemented, inter alia, by mobilising and aligning existing EU and 

53 

 
 
national  funding  of  relevance  to  the  thematic  objectives  and  actions  of  the  Strategy.  By 
endorsing the Strategy, the governments of the participating countries commit themselves to 
drawing on this funding to implement the Action Plan. In particular, the European Structural 
and Investment Fund for 2014-2020 provide significant resources and a wide range of tools 
and technical options for reaching the objectives of the Strategy. As an example, in their study 
on ESIF programmes in the Alpine Region, Lombardy Region and Finlombarda estimate that 
around  EUR  5.6  billion  from  the  129  ESI  programmes  intervening  in  the  area  will  be 
allocated to thematic objectives that cover the four policy areas of the Strategy. 

Thus,  one  of  the  objectives  of  the  Strategy  is  to  induce  synergies  and  complementarity 
avoiding  overlaps  between  the  different  ESI-funded  programmes.  The  Strategy  should  also 
ensure links with several existing initiatives and platforms for cooperation, by complementing 
and reinforcing existing actions or by giving them critical mass. In this context, EUSALP can 
make  an  important  contribution  to  delivering  on  the  Smart  Growth  and  the  Sustainable 
Growth pillars of Europe 2020 in the Region. 

The  Alpine  Space  Programme  is  also  providing  financial  support  for  the  governance  of  the 
Strategy. 

As  agreed  during  the  negotiations  to  adopt  2014-2020  programmes,  Member  States  and 
regions have to decide how they align the programmes with EUSALP. For example, this can 
be done by prioritising operations linked to the Strategy, by organising specific calls for them 
or  giving  priority  to  these  operations  in  the  selection  process  through  identification  of 
operations  that  can  be  jointly  financed  from  different  programmes.  More  specifically  the 
alignment  can  be  done  by:  1)  setting  a  priority  axis  for  developing  inter-regional  and 
transnational cooperation (horizontal or vertical); 2) identifying potential cooperation projects 
(project ideas) and partners in the operational programmes; 3) introducing a project-selection 
criterion which gives priority to projects having a clear macro-regional impact, contributing to 
the  targets  and  objectives  and  to  the  implementation  of  one  or  more  actions  in  the  Action 
Plan; 4) allocating a certain amount of funding to activities/projects that are in line with the 
Strategy;  5)  including  a  separate  paragraph  describing  how  the  objectives  and  priorities  of 
EUSALP will be reflected in implementing the programmes. 

Even though several programmes will already have been adopted at the time the Strategy is 
adopted, it is always possible to adapt the financing conditions and the selection criteria of the 
programmes  in  the  course  of  the  programming  period,  so  as  to  ensure  better  matching  of 
funds for actions and projects. 

European  Agricultural  Fund  for  Rural  Development  (EAFRD)  funding  can  also  effectively 
contribute to the objectives and actions of the Strategy. RDP measures can contribute to job 
creation  and  innovation:  support  for  co-operation  can  aim  to  carry  out  pilot  projects  and 
develop  new  products,  practices,  processes  and  technologies  in  the  agriculture,  food  and 
forestry  sectors  and  to  establish  and  operate  operational  groups  of  the  EIP  for  agricultural 
productivity  and  sustainability.  Co-operation  among  actors  located  in  different  regions  or 
Member  States  can  be  eligible  for  EAFRD  support.  Support  for  basic  services  and  village 
renewal  in  rural  areas  can  help  realizing  growth  potential  via  the  development  of  local 
infrastructure  and  local  basic  services  in  rural  areas.  The  farm  and  business  development 
measure facilitates the initial establishment of young farmers and the structural adjustment of 
their  agricultural  holding  after  the  initial  set-up.  Diversification  of  farmers  into  non-
agricultural activities  and  the  setting  up  and  development  of  non-agricultural  SMEs  in  rural 
areas  can  effectively  contribute  to  encourage  entrepreneurship  in  rural  areas  and  economic 
developments. 

54 

 
 
Investments  in  infrastructure  and  local  basics  services,  including  access  to  Information  and 
Communication Technologies and the development of fast and ultra-fast broadband is eligible 
for support. 

Forestry  is  an  integral  part  of  rural  development  and  support  for  sustainable  and  climate 
friendly land use is supported under various measures (forest conservation, climate services, 
investments  improving  the  resilience  and  environmental  value  of  forest  ecosystems, 
investments in forest area development and the viability of forests, etc.) for maintaining the 
sustainability of forests and their environmental value at the same time. Payments to farmers 
in mountain areas, compensating them for the loss of income and additional costs due to the 
constraints  on  the  area,  encourages  continued  use  of  agricultural  land,  and  contribute  to 
maintaining  the  countryside  as  well  as  to  maintaining  and  promoting  sustainable  farming 
systems.  Agri-environment  climate  payments  play  a  prominent  role  in  supporting  the 
sustainable  development  of  rural  areas  and  respond  at  the  same  time  to  society’s  increasing 
demands for environmental services. The payment further encourage farmers and other land 
managers  to  serve  society  as  a  whole  by  introducing  or  continuing  to  apply  agricultural 
practices that contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation and that are compatible 
with  the  protection  and  improvement  of  the  environment,  the  landscape  and  its  features, 
natural  resources,  and  the  soil  and  genetic  diversity.  Support  can  be  granted  to  farmers  and 
forest  holders  who  encounter  specific  disadvantages  in  the  areas  concerned  due  to  the 
implementation of the Water Framework Directive and Habitat Directives. 

Other  funds  and  instruments  relevant  to  the  objectives  are  also  available,  notably  Horizon 
2020 for all objectives, the Connecting Europe Facility for objective 2, the LIFE programme 
for  objective  3,  as  well  as  for  mitigation  of  and  adaptation  to  climate  change,  and,  for 
objectives  3  and  4,  the  Programme  for  the  Competitiveness  of  Enterprises  and  SMEs 
(COSME) 2014-2020 and High-growth and innovation SME for objective 1. Other means are 
also available, like the Risk Sharing Finance Facility (RSFF) and PROGRESS. 

The  European  Investment  Bank  (EIB)  has  also  a  role  to  play  in  the  Strategy,  especially  in 
mobilising and blending sources of finance for bankable projects. The EIB has considerable 
experience of cooperation with most of the countries in the Alpine Region across a range of 
different  sectors.  EIB’s  key  role  in  ensuring  the  availability  of  long-term  financing  to  key 
infrastructure and industrial projects is underlined by the already substantial support provided 
by the bank in the Region. 

The bank also plays an important role in supporting investments aiming to preserve, protect 
and improve environmental quality. Given EIB’s experience from the Baltic Sea, the Danube 
and (most recently) the Adriatic Ionian Strategy and its priority lending objectives, the bank is 
well positioned to support developments in all sectors specified in the EUSALP. 

In  addition  to  the  EIB’s  lending  activity  in  the  Region,  it  provides  technical  and  financial 
advisory  assistance  to  support  countries  of  the  Region  and  their  intergovernmental 
organisations. The EIB also cooperates with other International Financial Institutions active in 
the Region (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), World Bank, etc.) 
and EC project preparation facilities to build a pipeline of potential projects. 

The  bank’s  focus  on  growth  and  job  creation  through  financing  public  infrastructure,  SME 
development  and  support  to  Foreign  Direct  Investment  has  numerous  spill-over  effects  that 
have a cross-cutting effect throughout the Region. 

55 

 
 
During the period 2010-2014, EIB has signed loans with various promoters (private & public 
companies,  regions,  cities  etc.)  for  EUR  31.3  billion  (credit  line  allocations  included).  The 
breakdown by priorities is the following: 34 % for economic activities (SMEs, RDI, services 
etc.), 28 % for transports & telecommunications and 38 % for environmental, urban and social 
infrastructures in the Alpine Region. 

JASPERS  (Joint  Assistance  to  Support  Projects  in  European  Regions)  is  a  partnership 
between  the  European  Commission  (DG  Regional  Policy),  the  European  Investment  Bank 
(EIB)  and  the  European  Bank  for  Reconstruction  and  Development  (EBRD).  The  German 
Kreditanstalt  für  Wiederaufbau  (KfW,  "Reconstruction  Credit  Institute")  also  supported 
JASPERS from 2008 to 2013. JASPERS is active in all transport-related sectors, solid waste 
and  energy,  water  and  wastewater,  and  smart  development.  The  latter  includes  RDI,  ICT 
(notably implementation of broadband in rural areas and different types of public e-Services), 
and education, health, smart specialisation, smart cities and other similar contexts. 

JASPERS’  assistance  may  cover  project  preparation  support,  from  identification  to 
submission  of  the  request  for  EU  grant  finance,  independent  quality  review  of  projects, 
horizontal  assignments,  strategic  support,  capacity  building  (including  a  Knowledge  and 
Learning Centre) and implementation support. The aim is to help improve the quality of the 
major  projects  to  be  submitted  for  grant  financing  from  the  EU  Structural  and  Cohesion 
Funds.  

Current JASPERS beneficiary Member States are those that joined the EU after 2004, Greece 
and  three  Candidate  Countries  (Former  Yugoslav  Republic  of  Macedonia,  Montenegro  and 
Serbia).  Although  extending  JASPERS  advisory  function  beyond  the  current  beneficiary 
states is not excluded in the current programming period, so far JASPERS activity in relation 
to the EUSALP-Region has taken place in Slovenia. 

The  main  sectors  of  JASPERS’  activity  in  Slovenia  are  Water  and  Wastewater,  including 
Flood Protection (18 actions) and Transport, including Roads, Rail and Airports (17 actions). 
The remaining actions are in the Solid Waste sector (4 actions), Smart Development (1 action 
in  favour  of  the  University  of  Ljubljana)  and  1  multi-sector  horizontal  action  (training  on 
project  applications).  The  total  estimated  cost  of  the  major  projects  supported  by  JASPERS 
and submitted to the Commission for approval is about EUR 1.6 billion. 

56 

 
 
 
 
 
 
ANNEX I: EIB FINANCING 2010-2014 BY COUNTRY AND BY SECTOR 

By Country 

EIB signatures 2010-2014 in the Alps regions 

Italy, Germany and France: operations recorded under a region concerned including part of multi-regional ‘splittable’ projects 
Austria, Slovenia, Liechtenstein and Switzerland: all operations signed in these countries 

Member States 

Country (Alps regions) 

2010 

2011 

2012 

2013 

2014 

Total 

Austria 

France 

Germany 

Italy 

Slovenia 

1478.5 

2020.0 

1049.6 

2416.6 

1495.9 

8460.6 

455.9 

134.0 

526.0 

903.7 

1205.4 

3224.9 

373.0 

974.2 

420.9 

100.5 

466.6 

2335.1 

2149.3 

2393.3 

1996.0 

3709.7 

3139.4 

13387.6 

733.0 

335.0 

620.0 

480.0 

111.0 

2279.0 

Member States 

5189.7 

5856.4 

4612.5 

7610.5 

6418.2 

29687.3 

EFTA 

EFTA 

Total 

Liechtenstein 

Switzerland 

30.0 

31.5 

11.3 

32.4 

30.0 

31.5 

43.7 

11.3 

93.9 

105.2 

5189.7 

5886.4 

4644.0 

7654.2 

6418.2 

29792.5 

Complement for France Italy and Germany: EIB credit-line allocations 2010-2014 

Country - Alps regions 

TOTAL  

Member States 

2010 

2011 

2012 

2013 

2014 

Total 

1.1 

1.3 

14.2 

2.8 

19.4 

124.0 

61.0 

7.6 

42.4 

15.2 

250.1 

564.6 

105.4 

334.1 

112.9 

93.3 

1 210.3 

689.7 

167.6 

341.7 

169.5 

111.3 

1 479.8 

France 

Germany 

Italy 

Total 

Country (Alps regions) 

2010 

2011 

2012 

2013 

2014 

Total 

Austria 

France 

Germany 

Italy 

Slovenia 

1 478.5  2 020.0 

1 049.6 

2 416.6 

1 495.9 

8 460.6 

457.0 

135.3 

526.0 

917.9 

1 208.2 

3 244.3 

497.0 

1 035.2 

428.4 

142.9 

481.8 

2 585.2 

2 713.9 

2 498.6 

2 330.1 

3 822.7 

3 232.6 

14 597.9 

733.0 

335.0 

620.0 

480.0 

111.0 

2279.0 

57 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
Member States 

5 879.4 

6 024.0 

4 954.2 

7 780.0 

6 529.5 

31 167.1 

Liechtenstein 

Switzerland 

EFTA 

EFTA 

Total 

30.0 

31.5 

11.3 

32.4 

30.0 

31.5 

43.7 

11.3 

93.9 

105.2 

5 879.4 

6 054.0 

4 985.7 

7 823.7 

6 529.5 

31 272.3 

58 

 
 
  
 
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
By Sector 

Composite infrastructure 

Credit lines 

Education 

Health 

Industry 

Services 

Telecommunications 

Transport 

Energy 

Solid waste 

Urban development  

Water, sewerage  

TOTAL 

By priorities 

Economy 

Education & Health & Others 

TOTAL 1 

Transports 

Telecommunications 

TOTAL 2 

Energy 

Environment & Urban development 

TOTAL 3 

TOTAL 

Economy 

Transports & telecommunications 

Env. urban & social infrastructures 

116.5 

2 812.25 

1 057.9 

715.5 

0 % 

9 % 

4 % 

2 % 

6 138.856 

21 % 

1 167 

321.89 

8 145.637 

5 637.339 

101.9375 

1 214.8 

2 362.9 

29 792.51 

10 118.11 

1 889.9 

12 008.01 

8 145.637 

321.89 

8467.527 

5 637.339 

3 679.638 

9 316.977 

29 792.51 

10 118.11 

8 467.527 

11 206.88 

4 % 

1 % 

27 % 

19 % 

0 % 

4 % 

8 % 

34 % 

6 % 

40 % 

27 % 

1 % 

28 % 

19 % 

12 % 

31 % 

34 % 

28 % 

38 % 

59 

 
 
 
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
ANNEX II: MAP SHOWING THE AREAS OF EUSALP, ALPINE SPACE PROGRAMME AND ALPINE CONVENTION 

60