COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS concerning a European Union Strategy for the Alpine Region
Date: 2015-07-28
Institutions: Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy, European Commission
Subjects: Alpine Region, EU financing, action programme, energy policy, environmental policy, innovation, operational programme, regional cooperation, regional development, road transport

EN 

   EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 28.7.2015  COM(2015) 366 final   COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS concerning a European Union Strategy for the Alpine Region {SWD(2015) 147 final}  
 
 
1. INTRODUCTION 

The Alpine Region is one of the richest areas in the world and among the economically most 
dynamic,  innovative  and  competitive  areas  in  Europe  with  unique  geographical  and  natural 
features. However, the Region also faces important challenges requiring a joint response:  

  economic  globalisation  that  requires  the  territory  to  distinguish  itself  as  competitive 

and innovative; 

  demographic trends, characterised particularly by the combined effects of ageing, low 

population density in the mountain areas and new migration models;  

  high  vulnerability  to  climate  change  and  its  foreseeable  effects  on  the  environment, 

 

biodiversity and the living conditions of its inhabitants;  
the  energy  challenge  in  managing  and  meeting  demand  sustainably,  securely  and 
affordably; 
 
its specific geographical position in Europe, as a transit region;  
  a high degree of seasonality, especially in some touristic areas.  

Significant  differences  also  remain  among  the  different  areas  in  the  Region  (for  example 
between mountainous areas and the Alpine foreland). 

The  European  Council  of  19/20  December  2013  invited  the  Commission,  working  with 
Member States, to draw up an EU Strategy for the Alpine Region (EUSALP) by June 2015, 
building  on  the  solid  background  of  cooperation  in  the  Region.  The  Strategy  will  affect 
around 80 million people living 48 regions (map in Annex) in seven countries, of which five 
are EU Member  States (Austria, France,  Germany, Italy  and Slovenia)  and two are non-EU 
countries  (Liechtenstein  and  Switzerland).  The  proposed  geographical  area  covered  by  the 
macro-regional  strategy  is  particularly  well  suited  for  the  sustainable  development  of  the 
Alpine Region, promoting growth across Europe and mutual solidarity between mountain and 
peri-Alpine territories. 

The  Strategy  will  cover  the  following  thematic  policy  areas:  (1)  economic  growth  and 
innovation; (2) mobility and connectivity; and (3) environment and energy. 

The Strategy will benefit from the active role of the Alpine regions supported by the Member 
States and experience from a large number of cooperation structures already operating in the 
area  and  will  build  on  work  that  took  place  before  the  Commission  started  working  on 
drawing up the Strategy.1 

2. CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES 

The  preparatory  work  set  out  above  has  helped  identify  major  challenges  where  a  macro-
regional  response  would  be  useful.  Partners  in  the  Strategy  can  build  on  the  opportunities 
provided  by  the  Region’s  economic  dynamism  and  competitiveness,  the  high  value  of  its 
natural and cultural resources, and its long tradition of cooperation. 

Innovation and SMEs: The Region faces some limitations relating to:  

inter-Alpine research and innovation cooperation;  

 
  uptake of existing research and innovation (R&I) results;  
  spatially fragmented local markets;  

1 See introduction to the action plan. 

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funding opportunities;  
information and communication technologies (ICT) and services of general interest;  

  social disparities in innovation;  
 
 
  strong migration from rural areas due to poor infrastructure availability; and  
  capitalisation of applied research results. 

However, the Region is also home to global key players in the field of R&I, offering a strong 
potential  for  further  global  development.  There  are  notable  concentrations  of  small  and 
medium-size  enterprises  (SMEs)  in  different  parts  of  the  Region,  and  many  of  them  are 
organised  in  clusters,  building  up  a  territorial  economy  which  offers  a  solid  basis  for 
innovation based on smart specialisation strategies and allows the companies to become more 
competitive  in  areas  of  particular  relevance  to  the  Region  (such  as  energy  and  green 
technologies, mechatronics and engineering; chemistry and new materials, and ICT). 

Agriculture and forestry. Products, including mountain products and quality products, and 
services based on agriculture and forestry offer significant potential (e.g. for the bioeconomy) 
throughout  the  value  chain  (including  for  example  the  pharmaceutical and  wooden  building 
sector). Moving higher up in the value chain provides opportunities for rural and urban parts 
of  the  Region  to  work  together.  Farmers  contribute  to  sustainable  land  management  and 
provide for ‘ecosystem services’. 

Tourism: The Region is a key destination for tourism, especially in the winter, but tourists are 
very  unevenly  spread  across  the  Region.    This  could  be  improved  through  a  concerted 
approach  to  sustainable  and  accessible  tourism,  involving  in  particular  R&I,  SMEs  and 
training  for  the  labour  force.  This  could  help  to  improve  the  geographic  and  seasonal 
distribution of the tourism market in the Region, while creating growth and jobs. 

Transport  and  connectivity:  The  Region  is  a  major  European  crossroads  and  as  a  transit 
area, an obstacle for the European Transport Network. Various corridors of the road network 
are  close  to  saturation,  and  cause  serious  health  issues  (noise  and  air  pollution).  Major 
challenges include:  

 
 
 

increasing traffic volumes;  
the absence of harmonised regulation of transport policies for freight transport; and  
the large proportion of road freight transport.  

In  addition,  as  the  air  quality  is  poor  in  many  areas,  it  would  be  useful  to  bring  transport 
measures  into  line  with  regional  sustainable  mobility  plans,  regional  air  quality  plans  and 
national air pollution  control  programmes  to  improve coherence  between them and  increase 
synergies.  The  accessibility  of  remote  and  depopulating  areas  is  also  a  challenge  in  many 
areas  where  public  transport  (mainly  local  railways)  needs  to  be  modernised.  A  balance 
between  connectivity  and  prudent  use  of  land  must  be  reached.  Promoting  and  facilitating 
projects  on  sustainable  transport  could  create  links  between  the  Alpine  core  area  and  the 
surrounding regions, to the benefit of both. E-connectivity (especially by high speed internet) 
at a macro-regional scale would also open up new technological opportunities for developing 
services and decentralising businesses. 

Environment and cultural heritage: The Alps are the second largest biodiversity reservoir 
in Europe after the Mediterranean Sea and one of the most important water towers of Europe. 
The Region’s cultural and historic heritage is also one of its strongest assets. These resources 
are  widely  used  and  there  is  strong  competition  for  land  and  water  for  several  purposes, 

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including  energy,  households,  tourism,  agriculture,  forestry  and  industry.  This  undoubtedly 
represents a challenge in the search for sustainable development patterns and can have effect 
on  ecosystems.  Intensive  land  use  has  a  negative  impact  on  the  environment  and  the 
population  decline  in  remote  areas  has  had  dramatic  effects  on  soil  stability,  biodiversity 
conservation  and  culture  preservation.  In  light  of  the  impact  of  climate  change  on  Alpine 
water reserves, there is a need to considerably scale up activities in this field. 

Climate  change  and  risk  prevention:  The  Region  is  highly  vulnerable  to  the  adverse 
impacts of climate change, and faces a particularly high risk of floods, landslides and changes 
in water resources. Tourism, agriculture and forestry are among the most vulnerable sectors, 
directly  impacted  by  global  warming  and  extreme  weather  events.  Better  coordinated 
European, national and regional policies and the early implementation of actions coordinated 
at macro-regional level, could reduce these risks. 

Energy:  Support  schemes  and  European,  national  and  regional  policies  regarding  non-
financial barriers to renewable energy and energy efficiency differ across countries and need 
to  be  better  aligned.  The  efficiency  of  existing  hydropower  plants  could  be  increased,  and 
other  renewable  energy  sources  could  be  considered.  Energy  efficiency  offers  opportunities 
for  technology  and  consulting/engineering  investments  in  low  carbon  services,  helping  the 
Region  to  develop  a  leading  position  in  R&D  and  renewable  energy  resources  led  by  the 
growth in climate protection measures to support a shift to low carbon technology. Increased 
cooperation can help develop future opportunities for the Region as an energy storage space 
for peak load power, as well as developing instruments and procedures to balance the interests 
of sustainable energy production and other land use and protection functions. 

Institutional  issues:  The  long  tradition  of  cooperation  also  results  in  a  large  number  of 
structures  operating  in  the  area  with  different  geographic  and  thematic  scopes  and  different 
governance systems. It would therefore be useful to improve coordination between the actors 
involved,  ensuring  consistency  between  existing  initiatives,  filling  the  gaps,  avoiding 
duplication  and  aligning  funding,  including  financial  instruments.  This  approach  should 
encourage  participants  to  overcome  national  boundaries  and  sectoral  and  cultural  barriers, 
reducing compartmentalisation between sectoral policies, different actors and different tiers of 
government. 

3. RESPONSE: AN ACTION PLAN 

Macro-regional  strategies  can  address  these  challenges  and  opportunities  by  providing  a 
framework for collective or combined actions, bringing together regional actions and actors to 
provide a higher added value. In its report on the added value of macro-regional strategies,2 
the  Commission  recommended  that  new  macro-regional  strategies  concentrate  on  a  limited 
number of clearly defined objectives, in line with the macro-region’s particular strategic needs 
for improved and high-level cooperation. It is an approach that should only be used when the 
EU’s involvement is appropriate, and existing EU cross-cutting policies can be strengthened. 

A  rolling  action  plan  accompanying  the  Communication  (subject  to  updates  and  reviews  as 
appropriate)  will  be  implemented  to  do  this.  The  plan  is  structured  around  three 
interdependent thematic objectives that focus on providing: 

2 COM(2013) 468 final of 27.6.2013. 

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1. 
2. 
3. 

fair access to job opportunities, 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. 

And a cross-cutting objective, building: 

4. 

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

Within  each  objective,  a  number  of  actions  have  been  identified.  These    support  EU  policy 
objectives, including those with a territorial dimension. 

The objectives and actions for each policy area are set out below.3 

3.1. Fair access to job opportunities, building on the high competitiveness of the 
Region 

This  objective  focuses  on  improving  the  competitiveness,  prosperity  and  cohesion  of  the 
Alpine region.   

The main actions are: 

(1) Action 1: To develop an effective research and innovation ecosystem 
Some  of  the  States  and  Regions  in  the  area  show  high  levels  of  innovation  in  the  Innovation 
Union Scoreboard and most of them have developed smart specialisation strategies. This offers 
a good starting point for developing a system focusing on thematic issues of particular relevance 
to the Region (such as agriculture and forestry, tourism, etc.) and linking complementary assets 
together. 

(2) Action 2: To increase the economic potential of strategic sectors 
SMEs are an important part of the economy and the employment market in the Alpine Region. 
Constant work is needed to adapt to changing framework conditions, maintain innovativeness 
and preserve a competitive edge by ensuring sustainable development. Agriculture and forestry 
sector-based  products  and  services  throughout  the  full  value  chain  and  the  creation  of  new 
value chains in the bioeconomy and bio-based products, tourism, energy, the health sector and 
the  high-tech  sector  are  specific  Alpine  strategic  sectors  where  SMEs  can  become  more 
competitive and sustainable. 

(3)  Action  3:  To  improve  the  adequacy  of  labour  market  education  and  training  in  strategic 
sectors 
Relative  to  the  rest  of  Europe,  the  Alpine  Region  has  a  favourable  labour  market,  with  high 
employment rates in many areas. However, the Strategy could help large parts of the Region to 
improve  their  access  to  skilled  labour  with  the  right  competences,  and  to  cope  with  ‘brain 
drain’  in  remote  areas  that  suffer  from  depopulation.  The  Strategy  could  also  help  young 
people  access  jobs  opportunities.  These  benefits  depend  on  upholding  the  free  movement  of 
people. 

3 Actions and objectives are set out in more detail in the accompanying staff working document. 

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3.2. Sustainable internal and external accessibility 

This  objective’s  aim  is  to  improve  the  sustainability  of  transport  connectivity  within  the 
Region  and  with  the  rest  of  Europe.  Inter-linked,  sustainable  transport  and  broadband 
networks  are  needed  to  develop  the  Region.  Better  cooperation  can  reduce  bottlenecks,  and 
complete  infrastructure  networks  and  regulatory  frameworks.  Coordinated  monitoring  of 
traffic  and  multi-modal  transport  can  increase  competitiveness  and  improve  the  welfare  of 
people in the area. 

The main actions are: 

(1)  Action  4:  To  promote  inter-modality  and  interoperability  in  passengers  and  freight 
transport 
The primary objective of reducing the environmental impact of transport across the Alps must 
be  coupled  with  good  connectivity  at  local  level,  to  ensure  the  balanced  economic  and 
demographic development of the entire Region. In addition to facilitating the achievement of 
the trans-European transport network’s objectives and those of similar projects to shift traffic 
from  road  to  rail,  complementary  measures  to  ensure  that  trans-European  transport  network 
links (including cross-border links) also benefit the Region are crucial. 

(2) Action 5: To connect people electronically and promote accessibility to public services 
The Alpine Region is  marked by the presence of sparsely populated communities in remote 
areas,  where  the  lack  of  investment  in  land-based  broadband  connections  has  had  a 
detrimental effect on the services offered and led to the further depopulation of these areas. 
Technology offers solutions, such as broadband satellite connections. however, to be efficient, 
these need to be implemented on a sufficiently large scale. 

3.3.  A  more  inclusive  environmental  framework  and  renewable  and  reliable 
energy solutions for the future 

This objective’s overall aims are to:  

  preserve the environmental heritage of the Alps; 
  help the Region benefit from its resources in various ways, including energy; and 
  cope  with  the  changes  predicted  due  to  climate  change,  including  preventing  major 

natural risks. 

The main actions are: 

(1)  Action  6:  To  preserve  and  valorise  natural  resources,  including  water  and  cultural 
resources 
The  environment  of  the  Alpine  Region  is  extremely  vulnerable  to  the  effects  of  climate 
change. Resources need to be used proportionately. This action has two main aims: 

 

 

to reinforce Alpine natural and cultural resources as assets for a high quality living 
area; and 
to ensure the more efficient use of existing natural and cultural resources. 

(2) Action 7: To develop ecological connectivity in the whole EUSALP territory 
The integrity and functioning of ecosystems, including the conservation of biodiversity and 

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provision  of  ecosystem  services,  largely  depend  on  the  existence  of  effective  ecological 
connectivity.  There  is  currently  very  little  promotion  of  ecological  corridors  and  green 
infrastructure, including in unprotected areas. 

(3) Action 8: To improve risk management and to better manage climate change, including 
major natural risks prevention 
Due  to  its  geomorphological  conformation  the  Alpine  Region  is  extremely  vulnerable  to 
environmental disasters and to climate change. With regard to environmental disasters, this 
action  will  focus  on  carrying  out  an  appropriate,  comprehensive  risk  assessment  and 
implementing  a  disaster  risk  management  policy  at  regional  level.  As  regards  climate 
change,  the  focus  will  be  in  particular  on  carrying  out  a  comprehensive  vulnerability 
assessment of the sectors and systems likely to be affected by climate change and developing 
a regional strategy on adapting to climate change. 

(4)  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. 

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

Implementing the Strategy requires:  

  setting  up  an  efficient  governance  model  involving  the  actors  taking  part  in 
implementation  and  strengthening  cooperation  and  the  coordination  among  other 
relevant institutions and stakeholders4in the Region; and,  

  changing  the  decision-making  process,  avoiding  fragmented  governance,  increasing 
knowledge sharing and coordination, both between different levels of government and 
across local government organisations at the same level. 

Experience  to  date  with  macro-regional  strategies  shows  that  streamlined  governance 
mechanisms  are  crucial  for  effective  implementation.  Experience  also  shows  that  efficient 
trans-border  governance  systems  are  complex  and  that  the  process  of  setting  these  up  is 
inevitably gradual. The Commission’s May 2014 report on governance5 identifies three main 
requirements: strong political leadership, effective decision-making and good organisation. 

Sound  governance  also  requires  that  roles  be  clearly  defined  at  an  early  stage:  how  and  by 
whom the Strategy will be implemented, and how and by whom joint actions will be initiated 
and  financed.  Governance  must  have  both  a  political  and  operational  dimension,  with  line 
ministries  and  implementing  bodies  setting  and  following  up  strategic  joint  objectives.  The 
Strategy does not aim to replace existing structures but to ensure that better coordination and 
better cooperation provide better results. 

4  See  EP  —  Policy  Department  B:  Structural  and  Cohesion  Policies:new  role  of  macro-regions  in  Europen  Territorial 
Cooperation PE 540.349 (January 2015). 
5 Report from the Commission on the governance of macro-regional strategies, COM(2014)284 of 20 May 2014. 

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The basis of the Strategy’s  governance  system is  laid down in  the Milan Declaration of the 
Alpine  States  and  Regions,  in  accordance  with  the  Grenoble  Political  Resolution,  the 
Commission’s  report  on  governance  of  macro-regional  strategies6  and  the  Council 
conclusions of 21 October 2014. It has three inter-related levels: (1) political leadership and 
ownership; (2) coordination; and (3) implementation. At each level, different actors from the 
participating  States  and  Regions  take  part  in  a  General  Assembly,  an  Executive  Board  and 
implementing bodies. 

The  Commission  will  act  as  an  independent  facilitator  and  will  actively  participate  in  the 
overall  coordination  of  the  Strategy,  but  the  Strategy’s  success  will  depend  on  strong  and 
lasting  commitment  from  the  main  stakeholders  and  partners.  The  Strategy’s  action  plan 
provides  more  details  of  the  main  guiding  principles  of  the  Strategy’s  governance 
arrangements. 

4. FUNDING 

As the Strategy does not have its own financing, it will mainly be implemented by mobilising 
and  aligning  existing  EU  and  national  funding  relevant  to  the  objectives  and  actions.  The 
States  and  Regions  affected  by  the  Strategy  should  commit  to  drawing  on  this  funding  to 
implement  the  action  plan.  In  particular,  relevant  country-specific,  cross-border  and  trans-
national  programmes  from  the  European  Structural  and  Investment  Funds  (ESIF)  for  2014-
2020  can  provide  significant  resources  and  a  wide  range  of  tools  and  technical  options  to 
support  the  Strategy.  The  trans-national  Alpine  Space  programme  will  provide  financial 
support for developing the governance arrangements for the Strategy 

With  a  country-based  and  region-based  approach  of  cohesion  policy,  there  is  a  risk  that  in 
border areas we see:  

1)  fragmentation  of  efforts  (e.g.  parts  of  the  infrastructure  are  constructed  but  do  not 

bring maximum benefits because other sections are missing);  

2)  oversaturation of investment (e.g. airports);  
3)  insufficient synergies between similar activities; and  
4)  a lack of attention on cross-border problems (e.g. air pollution).  

The  Strategy  should  therefore  focus  on  actions  to  identify  supra-national  priorities  when 
choosing  investment  projects  that  could  benefit  from  joint  programming  and  cross-border 
coordination in the Region. 

Other  EU  funds  and  instruments  relevant  to  the  Strategy’s  objectives  are  available  and 
synergies and complementarities with ESIF funding may be sought, notably with:  

  Horizon 2020 (for all objectives);  
 
 
 

the COSME programme (for objective 1);  
the Connecting Europe Facility (for objective 2) and  
the LIFE programme (for objective 3).  

Other  funding  is  also  available,  particularly  from  the  European  Fund  from  Strategic 
Investments,  the  European  Investment  Bank  and  other  international  financial  institutions.  In 
addition,  national  and  regional  budgetary  resources  will  also  mobilised,  in  particular  in  the 
non-EU countries covered by the Strategy, as they do not receive EU funding. 

6 COM(2014)284 final adopted on 20 May 2014. 

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These  funds  and  instruments  should  bring  significant  leverage  and  attract  funding  from 
private investors. The Strategy also needs to capitalise on the work done through other macro-
regional strategies for innovative financing. 

5. REPORTING AND EVALUATION 

As  strategies  do  not  have  their  own  financing,  they  can  only  have  an  influence  on  policies  
and  the  way  they  are  implemented.  In  order  to  capture  the  effects  of  the  changes  resulting 
from implementing this strategy, two types of indicators can be used: 
• 

results  indicators  to  measure  cooperation  and,  particularly,  changes  in  the  way 
partners work together, e.g. better coordinated EU and domestic policies/instruments 
across the Region; 
policy  indicators  to  capture  policy  aspects  and,  particularly,  changes  in  the 
governance,  socioeconomic  and  environmental  situation  in  the  Alpine  Region 
(affected by greater cooperation). 

• 

A strong monitoring and evaluation system will be needed to check whether implementation 
of the Strategy is on track, and to assess the extent to which the Strategy is delivering on its 
objectives. This will be one the first tasks for partners in the Strategy, with support from the 
European  Commission,  external  experts  and  the  Alpine  Space  programme,  as  appropriate. 
The  system  will  be  based  on  a  set  of  regional  indicators,  which  will  be  collected,  validated 
and shared by Eurostat. 

Evaluation  will  be  based  on  the  work  of  the  objective  coordinators  and  the  action  group 
leaders, who will have to report on progress towards the agreed targets. 

While the prime  indicator of success is  the implementation of the action plan, more refined 
indicators must also be developed urgently. These should be able to capture the changes that 
the Strategy is expected to bring about. 

The  States  and  Regions  affected  by  the  Strategy  will  organise  an  annual  forum  to  evaluate 
results, consult on revised actions and, where appropriate, develop new approaches. 

6. LINKS WITH EU POLICIES 

Requiring no changes to EU legislation, this strategy aims to strengthen EU policies relevant 
to the Region.7 It supports greater compliance with EU legal obligations, addressing gaps and 
practical  difficulties  that  lead  to  delays,  especially  in  relation  to  the  Single  Market  and  the 
environment.8  The  Strategy  emphasises  an  integrated  approach,  bringing  together  different 
policy areas for a territorially-coherent implementation of EU policies. This emphasises links 
between EU policies and programmes, including the EU strategies on Digital Single Market,9 
biodiversity10  and  forestry11,  and  adaptation  to  climate  change12  and  EU  R&D  framework 
programmes and rural development programmes. Implementation of the Strategy will need to 

7  Such  as  the  EU  disaster  risk  management  policy,  trans-European  networks  (transport  and  energy),  the  future  Transport 
Communities, the second pillar of the Common Agricultural Policy etc. 
8  Notably the  Birds and  Habitats,  Water  Framework,  Marine  Strategy  Framework,  Nitrates,  Ambient  Air  quality, National 
Emission ceilings and Waste Framework Directives. 
9 http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-15-4919_en.htm. . 
10 COM(2011) 244 (http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52011DC0244&from=EN). 
11 COM(2013) 659 (http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/forest/strategy/index_en.htm). 
12 COM(2013) 216. 

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be coordinated with work on implementing the adjoining EU Strategy for the Danube Region 
and the EU Strategy for the Adriatic-Ionian Region. The INTERACT programme can play a 
central  role  in  this.  Synergies  will  also  be  sought  with  other  inter-governmental  bodies  that 
have the same geographic reach and scope as the Strategy. 

7. WHAT WILL THE STRATEGY BRING TO THE POPULATION? 

The Strategy’s objectives have been chosen to bring about changes in the economic prosperity 
and well-being of people and organisations in the Alpine Region: 

thanks 

framework, 

  People. The long-term impact on people in the Region is clear: a healthier and better 
preserved  environmental 
to  better-thought-through,  more 
coordinated  policies  which  aim  to  develop  sustainable  joint  solutions  on  transport, 
energy and natural and cultural heritage. These policies are also expected to  provide 
more  job  opportunities  in  the  Region,  especially  those  relating  to  better  transport 
connections, allowing people to remain in or return to remote areas. These advantages 
result from the benefits of free movement of people. 
institutions  and  organisations 

(including  academic/research 
institutions). These organisations are engaging in a strong, albeit complex cooperation 
process.  Through  this,  they  are  clearly  indicating  their  intention  to  improve  their 
efficiency in implementing policies and actions more cooperatively (including saving 
money by taking better informed and coordinated decisions). 

  Public-sector 

  Economic/business  sector.  This  sector  will  reap  the  same  benefits  as  the  general 
population. They will also benefit from a more dynamic economic environment, based 
on  the  development  of  further  activities  in  fields  that  are  still  untapped,  and  where 
focused  cooperation  with  other  partners  in  the  Region  (associated  research  centres, 
training  and  education  bodies,  clusters,  etc.)  is  likely  to  significantly  increase  the 
productivity and the positioning of private-sector businesses in the Region. 

  Civil society organisations linked to policy areas. The new governance model, which 
led  to  broad  consultation  when  drawing  up  the  Strategy,  will  be  continued  in  the 
Strategy’s implementation phase and will increase the feeling of ownership of actions 
and projects that support the Strategy’s objectives. 

By  providing  an  overall,  sustainable,  long-term  framework  for  coordinating  policies, 
increasing territorial cooperation and implementing actions to achieve the agreed objectives, 
the Strategy will make the Region a better place to live, work and enjoy, and will prepare it 
for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. 

The Commission therefore invites the Council to endorse this Communication. The European 
Parliament, the Committee of the Regions and the European Economic and Social Committee 
are also invited to examine this document. 

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