INTERACT PRO MONTE

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INTERACT PRO MONTE
Association Européenne des Élus de
Montagne Associazione Europea degli Eletti della
Montagna Associ ação Europeia dos Eleitos de
Montanha Europäische Vereinigung der Gewählten
von Bergregionen Asociacion Europea de
Autoridades Politicas de Regiones de
Montaña European Association of Elected
representatives from Mountain Areas http//www.pro
monte-aem.org/ mailtoaem_at_promonte-aem.org --- Tél
. 32 (0)2 221 04 39 Fax  [phone]
87 --- 
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First Call for INTERACT ProjectsPriority
2INTERREG development Local and regional
initiatives

• INTERACT PRO MONTE
• Lead PartnerAEM European Association of
  Elected Representatives from Mountain Areas (FR)
• 11 Partners
• Duration (24 months)From 01.06.2004 to
  31.05.2006
• Project total cost EUR 935 890ERDF required EUR
  467 945
• KeywordsMountain regions cooperation,
  integration with mainstream SF (ob. 1 and ob.2),
  development perspectives of INTERREG

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INTERACT PRO MONTEThe reasons (1)

• A fair competitiveness between the developed
  urban centres and the mountain areas, based on
  the high potential of mountains environment and
  populations.
• But, even if the natural handicaps are integrated
  in European agricultural policy, even if there
  are national or regional laws and public policies
  addressing the mountain horizontal and specific
  problems and potentialities, even if the mountain
  massifs are mostly transborder geographic
  elements which cover between 30 and 40 of
  European Union area, there is no other concrete
  approach regarding this specific geographical
  question, and even more no transversal
  interdisciplinary approach at the European level.
  
• The problem is that to sustain mountains
  development, an horizontal approach is needed.

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INTERACT PRO MONTEThe reasons (2)

• Mountain specificities, defined as natural
  permanent handicaps (as insularity or very sparse
  population) by the second cohesion report are a
  new question at the European level. The third
  report on cohesion is now confirming this
  analysis.
• Considering this present weakness and the strong
  reflections about the future of European cohesion
  policy which will have to integrate a new aim of
  territorial cohesion, there is a real need to
  think about the best practices and experiences in
  mountain regions.  
• Therefore, as mentioned in the Interact programme
  complement on page 47, mountainous regions are a
  clear group to expand INTERACT activities to. 
• By the way, DG Regio has managed a large and
  interesting study on the analysis of mountain
  areas in the EU and in the applicant countries.
  This Interact project could complete this study
  by working on Interreg experiences.

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INTERACT PRO MONTEThe reasons (3)

• Therefore, INTERACT offers a great opportunity to
  set-up information and communication networks, to
  define information frameworks and flows, to
  pro-actively disseminate information and to
  stimulate exchange of experiences in a dynamic
  context.
• Mountain areas are mostly, but not only, engaging
  with transborder questions and cooperations.
  These regions are naturally working on
  interregional and transnational cooperations.
• The main items to find and support regional and
  local cooperation could be 
• Accessibility Trans-European networks (transport
  and telecommunication) and General interest
  services. 
• Environment (Natura 2000 could help to consider
  such challenge) and natural risks(civil security
  cooperation?), and Water resources management.
• Because culture doesn't stop with administrative
  borders, it has to be recognized as a main item
  of cooperation as innovation.  
• Massifs, mountain chains, are structuring a wide
  interregional space and Mountains don't recognise
  national borders. They have a large unity of
  problems. But their division into several states
  may have for consequence that none of them have a
  whole vision of this unity. Interreg could help
  mountain regions to reach this coherence.

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INTERACT PRO MONTE The Objectives (1)
To achieve the overall objectives  The
development of arguments and identification of
best practices to help to set up the future
cohesion and regional policies after 2006
considering the objectives of social, economic
and territorial cohesion.  Better adaptation
of the future interregional cooperation tool
(Interreg IV or new Objective of cooperation) to
mountain specificities. Development in this
future Interreg CIP of specific items and tools
which are important in mountain areas like for
example pluriactivity, transport and
communications, general interest services,
sustainable tourism, cultural and architectural
heritage, civil security, pastoralism,
etc..  The development of a rational for the
establishment of a legal framework for a
trans-border cooperation authority.  . Decrease
the border effect of territorial policy in
Member states, in particular in new member states
of Central and Western Europe. Added value
both for the European Union in its whole, and for
the mountain regions in particular.  
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INTERACT PRO MONTEThe Objectives (2)

• To achieve geographic and thematic focus of the
  operations 
• Better integration in mountain national and
  regional laws and sustainable development
  strategies of interregional cooperation around
  the massif dimension or at local level. 
• European support to mountain trans border
  working communities of regions and municipalities
  (CTP, COTRAO, ARGE-ALP, Città delle Alpi, ) and
  Massif Conventions Alpine Convention, Carpathian
  Convention.
• Clear progress and support in interregional
  cooperation at regional and local levels in
  mountain regions.

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INTERACT PRO MONTE The Activities (1)

• I) Evaluation and adaptation
• 1) Evaluation of Interreg programmes and projects
  in mountain regions.
• -Definition of evaluation criteria integrating
  mountains specificities
• -Searching and collecting projects in Interreg I,
  II and III strands
• -Evaluation and recognition of "best practices"
  in mountain regions. 
• 2) Integration of data from Objectives 1, 2 and
  3, and Leader experiences in mountain regions
  identification of the main focus in regional and
  national mountain policies.
• 3)Adaptation tools and actions issued of Interact
  P1M1 and P1M2 and shaping new specific tools if
  necessary add value to "best mountain
  practices".

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INTERACT PRO MONTEThe Activities (2)

• II) Transfers and Development activities
• 1) Platforms and seminars
• Municipalities, elected representatives, civil
  servants, economic developers, social actors,
  environment protectors and NGO.
• Alpine space, Iberic peninsula, Central Greece
  and Balkan area, Mediterranean insular mountains,
  Eastern central Europe
• 2) "Bottom - Up debriefing" Integrating remarks
  and feedbacks of the platform and seminar
  participants.
• 3) European Added Value setting up a common tool
  and recommendations for "Interreg 4" during a
  European conference about "interregional
  cooperation in Mountain territories" in Chambéry
  (Savoy).

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INTERACT PRO MONTE The Partnership

• Lead PartnerAEM European Association of
  Elected Representatives from Mountain Areas
  (E.N.)
• Gathering and representing elected
  representatives and local and regional
  authorities from mountain areas
• Supporting sustainable development of mountain
  areas through a global, balanced and horizontal
  policy
• Linking local democracy and European
  institutions.
• AEM had done a study called "DINTERREG II C A
  INTERREG III B, LA DEMONSTRATION DUNE
  SPECIFICITE DES TERRITOIRES DE MONTAGNE EN
  MATIERE DE COOPERATION" demonstrating that there
  is a lack of integration of mountain
  specificities in Interreg programmes. Interreg
  has wait for Interreg III B C to integrate some
  mountain elements, in particular in the alpine
  space programme.
• 10 Partners IREALP (Lombardia), Euromontana
  (E.N.), ADECOHD (PACA), General Council of Savoy
  (Rhône-Alpes), Autonomous Province of Trento
  (Trentino-Alto Adige), Province of Belluno
  (Friuli-Venezia-Giulia), Province of Granada
  (Andalucia), Prefecture of Lasithi (Kriti),
  Municipality of Itamos (Thessalia), Zdanie
  (Lower-Silesia) SAB - CH

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INTERACT PRO MONTE
Association Européenne des Élus de
Montagne Associazione Europea degli Eletti della
Montagna Associ ação Europeia dos Eleitos de
Montanha Europäische Vereinigung der Gewählten
von Bergregionen Asociacion Europea de
Autoridades Politicas de Regiones de
Montaña European Association of Elected
representatives from Mountain Areas http//www.pro
monte-aem.org/ mailtoaem_at_promonte-aem.org --- Tél
. 32 (0)2 221 04 39 Fax  [phone]
87 ---