Association of the Alpine States

The Association of Alpine Countries ( Arge Alp ) treated in cross-border co-operation common problems and concerns of the Alpine region, and in particular ecological, cultural, social and economic fields. She wants to promote mutual understanding between the peoples of the Alps and raises awareness of shared responsibility for the alpine habitat strengthen.

Members

The Arge Alp include nine countries, provinces, regions and cantons of the countries of Austria, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and with 16 million people to around 118,504 km ². Members are Bavaria, Grisons, Salzburg, St. Gallen, Alto Adige, Ticino, Tirol, Trentino, Vorarlberg.

Organization

The supreme body of the Arge Alp is the Conference of Heads of Government. The chairmanship rotates annually between the individual member states. A steering committee consisting of senior officials of different countries, ensure the preparation of the Conference of Heads of Government and for the implementation of their decisions. For the actual implementation of the work program, project groups are used with professionals from the individual member states. Seat of the office is Innsbruck.

Objectives

Important concerns of the Arge Alp are:

  • The protection and development of the Alpine area as a quality full living and recreation space and thus the protection of the environment;
  • The coordination of spatial planning methods and planning objectives;
  • Coordinating the planning and construction in the Alps -border rail and road transport;
  • The intensification of economic cooperation;
  • Safeguarding the rich cultural heritage while promoting the contemporary scene;
  • The protection of health and the promotion of the family;
  • The promotion of European integration.

History

On October 12, 1972, the founding meeting of the Alpine Countries found in Moesern in Tyrol at the invitation of Governor Eduard Wallnoefer. For the 25th anniversary, the peace bell in the Alps was founded in Moesern.

The Arge Alp was the first European comparable merger of state and autonomous units at a level below the National and Federal States.

The " common vision for the development and safeguarding of the Alps " Arge Alp was up to the creation of the Alpine Convention and its Protocols, the most comprehensive and most concrete target catalog in the Alps and to date has in its principles and professional goals still largely valid.

The political and social upheavals of the past decade, the ongoing integration process in Europe and the consequences of the Maastricht Treaty and the formation of other working groups according to the pattern of the Arge Alp (1978 Alpen- Adria 1982 COTRAO in the Western Alps ) require constant clarification of tasks of the Arge Alp necessary: it should selectively perceive those tasks that only they get due to their decades of experience or can they perform better than other organizations of cross- border cooperation. Also, it is to be active where they operated effective enhancement effects of other bodies or can contribute to other levels ongoing activities.

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