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The future of the alpine area and the Alpine Convention

Félix NASCHER - Chairman of Alps Convention's Transport Protocol Experts, Vaduz, Liechtenstein

 

 

Introduction

The alpine area fulfils many economic and ecological functions, both for the local populations and the surrounding regions and countries. Whilst the ecological, economic, sociocultural and regional features are universally acknowledged, the economic and ecological aspects of the alpine area are threatened by developments to the global economy and the increasing pressure on the environment. These two factors must be taken into account in any long-term economic planning. The Alps may then become a model, both for sustainable development and for transborder collaboration and the Europe of regions.

The political context

Differing circumstances make it hard to set up common, transnational (alpine) policies. The geography of the Alps is greatly divided and spread between the States which differ considerably demographically, in their network of roads and their agricultural and tourist policies for example. Moreover, decision-making centres are often far from the alpine area. Today, the economic and ecological problems of the Alps go beyond borders and can therefore not be solved merely on an alpine or European scale. Furthermore, only concerted action will ensure socio-economic and cultural development that respects resources and is independent of the major decision-making centres.

The Alpine Convention

During the first Alpine Convention in October 1989 in Berchtesgaden, the ministers of the environment of alpine countries adopted a resolution of principle with a programme for sustainable economy in mind, with the aim of highlighting problems as well as strategies required to solve them. The ministers had asked work groups to draw up a convention for the protection of the Alps and to set up protocols of implementation in the various domains.

In October 1991, in Salzburg, the ministers of the environment of the alpine countries and the representative of the European Union signed a framework agreement, the Alpine Convention, which came into force on 6 March 1995. All the alpine countries, namely Germany, France, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Austria, Switzerland and Slovenia, as well as the European Union, have signed this agreement.

The objective of the Alpine Convention and its protocols is to create the general conditions required for an ecological use of the alpine area. Jointly decided measures take into account both ecological and economic realities and guarantee the preservation of the region as a living, economic and natural environment. The Convention encourages transborder collaboration in order to meet requirements and to solve problems concerning all alpine countries. It also aims to harmonise the level of environmental protection throughout the Alps. The Alpine Convention is the first attempt to give the economy of a European region a sustainable character. The Convention must both encourage awareness of the strong points and problems common to the alpine populations and win over people outside the alpine area, to the cause of the mountain zones. It thus also contributes to giving the alpine area, at the heart of Europe, the status of being a "vulnerable" region. In order to respect political and cultural diversity, increasing importance is given to the participation of regions.

Protocols of implementation

Protocols of implementation, signed by some members of the Convention, were established for land use (or regional) planning, sustainable development, mountain agriculture, soil protection, the production of energy, the conservation of nature and the landscape, mountain forests and tourism.

In June 1995, the work group declared they had finished the protocol on transport, with the exception of the matter of new transit roads with a high density of traffic. The question of new transit roads gave rise to two radically opposing viewpoints, namely that of giving the right of veto to contracting parties or allowing them to participate on a consultation basis only for vital projects. Despite major political efforts of conciliation, which continued up until autumn 1998, no agreement was reached.

However the Alpine Convention's main objective is to define regulations valid for all the alpine States, especially regarding transport. This lack of agreement on such an important protocol is largely responsible for the fact that, up to now, member States have not ratified any of the protocols that they had nevertheless previously signed.

Negotiations on the transport protocol

To defend the Convention's credibility and in the interest of all the protocols being implemented, the ministers decided during the fifth Alpine Convention dated 16 October 1998, in Bled, that the renegotiations of a transport protocol would take place, with a clearly defined aim. It gave Liechtenstein the presidency of the newly set up "transport" work group.

In compliance with the basic principles of the Alpine Convention, article 2 paragraph 2 j, the transport protocol objective is to "reduce pollution and inter and transalpine transport risks to a level which is not harmful to man, flora and fauna and their habitats". This objective must be reached by a more systematic use of railway transport, especially for the transport of goods, and particularly by the creation of adequate infrastructures and suitable market incentives.

During the October 1999 session, the permanent Commission, as executive committee of the Alpine Convention, adopted a harmonised project of transport protocol which was then communicated to the States concerned. The objective is to sign the transport protocol during the next conference on the Alps which will take place in Switzerland, in autumn 2000. The protocol project is mainly based on the definition of strategies and objectives, and where necessary, on the definition of concrete measures, with the aim of a concerted transport policy, which takes account of the specific vulnerability of the alpine area.

Important details of the protocol project

Principles

Due to its special vulnerability, the alpine area requires special protection various co-ordinated concepts, strategies and measures must give traffic the aim both of ensuring mobility of people and goods, and in a wider sense, preserving mankind, plant and animal life, in other words, to take into account the special vulnerability of the alpine area.

Main issues

Sustainable transport must preserve non-renewable resources, limit ; harmful transport pollution and reduce the damaging impact on mankind and the environment to an acceptable level. To complete this measure, a systematic monitoring of the impact that other transport policies may have is required.

Transport policy must be adapted to suit local features and must allow for an increase in the efficiency of existing transport systems and lead to the appraisal of real costs of using different transport systems.

A procedure of consultation and of multilateral collaboration based on opportunity studies including risk analysis and ecological monitoring, is essential for the construction of new works, as well as modifications to or important increases in existing road infrastructures, when these works may have repercussions in countries other than the one directly concerned.

Main measures

transport organisation :

• Promoting public, rail and marine transport, notably for reducing the transport of people and goods over long distances across the Alps or within the massif ;
• Limiting the construction of roads to essential projects only; new roads in the Alps, which cause pollution with large flows of traffic must be justified ;
• Setting up and using a system enabling real cost to be calculated ;

monitoring :

Monitoring the application of this protocol and strategies as well as the concepts and measures involved, as part of the Alpine Convention objectives :

• Maintaining a benchmark document concerning the condition andextent of use of road infrastructures
• Defining and applying criteria, indices and objectives in terms of quality of the environment.