National and regional story (Italy) - The Alpine Convention

The Alpine Convention
The Convention on the protection of the Alps (Alpine Convention) is a framework protocol-based multilateral agreement that sets out the basic principles of a coordinated regional policy and includes general measures for the sustainable development of the Alpine region, a bio-geographic continuum where natural, economic and cultural factors determine borders which do not always coincide with national borders, and therefore need a solid international coordination of policy measures.
The eight Alpine countries and the European Union are Parties to the Convention, which was opened to their signature in 1991, and entered into force in March 1995.
 
The coexistence in the Convention of ecological, socioeconomic, and cultural-historic elements implies that the goal of the Alpine Convention extends far beyond environmental protection. Its comprehensive sustainable development orientation is proved by its integrated approach and the large spectrum of technical areas for further elaboration and action: population and culture, spatial planning, air pollution, soil conservation, water management, nature and landscape conservation, mountain farming, mountain forestry, tourism and recreation, transport, energy, and waste management. The transnational cooperation spirit is also at the base of the activities of several working groups and platforms established by the Alpine Conference on a number of priority issues such as: System of information and observation, natural hazards, transport, UNESCO World Heritage, demography and employment, ecological network, water management, wild animals and compliance.
The convention aims at fostering transnational cooperation between the Alpine countries, the regions and the local authorities - and with the involvement of the scientific community, the private sector and the civil society. The Alpine countries promote joint initiatives and projects aimed at implementing the principles laid down in the convention on their own territories, which have in many cases received a financial support from EU programmes (e.g. the European Territorial Cooperation ’Alpine Space Programme’ http://www.alpine-space.eu/).
With its comprehensive approach, the Alpine Convention was an example for other mountain regions and similar cooperation initiatives, such as the Carpathian Convention (http://www.carpathianconvention.org/index.htm). Finally, the Alpine Convention may serve as a model of collaboration between states and non-governmental actors specific to the Alpine territory which have the status of official observers.
More info on the Alpine Convention at www.alpconv.org.