Euromontana, in cooperation with the Swiss Centre for mountain regions (SAB) is organising the VI European Mountain Convention in the city of Brig. In the year 2008, Brig is Alpine city of the year, which provides an ideal background for the Mountain Convention.

This Convention aims to discuss how to generate added value within Europe’s mountain areas and the sessions will be treating specifically new European policies in mountain areas, the right political framework for mountains and their way to competitiveness and innovation, transformation of the industrial sector in mountains and mountain economy, developing entrepreneurship in mountain areas as well as ways of adaptation to climate change.

The Convention is combined with another international event in Brig, organised by the “Fondation pour le développement durable des regions de montagne”, held on October 6 to 10, which creates one big international week of the mountains. The field trips are therefore combined between the two events. The Mountain Convention is made possible through the support from the Swiss Federal Office for Agriculture, the Canton of Wallis and the city of Brig as well as numerous other sponsors.

Further information from conference@euromontana.org

DRAFT AGENDA

Wednesday 8 October 2008

Arrival of participants and registration from 9.00 onwards

Study tours

1. Visit to the UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site "Jungfrau-Aletsch Bietschhorn"

2. Visit to the Ecomuseum Simplon

3. Visit to the regional park Binntal

 Starting point: 13h30 in front of the Congress centre in Brig

Thursday 9 October 2008

Arrival of participants and registration from 9.00 onwards

(Euromontana General Assembly 09.30-12.00)

12.00 Lunch

13.00 Opening and introduction to the conference

-          Frank Gaskell, Past-President of Euromontana

-          Viola Amherd, mayor of the City of Brig and member of the Federal Parliament

13.15 Keynote speech: Setting the right political framework for
            mountains on their way to innovation and competitiveness

-          Michel Barnier, Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries, France

13.45 Keynote Speech: Mountain areas in the new European policies –
            a closer look at the Territorial Cohesion and the Common
            Agricultural Policy

-          Mariann Fischer Boel, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development

14.15 Moderated round table: Challenges and responses in generating
            added value within the European mountain areas

Facilitator: Priscilla Imboden, Swiss Radio DRS

-          Jean-Michel Cina, Cantonal Councillor, head of the Department of Economic Affairs and territorial development

-          Thomas Dax, Bundesanstalt für Bergbauernfragen

-          Mr. Hlavác, deputy minister for agriculture of the Czech Republic

-          Cornelia Harabagiu, State Secretary for rural development, Romania
 

15.30  Coffee

16.00-18.00 Parallel Working Groups  

1) Building and fostering systems of added value (french and german)

Facilitator: Christoph Böbner, Vice director of the Federal office for agriculture

Many ideas and projects are developed in mountain areas. But sadly, many of those ideas are not successful. All too often, those products and services are not market-orientated or are not integrated in chains of added value. So how can we build chains of added value? Or how can we strengthen existing chains? What are factors for success or failure?

- Woodcluster Salzburg: Waltraud Winkler-Rieder

- EuroMARC project: analysis of the different elements of the agricultural value chain: Marie Guitton, Euromontana

2) Transformation of the industrial sector in mountain areas (french and slovene)

Industry has often been a very important factor for the economic development of mountain areas. Traditionally, heavy industry was developed on the basis of a cheap labour-force and available energy. In some countries, heavy industry was decentralised for political reasons. New forms of production and new market requirements have fundamentally changed the requirements of those industries. The restructuring process was and still is difficult for most regions, as alternative job opportunities are not available. It is therefore interesting to analyse some successful examples of transformation.

-  Transforming the metal forging industry in Austria into new economic activities: Regional management of Steiermark, TBD

-  The conversion of the military industry into new economic activities: Czech Republic, TBD

3) Towards a knowledge based mountain economy (english)

Facilitator: Flavio Ruffini, EURAC

Knowledge is becoming an ever increasingly important factor for economic success. This holds particularly true for mountain regions which have to struggle with increased transport distances, more difficult access to markets etc. An intelligent combination of science, research and enterprises can generate an added value in those mountain regions. There are several interesting examples in that respect:

- New medical research centre in Inverness: TBD

- University of Highlands and Islands, Scotland: TBD

- The approach of the autonomous province of Bolzano, Flavio Ruffini, EURAC

4) Adaptation approaches to climate change (english and french)

Facilitator: Hansruedi Müller, University of Berne

The climate is changing. We must take this as a fact. Many studies have been carried out to prove this and to show the possible impacts. The European Commission published a Green Paper on climate change in 2007.  Mountain areas will be particularly affected by the impacts of climate change. They therefore need adaptation approaches to climate change. How can winter tourism react to decreasing snow-coverage? Are there other opportunities e.g. in summer tourism? How can territorial entities react to increasing natural hazards? Do we need new rules for spatial planning? What are likely impacts on mountain farming? Do we need new production methods?

20.00  Common dinner of the conference participants

Sponsored by Coop Pro Montagna

Friday 10 October 2008

09.00   Round table: Lessons to be learned from the previous day

Moderated round table with the moderators of the workshops

Facilitator: Priscilla Imboden, Swiss Radio DRS

09.30 Parallel Working Groups

5) Valorisation of mountain amenities – externalities? (english)

Facilitator: Gérard Viatte, Verbier, adviser to FAO

Mountain areas provide various amenities, such as the landscape, the pure air, high-quality farming products, water, rich biodiversity, etc. But how can these amenities better be valorised?. How can we make sure that the provision and use of those amenities are properly paid for and that  the positive externalities from mountain areas receive an appropriate compensation?

- Landscape and biodiversity: Gerald J. Puckner, University of Linz

- Project RUBICODE, 6th Framework Programme: TBD

6) Developing and supporting entrepreneurship in mountain areas (french and english)

Facilitator: Juanan Gutierrez, IKT

Mountain areas face the handicap of longer distances and therefore more difficult access to markets. In such situations, enterprises in mountain areas must be particularly efficient in developing new business schemes. They must innovate and launch new, user-orientated products and services. They must also be ready to take some risks. In short: they need entrepreneurship. How can this be encouraged? What are the factors for success?

7) New approaches in territorial governance (english and italian)

Facilitator: Drew MacFarlane-Slack, Scottish Rural Property & Business Association Limited

Promoting integrated rural development poses numerous policy and governance challenges: it requires coordination across sectors, across levels of government and between public and private actors. What is the best level for coordination? How can actors be brought together? How to steer and conduct a bottom-up-process at local / regional level?

- National parks as a tool for territorial governance - the experience of national parks in Macedonia: Vlatko Andonovski, Balkan Foundation

8) Demographic change as a challenge and a chance (german and french)

Facilitator: Gabi Tröger-Weiss

Demographic change with both ageing populations and the loss of younger people is a huge challenge for numerous mountain regions. How can the services of general interest be maintained under those circumstances? Can this demographic change also be a chance for mountain regions? Could some regions specialize, for example, in care elderly people? What are the consequences of the demographic change on the role of women in society and economy?

- Innovative approaches for maintaining services of general interest on the background of the demographic change: Gabi Tröger Weiss

- Care for elderly persons as an asset for mountain territories? A case from Torino: TBD

- The role of women in up-keeping the social network in regions particularly affected by demographic change: female farmers from Romania: TBD

11.00 Coffee break

11.30 Plenary session and round table discussion: Policy approaches supporting innovation in Europe’s mountains – Towards a new rural paradigm

Rural policy has for a long time been a sectoral policy. But in most rural and mountain regions, farming is no longer the predominant economic factor. Rural regions depend on a wide range of economic engines for growth. A new approach towards rural regions is needed. Should we seek a new rural paradigm? Its main characteristics would be a focus on places rather than sectors and an emphasis on investments rather than subsidies.

-          Theo Maissen, President of SAB and member of the Federal Parliament

-          Branka Tome, State Secretary for agriculture, forest and food, Slovenia (TBC)

-          Nicola Crosta, Head of Rural Development Programme, OECD

-          Nicolas Evrard, secretary general of AEM

-          Jean-Didier Hache, CPMR

13.00 Closing and conclusions

- Reports from the working groups

- New President of Euromontana

13.30 Lunch

Saturday 11 October 2008

We suggest you might take the opportunity to stay for the weekend in this very interesting touristic region. Further information can be found at:

www.valaistourism.ch and www.brig-belalp.ch

A special package has been developed for participants of the Mountain Convention. Please visit www.alpenstadt-2008.ch for further details.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

The conference will take place in the Congress centre “Simplonhalle”, city of Brig, Canton Wallis, Switzerland.

Registration and further information

Please send your registration form by 31 August 2008 at latest by email at info@sab.ch or by fax at 0041 31 382 10 16.

For further information, you can either contact our office in Brussels at

T: +32 2 280 4283

F: +32 2 280 4285

conference@euromontana.org

or the local organiser, the Swiss Center for mountain regions SAB in Bern at

0041 31 382 10 10

info@sab.ch

Languages: English, French, Italian, German and Slovenian

Costs: A participation fee of 120 Euros is required (100 Euros for members, students and participants from Central and Eastern European countries).

How to get there

Brig is located in the middle of the Alps. It is very accessible by train. There are direct connections from Geneva and Zurich international airports. Travelling time is ca. 2 hours.

For the train timetables, you can visit www.sbb.ch

Venue: Simplonhalle (Congress centre)    

Rhonesandstrasse, Brig (CH)

Accommodation

A number of hotel rooms are specially reserved for the Convention and are guaranteed until 31 August 2008. Reservations can be made directly via the online form at http://www.brig-belalp.ch/events/kongresse/reservation6.berggebietstagung.php. If you want to register later, we can not guarantee that there are enough rooms in the city of Brig. Please contact directly Brig-Belalp-Tourismus (www.brig-belalp.ch). Each participant must pay for his/her accommodation directly to the hotel.

 Seminar on Depopulated and Mountain Areas - Positive Experiences of Active Marketing 

Euromontana in cooperation with the Arc Latin network and Diputacion de Teruel is organising an exchange seminar in Brussels on active marketing as a solution to depopulated and mountain areas. The seminar will examine the Teruel model and other successful examples of regional strategies and activities to attract and maintain population.

Euromontana invites all its members and their Brussels offices to discuss this topical issue, also with the view of perhaps putting together a project consortium for future closer cooperation

 Thursday 29 May 2008 9 to 18.30, Euromontana premises (C/O Casa Lombardia, 2 Place de Champ de Mars, Brussels, Metro: Porte de Namur)

Languages: English, Spanish and Italian

Click here to see the DRAFT AGENDA (versión en espagñol)

Register here

 Euromontana Round Table discussion on the implications of the Territorial Cohesion Green paper for mountain and similar areas 

Report of the meeting

Presentation of the draft Euromontana discussion paper on Territorial Cohesion:

• Thomas Dax, Federal Institute for Less-Favoured and Mountainous Areas, Austria

 Round Table discussion facilitated by Frank Gaskell, President of Euromontana, with the participation of:

• Patrick Salez, DG Regio, European Commission

• Jean-Michel Courades, DG Agri, European Commission

• Jean-Didier Hache, Islands Commission, CPMR

• Nicolas Evrard, Secretary General of the AEM

• Seppo Heikkilä, the Northern Sparsely Populated Areas of EU, Director of the North Finland EU Office

• Arve Skjerpen, Norwegian Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development

• Members of Euromontana board

 Discussion with the floor (members of Euromontana, organisations involved in the Territorial Cohesion)

Round Table

Frank Gaskell

Thomas Dax

Conference Memorandum

AGENDA

Thursday 4 October 2007

Plenary session: Recognising and rewarding the benefits of certain economic activities in mountain areas

Agriculture, forestry and some other activities use the mountain territory in a sustainable manner that, as a by-product, generate benefits at social, environmental and cultural levels, but the economic viability of these core activities is often insecure. Funding could be provided by diversification and adding value to products and services on specific markets, by public/private partnerships on land management and where the market does not exist, by public funding for positive externalities. Points of view from the actors and the European Commission.

Facilitator: Frank Gaskell, President of Euromontana

Speakers: "Farming in remote rural areas:  how do we secure public goods in the future?",

             Claudia Rowse, Scottish Natural Heritage, Scotland

               "The impact of the cheese products Tête de Moine in the employment of the region", O.Isler,  

               Switzerland

               "Positive externalities - Promotion of material and immaterial patrimonies from the mountain area

               of Mures county”, Ciprian Dobre, Prefect of the Region of Mures, Romania

               "Maintenance of employment due to collective economic actions - the UCCIMAC example"

                Jacques Henry Pointeau, UCCIMAC, France

Parallel Working Groups

More than anywhere else, in the mountain areas there are small processing structures and units that sometimes sell direct to the consumer. They add value to the product or bring complementary revenue for transhumance activities. The consumers expect healthy products and sanitary and veterinary norms are set at the Community level. Sometimes these norms can endanger the traditional production systems that represent the culture and identity of local populations. What does the European Commission propose in this context? What successful solutions have been found by small producers?

Facilitator: Zelie Peppiette, DG Agriculture and Rural Development of the European Commission