On  27 January 2026, Euromontana, together with its member Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (AURA), jointly hosted a meeting of representatives from mountain areas at the Region’s premises in Brussels. The event brought together a wide range of regional voices at a key moment for European policymaking.
As discussions advance on the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), the future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and broader EU territorial priorities, the meeting provided an opportunity to exchange views on the challenges facing European mountain areas, as well as to present initiatives led by Euromontana and AURA to strengthen the voice of mountains in Brussels.

In this context, AURA presented its initiative for a European Pact of Mountains, which aims to raise political awareness of the specific challenges and assets of mountain areas. Euromontana also introduced the Alliance for European Mountains, a group bringing together Members of the European Parliament and members of the Committee of the Regions from mountain areas, designed to improve the visibility of mountain issues within EU institutions.

Beyond the policy discussions, the meeting was conceived above all as a space to foster mutual understanding and informal connections between regions that regularly engage with European institutions on mountain-related issues. In total, 18 mountain regions were represented (in bold our members): Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, the Azores, the Basque Country, Calabria, Catalonia, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Grand Est, Lombardy, Małopolska, the North-East Region of Romania, Occitanie, Podkarpackie, Région Sud, Salzburg, Tyrol, Valle d’Aosta and Veneto. The diversity of territorial contexts was matched by a clear convergence of interest in maintaining regular exchanges at EU level.

As a next step, participants expressed interest in staying in contact and gradually nurturing this informal community of mountain regions in Brussels. Such exchanges can help improve information flows and strengthen mutual awareness, contributing to a more visible and informed presence of mountain areas in upcoming EU debates, including negotiations on the next MFF and beyond. Euromontana will continue working with AURA to sustain engagement with regional delegations in Brussels.