The IV European Mountain Convention was organised on 25 & 26 November 2004 in Rodez, France, and focused on “Unlocking the mountains – a new approach to rural development for Europe’s mountains”.

This second edition is organised with the collaboration of  Interdepartmental Service for the Promotion of the Massif Central (SIDAM) and with the support of the Commissariat de Massif Central, Communauté d’agglomérations du Grand Rodez and the European Commission’s DG AGRI.

The IV European Mountain Convention will take place at a particularly strategic time of European reforms affecting mountain areas:

• the reform of rural development policy,
• the preparation of the reform of European regional policy post-2006,
• new proposals for the financing of Natura 2000 sites,
• the adoption of the Treaty establishing a European Constitution in June 2004, which now includes an explicit reference to mountains, and other important institutional changes, such as the enlargement of the Union to 10 new Member States, many of which include mountain regions, and the European Parliament and Commission starting their new terms of office.
• Non-Member State European countries, in particular Norway, Switzerland, Romania and Bulgaria, are also developing new policies for mountain areas.

The Convention intends to:

• Explain and assess the impact of current developments
• Identify the risks and opportunities for mountain stakeholders
• Identify common proposals for a better integration of mountain issues in European policies.

Event material