Committee of the Regions COTER Seminar

1. Committee of the Regions COTER Seminar Regional Policy in regions with specific geographical characteristics 14 December 2009 Kiruna, Sweden Session 2: The situation of regions with geographical characteristics: Mountain regions Thomas Dax Bundesanstalt für Bergbauernfragen, Vienna, Austria (Federal Institute for Less-Favoured and Mountainous Areas)thomas.dax@babf.bmlfuw.gv.at

2. Outline • Mountain areas in Europe (definition; scope, diversity) • Situation andtrends in mountainregions • Challengesofsustainabledevelopmentandcohesionaspects • Analysis ofimpactofpolicies on mountainareas • Regional initiatives andsuccessfactorsformountaindevelopment

3. A common framework for mountain analysis • Definition(national definitions and delimitations, LFA scheme for CAP; regions for Interreg programmes); common indicators of Nordregio study (LAU2)data availability problems  add regional perspective for EU comparison (NUTS3): EC working paper (02/2009) • Mountain policies(national, EU-level; diverse application patterns)specificity addressed in strategic documents • Challenges faceddemographic changes /ageing populationshifts in economic activityaccessibility, infrastructure and service supplyemerging potential (quality production)tension between ecological sensitivity and use (e.g. tourism)

4. Mountains of Europe

5. Delimitation(Nordregio study)

6. Mountain areas (selected countries) Source: Nordregio 2004, p.29f.

7. Mountain areas, NMS (table continued)

8. Situation andtrends

9. Population density in massifs

10. Population density in municipalities

11. Population development

12. Municipalities with depopulation (from mountain areas and lowlands), 1991-2001 Lowlands Mountain Areas Note: bars in red, municipalities with more than -10% depopulation

13. Mountain regions, EU-27 (Nuts 3)

14. Challenges of sustainable development and cohesion aspects Major processes: • Continuing process of EU economic and social integration, globalisation and economic restructuring • Development of information and transport technologies • Changing political geography of Europe (enlargement, regionalism) • Changing socio-demographic structure of EU population, and • Environmental degradation threats (energy supply, climate change implications)

15. Mountain policy framework Recent stronger territorial orientation (sector policies, CAP, SF, including trans-border cooperation and Territorial Cohesion) • Main sector policies (agriculture, forestry, tourism, infrastructure, public services; environment, risk management, nature conservation; spatial planning) • Trans-national cooperation (including international agreements: Alpine and Carpathian Conventions; Interreg programmes) • Integrated approaches (pilot action, including Leader in mountains, national priorities and action) • Institutional development (research and development: Mountain Forum, Rio/Johannesburg process, IYM 2002, Mountain Partnership, SARD-M „remunerating positive externalities“)

16. Pillar 1 support per Annual Work Unit (AWU) Arkleton Centre 2005

17. Pillar 2 support per Annual Work Unit (AWU) Arkleton Centre 2005

18. Integrated perspectives on activities Reflectingcohesionneedsandconceptofsustainability • Improving (spatial) accessibility • Need forincentivepolicies • Take accountoflandscapevalues • Amenitiescharacteristicswith a territorial dimension (needofcollectiveaction) • Mountain areas, lowintensitylandmanagement, natureconservation (appropriatelandmanagement) • Coordinationactivities, multi-levelgovernance (horizontal andvertical)

19. Local action in mountain development Need for innovative approaches beyond LFA scheme • Bottom-up approaches (since 1970s),pilot action towards mainstreaming (Leader etc., community capacity building, cooperation – governance) • Two aspects of local capacity building:► „diversification“ of farm households► general spatial relevance of rural action (types of rural regions) • Best-practice and success dimensions

20. organic farming high quality production and regional products short supply chains „Deepening“ agri-tourism new on-farmactivities diversification natureandlandcapemanagement „Broadening“ rural area Agro-food supply chain conventional agriculture mobilisation of ressources „Regrounding“ new forms of cost reduction off-farm income Structure of rural development at farm enterprise level Source: van der Ploeg et al. 2002

21. Key issues for mountain policy strategies • Recognition of mountain areas as specific development areas • Remuneration of services rendered to surrounding lowland areas • Diversification and exploitation of the local potential for innovation • Addressing cultural changes without loss of identity • Sustainable management of mountain ecosystems (including biodiversity) • Trans-regional cooperation and strategic regional development approaches • Institutional development (multi-level governance) to focus on sustainable resource use

22. References • Nordregio, Mountain areas in Europe, EC-study (2004) • BABF, F&F32, Berggebiete in Europa (2004) • BABF, F&F35, Benachteiligte Gebiete in den NMS (2006) • ESPON studies 2000-2006 (project 2.1.3 and others) • Bausch et al., Prospective Study, Alpine Space (2006) • EC, proceedings, mountain policies conference (2003) • Dax, The role of mountain regions in territorial cohesion, Euromontana (2008) • Eu-project IMALP, Guidelines for promoting sustainable agriculture in Alpine mountain regions (2006) Thankyou!