Working Community of Alpine Countries (Arge Alp)

The 34^th Conference of Heads of Government held on June 27, 2003 in Innsbruck adopted resolutions to reform the Common Agricultural Policy and for a sustainable development in the European transport policy.

The project headed by the Swiss Canton of Ticino “Mudstreams and Avalanches in the Alpine Region” was finalised in the spring of 2003.

The project "Living Space Network" with Bavaria as lead partner was approved in 2003 within the framework of the Interreg IIIB – Alpine Space Programme. The goals of this project are the exchange of experience for habitat networking and establishing new forms of cross-border cooperation in compliance with Natura 2000. Sub-projects concern bat populations in the Alpine region or fauna and flora along Alpine trans-border watercourses.

With reference to the topic of arsenic in drinking water a working group was established in 2003 which organised an experience exchange with reports and set up a pilot plant for the removal of arsenic in Lajen/Laion / Autonomous Province of Bozen.

A resolution was adopted in favour of maintaining public services of general interest in the Alpine region at the 35^th Conference of Heads of Government held on June 25, in Alpbach, Tyrol in Austria. People living in remote and sparsely populated areas are to be guaranteed the same living conditions as those available in conglomerations. The public services provided to date are not to be exposed to full competition. The Federal State of Baden – Württemberg declared its withdrawal from the Working Community Arge Alp.

The 36th Conference of Heads of Government on June 24, 2005 in Trento adopted an amendment to the statute of the Arge Alp. The Chair has now been shortened to a period of one year and instead of the Commissions now only project groups are to be set up. The Conference also adopted a resolution concerning special consideration to be given to the mountain areas in EU aid policies.

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