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France will lead development of Alpine region in 2020

06.02.2020

The 2020 French Presidency of the EU-Strategy for the Alpine Region (EUSALP) was launched on 4 February in Lyon, France. The high-level event gathered key stakeholders to address the future of the Alpine region.

Government officials assembled to discuss an array of topics relevant to the Alps, from mountain products and value chains to green energy to biodiversity. Highlighted was the need to promote the Alpine region as a hub of sustainable development and the roles that mountain tourism and agro-food chains play in this aim.

This year, the French State - together with the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur regions - will chair the Alpine macro-regional strategy.

The French Presidency has established a programme with the motto, “together for a greener Alpine region”. The programme aims to boost the ecological transition of the EUSALP area in order to tackle climate change.

The engagement of youth in EUSALP activities is one of the key priorities for this year. The programme will provide education for young people about mountain regions and enable their participation in the sustainable development of the Alpine region. One of the major aims also includes promoting the consumption of locally-sourced mountain products.

EUSALP covers an area with 80 million inhabitants (16 percent of the European Union’s population) and 48 regions located in seven countries: Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Slovenia and Switzerland. The alliance establishes a relationship between metropolitan, peri-mountain and mountain areas committed to the sustainable future of the Alpine region. EUSALP’s work revolves around three majors themes: competitiveness and innovation, environmentally friendly mobility, and sustainable management of resources.

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Read the work programme of the French Presidency

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