596th meeting of the Ministers' Deputies, 19 - 20 June 1997

9.1     

EUROPEAN CHARTER OF MOUNTAIN REGIONS

Recommendation 14 (1995)

of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe

(CLRAE)

(CM/Del/Dec/Act(97)580/9.3, 583/9.4, 587/9.3)

Decisions

The Deputies

1.    adopted the following reply to CLRAE Recommendations 14 (1995):

"The Committee of Ministers has studied with interest Recommendation 1995) and the draft European Charter of Mountain Regions enclosed therein.

The Committee of Ministers shares the view expressed by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities (CLRAE) concerning the need to implement, at various levels, a specific policy for mountain regions so as to ensure an overall development of the whole continent.

    The Committee of Ministers wishes to inform the Congress that it has instructed a Working Party of the Committee of Senior Officials of the European Conference of Ministers responsible for Regional Planning (CEMAT), to prepare a draft Charter of Mountain Regions on the basis of Recommendation 14 (1995), albeit significantly more concise and simpler than the latter draft, taking into account other existing international instruments, such as the Alpine Convention and the principles and recommendations adopted at the second session of the European intergovernmental consultation on sustainable enhancement of mountain areas, held in Trento from 7 to 11 October 1996.

This legal instrument is being prepared by the said Working Party in which the Parliamentary Assembly and the CLRAE are represented."

2.    decided that the draft Charter of Mountain Regions, as well as the draft European Charter of Rural Areas, would be submitted for examination to the Committee of Senior Officials of the European Conference of Ministers responsible for Regional Planning (CEMAT) prior to examination by the CDLR and their submission to the Committee of Ministers.