Brussels, 16/03/2016 (Agence Europe) - In an own initiative report adopted on Thursday 16 June at the European Parliament's regional development committee (25 votes for, 2 against, with 6 abstentions), MEPs gave their support to the European Alpine region strategy and called for emphasis to be placed on supporting SMEs, infrastructure and energy.
Among the main demands from MEPs are a greater role for the European Commission in the strategy implementation phase, as well as more European Parliament involvement in monitoring that it is being properly implemented. MEPs also stress that the strategy is not just about major infrastructure projects but also those of a more modest scale, particularly in the mountain regions. Finally, they also put a proposal to the Commission and the European Investment Bank to set up an investment platform for the alpine regions as a means of leveraging public and private funding and attract more investors.
In July 2015, the Commission presented a European strategy for the Alpine region (EUSALPE), which involved seven member and non-member states (Germany, Austria, France, Italy and Slovenia as well as Lichtenstein and Switzerland) (see EUROPE 11368) - 48 regions in all. This provided for the introduction of a macro-regional action plan affecting innovation, SMEs, agriculture and forestry, tourism, transport and connections, the environment and cultural heritage, climate change and risk prevention, energy and institutional cooperation related aspects.
The report did not create any specific divisions and was the subject of an overall consensus between the main groups at the Parliament, according to the information we received. It is expected to be presented in plenary in September. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)