Doc. 8998

14 March 2001

A quality label for mountain resorts in Europe?

Recommendation 1433 (1999)

Reply from the Committee of Ministers

adopted at the 744th meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies (7 March 2001)

The Committee of Ministers has considered with attention Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1433 (1999) on “A quality label for mountain resorts in Europe?”.

It agrees with the Assembly that mountain resorts could be the object of speculations for short-term economic benefits and that tourism pressures, together with pollution, could seriously jeopardise the mountain regions. It has thus agreed to transmit this Recommendation for information to the World Tourism Organisation.

In compliance with recommendations of the Parliamentary Assembly (items 18.b and c), this Recommendation was communicated to the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe (CLRAE) and to the NGOs which hold consultative status with the Council of Europe and are concerned by this field of activities.

On the same occasion, the Deputies gave ad hoc terms of reference to the Committee for the Activities of the Council of Europe in the field of Biological and Landscape Diversity (CO-DBP) (item 18.a), asking it to issue an opinion on the Recommendation. The Committee of Ministers shares the view of the CO-DBP that the quality label for mountain resorts might be “an important instrument for the sustainable development of mountain regions but it must not discriminate between rich and poor resorts […]”.

As regards the last recommendation of the Assembly (item 18.d), the question of the draft European Convention on Mountain Regions was discussed by the European Ministers responsible for Regional Planning (CEMAT) at their 12th Session in Hanover on 7-8 September 2000.

The CEMAT did not follow up the proposal made by the representatives of the CLRAE and the Parliamentary Assembly concerning a draft European Convention on Mountain Regions. However, it adopted the “Guiding Principles for Sustainable Spatial Development of the European Continent” referring explicitly to mountain regions:

“Mountain regions represent an exceptional potential for Europe and fulfil numerous ecological, economic, social, cultural and agricultural functions. Spatial development policy should give special and suitable consideration to the preservation and development of mountain regions”.

The Committee of Ministers will follow closely the implementation of the Guiding Principles adopted by the CEMAT and keep the Assembly informed on further developments in this field.