How can economic interests be reconciled with environmental conditions in order to secure the standard of living of citizens in the Alps? Under the Slovenian presidency from 2023 to 2024, the Alpine Convention will for the first time comprehensively address this and similar questions on the quality of life in the Alpine region. Covering eight countries, the Alpine Convention is an international treaty for the sustainable development and protection of the Alpine region. The Slovenian Presidency will in 2023 also organise a conference on environmental education with a focus on climate change, while supporting CIPRA’s YOALIN project. A conference on biodiversity will follow in 2024, with the aim of improving ecological connectivity and restoring ecosystems. The 10^th Report on the State of the Alps on Quality of Life will be based on the findings of the previous report on Alpine Towns and will serve as a guideline for the Alpine Convention’s multi-annual work programme until 2030.

Switzerland and the Eusalp: presidency, not disengagement

In 2023 Switzerland will be the first non-EU country to take over the presidency of the Eusalp (EU Strategy for the Alpine Region), which aims to strengthen cooperation between the Alpine countries and regions of the EU as well as Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Switzerland will focus on three topics during its Eusalp presidency: a conference on the circular economy will be held in the canton of Fribourg at the end of March, there will be a conference on water in Graubünden in mid-June, with a conference on transport and mobility in Ticino at the end of August. The final event will be the Eusalp General Assembly and Annual Conference in Bad Ragaz from 18 to 19 October 2023.

Sources and further information:

www.alpconv.org/de/startseite/organisation/vorsitz/ (de, fr, it, sl, en), www.alpine-region.eu/swiss-presidency-2023 (en)