THEME ENERGY POLICIES
The community based
Interreg III B programme Va l t e r F r a n c e s c a t o a n d E l i s e o A n t o n i n i - A I E L
INTERREG is a European Union initiative which aims to encourage and promote inter-regional cooperation and balanced, lasting development over the entire area of the Community. Alpine Space
The European Commission, in line with Regulation CE 1260/99 art. 20, has established guidelines for the Community initiative which aims to identify common solutions to specific problems in the various sectors of economic, social and cultural interest that may be found in all or part of Europe. Among these, the INTERREG programme, now in its third period of planning (III), has been strengthened both in terms of resources and opportunities for cooperation between States. The objective of the new phase is a further strengthening of trans-border (section A), trans-national (section B) and interregional (section C) cooperation again aimed at encouraging harmonious, balanced and lasting development of a central and strategic area of Europe: the Alpine Space. In April this year, at the second meeting of the Steering Committee gathered in Genoa, 19 of the 31 projects presented in the sphere of the INTERREG III B Alpine Space Programme were approved. Among t h e s e , t h e p r o j e c t “A L P E NERGYWOOD –Together to promote wood for energy purposes in the Alpine arc” was thought up to develop those aspects of the sector linked to the use of woodfuels for energy purposes (with reference to the geographic area known as the “Alpine Space”). More specifically, the aim is to unite and spread the use of the best practices and opportunities to use woodfuels as a sustainable source of energy. The “spirit” which animates these projects is one of cooperation and exchange of knowledge and experiences acquired in the specific sector of interest defined also by the more general European Community
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policies. Each specific project is part of a more general programme (Community Initiative) whose main objectives and essential lines are described below.
• sustainable accessibility, transport and communication routes; • protection and improvement of the priceless natural and cultural heritage as well as the protection of the Alpine population from disastrous events.
THE OBJECTIVES OF THE INTERREG PROGRAMME:
Within these more general objectives, the principles upon which the activity of the community initiative are based are: • common operational strategies for the general objectives and demonstration of their extra value; • idea of partnership and organisation of activities and actions based on the logic of proceeding “from bottom to top”; • complementarity of the project with regard to EU programmes and strategies. THE ALPINE SPACE: is an area of trans-national cooperation which is strategic for Europe and which includes the actual mountains, the
The initiative promoted by the European Commission set itself the following general, strategic objectives: • cohesion and strengthening of the Alpine Space as an economically “strong” area in the wider European network of development areas with the aim of developing a common awareness; • begin a process of sustainable land development considering both the Alpine core region and the fringes of the Alps;