The Swiss Plenary Assembly has responded positively to the official request from the president of the Province of Bolzano, one of the two Italian provinces that will hold the presidency in 2022. This will be a joint effort between the Confederation and the cantons. As a sign of a commitment to cooperation at the European level, the Swiss presidency will provide an opportunity to strengthen relations with neighboring countries. Topics such as promoting the Alpine Convention and advancing work on tourism, natural resources, and energy could be prioritized.
Christian Rathgeb, President of the Conference of Cantonal Governments (CdC), met with Arno Kompatscher, President of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano-South Tyrol, to discuss the Macro-Regional Strategy for the Alpine Region (EUSALP) and relations between Switzerland and the European Union (EU).
The meeting took place ahead of the upcoming EUSALP presidency, which will be held by the Swiss Confederation and the cantons starting January 1, 2023. The president of the CdC stated that Switzerland’s assumption of this role underscores the importance of cross-border relations and cooperation in the Alpine region.
State Councilor Christian Rathgeb took advantage of this exchange of experiences to highlight the quality of the work carried out under the current presidency by the two autonomous provinces of Bolzano-South Tyrol and Trento. Switzerland intends to continue this work and promote the thematic priorities aimed at strengthening EUSALP as a platform for cross-border cooperation.
The cantons reaffirm their commitment to maintaining good relations between Switzerland and the European Union
The cantons emphasize the crucial role of relations with the EU, particularly in border regions. Both sides underscored the importance of social, political, and economic interdependence in these regions and the need to find sustainable solutions to strengthen future cooperation. The president of the CdC stated that following the suspension of negotiations on an institutional agreement, the cantons had decided to conduct a new assessment of European policy. As institutional partners of the Confederation, they are prepared to contribute constructive proposals to the debate.
European Union Macro-Regional Strategy for the Alpine Region
The European Union’s macro-regional strategy for the Alpine region (EUSALP) aims to improve cross-border cooperation among Alpine countries and identify common goals. EUSALP brings together 48 regions from seven countries (Germany, France, Italy, Liechtenstein, Austria, Switzerland, and Slovenia). This year, the presidency is held by the Italian autonomous provinces of Bolzano-South Tyrol and Trentino. Slovenia will take over in 2024, following the Swiss presidency.
At their plenary meeting on June 24, 2022, the cantonal governments agreed to assume the presidency of EUSALP on January 1, 2023, in collaboration with the federal government. They have therefore tasked the General Secretariat of the CdC with initiating the next steps with the relevant federal agencies, namely the Federal Office for Spatial Development (ARE) and the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA).