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 The Republic of Cyprus is now one of the European countries which has a mountain policy and will implement a National Strategy for the sustainable territorial development of their mountain areas. As a result, Cyprus can actively join the international discussion and partnerships for mountain areas and even play a central role. This will enable Cyprus to effectively contribute to the drafting of policies on mountain areas and take advantage of the exchange of experience and knowledge within the European Union.   

The Presidency of the Republic of Cyprus and the Office of the Mountain Development Commissioner have organized the European Conference: “Mountain areas of large Mediterranean islands: European issues, national and regional policies & local mechanisms” with the aim:

1. To acquire experience and accumulated knowledge from other countries with a long tradition in planning and implementing mountain areas-related national policies, which will benefit Cyprus
2. To contribute actively in enhancing the European policies on mountain areas
3. To present the CyprusMountainAreasPolicyandtheMountain Development National Strategy worldwide

The Conference has been placed under the auspices of His Excellency the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr. Nicos Anastasiades, and will be held from 29 to 30 January, 2020, in Platres at the Platres Cultural Centre and, on 31 January 2020, in Omodos at the Oenou Yi winery. 

This high-level event is only the beginning in order to foster dialogue and cooperation among the large Mediterranean islands to face common challenges and to develop and rejuvenate their mountain areas. The conference focuses on management and development issues of the mountain areas and aspires to contribute in drafting more efficient community, national and regional policies, mechanisms and elaborate funding tools for the mountain areas of the Mediterranean and European islands. 

Twenty-five principal institutions and 35 scientists from eight European Union member states will participate in the conference, which highlights keen interest in the event and is recognition of the effective work done relating to the mountain areas of Cyprus. The participating institutions, whose delegates will make a statement or presentation during the Conference, are stated in detail below:

1. The local governments of the six large Mediterranean islands – Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, Balearic Islands, Crete and the Republic of Cyprus. Politicians such as Mr. RenéSouchon, the former Minister of Agriculture and Food of France, who conceived France’s legal framework on the mountain areas
2. The European Commission Directorates-General for Agriculture and Rural Development and Directorate-General for Environment
3. The Greek Ministry of Development and Investments
4. Internationalorganizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Wide Fund for Nature – Italy
5. EuropeanUnion member States’ national Institutions:
   

−        the Pyrenees Work Community

−        the Territorial Development Institute for Auvergne-Rhône-AlpesRegion

6.  International institutions:

−        Jacques Delors Institute: Notre Europe

−        EUROMONTANA, the European Association of Mountain Areas

−        Euro-MediterraneanCentreonClimateChange

−        Clean Energy for EU Islands secretariat,

−        International Association of Agri-environmental Development

−        EUROPARC, the Federation of EuropeanNature and National Parks

7.  Universities and research centres:

−        from Cyprus: the Cyprus University of Technology and Frederick University

−        from Switzerland: the Agricultural Science Research Institute of the Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich

−        from Greece: the Rural Area Laboratory of the University of Thessaly; the Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences; the Museum of Natural History of the University of Crete;  and the Agricultural University of Athens 

−        from French universities: the Laboratory of Comparative Analysis of Paris-Est University; the Research Centre for Mountain and Rural Fragile Areas and the Research Unit for Rural Areas’ Activities, Space and Forms of Organizational Structure of  Clermont – Auvergne University; Pacte, the Research Centre of Social Sciences of University of Grenoble – Alpes

−        Delegates the following French research centres: AgroParisTech – Paris Institute of Technology for Life, Food and Environmental Sciences; the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment  with the Research Unit for Science and Technology for Environment and Agriculture and the Laboratory for Mountain Ecosystems and Societies; the Corsica Regional Research Centre with the Research Laboratory for Livestock Development and the Agrarian Systems and Development Research Department

−        from Austria: the Federal Institute of Agricultural Economics, Rural and Mountain Research

−        from Spain: the Galician Studies and Development Institute and the Territorial Analysis Research Team of the University of Santiago de Compostela

−        from Italy: the Sardinia Rural Research Organization

8.  Local authorities and local development corporations:

−        the Municipality of Sitia, of Crete

−        the Etna Alcantara Local Action Team, of Sicily

−        the Troodos Development Company, of Cyprus

−        the Samaria National Park Management Body, of Crete

−        the Environment Department of the Balearic Islands Council

−        the ECOLIMONT organization (coastal and mountain ecosystems, of France

The Conference is open to the public after registration and simultaneous interpretation services in Greek, English and French will be provided.

The “Troodos – Cyprus Declaration” will be released during thelast session of the event and will include the conference conclusions.The Declaration will be drafted by the Scientific Committee and will be a political document providing an operational approach, highlighting the particular challenges faced by the Mediterranean island mountain areas and it will highlight the national and regional policies along with local mechanisms beneficial to the island mountain areas.   

For further information and registration please contact the Troodos Development Company, visit this website, call 22952043/ 99737494 or send an e-mail.

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