AG4 - 12th Action Group Meeting

The 12^th AG4 Meeting took place on 21 October 2019 in Genoa. First, the members exchanged the latest news and updates from their countries, regions, or organizations in the mobility and transport sector. Then, the recent Council conclusions on the implementation of EU Macro-Regional Strategies were presented and discussed. Furthermore, the recently approved Alpine Space Programme projects were presented: AlpGov 2 (EUSALP implementation); LinkingAlps (integrated and digital tariff and ticketing); and e-SMART (successor of e-MOTICON). The invitation to the final conference of the project AlpInnoCT was extended. Finally, the AGL Patrick Skoniezki reported that additional information layers based on previous AG4 results had been integrated into the AG4 WebGIS, which is a great tool to visualize important traffic data and will be online soon!

To facilitate continued cooperation in transport, the AGL had attended many relevant events including the 40^th Meeting of the Alpine Convention Working Group Transport, several ARPAF CrossBorder Meetings, as well as an iMONITRAF! partner meeting. Moreover, the AG4 Lead Team is engaged in several relevant upcoming events including the 4^th Mobility Conference in the second half of June 2020 in Marseille or the EUSALP Communication Workshop, where the AG4’s promotional video will be presented. The AG4’s activities within the Italian EUSALP Presidency 2019 include the co-organization together with Friuli-Venezia-Giulia of the very successful Workshop on Connectivity in September. Finally, it also includes the 3^rd EUSALP Annual Forum on 28 and 29 November 2019 in Milan, where the final event for the ARPAF project CrossBorder will also take place.

The development of the new EUSALP AG4 Work Plan 2019 to 2022 was again taken further at this meeting. It shall be structured along thematic areas. Within these, activities shall be taken up and coordinated by volunteers from within the AG4. The thematic areas are:

1. TA1 – Smart clean logistics and combined transport to support modal shift
2. TA2 – Accessibility on local and regional transport links on the secondary network
3. TA3 – Smart and low-carbon mobility & innovative public transport solutions

In addition, a there shall be a part with four horizontal activities to be managed within AlpGov 2: Monitoring; Assuming a more active role in policy development, AG4 funding opportunities, and External communication of AG4 activities and results.

Another very important topic are future EU funding opportunities for the EUSALP AG4. Last year, the AG4 had already organized an exchange event on this important topic. At this AG4 Meeting, Dorothea Palenberg from the Munich-based consultancy blue! presented the results of the AG4 Financing Study. It cannot be emphasized enough how important it is to pursue this financial dialogue regarding of transport and mobility in the Alpine Region.

After a short lunch break, Alessandro Piana (President of the Regional Council of Liguria) extended a warm welcome to the AG4 and delivered regards from the entire Ligurian Regional Council, on whose agenda infrastructure and logistics figure prominently.

Progress in the AG4’s study to investigate and optimise multi-modal logistic chains (AG4 Activity C2) done by LINKS had already been traced at previous AG4 Meetings. Now, the study is completed and Andrea Rosa presented a conclusion as well as recommendations drawn from the study. Soon, the finalized study will be available online. Lastly, the study’s results will also be integrated into the EUSALP AG4 Platform of Knowledge for Mobility and Transport in the Alpine Region.

The Interreg Central Europe Project LAirA deals with landside-airport accessibility and was presented by Jana Janson (Stuttgart Region Economic Development Corporation). Its results might be interesting for the EUSALP area, too, and they could be transferable to functional areas other than those with airports. Finally, there might very well be synergies with the ongoing ARPAF project CrossBorder.

Another activity the AG4 has been engaged in for some time now is the methodology for systematic project assessment (AG4 Activities C1 – C2 – D1). Recently, the Task Force decided on a proposal, which was presented and discussed at this 12^th AG4 Meeting.

The EUSALP Presidency will rotate again with the beginning of the coming year and, thus, the French AG4 Co-Leaders Xavier Garcia and Olivier Marguoet presented a draft of the French EUSALP Presidency 2020 action plan regarding transport and mobility and the respective priorities.

Also in anticipation of the new Work Plan’s intention to assume a more active role in policy development, work on the political statement “Towards a coordinated policy framework” was continued and Helen Lückge presented a revised proposal for the political statement. Even though arriving at an AG4-wide consensus is difficult, it is still crucially important that the AG4 aims at achiving an impact on policy development.

Next, Giancarlo Bertalero presented a Guide to Freight Transport across the Alps and asked the AG4 for support in his project.

Then, Karoline Hurnaus (AGL) presented the latest results of the ARPAF project CrossBorder (available online). As a result of this project, the AG4 will integrate an activity on cross-border mobility in the new Work Plan. Also, the project results will be presented at the CrossBorder closing event at the 3^rd Annual Forum on 28 and 29 November 2019 in Milan as well as at the French EUSALP Presidency’s Kick-Off Meeting in February in Lyon.

Lastly, François Lamoise gave a brief update on the main activities of the Working Group Transport of the Alpine Convention and the AG4 identified thematic links with its own work, including alternative technologies such as hydrogen and cable cars.

 

The 13th AG4 Meeting will take place in February 2020 in Innsbruck.

For further information on contents and presentations please do not hesitate to contact the EUSALP AG4 Lead Team: eusalp.mobility@tirol.gv.at