Convention on the protection of the Alps (Alpine Convention): Official journal of the European communities

Following the outcome of the first Alpine Conference of Environment Ministers held in Berchtesgaden from 9 to It October 1989, it was was agreed that the following be highlighted:

• AWARE that the Alps are one of the largest continuous unspoilt natural areas in Europe, which, with their outstanding unique and diverse natural habitat, culture and history, constitute an economic, cultural, recreational and living environment in the heart of Europe, shared by numerous peoples and countries;
• RECOGNIZING that the Alps constitute the living and economic environment for the indigenous population and are also vitally important for extra Alpine regions, being the site of important transport routes, for example;
• RECOGNIZING the fact that the Alps constitute an essential habitat and last refuge for many endangered species of plants and animals;
• AWARE of the substantial differences existing between national legal systems, natural conditions, population distribution, agriculture and forestry, the state and development of the economy, the volume of traffic and the nature and intensity of tourism;
• AWARE that the ever-growing pressures caused by man are increasingly threatening the Alpine region and its ecological functions, and that the damage is either irreparable or rectifiable only with great effort, at considerable cost and, as a rule, over a long period of time;
• CONVINCED of the need for economic interests to be reconciled with ecological requirements.