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of mountain regions. The problems detected in the present models for regulation of
the activities are important for future development of the mountainous regions.
22.2 Specific Mountain Legislation
Specific legislation concerning mountains exists only in countries with well-
developed state policy for mountain regions such as Italy, France and Switzerland.
At first it was the Swiss law on investments in mountain regions (LIM) adopted in
1974 and amended in
1997
. The Italian Constitution from 1948 defined mountains
as areas with specific needs. Mountainous municipalities in Italy were defined in
1971 and in
1994
the Law on Mountains was adopted. The first determination of
mountains in France was in 1961. France have developed conception for mountain
massives on political and operation level with goal for preposition, discussion and
application of the basic directions on the transregional level coordinated with moun-
tainous perimeter. The massives have realized as a conception since 1973, but they
are determined in “Mountainous Law” as a development of mountain zones with
neighboring regions connected with then in 1995.
In Spain definition of mountain regions was prepared in 2002 during the
International Year of mountains. Regarding candidate countries and new Member
States of the EU, Mountain Laws are at various stages of preparation and adoption.
In Poland the Mountain Act from 1986 was repealed in
1989
. Various acts had been
prepared since then but none was adopted. Mountain legislation can be at subna-
tional level such as Law on High Mountains in Catalonia (Spain) adopted in
1983
and Law on Aposeni Mountains (Romania) dated from
2000
.
Federal Chancellors of Austria presented “Special Initiative for Mountain
region” in
1979
, but after that it was enlarged by including other regions in the coun-
try in 1985 and renamed “Initiative for authentic regional development”. In certain
countries legislation covers agriculture in mountain areas as in Austria where since
1972 there has been a special programme for farmers in mountain areas which later
included also other parts of the country and in Spain where the Law on agriculture
in mountain areas was adopted in 1982. In other countries legislation may cover
specific agricultural activities, such as milk production.
The third European conference for the mountain regions (1994) adopted
European Charter for Mountain Regions. The text was approved by the European
Commission, Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe (CLRAE) and
Committee of the Regions in the European Union. According to a decision of the
Council of the European Union this document was transformed in a project for con-
vention and its parts were combined in order to create a frame convention, which
was supported by CLRAE during the session in May 2000.
22.2.1 Mountain Law in Southeast European Countries
In 2007, the Government of Romania adopted a law to establish the Romanian
National Agency for Mountain Areas. Special offices devoted to mountain issues
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