DECISION COP4/5

Sustainable transport and infrastructure, industry and energy Article 8 and 10 of the Carpathian Convention The Conference of the Parties

1. Adopts the Protocol on Sustainable Transport to the Framework Convention on the Protection and Sustainable Development of the Carpathians, invites the Parties to sign and ratify the Protocol, encourages the Parties, pending the ratification and entry into force of the Protocol, whenever possible to start its implementation and appreciates the work conducted by the Working Group on Sustainable Industry, Energy, Transport and Infrastructure, as well as the support provided by the European Transnational Cooperation South East Europe “Access2Mountain” project as well as the by Alpine Convention to the development process of the Protocol;

2. Notes the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), the EU guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network;

3. Recommends the Working Group on Sustainable Industry, Energy, Transport and Infrastructure to develop the Strategic Action Plan for the future sustainable transport development of the Carpathians and invites other Working Groups to cooperate on the Strategic Action Plan;

4. Recommends the development of follow up projects on sustainable transport taking into account ecological connectivity and green infrastructure;

5. Welcomes the outcomes of the Austria Slovakia Cross-border “Alpine - Carpathian Corridor” project which aimed to re-establish the ecological corridor between the Carpathians and Alps within Slovak – Austrian cross border area;

6. Welcomes the signature of the “Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of an Alpine - Carpathian Corridor” and encourages further implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding;

7. Welcomes the outcomes of the European Transnational Cooperation South East Europe “Access2Mountain” project which aimed at achieving, environmentally friendly and sustainable tourism, as well as to ensure accessibility and connection to, between and in sensitive regions of the Alps and the Carpathians and encourages the development of follow-up activities and initiatives;

8. Call for strengthened cross-border and transboundary cooperation of the Parties on maintaining sufficient ecological connectivity and in avoiding landscape fragmentation especially due to transport infrastructure, and requests the Secretariat to follow up with the interested Parties on possible joint project developments;

9. Encourages future cooperation activities with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the Food and Agriculture Organization, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and other relevant organizations including the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) in the field of renewable energies in the Carpathians.