The International Commission for the Protection of the Alps has called on Switzerland to make a clear stand in favour of the alpine convention it ratified in 1999.
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At its annual meeting in Semmering in Austria, the commission (CIPRA) adopted a resolution which noted Switzerland’s refusal to ratify protocols of the convention.
It described a decision in September by the Swiss House of Representatives against the protocols as “incomprehensible”.
In the resolution, participants of the Semmering meeting called on the incoming Swiss transport and environment minister, Doris Leuthard, to explain how she would shape a common vision for sustainable alpine policy. Switzerland will preside over the alpine convention in 2011.
The convention is an international treaty and has been signed by eight alpine countries and the European Union. It covers 190,000 square kilometres of alpine territory.
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