Main area
Euro-Region: Tyrol, South Tyrol, Trentino
The Tyrol–South Tyrol–Trentino Euro-Region (German: Europaregion Tirol-Südtirol-Trentino; Italian: Euregio Tirolo-Alto Adige-Trentino) is a Euro-Region formed by three different regional authorities in Austria and Italy: the Austrian state of Tyrol (i.e. North and East Tyrol) and the Italian autonomous provinces of South Tyrol and Trentino.
History
Divided after World War I, the region retained much of its cultural integrity by its traditionally strong attachment to the land and a profound desire for self-government on both sides of the border. The long-standing cultural, social and economic ties, as much as the recognition of convergent interests based on its traditional role as transit country and its largely identical environmental conditions in the Eastern Alps, led to the creation of the Euro-Region by the three provinces in 1998.
Language
Linguistically, the population in Austrian Tyrol is German-speaking, while the overwhelming majority of the inhabitants of the Trentino is Italian-speaking. In South Tyrol, approximately two-thirds speak German as their mother tongue and one-quarter speak Italian. Overall, 62% of the Euroregion are German speakers and 37% Italian speakers.
Co-operation
Cross-border cooperation between the three neighbours covers today many fields, including tourism, traffic, infrastructure, social services and environmental issues in the sensitive central Alps area. In 2001, the joint Alpendeklaration (Alpine declaration), a charter for sustainable development, called for a reconciliation of economic pressures with the wish of the local population to preserve its living environment. A common liaison office was set up in Brussels to foster relations with the EU.
