Mercantour National Park and Parco naturale Alpi Marittime
Countries: France , ItalyRegions concerned: Departments of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Alpes-Maritimes (France); Province of Cuneo (Italy)
Presentation
The entity formed by the Mercantour National Park (FR) and the Alpi Marittime Natural Park, on the Franco-Italian border, represents a territory of 96,500 ha (68,500 in France and 28,000 in Italy) that stretches over nearly 80 km between the “Alpes-de-Haute-Provence” and “Alpes-Maritimes” departments in France, and the Cuneo province in Italy.
The two natural areas share a common border of nearly 33 km. The site consists of 28 French and four Italian municipalities. Forming a coherent geographical unit, the parks cover the two sides of the Argentera-Mercantour mountain range, which is the southernmost chain within the French and Italian Alps.
The especially advanced cooperation between the two parks involves many fields: sustainable tourism, cross-border trails, common signage and communication, education and training, scientific cooperation, etc. The introduction of the “Plans Intégrés Transfrontaliers” (Integrated Cross-border Plans) in the 2007-2013 Alcotra operational programme and of the “Plans Intégrés Thématiques (PITEM) et Territoriaux (PITER)" has enabled the intensification and strengthening of this cooperation.
Furthermore, in order to provide a stable legal framework for these activities, the two parks formed a European Grouping for Territorial Cooperation on 23 Mai 2013.
Cross-border bid to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site
The bid by the French-Italian cross-border area “Marittime-Mercantour” to be included on UNESCO’s World Heritage List was made in November 2013 and got officially submitted in February 2018.
The six French and Italian partners applied jointly. Alongside the “Parc National du Mercantour”, the other partners comprised the “Parco Naturale Alpi Marittime”, the “Parco Alpi Liguri”, the “Parco du Marguareis”, the Province of Imperia and the protected space of the Hanbury Botanical Garden.
An area of 200,000 hectares could therefore be protected by this global recognition which would make it possible to “further promote the protection of the cross-border ecosystem”.
This project is one of the very few cross-border bids and will be carried through in particular by the European natural park joint management structure (the EGTC).
It may be noted that the MOT provided technical assistance for the operational establishment of this EGTC that brings together the “Parc National du Mercantour” and the “Parco Naturale Alpi Marittime”. Besides the cross-border bid to UNESCO, this first EGTC involving two European natural parks makes it possible to jointly manage the protected area and to carry out integrated projects: for example, the restoration of the Larche-Maddalena Pass, joint implementation of the European charter on sustainable tourism, etc.
Photo copyright: Parc national du Mercantour
