Mountain areas in Europe: Analysis of mountain areas in EU member states, acceding and other European countries

The European Commission presents the results of a study on European mountain areas. The study provides an in-depth analysis of the mountain areas of 29 countries in Europe: the 15 Member States of the European Union, the 10 new Member States, the two candidate countries, Bulgaria and Romania, as well as Norway and Switzerland. The study establishes an extensive database on the mountain areas in order to analyse their economic and social situation. This has revealed the widely differing circumstances applying in mountain areas, although they tend to experience many common challenges linked to low population density, inaccessibility and the relatively high cost of infrastructure provision. By addressing these challenges through well-targeted policies, the Union can contribute to greater territorial cohesion.