The European Parliament,

- having regard to the motion for a resolution by Mr Simeoni on the damage caused to natural and semi-natural habitats by land and property speculation in connection with large-scale tourist projects,

- having regard to petition No. 0380/88 by Mr Eugen Bohl,

- having regard to the report of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Protection,

1. Demands that the present disastrous, cut-throat competition in tourism be curbed to match the development potential of the Alpine region as a whole, in accordance with the fourth objective of the Decision'- promote a better distribution of tourism over time and location while respecting the quality of the environment, particularly by encouraging the staggering of holidays and the development of alternatives to mass tourism, and of new destinations and new forms of tourism' (Council Decision of 21 December 1988 declaring 1990 European Tourism Year) on the European Tourism Year and the repeated demands of the European Parliament; all forms of exploitation of the Alps for the purposes of tourism must, in accordance with the 'polluter pays' principle, cover the associated external environmental costs;

2. Calls for a European information network to be set up to make coordinated planning in the Alps possible, with data on the environment, the development of tourism and infrastructure, one of the objectives being to acquire more information on forms of 'soft tourism';

3. Calls for an environmental impact assessment (EIA) to be carried out before any new development; the EIA must be an international standard and incorporated in the legal systems of all the Alpine countries; if such projects in the Alps prove to be environmentally damaging no Community finance may be granted from the ERDF or other Community funds;

4. Takes the view that the indiscriminate spread of settlements, often into designated risk areas, must stop;

5. Stresses that non-development zones must be designated for the Alps as a whole;

6. Believes that emissions of harmful substances polluting the air in the Alps has brought about a destructive process causing vegetation to die; all resources must be deployed immediately to achieve a massive reduction in harmful substances in the air, both in Europe and worldwide;

7. Recommends that, in order to reduce the enormous level of pollution by road vehicles, all possible combinations of public and private transport should be exploited and rail transport, in particular, should be promoted;

8. Stresses that, given the declining game population in the mountain woodlands, indigenous tree and bush varieties need to be planted in unfenced areas; this will enhance the protective function of woodlands in the Alps (subsidies for forests should be staggered to reflect the degree of protection provided);

9. Considers it advisable, if forests are cut down in development schemes, to reinstate a tree-line immediately to provide protection from the wind and sun;

10. Takes the view that indigenous species of pioneer plants must be used in the replanting of areas at risk from erosion or other causes;

11. Calls for mountain farmers to be given a compensation payment per hectare to enable them to engage in the protection and further development of the countryside, and calls for the extensive cultivation of the countryside to be guaranteed; farmers must be given compensation by ski-lift firms for the resulting loss in earnings, in accordance with the 'polluter pays' principle;

12. Believes that major sporting events should only be hosted by towns and villages which already have the appropriate facilities;

13. Demands that, in order to preserve the drinking water reserves of Central Europe, no further glacier development plans should be permitted (36 glaciers have already been developed as summer ski areas); at existing ski centres waste-water disposal must be made subject to certain legal requirements, e.g. waste-disposal pipelines connected to treatment plants in the valleys;

14. Calls for heavy excavators and bulldozers to be banned from the Alpine uplands, all large-scale levelling operations to be stopped and the blasting of rock for ski-runs to be discontinued;

15. Stresses that, under an EIA-approved development scheme, the indigenous vegetation must be carefully removed and stored and replanted in its original position after the ground has been landscaped with light walking excavators;

16. Insists that, following an EIA, artificial snow should be created using water of drinking-water quality without chemical or bacterial additives and that artificial snow must not be used to prolong the season;

17. Insists that skiing and use of piste-maintenance equipment must cease immediately the compacted snow cover is less than 20 cm (measured at 10 points);

18. Believes that, following the Austrian example, off-piste skiing should be banned;

19. Takes the view that touring skiers should be provided with appropriate guidance in the form of routes to follow and recommendations in respect of nature conservation areas;

20. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council and the governments and parliaments of the EC and EFTA countries.