Alt Urgell: Alàs i Cerc, Arsèguel, Bassella, Cabó, Cava, Coll de Nargó, Estamariu, Fígols i Alinyà, Josa i Tuixent, Montferrer i Castellbó, Oliana, Organyà, Peramola, Pont de Bar, Ribera d’Urgellet, la Seu d’Urgell, Valls d’Aguilar, Valls de Valira and La Vansa i Fórnols.

Cerdanya: Alp, Bellver de Cerdanya, Bolvir, Das, Fontanals de Cerdanya, Ger, Guils de Cerdanya, Isòvol, Lles de Cerdanya, Llívia, Meranges, Montellà i Martinet, Prats i Sansor, Prullans, Puigcerdà, Riu de Cerdanya and Urús.

Consorci GAL Alt Urgell – Cerdanya

Area: 1.994,20 km2

Population: 38.941 inhabitants

Population density: 19,53 inhab./km2

Number of municipalities: 36 municipalities

Santa Maria de Talló- Talló, Bellver de Cerdanya (Cerdanya Regional Council)

The territoryConsorci GAL Alt Urgell-Cerdanya works in Alt Urgell and Cerdanya regions. They are rural and mountainous territories, which have a great natural and landscape value, and are integrated within the area of High Pyrenees and Aran. The orography of the land is complex and irregular. It is shaped from the main Segre valley and its lateral valleys, with plains at the bottom of the valley and summits of up to 2.900 metres.

These orographic distinctive features configure territorial differences between the munici-palities located at the top of the valleys, with complex communications, scarce population, important dispersion of population centres and a lack of economic and activity dynamism. At the same time, at the bottom of the valleys is where most of plain areas and communication axes are concentrated and most of population and activity is also hosted.

The territory is configured by vast forestry areas and an agrarian landscape shaped by hay meadows and pastures. Agriculture and livestock activities are in regression, and especially in Cerdanya region in recent years there has been an important urban increase of second homes and facilities linked to ski and snow sports. This fact, together with the proximity to Andorra, has considerably determined the socioeconomic evolution of the territory.

The strategyThe strategy has as a main goal the integral development of Alt Urgell and Cerdanya, from their endogenous resources, specially, livestock, agrarian and forest and those elements that define their territorial identity.

Action lines are articulated in nine axes in order to reach this main goal. Firstly, the promotion of entrepreneurship and creation of employment; especially when it is based on local possi-bilities and resources. Consortium considers it essential to work for the return and employ-ment of rural youth; by promoting the link between them and their birthplace as a social and intellectual recapitalization. Another line of action is to promote innovation and knowledge transfer in the business sector, and encourage those projects which offer an added value in this sense.

With the purpose of assuring a balanced territorial development, special emphasis will be focused on the invigoration of top valley villages, by encouraging projects generated in this area. In the same direction, small scale and local economy is going to be promoted, with those initiatives that include intersectorial cooperation and creation of synergies. In the same way, links between public institutions, private entities and all the agents involved in the territorial development will be promoted with the goal of encouraging a collaborative culture, which strengthens the social and economic revitalization.

Finally, and as a cross-cutting aspect, Consortium is willing to promote the application of so-cial and environmental responsibility measures both in its cooperation projects and in busi- ness initiatives. Participatory culture will also be promoted, in order to assure the strategy to be developed according to the interests expressed by the citizenship. Finally, Consortium will be responsible of guaranteeing a sensitive relationship with the natural resources. That will help to have an impact on the mitigation of the climate change, by using measures that inclu-de the reduction of demands of goods and services that generate emissions, the promotion of energy efficiency and the use of renewable energies.

Cooperation interests• Entrepreneurship, business and creation of employment• Technological and business innovation• Territorial development of mountainous regions• Return and employment of youth in rural areas • Efficient use of natural resources, energy efficiency and mitigation of climate change

Contact details

Office

Consorci GAL Alt Urgell-CerdanyaPg. Joan Brudieu, 1525700 La Seu d’Urgell Phone (+34) 973 35 31 12

https://leaderalturgellcerdanya. wodpress.com cauc@cauc.cat C facebook.com/gal.alturgellcerdanya

Village of Ars- Valira valleys (Alt Urgell Regional Council)

Cadí range, between Alt Urgell and Cerdanya (Alt Urgell Regional Council)