Tyrolean European Union policy
Tyroleans today find it natural to be involved in EU legislation and institutions in many fields. Austria and the Tyrol are helping to build the future Europe.
For the Tyrol, this does not mean relinquishing its own political positions. It is an incentive to promote the interests of the Tyroleans at the regional, national and European levels.
Austrian membership in the European Union also offers the Tyrol the opportunity to develop new links with countries now that the old dividing lines have disappeared. This means that problems that affect all European states, such as cross-border traffic in transit or support for mountain agriculture, can now be tackled as a common concern in Brussels.
The effects of globalisation show that the way forward lies in close cooperation between the nations and regions of Europe. European integration compensates for inadequate problem-solving abilities at the national level and gives the business community room for manoeuvre that would not be possible in small national economies. At the same time, the regions are perceived as historically distinct areas that citizens can more easily identify with.
The strong commitment of European policy in the Tyrol on behalf of its people and their environment is needed to attract as much citizen support as possible. Acting locally and thinking European is not a contradiction but the key to a fruitful symbiosis.