Alpine Town of the Year

The jury examines the submissions and makes a recommendation on the next Alpine Town of the Year to the General Meeting. It provides the town with advice on substantive issues and receives the town's final report. The jury consists of three representatives of Alpine-wide organizations. They are elected every two years by the General Meeting. The present members are Norbert Weixlbaumer (CIPRA International), Cristina Del Biaggio (University of Ginevra), Antonio Zambon (Community Network Alliance in the Alps) and Gerhard Leeb (Pro Vita Alpina).

The representatives of the Alpine Towns of the Year meet twice a year in a different town. The General Assembly elects the Alpine Town of the Year, the jury and the Board, and determines the overall orientation of the association's activities. The General Association also serves as a personal communication platform among the towns, overcoming linguistic barriers.

The Board has three to five members - burgomasters or their legitimate representatives. The Board is responsible for the day-to-day activities of the association. Its present members are Thierry Billet (president, Annecy), Bojan Sever (vice president, Idrija), Ingrid Fischer (assessor, Sonthofen).

Every town designates a contact person or consultant who serves as the interface between the town, the other members and the association's office. He or she is also responsible for the local realization of the association's objectives.

The office is responsible for the association's day-to-day activities; it has been run by CIPRA International since 2003. CIPRA has been represented on the jury since 1997.

In 2008, the Permanent Secretariat of the Alpine Convention and the association signed a Memorandum of Understanding[6] for continuous cooperation. The association has been an official observer with the Alpine Convention since 2011. As such, the association takes part in the meetings of the Permanent Commission and in the biennial Alpine Conference. The association has no voting rights but can submit its proposals directly to the policy makers of the participating countries.

There is a regular exchange of information between the municipal network Alliance in the Alps and the association, for example during the joint meetings of the Boards. In addition, there are towns which are members of both networks, such as Sonthofen and Annecy.

The International Commission for the Protection of the Alps (CIPRA) runs the association's office and is represented on the jury. The association and CIPRA, among other things, jointly organize events. An international meeting in Lecco (Italy), for example, is planned in 2013.