Two years after having taken over from Jean- Pierre GURTNER as president of ENJ, based on the tradition of sharing the presidency between the Ain, Doubs and Jura ,and after the problems that occurred in the beginning of the year 2000 following the setting up of the development program of the " Grandes traversées jurassiennes " (GTJ).

It's important to point out that ENJ has managed to keep on cour se and that our major target and priority have been nordic activities.

ENJ is the only organisation in the Jura Mountains of which the goal is to coordinate and harmonise actions at the Nordic sites.

And in its role as unifier in the Nordic domain ,it logically aims at reconciling social and economic realities.

And within the framework of the strategy for repositioning the Nordic activities, I have been able to measure the motivation and the desire of local officials to move foward in order to adapt to changes in behavior : multiactivity, easy-going practice of sport, a better offer, quality of welcome, a friendlier environment...

I follow the activities of the three Departemental Associations as much as possible. I recently went to Villedieu for the general assembly of Haut-Doubs Nordique. Before that I went to the Ain to Saint-Germain de Joux and for the Jura, I'm well informed due to my position with Jura Ski de Fond which recently became Jura Nordique.

Although we have given up the project for an inter-departemental association, I hope that the actions included henceforth in the contract of the Pays du Haut-Doubs will pick-up momentum.

Another unifying inintiative was the study trip in 2005 to the Austrian Tyrol. Its a major aspect of our developement plan for the next few years. This winter we had intended to go to the Italian Dolomites; however, this trip had to be put off due to bad weather. We are considering this action again for 2007, not necessarily at the same place, in order to take into account the best distance-time-perfomance.

As of today, I m lauching a call for a project or an idea.

Secondly, ENJ is a partner of the Jura Mountains. The second edition of the document " neige des montagne du jura-eng ", with the help of the three departemental associations and Jura Mountains French government funding, has highlighted basic information which allows potential visitors to choose their destination. This document is considered very attractive at Shows and in tourist offices.

Afterwards, locally published guidebooks pick up the slack. ENJ is ready to help the Jura Mountains in other actions.

For example, we could launch a new winter customer survey like the one held during the February 2003 holidays, but this time outside school holidays to target another type of clientel.

I would like to recall the support from the Administrator of the Massif, Mr Michel Cothenet.

This year his help has been of help in the re-working of our internet site.

Concerning partnerships, I would like to recall the active and fruitful relations with the regional ski committee (Comité Régional de Ski) and Romandie Ski de Fond (Switzerland). During the Pontarlier evening in honour of the Jura Commitee's leading competitors, I was able to give out more than 100 free passes to young people and ask them to wear them with pride. The link between ENJ and the world of sport is both essential and positive for me. In December, in my editorial in " Info Massif du Jura ", I wished " ...the greatest of success to those who would bear the colours of the Jura Mountains on the snows of France and elsewhere, especially in the Olympic Games... " in the name of ENJ, this evening I officially congratulate our champions for their performences and their medals which enhance the reputation of our massif as well as for the richly emotional moments that they gave us.

The recent meeting with Romandie Ski de Fond (RSF) was straight foward and lively. we renewed the reciprocity agreements between our massif pass season and RSF's. RSF has promised to withdraw Haute-Savoie from its reciprocal offer and to progressively modify its rates to allow for financial balancing and equity Our General Assembly this evening allows me to reactivate our thinking about the future of Nordic activities. In effect , we have to continue to build a model of sustainable and virtuous development around and for these actvities.

The wealth of Jura Nordic possibilities could not have been put together without social and economic symbiosis. We must continue to build the virtuous circle which will enable us to defend this development.

For that we must have clear objectives. The Nordic offer in the Jura Mountains must be a tool of sustainable development which contributes in a fair and positive way to economic development, all

to the advantage of Jura Mountain inhabitants, holidaymakers and tourists. Over and beyond cross-country skiing, it concerns all Nordic activities and tourist services.

We also have to improve economic efficiency. Cross-country skiing and Nordic activities lead to more beds being occupied in a large number of villages. If we must attempt to balance the cost of Nordic activities with the cross-country ski pass, we must not forget that it is only a link in the economic chain.

It is advisable once again to take the social vocation of the sites into consideration.

Management of cross-country skiing has changed. Most sectors have evolved from usually unpaid, voluntary management to professional inter-community management.

The rôle and the positioning of the sites are redefined according to these new organisations.

The important social dimension of the Nordic activities is one of the factors which justifies local governement intervention, especially in favour of school children and sports associations.

Finally, within the framework of the unifying rôle played the ENJ (Espace Nordique Jurassien), and in the perspective of sustainable and virtuous development, I call on all the managers to follow the rules of reciprocity and the cut-off date for the promotion of season passes, as well as the transparency of agreements made with neighbouring regions or those further away. The transparency of these agreements must be rendered clear by written documents sent to the Association Departementale and to the ENJ at the very beginning of the season.

To conclude, I take pleasure in mentioning the solidarity of the work done by the ENJ. I thank the administrators for regularly attending meetings and I give special thanks to Nadine whose motivation and competence are precious trump cards for ENJ.

She demonstrates this amply in her day-to-day management of affairs.

Finally I am particularly happy to salute the arrival at the head of Nordique France of our colleagues Jacques RABUT (president) and Jacques ROMAND (secretary) and congratulate them and wish them success in their new responsibilities.