Perspectives for landscape policy in Europe

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Perspectives for landscape policy in Europe

• Ben Delbaere
• European Centre for Nature Conservation
• IALE 2001 - Development of European Landscapes
• 1-7 July 2001 - Stockholm/Tartu

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Perspectives for landscape policy in Europe

• overview of international policy
• quick scan of national policy
• zoom in on PEBLDS and ELC
• the future

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Historical overview of international landscape
policy (1)

• European Cultural Convention (1952)
• Valetta Convention on archaeological heritage
  (1969, 1992)
• Man Biosphere programme (1971)
• World Heritage Convention (1972), inclusion of
  cultural landscapes 1995
• Granada Convention on architectural heritage
  (1985)
• Convention on Biological Diversity (1992)
• EC Habitats Directive (1992)

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Historical overview of international landscape
policy (2)

• Pan-European Biological and Landscape Diversity
  Strategy (1995) and its Action Plan for European
  Landscapes
• EC Biodiversity Strategy (1998) and its sectorial
  Biodiversity Action Plans (2001)
• EC Rural Development Regulation (1999)
• European Spatial Development Perspective (1999)
• European Landscape Convention (2000)
• 6th Environment Action Programme (2001)
• EU Sustainable Development Strategy (2001)

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Landscape policy at national level

• 26 out of 30 countries studied include specific
  measures for landscapes in their national
  legislation
• National policies mostly developed in the
  nineties
• 21 European countries signed European Landscape
  Convention, none ratified to date
• 55 countries endorsed PEBLDS
• 52 European countries signed WHC, of which 26
  ratified
• 50 European countries the European Community
  are party to the CBD

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PEBLDS Action Theme 4 Conservation of Landscapes

• Definition of landscape
• A territory, the appearance of which is the
  result of the action, over time, of natural and
  human factors and a combination of both
• Challenges
• prevent further deterioration
• correct lack of integrated perception of
  landscapes
• raise awareness with public and policymakers
• establish more suitable protection status

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Action Plan for European Landscapes

• Formulated concrete activities on
• analysis and conceptual framework (e.g. general
  landscape map)
• priority setting (e.g. European landscape
  targets)
• public awareness and education
• integrated actions (e.g. for tourism, arts, )

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European Landscape Convention (1)
Definition of landscape Landscape means an area,
as perceived by people, whose character is the
result of the action and interaction of natural
and/or human factors
The aims of the ELC are to promote landscape
protection, management and planning, and to
organize European cooperation on landscape issues
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European Landscape Convention (2)

• General national measures
• to recognize landscapes in law as an essential
  component of peoples surroundings
• to establish and implement landscape policies
• to establish procedures for the participation of
  stakeholders
• to integrate landscape into regional and town
  planning policies and in sectorial policies

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European Landscape Convention (3)

• Specific national measures
• Awareness-raising
• Training and education
• Identification and assessment
• Landscape quality objectives
• Implementation

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European Landscape Convention (4)

• European cooperation
• inclusion of landscape dimension in international
  policies and programmes
• exchange of experience and specialists
• exchange of information
• transfrontier cooperation
• monitoring the implementation of the Convention
• landscape award

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Why focus on landscapes in European policy?

• they provide a perfect framework for CBD
  implementation in Europe
• they provide the right scale for sustainable
  development
• they form the ideal basis for integration into
  other sectors of society
• they are the reflection of regional identity and
  hence the right level for cooperation with the
  regions

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Future policy perspectives

• need for a common vision for European landscapes,
  based on sustainable development, regional
  identity and integrated approach
• need for closer cooperation between related
  policy initiatives
• need for stronger interaction between
  international, national and sub-national level
• need for linking research to policy via
  integrated monitoring and assessment, European
  landscape typology and red list and coordinated
  information management