The European Landscape Convention was adopted by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on 19 July 2000 and opened for signature of the member States of the Organisation in Florence (Italy) on 20 October 2000. It aims to promote the protection, management and planning of landscape in Europe, and to organise European co-operation.                                                                                      

The Convention is the first international treaty to be exclusively concerned with all aspects of European landscape. It applies to the entire territory of the Parties and covers natural, rural, urban and peri-urban areas. It concerns landscapes that might be considered outstanding as well as everyday or degraded landscapes.

The Convention makes an important contribution to the implementation of the Council of Europe’s objectives, namely to promote democracy, human rights and the rule of law and to seek common solutions to the main problems facing European society today.

To date, 38 Council of Europe member states have ratified the Convention and two states have signed it.