The Convention states that “landscape policy” means an expression by the competent public authorities of general principles, strategies and guidelines that permit the taking of specific measures aimed at the protection, management and planning of landscape.

Among its “general measures”, it also provides that each Party shall undertake to establish procedures for the participation of the general public, local and regional authorities, and other parties with an interest in the definition and implementation of the landscape policies. In particular, Recommendation CM/Rec(2008)3 of the Committee of Ministers to Member States on the guidelines for the implementation of the European Landscape Convention contains a set of theoretical, methodological and practical guidelines intended for Parties to the Convention who wish to draw up and implement landscape policies on the basis of the Convention.

The Convention provides a definition of the terms “protection”, “management” and “planning” of landscapes:

  • “protection” means actions to conserve and maintain the significant or characteristic features of a landscape, justified by its heritage value derived from its natural configuration and/or from human activity;
  • “management” means action, from a perspective of sustainable development, to ensure the regular upkeep of a landscape, so as to guide and harmonise changes which are brought about by social, economic and environmental processes;
  • “planning” means strong forward-looking action to enhance, restore or create landscapes.

The Recommendation CM/Rec(2017)7 of the Committee of Ministers to Member States on the contribution of the European Landscape Convention to the exercise of human rights and democracy with a view to sustainable development recommends that the governments of States Parties to the Convention: frame landscape policies in the long term, so that they take into account the common surroundings for present and future generations; and develop landscape policies throughout the entire territory, so that people can enjoy their surroundings in dignity and without discrimination.

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Procedures for the participation

Procedures for the participation

The Convention provides that each Party shall undertake to establish procedures for the participation of the general public, local and regional authorities, and other parties with an interest in the definition and implementation of the landscape policies. It accordingly demands a responsible, forward-looking attitude on the part of all players whose decisions influence landscape quality, and therefore has consequences in many policy and action areas, both public and private.

The Recommendation CM/Rec(2017)7 of the Committee of Ministers to Member States on the contribution of the European Landscape Convention to the exercise of human rights and democracy with a view to sustainable development recommends that the governments of States Parties to the European Landscape Convention “guarantee the right to participation by the general public, local and regional authorities, and other relevant parties including non-governmental organisations, with an interest in the definition, implementation and monitoring of landscape policies”.

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Reference documents

Proceedings of the Council of Europe Meetings of the Workshops for the implementation of the Convention:

Publications:

Awareness-raising, training, education, landscape identification and assessment, setting landscape quality objectives and implementing landscape policies

Awareness-raising, training, education, landscape identification and assessment, setting landscape quality objectives and implementing landscape policies

The Convention provides that each Party shall undertake to establish and implement landscape policies aimed at landscape protection, management and planning through the adoption of specific measures, such as awareness-raising, training and education.

The Recommendation CM/Rec(2017)7 of the Committee of Ministers to Member States on the contribution of the European Landscape Convention to the exercise of human rights and democracy with a view to sustainable development, recommends that the governments of States Parties to the European Landscape Convention “take into account the landscape issue in the actions taken to promote good governance and democratic citizenship, notably through awareness-raising, training and education”.

Awareness-raising

This is about increasing awareness of the value of landscapes, their role and changes to them, among civil society, private organisations and public authorities.

On the occasion of the First International Landscape Day of the Council of Europe, which was held on 20 October 2017, local authorities were invited to celebrate the landscape as “an essential component of people’s surroundings, an expression of the diversity of their shared cultural and natural heritage, and a foundation of their identity” (Article 5.a of the Convention).

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References of the Council of Europe

Proceedings of the Council of Europe Meetings of the Workshops for the implementation of the Convention:

Publications:

Training

It is important to promote training for specialists in landscape appraisal and operations, as well as multidisciplinary training programmes in landscape policy, protection, management and planning, for professionals in the private and public sectors, and for the associations concerned.

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Reference documents

Publications:

Report:

Education

It is important to promote school and university courses that, in the relevant disciplines, address the values attaching to landscapes and the issues raised by their protection, management and planning.

The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe has adopted the following basic texts, for the implementation of the Convention: Recommendation CM/Rec(2008)3 on the guidelines for the implementation of the European Landscape Convention; Recommendation CM/Rec(2014)8 on promoting landscape awareness through education; Recommendation CM/Rec(2015)7 on pedagogical material for landscape education at primary level.

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Reference documents

Proceedings of the Council of Europe Meetings of the Workshops for the implementation of the Convention:

Publications:

Identification and assessment

Identification and assessment

It is necessary to enlist the help of all players concerned to improve knowledge of landscapes and ensure that landscape identification and assessment procedures are guided by exchange of experience and methodology between Parties at international level.

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Reference documents

Proceedings of the Council of Europe Meetings of the Workshops for the implementation of the Convention:

Publications:

Defining landscape quality objectives

Defining landscape quality objectives

The aim is to define landscape quality objectives for the landscapes identified and assessed, after public consultation. The term “landscape quality objective” means, for a specific landscape, the formulation by the competent public authorities of the aspirations of the public with regard to the landscape features of their surroundings.

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Reference documents

Proceedings of the Council of Europe Meetings of the Workshops for the implementation of the Convention:

Publication:

Implementation of landscape policies

Implementation of landscape policies

It is necessary to introduce instruments aimed at protecting, managing and/or planning the landscape.

According to Recommendation CM/Rec(2008)3 of the Committee of Ministers to Member States on the guidelines for the implementation of the European Landscape Convention, in order to implement landscape policies, a general planning and development process should be introduced. This should use specific instruments and provide for the landscape dimension to be included in sectoral instruments. It notes that instruments are already being employed in several countries and each can be a model for either creating new instruments or improving existing ones. The main categories are landscape planning (landscape study plans included in spatial planning); the inclusion of the landscape in sectoral policies and instruments; shared charters, contracts and strategic plans; impact and landscape studies; evaluations of the effects of operations on landscape not subject to an impact study; protected sites and landscape; relationship between landscape and regulations concerning the cultural and historic heritage; resources and financing; landscape awards; landscape observatories, centres and institutes; reports on the state of the landscape and landscape policies; and the management of transfrontier landscapes.

Recommendation CM/Rec(2018)9 contributing to the implementation of the European Landscape Convention of the Council of Europe: creation of public funds for landscape 
adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 14 November 2018

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Reference documents

Proceedings of the Council of Europe Meetings of the Workshops for the implementation of the Convention:

Proceedings of the Council of Europe national and regional Symposiums on the implementation of the Convention:

Publication:

Reports: