European Convention on Landscape (2000)

The European Landscape Convention is the first regional convention exclusively dedicated to the landscape issue. It was opened for signature in Firenze (Italy) on October 20th, 2000, and came into force on March 1st, 2004.

Preface: The European Convention on Landscape was adopted by the Council of Europe, Florence, 20 Oct., 2000, and came into force on March 1st, 2004.

The European Landscape Convention (ELC), also known as the Florence Convention, is the first international treaty to be exclusively devoted to 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. This treaty open for signature by the member States of the Council of Europe and for accession by the European Union and the European non-member States. The Convention is aimed at: the protection, management and planning of all landscapes and raising awareness of the value of a living landscape.

The Convention aims to encourage public authorities to adopt policies and measures at local, regional, national and international level for protecting, managing and planning landscapes throughout Europe. It covers all landscapes, both outstanding and ordinary, that determine the quality of people’s living environment. The text provides for a flexible approach to landscapes whose specific features call for various types of action, ranging from strict conservation through protection, management and improvement to actual creation.

The Convention proposes legal and financial measures at the national and international levels, aimed at shaping “landscape policies” and promoting interaction between local and central authorities as well as transfrontier cooperation in protecting landscapes. It sets out a range of different solutions which States can apply, according to their specific needs.

The Council of Europe intergovernmental committees will be supervising the convention’s implementation. The text also provides for a Council of Europe Landscape award, to be given to local or regional authorities or an NGO which introduced exemplary and long-lasting policies or measures to protect, manage and plan landscapes.

Category
Convention
Date

2000

Promulgation

The Council of Europe, Florence, 20 Oct., 2000.

Descriptions

  • The Convention sets forth the principles and guidelines for the preservation of landscapes. It defines landscapes as areas “whose character is the result of the interaction of natural and/or human factors.” It recognizes the contributions that landscapes have on the formation of local cultures, including those that may be considered degraded.
  • It contains a general outline for the safeguarding of landscapes that includes increasing awareness of their value, promoting multidisciplinary training programs, and assessing the landscapes identified.
  • It calls for the introduction of instruments aimed at protecting, managing, and/or planning the landscape. It encourages cooperation among member States, including the exchange of information and the creation of joint landscape programs.

Source

http://conventions.coe.int/Treaty/en/treaties/html/176.htm

Download

http://orcp.hustoj.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/CETS_176.pdf

References

Intellectual Property

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