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E.F.L.A Landscape Policy Group
Discussion Paper: The European Landscape Convention and EU landscape policy
The purposed of this document is to brief Members of the European parliament, whom the Group
intends to lobby in autumn 2009, in an effort to promote landscape policy in the EU.
Preamble
Landscapes, especially those adjacent to Europe’s growing urban areas, are increasingly significant in
providing essential, quality of life services. This is manifest in day-trip recreation, climate change
mitigation, water supply, drainage, biodiversity conservation, cultural identity and outdoor pursuits.
However, all over Europe we observe a clear concern for landscapes. Although landscapes are clearly
bringing positive economical effects as key contributors to green infrastructure, they are degrading in
many ways, due to a range of factors and trends, including urbanisation and urban sprawl, climate
change, transport infrastructure, unsustainable tourism and coastal erosion. Consequences include
increasing noise levels, visual disturbance, fragmentation, as well as loss of function and identity. In
rural areas landscapes are degrading due to changes in agriculture, population and urbanization.
2. Introduction – what is the European Landscape Convention ELC
The ELC is an international treaty developed under the auspices of the Council of Europe’s Congress
of Local and Regional Authorities. It was adopted on 20 October 2000 and came into force in 2004. Its
aim is to “promote European landscape protection, management and planning, and organising
European co-operation in this area. It represents 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.”
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The Convention defines landscape as: -
“Landscape” means an area, as perceived by people, whose character is the result of
the action and interaction of natural and/or human factors.” “….as a zone or area as
perceived by local people or visitors, whose visual features and character are the result of
the action of natural and/or cultural (that is, human) factors. This definition reflects the
idea that landscapes evolve through time, as a result of being acted upon by natural
forces and human beings. It also underlines that a landscape forms a whole, whose
natural and cultural components are taken together, not separately.
“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 landscapes.
3. Current State of Play - Implementation
At this moment 30 European countries have ratified it, 21 of which are EU member states. To explicitly
enhance the implementation of the Convention at non-governmental level, 3 networks have been
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Preamble by Maguelonne Déjeant-Pons, Enrico Buergi to ‘Landscape and sustainable development: challenges
of the European Landscape Convention’

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launched in the past two years: RECEP-ENELC the Network of Local and Regional Authorities for the
implementation of the European Landscape Convention, UNISCAPE the Network of Universities for
the European Landscape Convention, and CIVILSCAPE NGOs for the European Landscape
Convention. They can be accessed through the Internet portal, www.eurolandscape.net.
The Council of Europe promotes and monitoring the implementation of the ELC through an ongoing
series of meeting, workshops and seminars which aim to foster capacity building, training, policy, best
practice and policies. However, the degree and depths of implementation across the parties which
have ratified the ELC is highly variable.. This is due to a range of factors, principally lack of political
will, poorly developed or non-existent national policies, legislation and guidance; lack of professional
resources and training and financial / administrative constraints.
4. ELC relevance to EU
The European Union (EU) has several strategies for spatial development but it lacks a clear, specific
policy in the area of landscape. Competence for policy formulation resides within the Members
States themselves. On the other hand, several policies of the EU must be considered as a driving
force for landscape and change at regional level. Probably the most important of them all is the CAP
(Common Agricultural Policy), the EU’s main instrument to support agriculture. The multi-
functionality of agriculture is shown by the diverse services, which it supplies. These may well
support landscape quality. The European budget can serve as a way to fund sustainable
development of nature and landscape.
The European Commission is shifting its financial support away from production towards rural
development. The Commission’s CAP Health Check identified 4 developing challenges - combating
climate change, water management, bio energy and biodiversity. Under a fundamental reform of CAP,
farmers will no longer be paid just to produce food. The new CAP will be focused much more on an
holistic view of rural development and its values for society. Policy will be based on improving
agricultural competitiveness, improving the environment and improving the quality of life. Specific
assistance will be provided for the conservation of rural heritage, with agri-environment measures to
improve environment and development strategies implemented by local groups.
Landscape is a vital component of rural development as well as individual and social well-being.
Therefore landscape is of vital importance for European citizens living in the countryside as well as in
urban areas. Reforming the CAP offers great opportunities to support landscape, not only in terms of
financing but also in terms of a signal. If applied in the right way, it shows that landscape matters and
that it is of great importance for rural development. Therefore it is imperative that the new CAP is
based on a sound strategy and policy on landscape. The EU lacks such a policy, but the European
Landscape Convention is suited to support landscape in the new CAP. It should be used to do that.
Only if we succeed in maintaining high landscape quality, Europe’s future generations will be willing to
invest into and identify with the places of their origin. Landscape as a social value should be taken
into account in European policies. People identify with landscapes, not with ecosystems.

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ENDS./
This document is based on the a number of sources, including the following,
1. Civilscape’s statement of policy towards the EU. November 2008.
2. Text of the European Landscape Convention
(http://conventions.coe.int/treaty/EN/Treaties/Html/176.htm)
3. Landscape and sustainable development: challenges of the European Landscape Convention. Council
of Europe Publishing.
4. Guidelines for the Implementation of the European Landscape Convention
5. Blueprint for Euroscape 2020, Reframing the future of the European Lanscape – Policy Visions and
Research support. Dirk Wascher, Bas Pedroli. May 2008.
Other useful resources
Landscape Europe. Landscape Europe is an interdisciplinary network of national research institutes
with expertise in landscape assessment, planning and management at the interface of policy
implementation, education and state-of-the-art science in support of sustainable landscapes.
http://www.landscape-europe.net/ELL.html
Council of Europe webpage on The European Landscape Convention.
http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/cultureheritage/conventions/landscape/
The Landscape Character Network (LCN). an informal network with a dual focus on Landscape
Character Assessment (LCA) and the ELC. LCA is an important tool for enhancing local
distinctiveness and promoting sustainable development. www.landscapecharacter.org.uk/node/10
Greenscom. ‘Urban Growth and Green’. Spatial structure of multi-functional urban green areas
contribute to sustainable economic and ecological development and to the quality of urban life. In
'Communicating Urban Growth and Green' 5 European research institutes and universities join forces
to improve and develop planning concepts and policy communication for integrated urban planning
and management. The outcome will be a toolkit of planning concepts and policy instruments.
www.greenscom.com/default.htm
The Cambridgeshire Green Vision: an example of a green infrastructure strategy for the
Cambridge sub-region, U.K; produced to ensure that enough G.I is provided to for the growth in
housing provision over the next 20 years. Six “big” landscape projects promoted in the Green Vision.
www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/environment/countryside/natureconservation/delivering/greenvision/gistrategy.htm
Urban food production: how green space in city sub-regions can be utilised for food production in
community gardens, allotments, grounds, private gardens; socio-economic and environmental
benefits, including reduced food miles. Local development and green infrastructure strategies should
promote urban food production. U.K Manchester Joint Health Unit has developed a food strategy that
aims to move from the old urban food system to a ‘new’ model were some production and composting
is brought within the city. www.sustainablecities.org.uk/greeninfrastructure/integration/urban-food/

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Preamble
At the CIVILSCAPE meeting in Florence in November 2008, the policy of CIVILSCAPE towards the
European Union has been discussed. In particular the revision of the Common Agriculture
Policy (CAP Health Check) was found to be of special interest. As a result of this discussion the
chairman drafted a statement to implement the needs for good landscape management and lobby for
the European Landscape Convention.
This statement outlines that reforming of the CAP offers great opportunities to support landscape. Not
only in terms of financing but also in terms of a signal. If applied in the right way, it shows that
landscape matters and that it is of great importance for rural development. Therefore it is vital
that the new CAP is based on a sound strategy and policy on landscape. As until now the EU
lacks such a policy. However there is a European strategy on landscape, formulated by the Council of
Europe: the European Landscape Convention (ELC), also known as the Convention of Florence.
According to CIVILSCAPE the ELC strategy is perfectly fitted to be used for further application
to support landscape in the new CAP.
Landscape and the European Union
All over Europe we observe a clear concern for landscape. Although landscape is clearly bringing
positive economical effects, it is degrading in many ways. In peripheral zones the consequences are
increasing noise levels, barrier effects, visual disturbance, fragmentation, as well as loss of function
and identity. Especially adjacent to Europe’s agglomeration areas, such zones for ‘rural retreat’
become increasingly important for providing essential landscape services such as habitat,
day-trip recreation, drinking water recharge, cultural identity and simply open space. But also in
the rural areas landscape is degrading due to changes in agriculture and urbanization.
The European Union (EU) has several strategies for development but in the area of landscape nor
of spatial planning it lacks a clear policy; this resides with the Members States themselves. On
the other hand, several policies of the EU must be considered as a driving force for landscape and
change at regional level. Probably the most important of them all is the CAP (Common Agricultural
Policy), the EU’s main instruments to support agriculture and from 1999 onwards also rural
development in its member states. The multi-functionality of agriculture is shown by the diverse
services which it supplies. These may well support landscape quality. The European budget can
serve as a way to fund sustainable development of nature and landscape.
Because there are periodic fluctuations in the needs for agricultural production (goods) and an
increasing demand for agricultural services (quality of life) the European Commission is shifting its
financial support away from production towards rural development. In 2003 the EU agreed on a
fundamental reform of the CAP. The major change will be that farmers will no longer be paid just
to produce food but that the CAP will be demand driven. This new CAP is aimed to take
consumers’ and taxpayers’ concerns into account. Where it was traditionally focussed on production
and direct income-support of farmers, it will now be aiming much more on rural development and the
values for society as a whole. Rural development policy will be based on improving agricultural
competitiveness, improving the environment and improving the quality of life in rural areas. More
specific assistance is provided concerning animal health and welfare, food safety, and also protection
and conservation of rural heritage, agri-environment measures to improve environment and
development strategies put in place by local action groups. More recently the European Commission
identified in its Health Check of the CAP four developing challenges; combating climate change, water
management, bio energy and biodiversity. So far there is no distinct role of landscape, although it
affects many of the themes already mentioned.
We as CIVILSCAPE consider ‘landscape’ to be a key element of rural development as well as
individual and social well-being. Therefore landscape is of vital importance for European citizens,
living in the countryside as well as in urban areas. Strengthening landscape is taking into account the
concerns of consumers and taxpayers in the best possible way.
Reforming the CAP offers great opportunities to support landscape. Not only in terms of financing but
also in terms of a signal. If applied in the right way, it shows that landscape matters and that it is of
great importance for rural development. Therefore it is vital that the new CAP is based on a sound
strategy and policy on landscape. As until now the EU lacks such a policy. However there is a
European strategy on landscape, formulated by the Council of Europe: the European Landscape
Convention (ELC), also known as the Convention of Florence. According to CIVILSCAPE the ELC
strategy is perfectly fitted to be used for further application to support landscape in the new CAP.

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Therefore CIVILSCAPE would like the EU to sign the ELC and more specific to:
1. Establish a policy for rural development on the basis of landscape criteria
2. Acknowledge the definitions on Landscape as stated in the European Landscape
Convention, in order to achieve a common language and optimal communication
3. Develop new forms of governance involving local and regional authorities, people and
decision-makers:
a. European Union develops guidelines for the management, protection and
development of landscapes as stated in the ELC.
b. Landscape quality objectives into Cross Compliance.
Special focus should be on the following:
• Everyday or degraded landscapes, close to where people live, require just as much
attention as the outstanding landscapes
• Rewarding and stimulation of local initiatives; a regionally based approach to
landscape assessment; close to the stakeholders, the decision makers and the public.
Questions for the Group
1.