The aime of the Council of Europe Landscape Convention is the protection, management and planning of the landscape, with reference to the entire territory of the States parties, promoting public awareness and participation.
Preamble of the Convention defines the importance of landscape:
“… the landscape …has an important public interest role in the cultural, ecological, environmental and social fields;
… is a basic component of the European natural and cultural heritage, contributing to human well-being and consolidation of the European identity;
… is an essential component of human being’s surroundings;
… is an important part of the quality of life for people everywhere: in urban areas and in the countryside, in degraded areas as well as in areas of high quality, in areas recognised as being of outstanding beauty as well as everyday areas;
… is a key element of individual and social well-being and …its protection, management and planning entail rights and responsibilities for everyone.”
Drawn by Alberto Floridi
Protected Areas are part of their landscape and also can form landscape by themselves. Protected Areas cannot be separated from their landscape and the landscape they form. The Convention is very important especially for Nature Regional Landscape Parks that can act as a model of landscape conservation and sustainable use.
More information of EUROPARC’s Task Force on Nature Regional Landscape Parks can be found here.