25 Years of the Council of Europe Landscape Convention

On 27 and 28 October 2025, EUROPARC joined ministers, landscape experts and partners from across Europe in Florence, Italy, to celebrate the 25ᵗʰ Anniversary of the Council of Europe Landscape Convention. The event was organised by the Council of Europe and the Italian Ministry of Culture, marking a quarter-century of work to recognise, protect, and care for Europe’s landscapes.

Aims of the Landscape Convention

Since it was first signed in Florence in 2000, the Landscape Convention, formerly known as the European Landscape Convention, has inspired countries across Europe to see all landscapes as vital parts of people’s quality of life and cultural identity. Over the years, it has encouraged communities and governments to work together to plan and manage their landscapes in sustainable and inclusive ways. To date, it is ratified by 40 Member States. The Convention is based on the assumption that landscape is a key element, an essential component of human beings’ surroundings, and an important part of their quality of life. It thus helps to strengthen the link between human rights and the environment with a view to their mutual protection and enhancement. 

About the event

During the meeting, the work relating to the recommendations of the Committee of Ministers on “Landscape, a living environment”, on “Landscape and health” and on “Water resources under stress” were illustrated. Furthermore, the guidelines for action in the coming year were discussed, and one of the main topics was environmental protection to combat the triple global crisis of pollution, climate change and biodiversity loss. The discussions were guided by the Reykjavík Declaration (2023) and the Council of Europe’s new Strategy on the Environment (2025 – 2030), both of which underline the importance of landscapes in tackling pollution, climate change, and biodiversity loss. 

EUROPARC was represented at the event by Council member Lidia Bai, who joined the discussions on the future of landscape governance and the essential role that Protected Areas play in shaping sustainable landscapes across Europe. She states:

It is clear that the Landscape Convention, on the basis of the Reykjavik Declaration, is focusing its attention on many issues that are at the heart of the EUROPARC Federation’s action: climate change mitigation, sustainable development, biodiversity protection, among others. It is important that many different organisations in Europe are working concretely on these issues and it is important that increasingly closer cooperation can be developed in the future.

At the conclusion of the October 28 meeting, the Conference produced a statement Declaration to be adopted by the Ministers and other State representatives. This Declaration will outline a strategic vision to strengthen multilateral cooperation and promote the effective implementation of the Convention and its integration into national policies. 

EUROPARC’s Members continue to play a key role in turning the values of the Landscape Convention into real action on the ground. Especially, EUROPARC’s Taskforce for Nature Regional Landscape Parks are a driving force in:

• Applying good practices and practical tools for sustainable landscape management
• Strengthening the voice of landscape parks at the European level
• Supporting policy integration between nature, culture, and community development
• Encouraging collaboration between people and places to ensure that landscapes remain vibrant and resilient

John Watkins, Chief Executive at the National Landscape Association in the UK and an active member of EUROPARC’s Nature Regional Landscape Parks Taskforce, states: 

The mission of Landscape and Regional Parks takes inspiration from, and puts into practice, the Convention’s definition of landscape: ‘an area, as perceived by people, whose character is the result of the action and interaction of natural and/or human factors. Across Europe, these places are an ongoing celebration of the bond between people and place, and this relationship is critical to tackling loss of nature and the effects of climate change.

Not only the Nature Regional Landscape Parks, but the whole EUROPARC family, aim to bridge policy and practice with their work— ensuring that the spirit of the Landscape Convention continues to thrive across Europe.