European Context

The European Landscape Convention - also known as the Florence Convention, - promotes the protection, management and planning of European landscapes and organises European co-operation on landscape issues.

The Convention has defined Landscape as "an area, as perceived by people, whose character is the result of the action and interaction of natural and/or human factors".

Not another European Directive?

Not another European Directive? No, this is a Treaty of the Council of Europe - not the European Union - that is freely entered into by individual state governments.

This landscape convention builds upon earlier European Conventions, aimed at conserving wildlife and protecting architectural and archaeological heritage, and the Rio Convention on biological diversity. It starts from the fundamental acknowledgement "that the landscape is an important part of the quality of life for people everywhere: in urban areas and 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".

Importantly, it defines landscape in relation to people, aiming to "promote landscape protection, management and planning, and to organise European co-operation on landscape issues."

What does this mean nationally?

• a) Recognising landscapes in law as "essential components of people's surroundings, an expression of the diversity of their shared cultural and natural heritage, and a foundation of their identity,"
• b) Establishing and implementing "landscape policies aimed at landscape protection, management and planning",
• c) Establishing procedures for the participation of the public, and local and regional authorities, in defining landscape policies,
• d) Integrating landscape into "regional and town planning policies together with environmental, agricultural, social and economic policies".

Doing these things requires raising awareness, training and education, identification and assessment, landscape quality objectives, and implementation.

Identifying and protecting landscapes

It is of great significance that all landscapes are recognised in this convention, and not just those that are already have some wildlife or natural beauty designation. Nevertheless, AONBs in general are well placed to demonstrate the convention in action. CCWWD AONB is already raising awareness that "landscape matters", we have landscape character and landscape sensitivity assessments, and our Management Plan covers not only policies for landscape protection, management, and planning but also involves local people and local authorities and organisations in its creation. There are, however, still many more things to be done!

The people at the heart of landscape policy

The landscape is part of the land, as perceived by local people or visitors, which evolves through time as a result of being acted upon by natural forces and human beings.

Please see the Council of Europe website for further information.