(The following is a summary of the full text, which is available from the Council of Europe) The convention consists of the preamble and eighteen articles divided into four chapters. • Chapter I - General provisions - Art. 1 - 3; • Chapter II - National measures - Art. 4 - 6; • Chapter III - European co-operation - Art. 7 - 11; • Chapter IV - Final clauses - Art. 12 - 18.
Preamble The preamble to the convention states, inter alia, that the landscape: • is a key element of individual and social well-being; • contributes to the formation of local cultures and that it is a basic component of the European natural and cultural heritage; • is an important part of the quality of life for people everywhere. Moreover, it states that the convention is a response to the public’s wish to enjoy high quality landscapes and to play an active part in their development.
Articles Article 1 provides a definition of '
landscape'. For the purposes of the convention it is an area whose character is the result of the action and interaction of natural and/or human factors. It also defines 'landscape protection' as actions to conserve and maintain the significant or characteristic features of a landscape and 'Landscape management' as an action ensuring the regular upkeep of a landscape, so as to guide and harmonise changes within. Finally "landscape planning" is defined as a strong forward-looking action to enhance, restore or create landscapes.
Article 2 denotes the territorial and functional scope of the treaty. It covers: • natural, rural, urban and peri-urban areas; • land, inland water and marine areas • landscapes that might be considered outstanding as well as everyday or degraded landscapes. It also states, with the exception of Art. 15 that convention applies to the entire territory of the Parties.
Article 3 provides that the aims of the treaty are to promote landscape protection, management and planning, and to organise European co-operation on landscape issues.
Article 5 and 6 state the general and specific obligations of the Parties, such as: • establishing and implementing landscape policies aimed at landscape protection, management and planning • integrating landscape into their regional, town planning, cultural, environmental, agricultural, social and economic policies. • increasing awareness of the value of landscapes, their role and changes to them • promoting training and education in landscape policy, protection, management and planning • identifying and assessing the landscapes in their territories.
Articles 7 – 9 concern the international co-operation, assistance, exchange of the specialists and information, and encourage Parties to prepare and implement joint landscape programmes.
Article 11 denotes the Landscape Award of the Council of Europe (see below).
Article 15 allows Parties to specify the territory to which they want the convention to apply. This article has been used by
e.g. by Denmark to exclude the treaty's application to Greenland.
Article 16 gives any Party permission to denounce the convention, at any time, by a notification addressed to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe. ==Relation to other treaties==