Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1093354
11 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 17 MARCH 2019 JAMES DEBONO MALTA has failed to ratify the Council of Europe's European Landscape Convention which obliges signatories to protect their landscapes – a body of law that could put limits on the way Maltese villages are being changed. Malta was one of the original signatories in 2000 but failed to ratify the Convention in 2010. The issue was recently raised in Parliament by Nationalist MP Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici, who asked environment min- ister Josè Herrera whether the government intends to sign the convention. Herrera replied that back in 2010 the PN ad- ministration had decided not to ratify the convention Questions sent by MaltaTo- day on whether the present government intends to ratify the treaty remained unan- swered. The Convention is consid- ered revolutionary as it recog- nised that local, everyday and even degraded landscapes are as likely to be of importance to the communities – or cultures – who inhabit them or the peo- ple who visit them as those which are commonly labelled as globally important. Parties to the Convention undertake to provide legal rec- ognition for the value of land- scapes, to ensure that partici- patory procedures are put in place to establish and imple- ment protective policies, and that landscape is integrated into land-use planning policies. Moreover, committees of ex- perts appointed by the Council of Europe are "responsible for monitoring the implementa- tion of the Convention". The European Landscape Convention obliges signato- ries not just to protect pro- tected heritage buildings but to respect the wider cultural landscapes and the collective memories of people who in- habit them. In its reaction to various proposed developments the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage often calls on the PA to ensure that its decisions are "guided by the principles en- shrined in the European Land- scape Convention". One recent case where the convention was invoked was with regards to the proposed development of 14 holiday bungalows instead of the Garden of Eden wedding hall, in Zurrieq. In 2004 the Planning Author- ity had taken steps to fulfil the requirements of the Conven- tion by conducting a landscape assessment study which had identified that over 51% of the Maltese Islands had high or very high landscape sensitivity. This led to the designation of more areas in Malta as "Areas of Landscape Value". But experts still noted short- comings when it came to broadening landscape manage- ment and protection with re- gards to seascapes and "every- day and degraded" landscapes. 39 Council of Europe mem- ber states have ratified the Convention namely: Andorra, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bul- garia, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Esto- nia, Finland, France, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, It- aly, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxem- bourg, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Ma- rino, Serbia, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Swit- zerland, the Republic of Mace- donia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom. Iceland and Malta have signed but not ratified the Convention. Catalonia, a case study on landscape protection Four years after signing the convention, the Catalan par- liament approved a law for the protection, management and planning of the landscape. The Act applies to all the territory of Catalonia: both to the natural, rural, forest, urban and periph- eral areas and to singular landscapes such as every- day and degraded land- scapes, whether inland or on the coast. The Land- scape Observatory has been set up as an advisory body of the Government of Catalo- nia in landscape matters. The Observatory has issued land- scape catalogues which identi- fy different landscape units un- derstood as areas which have the same landscape character, which are a reflection of the natural, cultural, historic and symbolic diversity to be found in every corner of Catalonia. This was done following public consultation with the people living in these landscapes. The protection of these land- scapes is integrated in the re- gion's town and planning regu- lations. NEWS 18 years later, Malta yet to ratify European Landscape Convention PHOTOGRAPHY: MICAELA PARENTE