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JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt 4 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 1 JUNE 2025 NEWS NOTICE OF INTENTION I, Nina Victorovna Ryabchenko, Company Director of The Gateway Of India Limited, company registration number C107758 hereby declare their intention for the company to register for an Employment Agency licence in accordance to article 23 of the Employment and Training Service Act, 1990 (Act XXVIII of 1990 ). The activities proposed to be carried out are the following : 1) Recruitment Consultancy 2) Interviewing, selection and placements of candidates in employ- ment 3) Recruitment of persons from abroad to employment in Malta or in an EU member state 4) Recruitment of persons in Malta for employment in Malta or in an EU- member state 5) Advertising of the filling of vacancies 6) Keeping a register of applicants for employment. Malta signs European Landscape Convention Malta has ratified the European Landscape Convention, nearly 25 years after signing it, committing to the protection and planning of all landscapes through public participation. MALTA has ratified the Council of Europe's European Landscape Convention, nearly 25 years after signing it, committing to the pro- tection and planning of all land- scapes through public participa- tion. Significantly the Convention re-defines landscape as an impor- tant part of the quality of life for people everywhere not just in the countryside but also in urban area, in both "areas recognised as being of outstanding beauty as well as everyday areas." The Convention, adopted by the Council of Europe in 2000, is the first international treaty dedicated solely to the protection, manage- ment, and planning of all types of landscapes—natural, rural, urban, and peri-urban. Its defining prin- ciple is that all landscapes, includ- ing ordinary or degraded ones, contribute to the cultural, social, and environmental well-being of communities. By ratifying the Convention, Malta is now bound to legally recognise the value of landscapes and integrate their protection and planning into wider policies— ranging from spatial planning and environmental protection to agri- culture, culture, and education. Signatories must adopt land- scape policies through participa- tory processes and engage citizens in shaping "landscape quality ob- jectives"—a key innovation of the Convention that gives people a say in how their surroundings should evolve. National authorities are expected to conduct landscape as- sessments, monitor changes, and ensure that developments respect the diverse characteristics and values attached to different land- scapes. Ratification may also entail leg- islative changes, reallocation of administrative resources, and reg- ular reporting obligations to the Council of Europe. Expert com- mittees monitor the implementa- tion of the Convention, which in other countries has led to the cre- ation of specialised observatories and the embedding of landscape principles in planning laws, such as those adopted in Catalonia in 2005. A long road to ratification Malta began preparing for ratifi- cation in 2004 when the Planning Authority commissioned a na- tional landscape assessment. The study identified over 51% of the country as having high or very high landscape sensitivity. It al- so led to the designation of more "Areas of Landscape Value." However, experts noted gaps in protecting "everyday" land- scapes—such as degraded coast- al zones and urban fringes—and seascapes, which are often over- looked in traditional planning frameworks. In 2020, the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage flagged Malta's unique status as the only signatory yet to ratify the trea- ty. Discussions were ongoing on whether legal amendments were needed and what resources would be required to meet mon- itoring and reporting obligations. The SCH also advocated for the recognition of "underground cultural landscapes," such as subterranean archaeological re- mains, which are not visible from the surface but form part of the country's heritage. However, in 2022, the Environ- ment and Resources Authority was still assessing the implica- tions of joining. At the time, the executive secretary of the Convention, Maguelonne Dé- jeant-Pons, told MaltaToday that Malta would be welcomed once it was ready to ratify. People at the centre of landscape policy The Convention is seen as ground-breaking in its democratic approach to landscape protection. It acknowledges that landscapes are not just scenic or iconic places but living spaces shaped by social, cultural, and economic processes. The inclusion of public aspira- tions in defining "landscape qual- ity objectives" marks a shift from expert-driven heritage policies to ones that reflect collective memo- ry and everyday experience. Implementation in other coun- tries has shown how the Conven- tion encourages locally grounded landscape planning. In Catalonia, for example, a Landscape Obser- vatory was created to advise the regional government and produce catalogues identifying distinct landscape units across the terri- tory—ranging from rural valleys to urban peripheries. These were compiled following public consul- tation and now inform planning regulations and development de- cisions. With ratification, Malta joins a European-wide framework that redefines how landscapes are val- ued and managed. The move re- flects a commitment not only to the protection of iconic sites, but also to more inclusive and partic- ipatory planning that respects the ties between people and place. The Catalan model In Catalonia, the European Landscape Convention was im- plemented through a dedicated law in 2005, making it one of the first regions to fully embrace its principles. The Catalan Land- scape Law led to the creation of the Landscape Observatory, an advisory body responsible for promoting landscape protection, management, and planning. Through public consultation and field research, the Observato- ry produced landscape catalogues identifying distinct landscape units and setting quality objec- tives for each. These were then integrated into regional and town planning policies, ensuring that all types of landscapes are considered in development decisions and spatial planning. Malta finally signed the European Landscape Convention on 26 May (Photo: Council of Europe)

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