Η πολιτική τοπίου στις χώρες του Συμβουλίου της Ευρώπης

Abstract

The role of the Council of Europe in safeguarding the human rights and rule of law has been significant for all the countries of the European continent, since its inception. The above general framework includes the signing of agreements covering aspects of critical issues not covered by other international agreements, such as the European Charter of Local Self Government regarding local government, or conventions establishing whole policy areas, such as the European Landscape Convention (ELC) for landscape policy. This dissertation addresses firstly about the ways ELC contributes to the establishment of a landscape policy through three levels. Through ‘Definitions’, introducing a common conceptual background, ‘Methodology’ as policy-making around the axes of the articles of the Convention and ‘Reporting Framework’ according to the registration of national or regional reports by each Administration. A fundamental question arising is whether and how landscape is a regulatory factor - and therefore a policy maker. In the main body, research is systematized on the basis of the third level (Reporting Framework) and the comparison of the landscape policies of selected countries of the Council of Europe. Selection is based on the criteria of representing different administrative traditions in the field of spatial planning (national spatial planning system), which is traditionally understood as the main landscape policy field and thus sometimes acts as a deterrent or encouraging factor. The conclusions drawn from the comparison of landscape policies highlight the factors that favor the development of the horizontal, cross-sectoral operation of landscape policy, and thus landscape as a regulatory factor. The contribution of the dissertation is in the systematization of these factors so that landscape is recognized as a new, suitable territoriality that is founded on the basis of decentralization-partnership-governance scheme with levers of balance (cohesion) and competition. And therefore a systematic spatial form of decision making.