Malta signs European Landscape Convention

Malta has ratified the Council of Europe’s European Landscape Convention, nearly 25 years after signing it, committing to the protection and planning of all landscapes through public participation.

Significantly the Convention re-defines landscape as an important 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, management, and planning of all types of landscapes—natural, rural, urban, and peri-urban. Its defining principle is that all landscapes, including 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 agriculture, culture, and education.

Signatories must adopt landscape policies through participatory processes and engage citizens in shaping “landscape quality objectives”—a key innovation of the Convention that gives people a say in how their surroundings should evolve. National authorities are expected to conduct landscape assessments, monitor changes, and ensure that developments respect the diverse characteristics and values attached to different landscapes.

Ratification may also entail legislative changes, reallocation of administrative resources, and regular reporting obligations to the Council of Europe. Expert committees monitor the implementation of the Convention, which in other countries has led to the creation 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 ratification in 2004 when the Planning Authority commissioned a national landscape assessment. The study identified over 51% of the country as having high or very high landscape sensitivity. It also led to the designation of more “Areas of Landscape Value.”

However, experts noted gaps in protecting “everyday” landscapes—such as degraded coastal zones and urban fringes—and seascapes, which are often overlooked in traditional planning frameworks.

In 2020, the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage flagged Malta’s unique status as the only signatory yet to ratify the treaty. Discussions were ongoing on whether legal amendments were needed and what resources would be required to meet monitoring and reporting obligations. The SCH also advocated for the recognition of “underground cultural landscapes,” such as subterranean archaeological remains, which are not visible from the surface but form part of the country’s heritage.

However, in 2022, the Environment and Resources Authority was still assessing the implications of joining. At the time, the executive secretary of the Convention, Maguelonne Déjeant-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 aspirations in defining “landscape quality objectives” marks a shift from expert-driven heritage policies to ones that reflect collective memory and everyday experience.

Implementation in other countries has shown how the Convention encourages locally grounded landscape planning. In Catalonia, for example, a Landscape Observatory was created to advise the regional government and produce catalogues identifying distinct landscape units across the territory—ranging from rural valleys to urban peripheries. These were compiled following public consultation and now inform planning regulations and development decisions.

With ratification, Malta joins a European-wide framework that redefines how landscapes are valued and managed. The move reflects a commitment not only to the protection of iconic sites, but also to more inclusive and participatory planning that respects the ties between people and place.

The Catalan model

In Catalonia, the European Landscape Convention was implemented through a dedicated law in 2005, making it one of the first regions to fully embrace its principles. The Catalan Landscape 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 Observatory produced landscape catalogues identifying distinct landscape units and setting quality objectives 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.