Implementation of European Landscape Convention in Lithuania

Signature 20.10.2000, ratification 03.10.2002 
On December 1, 2004 the Lithuanian government passed resolution No. 1526 "Landscape policy of the Republic of Lithuania" – a national act meant to implement the European Landscape Convention. It contains the following goals:
  1. To ensure social, economic and ecological functions in landscape forming
  2. To ensure landscape protection, use, management, planning and features for regional  self-expression
  3. To maintain and improve the countries biodiversity, landscape spatial structure and its potential
  4. To optimise the formation of cultural landscapes
  5. To match the landscapes' architectural spatial composition
This policy is an important document linking different scientific paradigms in landscape: it contains the national vision for landscape protection, management and planning, and guidelines for landscape quality, special plans, landscape monitoring, landscape protection, management, planning and restoration activities as well as integration into territorial and strategic planning, and issues affecting its development strategy.

On August 22, 2005 the Lithuanian government passed resolution No. 909 "Means of implementing the landscape policy in the Republic of Lithuania", which focuses on accomplishment of three main goals by 2020:
  1. Evaluation of landscape structural diversity, guaranteeing landscape protection, use, management and planning
  2. Drafting of legislations, coordinating municipal authorities' actions on landscape protection, usage, management and planning
  3. Landscape study, deeper public understanding of landscapes and profesional training.
Responsibility for various tasks is divided between the Ministries of Environment, Culture, Agriculture and their subsidiaries. 

In 2006 the National Landscape Study was prepared. In this study the existing concept of landscape classification and morphology based on its climatic and hydrological conditions, its geomorphology and bio-differentiation is supplemented with aspects of technogenic structure, spatial geochemical processes, aesthetical characterisation and spatial differentiation.  In 2007 the National Landscape Award was established

Lithuanian landscape policy has changed and been updated several times. Since 2009 it is commonly understood that national policy monitoring and informing the public are necessary: institutions working with landscapes are required to give annual reports to the Ministry of Environment on their work throughout the year, the ministry then prepares an annual report for the Government of the Republic of Lithuania. Since 2010 this report is presented to the public on the Ministry of Environment webpage and during  thematic events. This creates an opportunity to find out more about landscaping activities and their benefits, and has made it easier to follow landscape development and to evaluate progress made in fulfilling international commitments, preparing specialists in municipalities, and generating new ideas.

Contact Point

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Aplinkos ministerijos (Ministry of Environment)
A. Jakšto g. 4/9, 01105 Vilnius, Lithuania

Mrs. Giedrė Godienė
E-mail
Tel +370 8 706 63614

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