Final communiqué of the conference

„European Instruments of Environmental Protection“

Ostritz-St. Marienthal,

March 6th - 8th, 2003

The international conference „European Instruments of Environmental Protection“ has succeeded in initiating an exchange of experience between experts from the Central and Eastern European Countries and Germany. An international platform of discussion on the application of European instruments of environmental protection in the context of the process of the enlargement of the European Union towards the East has successfully been established. The participants stressed the urgency for rapid implementation of the instruments in order to preserve the rich natural and cultural landscape heritage of Europe.

Introductory reports have highlighted the significance of European instruments of environmental protection in the course of the European unification process. More than 60 participants of the conference were informed of the state of implementation and application of these instruments in ten Central and Eastern European Countries. Their representatives gave insights into the state of affairs and their approaches to the matters discussed.

The insight won during the introductory reports and statements was extended within four workshops:

·  Strategic Environmental Assessment / Environmental Impact Assessment Directives,

·  Water Framework Directive,

·  Habitats Directive,

·  European Landscape Convention.

The participants discussed specific national approaches, identified problems in their fields of action and exchanged views on possible solutions. All participants agreed that the exchange of experience should continue in active collaboration of all conference participants and the institutions they represent within the months and years to come. Especially successful approaches from certain countries, such as the German instrument of landscape planning, shall be taken as base for model projects and case studies in other participating countries. Thus it shall be researched, whether procedures and methods successfully applied in other countries could be adapted and used to implement European instruments of environmental protection effectively in other EU member and accession states as well.

The findings of the workshops and a summary of the conference proceedings will be published by the end of 2003.

The participants of the conference consider it necessary to:

·  Initiate pilot projects and case studies

·  Provide training opportunities for experts in the area of Directives implementation

·  Develop a natural resource database

·  Offer guidance in the consultation participation process

·  Promote international research projects

·  Organise further international dialogue on the implementation of environmental EU Directives

The conference was successfully organized by the Federation of German Landscape Architects BDLA and the Institute of Landscape Planning and Nature Conservation ILN at the University of Hanover. It was supported by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation with funds of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety.

Participants

Armbruster, Mr. Jost / Dipl.-Ing., Hanover / Germany
Auglys, Mr. Vitalijus / Ministry of Environment, Vilnius / Lithuania
Berg, Mrs. Kerstin / Bielfeldt + Berg, Hamburg / Germany
Borissova, Mrs. Tsvetelina / Regional Environmental Center for CEE / Hungary
Bruns, Mr. Diedrich / Kassel University / Germany
Leschner, Mrs. Jana (p.p.) / Irene Burkhardt Landscape Architect, Munich / Germany
Černohous, Mr. Tomáš / Ministry of Environment / Slovakia
Cetinkaya, Mrs. Gülay / Adana University / Turkey
Csemez, Mr. Attila / Budapest University of Horticulture / Hungary
Dancsokné Fóris, Mrs. Edina / Ministry of Environment, Budapest / Hungary
Dikova, Mrs. Camellia / Ministry of Environment, Sofia / Bulgaria
Drozdov, Mr. Alexander / Moscow Geographic Institute / Russia
Érdi, Mrs. Rozália / Ministry of Environment, Budapest / Hungary
Gassner, Mr. Erich / Dr. jur., Bonn / Germany
Gehrcke, Mr. Matthias / Federation of German Landscape Architects / Germany
Gering, Mr. Christian / Dipl.-Ing., Schönwalde / Germany
Golob, Mr. Aleksander / Environmental Agency, Ljubljana / Slovenia
Gondesen, Mr. Christoph / TGP Landschaftsarchitekten, Lübeck / Germany
Gustedt, Mrs. Evelyn / ARL Academy, Hanover / Germany
Haaren, Mrs. Christina von / University of Hanover / Germany
Habjan, Mrs. Jelka / Environmental Agency, Ljubljana / Slovenia
Hannig, Mrs. Michaela / University of Hanover / Germany
Hanusch, Mrs. Marie / Dipl.-Ing., Hanover / Germany
Heczko-Hyłowa, Mrs. Ewa / Cracow University of Technology / Poland
Herbert, Mr. Matthias / Federal Agency for Nature Conservation / Germany
Hoppenstedt, Mr. Adrian / Federation of German Landscape Architects / Germany
Jansone, Mrs. Tatjana / Ministry of Environment, Riga / Latvia
Jessel, Mrs. Beate / Potsdam University / Germany
Kahl, Mr. Mario / Federation of German Landscape Architects / Germany
Keisel, Mr. Klaus / European Commission, DG Env., Brussels / Belgium
Köppel, Mr. Johann / Berlin University of Technology / Germany
Kosiński, Mr. Tomasz / Ministry of Environment, Warsaw / Poland
Korn, Mr. Norbert / BfL Mühlinghaus, Bensheim / Germany
Kuusik, Ms. Maila / Ministry of Environment, Tallinn / Estonia
Lange, Mr. Horst / Anhalt Univ. of Applied Sciences, Bernburg / Germany
Likus, Mrs. Karolina / Ministry of Environment, Warsaw / Poland
Lutz, Mr. Karsten / Dipl.-Biol., Hamburg / Germany
Mielchen, Mr. Volker / IBA Fürst-Pückler-Land, Großräschen / Germany
Mönnecke, Mrs. Margit / Rapperswil University of Applied Sciences / Switzerland
Mühlinghaus, Mr. Rainer / BfL Mühlinghaus, Bensheim / Germany
Müntz, Mr. Stefan (p.p.) / Erfurt University of Applied Sciences / Germany
Ott, Mr. Stefan / University of Hanover / Germany
Paland, Mrs. Ingeborg / Federation of German Landscape Architects / Germany
Pilinský, Mr. Peter / Ministry of Environment, Bratislava / Slovakia
Pivoriūnas, Mr. Danielius / Ministry of Environment, Vilnius / Lithuania
Pröbstl, Mrs. Ulrike / AGL Pröbstl, Etting-Polling / Germany
Ruža, Mrs. Sandra / Ministry of Environment, Riga / Latvia
Scholles, Mr. Frank / University of Hanover / Germany
Schrader, Mr. Hans-Jörg / Slovak Environmental Agency, Banská Bystrica / Slovakia
Schütze, Mrs. Edith / faktorgruen, Denzlingen / Germany
Siewert, Mr. Wolfram / Cassens + Siewert, Berlin / Germany
Stein, Mr. Wolfgang / Landesbetrieb Straßenbau NRW, Cologne / Germany
Stiles, Mr. Richard / Vienna University of Technology / Austria
Sundt, Mr. Trygve / European Foundation f. Landscape Architecture / Norway
Tobias, Mr. Kai / Kaiserslautern University / Germany
Trichkova, Mrs. Katya / Ministry of Environment, Sofia / Bulgaria
Urtane, Mrs. Mara / Latvian Agricultural University, Jelgava / Latvia
Verš, Ms. Veronika / Ministry of Environment, Tallinn / Estonia
Warren-Kretzschmar, Mrs. Bartlett / University of Hanover / Germany
Winter, Mr. Gerd / Bremen University / Germany

Supported by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation with funds of the

Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety