Protecting culturally important landscapes

The Mediterranean Landscape Charter, 1993 (Charter of Seville) was adopted at the Third Conference on Mediterranean Regions, held in Taormina, Italy, on 5-7 April 1993, by the regions of Andalusia, Languedoc-Roussillon and Tuscany. The objectives of the Charter are: (1) the conservation of landscapes with a particular historic or natural value that are representative of Mediterranean civilization; (2) ensuring that human actions are conducive to the creation of landscapes of the highest possible quality; (3) ensuring that all development projects take account of the landscape elements that have natural, cultural or historic value; (4) ensuring that schemes involving major transport, urban development, tourist or industrial infrastructures take due account of landscape prevention or make provision for rehabilitation; (5) ensuring that all measures entailing the use or sale of public property preserve the most important landscape areas that have historic, cultural and natural value; (6) maintaining footpaths, farm tracks and other rural rights of way as a means of access to the landscape and to avoid the proliferation of roads for motor vehicle traffic; and (7) ensuring a fair balance between the landscapes subject to restrictions and the neighbouring areas where their development benefits from their proximity to these zones.