National Landscapes
The National Spatial Strategy gives the government responsibility for landscape quality in the twenty National Landscapes. These are landscapes of international importance because they are either unique to the Netherlands or are seldom found elsewhere, and represent landscape features typical of the Netherlands. The designated National Landscapes have been well chosen.
National Landscapes: new élan, but many hurdles remain
Many of the core qualities of the National Landscapes are under pressure from expanding urban development, the construction of infrastructure and the increasing scale of agricultural production. Conserving these core qualities, therefore, presents a considerable challenge. The provincial councils have a key role to play in implementing the policy for the National Landscapes, but they appear to have no plans to adapt the land use planning instruments presently available to them. In their view, current policy is adequate for protecting these core qualities. In practice, however, planning policies provide little protection for landscape quality.
Besides protection, investment is needed for the restoration and enhancement of the core landscape qualities. An estimated 200 million euros each year will be needed for this, or about ten times as much as the proposed investments.
One of the stumbling blocks to establishing new financing mechanisms is formed by the European competition rules. These prohibit any direct or indirect government funding for private businesses that distorts competitive relations. In practice this restricts the possibilities for making public money available to market parties, even if they ‘produce’ nature and landscape. For these reasons, it is also not easy to combine public and private funds in public-private partnerships.
A combined policy for the National Landscapes and the areas with patchworks of ecosystem fragments and habitats may provide a way forward, as in north-east Twente and the Graafschap and Achterhoek sub-regions in the east of the country. Changes to land use, the landscape and land management geared to conserving the key landscape qualities in these areas can also benefit biodiversity conservation and natural habitats.
