Other functions

In addition to their uses in spatial planning, the landscape catalogues also have the following functions:

• To create solid base for the definition of specific landscape strategies for certain parts of Catalonia. In this sense they become a reference point in the process of making the landscape charters [note], which have to take into account what has been established in the landscape catalogues that affect that area.
• To act as a basic reference document for sensitisation campaigns on the diversity of landscape in Catalonia and its environmental, cultural and aesthetic values, and for the inclusion of landscape at different educational levels in Catalonia.
• To be useful in the process of defining of sectoral policies and strategies, such as, for example: policies for the conservation of nature (policy for natural areas, ecological connectors, Catalan strategy for the use and sustainable management of biodiversity, etc), agrarian policies with regard to sustainability, policies for rural development and policies for tourist promotion associated with the landscape.
• To act as starting point documents for the definition of regional or local strategies aimed at the sustainable development of the territory (Local Agenda 21, etc.).
• To provide landscape quality objectives information on the landscape necessary for the processes of strategic environmental evaluation of policies, plans and programmes, and for landscape impact studies established by the Town Planning Act.
• To act as a reference document for the development and application of the Fund for the protection, management and planning of the landscape, a financial instrument of the Government of Catalonia created by the Landscape Act with the purpose of being assigned to activities which will improve the landscape.

Note: The Act for the protection, management and planning of the landscape in Catalonia defines the landscape charters as “instruments for the agreement of strategies between public and private agents in order to carry out actions of protection, management and planning of the landscape, addressed to maintaining its values”. In contrast to the catalogues, which have an ambit of application coinciding with the regions in which the future political administrative structure of Catalonia will be organised, the charters are of municipal, supra-municipal or even district application.