Due to the fragmentation of existing research facilities and activities, these tasks are not taken up by any other organisation in Europe. Existing networks such as the International Association of Landscape Ecology (IALE) do not provide the management structure, nor the authorisation to fulfil such complex tasks.Other networks cover only partial aspects of the JPA and Common Research Programme.

Starting from this basis we specifically aim to:

1. enhance scientific research focussing on the landscape level, by

• developing the concept of landscapes towards a methodologically and practically mature approach for integrated environmental assessment on the basis of territorial (landscape) units;

• promoting practical landscape studies in parallel research over the various geographical regions of Europe · disseminating landscape research results through publications, web sites, seminars and congresses.

2. co-ordinate data management, by

• establishing a specialised clearinghouse service on European landscapes with active data compilation with geographically referenced data on key landscape aspects and scientific information

• making full use of modern, state-of-the-art assessment based on Geographic Information Systems, remote sensing techniques and relational data base development;

3. support international, regional and national policy, by

• co-ordinating, applying and exploiting the available knowledge in the field of landscape management, nature conservation, management of cultural heritage, multifunctional agriculture, recreation and landscape design;

• advising policy institutions at national and international level, both governmental organisations and non-governmental organisations, on the development of landscape visions and management instruments (financial, juridical, ecological-technical and awareness development).

4. reinforce academic education and training within these fields, by

• bringing together international MSc and post-graduate education both in Wageningen UR and through Europe;

• organising inter-university PhD-courses;

• promoting the establishment of special chairs for landscape science and landscape ecology