Council of Europe (CoE)
The environmental dimension of the Council of Europe, which was established in 1945, is mainly focused on biodiversity and landscape protection, regional planning and protection against serious natural and technological risks. The Czech Republic is involved in the CoE through its membership in the CoE´s institutions and bodies, such as the Committee of Ministers, which is an executive body of the CoE; the Parliamentary Assembly, its advisory body; and the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities. The Czech Republic is also member of the Development Bank of the CoE.
The Czech Republic is also member of the Pan-European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy (PEBLDS), which was endorsed by European Ministers at the Third Environment for Europe Ministerial Conference in Bulgaria in 1995. PEBLDS was designed as an innovative and proactive approach to stop and reverse the degradation of biological and landscape diversity in Europe. Its implementation is governed by a Council consisting of representatives from the European state parties to the UNECE, but other governments, international organizations and non-governmental organizations may also participate in the meetings as observers. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Council of Europe jointly provide the Secretariat of the PEBLDS. The PEBLDS is also recognized as a vehicle for promoting, inter alia, the integration of biological and landscape diversity considerations into all relevant horizontal and sectoral policies.
CoE awards the European Degree for the sound management of significant protected areas. The Czech Republic is the owner of three such Degrees, particularly for the Podyjí National Park, Bílé Karpaty Protected Landscape Area, and Karlštejn National Nature Reserve. This Degree is an expression of European solidarity in the field of nature protection and evaluation of the management of the natural heritage.
Contact point for CoE in the Czech Republic
Ministry of the Environment
Department of Multilateral Relations
Mr Lukáš Pokorný
Tel.: +420 267 122 201
Fax: +420 267 310 015
Czech contact point for CoE abroad
Permanent Mission of the Czech Republic to the CoE