WIND TURBINES: CARELESS PLANNING CAUSES SERIOUS DAMAGE TO THE ENVIRONMENT

The Hague, 1 October 2004: Europe's leading heritage conservation organisation today criticised governments for causing serious damage to the environment by focussing too heavily on giant 100-metre high wind turbines both on and offshore.

Europa Nostra, which brings together organisations representing over five million members, said vast areas of beautiful landscape throughout Europe are being effectively industrialised by the construction of ever larger wind-turbines, each of them a small power-station. “Many countries have provided heavy incentives for development of wind power, relaxed planning legislation and failed to make a balanced assessment of its merits”, stressed Europa Nostra’s Council during its bi-annual meeting held in The Hague, in conjunction with the Dutch Presidency of the European Union. It pointed out that “the impact on tourism, wildlife and landscape was not being sufficiently taken into account, with consequent damage to the natural heritage”.

Acknowledging international concern about global warming as reflected in the Kyoto Protocol of 1997, Europa Nostra reaffirmed its support for renewable energy, including wind-power, but said wind turbines should be sited in appropriate places. Greater efforts should be made to promote all forms of renewable energy and policies must address both demand and supply, consider all forms of energy supply and focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, most notably of carbon dioxide. Many national policies do not address the demand side, save energy or promote energy efficiency.

Europa Nostra urges public authorities to consult widely on proposals for wind farms and to respect the character of the local landscape. The Europa Nostra Declaration on the impact of wind power on the countryside adopted in The Hague, suggests a series of considerations which should be taken into account by public authorities when considering proposals for on-shore wind turbines. The Council said most of these considerations also applied to off-shore wind farms.

Europa Nostra’s Council also discussed heritage at risk issues particularly the need for more co-ordinated international response to the destruction of the cultural heritage in Kosovo and threats posed by a gold-mining project to the landscape and monuments of “Rosia Montana” in Romania.

On the occasion of Europa Nostra’s conference in The Hague, an open Forum also took place on the theme of "Cultural Heritage and Education - A European Perspective”, which was opened HRH the Prince Consort of Denmark, President of Europa Nostra and Medy van der Laan, Dutch Minister for Culture and Media.

The text of the Europa Nostra Declaration is available from www.europanostra.org, as well as the speech of Europa Nostra’s President.

The Europa Nostra Autumn Conference in The Hague has been organised with the financial support of Theodoor Gilissen Bankiers N.V., the Dutch Ministry of Culture, Education and Science, the European Commission and the City of The Hague.

For further information, please contact:
Charlotte O'Connor, Europa Nostra Communications Officer
Tel. +31 70 302 4055
Fax. +31 70 361 78 65
co@europanostra.org