Motion for a resolution | Doc. 11591 | 24 April 2008

Rural tourism and the environment

Signatories: Mr Gediminas JAKAVONIS, Lithuania ; Mr Ruhi AÇIKGÖZ, Turkey, EDG ; Mr Avet ADONTS, Armenia ; Mr Denis BADRÉ, France, ALDE ; Mr Fabio BERARDI, San Marino ; Mr Andris BĒRZINŠ, Latvia, ALDE ; Mr Márton BRAUN, Hungary, EPP/CD ; Ms Ingrida CIRCENE, Latvia, EPP/CD ; Mr Valeriu COSARCIUC, Republic of Moldova ; Mr Karl DONABAUER, Austria, EPP/CD ; Mr Miljenko DORIĆ, Croatia, ALDE ; Mr József ÉKES, Hungary ; Mr Bill ETHERINGTON, United Kingdom ; Mr Iván FARKAS, Slovak Republic ; Mr Relu FENECHIU, Romania, ALDE ; Ms Eva GARCÍA PASTOR, Andorra ; Mr Attila GRUBER, Hungary ; Mr Andres HERKEL, Estonia, EPP/CD ; Mr Serhiy HOLOVATY, Ukraine, ALDE ; Mr Jean HUSS, Luxembourg, SOC ; Ms Fatme ILYAZ, Bulgaria ; Mr Tadeusz IWIŃSKI, Poland, SOC ; Ms Kateřina JACQUES, Czech Republic ; Ms Danuta JAZŁOWIECKA, Poland ; Mr Anatoliy KOROBEYNIKOV, Russian Federation ; Mr Konstantin KOSACHEV, Russian Federation, EDG ; Mr Markku LAUKKANEN, Finland, ALDE ; Mr Bernard MARQUET, Monaco, ALDE ; Mr Dick MARTY, Switzerland, ALDE ; Sir Alan MEALE, United Kingdom, SOC ; Ms Maria Manuela de MELO, Portugal, SOC ; Ms Dangutė MIKUTIENĖ, Lithuania, ALDE ; Ms Lorna MILNE, Canada ; Ms Hermine NAGHDALYAN, Armenia, ALDE ; Ms Carina OHLSSON, Sweden, SOC ; Ms Ganira PASHAYEVA, Azerbaijan, EDG ; Ms Darinka STANTCHEVA, Bulgaria ; Mr Rainder STEENBLOCK, Germany ; Ms Elene TEVDORADZE, Georgia ; Mr Frans WEEKERS, Netherlands

Origin - Referred to the Committee on the Environment, Agriculture and Local and Regional Affairs, for information: Reference No. 3453 (19th Sitting, 23 June 2008).

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only those who have signed it.

While considering the draft report “Sustainable development and tourism: towards quality growth” the Committee on the Environment, Agriculture and Local and Regional Affairs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe found that rural tourism, a very important kind of tourist activity with high potential in Europe, was not included due to specific legal circumstances.

The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development – “Agenda 21” – emphasises three equally significant components of sustainable development: environmental protection, the economy and social development. It is the compromise between environmental, economic and social goals that paves the way to prosperity for present and future generations within the acceptable limits of an environmental impact.

The very nature of rural tourism suggests sustainable development in the age of intensifying global processes in Europe.

There is a close relationship between the potential of rural tourism and natural landscape resources. Rural tourism is a family business and has an inherent potential of conservation of rural cultural heritage. A number of European countries can show evidence of the problems that rural tourism experiences as a result of a misbalance of legislative provisions on environmental protection, the economy and social development with respect to the development of rural tourism. If the situation is not corrected, it may have a negative globalisation impact on human society and pose a threat to the existence of villages and estates where generations have ensured harmony between man and nature.

The Assembly decides to analyse the situation and make adequate decisions to that end.