THE EUROPEAN GEOPARKS NETWORK

There are a growing number of Geoparks throughout the EU

http://www.europeangeoparks.org/

DEFINITION OF "EUROPEAN GEOPARK"

• A European Geopark is a territory, which includes a particular geological heritage and a sustainable territorial development strategy supported by a European programme to promote development. It must have a clearly defined surface area for true territorial economic development. A European Geopark must comprise a number of geological sites of particular importance in terms of their scientific quality, rarity, aesthetic appeal or educational value. The majority of sites present on the territory of a European Geopark must be part of the geological heritage, but their interest may also be Archaeological, ecological, historical or cultural.
  
  
• The sites in a European Geopark must be linked in a network and benefit from protection and management measures. No destruction or sale of geological objects from a European Geopark may be tolerated. The European Geopark must be managed by a clearly defined structure able to enforce protection, enhancement and sustainable development policies within its territory.
  
  
• A European Geopark has an active role in the economic development of its territory through enhancement of a general linked to the geological heritage and the development of Geotourism. A European Geopark has direct impact on the territory by influencing its inhabitants' living conditions and environment. The objective is to enable the inhabitants to re-appropriate the values of the territory's heritage and and actively participate in the territory's cultural revitalization as a whole.
  
  
• A European Geopark develops experiments and enhances methods for preserving the geological heritage.
  
  
• A European Geopark has also to support education on the environment, training and development of scientific research in the various disciplines of the Earth Sciences, enhancement of the natural environment and sustainable development policies.
  
  
• A European Geopark must work within the European Geoparks Network to further the network's construction and cohesion. It must work with local enterprises to promote and support the creation of new by-products linked with the geological heritage in a spirit of complementarity with the other European Geoparks Networks members.