European Foundation for Landscape Architecture (EFLA)
In 1989 the national associations of Landscape Architects from the 12 nations in the European Community have formed the European Foundation for Landscape Architecture (EFLA). This in order to create a strong and unified representation of our profession in the EC while preperations are taking place for the “inner market” in 1993. The need for the Foundation is directly related to the legislative base of the EC, which controls practice and education within the community. EFLA’s approach is responsive, to articulate and protect the interests of the profession in respect of the changing legislation of the community.
EFLA holds a General Assembly twice a year – one time in Brussels and the other in another EC-country. The General Assembly, where two representatives from each member country are voting is the deciding body of EFLA. Deleguates from other countries are invited to attend those meetings as observers.
At the moment, three committees form the active part of EFLA:
The Executive Committee consisting in the president, the treasurer, the secretary and some other members, the Practice Committee and the Education Committee. The Practice Committee works on subjects concerning the practice of Landscape Architects in the European Community. The Education Committee is working on school and educational problems (see beyond).
ELASA is, since 1991, coopted member of the Education committee and as this invited to join the meetings and work together with EFLA.
The EFLA Education Committee
Membership of the full Education Committee comprises all the General Assembly’s Educational Representatives plus coopted members approved by the committee. Among others the director of European Landscape Education Exchanges (ELEE) and the nominated representative of ELASA are coopted members.
One of the important things the Committee is working on is a “Landscape school support panel”. The idea is to have a group of people who do an informal inspection at the schools, if such is required. It should function as a consultativ group so they may be called for help when a new study is being established. A basic training program will be worked out with the information about the different landscape schools, their history and todays situation.
In spring 1992 EFLA got a founding from the ERASMUS programme in order to establish a publication about the Landscape Architecture education in the EC. As this publication should be finished until automne 1992 this is the main subject the members of the Committee are working on at the moment.
ELASA has been present at the last three EFLA meetings. The ELASA deleguate was mostly a quiet listener informing EFLA about ELASA and vice versa. It is though the aim of the Education Committee and the ELASA delegate to be in a more frequent contact and collaboration in order to prevent parallel work.
