Protected Areas as a Tool for Regional Development

The last decades have witnessed significant changes in protected area policies in Europe as well as through- out the world. As a result, the total area set aside has more than quadrupled, and today almost 14 percent of the world's ecosystems are protected compared with only about 3 percent in 1970. In Europe, first and foremost, large protected areas with an integrative character gain importance increasingly. Based against this background, this paper on the one hand deals with the multifunctionality of post modern large protected areas as well as with the paradigm shift in pro- tected area policies in Europe. On the other hand this paper analyses the advancement and future perspectives of these policies, and reflects upon the current use of protected areas as tools for a sustainable regional development.