Soil Policy Development
- What's new
- Communication Towards a Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection
- Opinion of the EU institutions on the Soil Communication
- Stakeholder Consultation - Working Group Reports
- Soil CIRCA Library
- Contact information
What's new
Internet consultation on the Soil Thematic Strategy
Statistical results of this consultation : 
- Citizens (pdf ~33K)
- Organisations (pdf ~65K)
Introduction
Soil is defined as the top layer of the earth’s crust. It is formed by mineral particles, organic matter, water, air and living organisms. Soil is an extremely complex, variable and living medium.
Soil- the interface between the earth, the air and the water- is a non-renewable resource performing many functions vital to life: food and other biomass production, storage, filtration and transformation of many substances including water, carbon, nitrogen. Soil has a role as a habitat and gene pool, serves as a platform for human activities, landscape and heritage and acts as a provider of raw materials. These functions are worthy of protection because of their socio-economic as well as environmental importance.
Soil is subject to a number of degradation processes or threats in the EU. In an earlier communication “Towards a Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection”, the Commission identified eight threats to soil, namely: erosion, decline in organic matter, local and diffuse contamination, sealing, compaction, decline in biodiversity, salinisation and landslides.
Aim of this consultation
As stipulated in the 6th Environment Action Programme, the European Union has decided to adopt a Thematic Strategy on Soil Protection as part of its aim of protection and preservation of natural resources. In this context the Commission services are currently finalising a proposal for this Thematic Strategy on Soil Protection. Building on the results of previous discussions with stakeholders, the Commission is now seeking to elicit relevant opinions from stakeholders on specific measures being considered for inclusion in the Thematic Strategy. The information will feed into the strategy which is to be adopted in the spring 2006.
The Strategy will comprise three elements:
- a Communication laying down the principles of Community Soil protection Policy
- a Legislative proposal for the protection of soil- A Soil Framework Directive that would aim to strike the right balance between EU action and subsidiarity
- an analysis of the environmental, economic and social impacts of the proposals
Closing date - 26th September 2005 - 8 weeks after launching
In addition, more detailed feedback on the consultation will be provided in the Communication on the Thematic Strategy and the accompanying impact assessment report.
Background Documents
Communication of the Commission « Towards a Thematic Strategy on Soil Protection » (COM(2002)179)
Reports from the Working Groups established for the development of soil protection policy
Communication Towards a Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection
In response to concerns about the degradation of soils in the EU, the European Commission, the Commission published in April 2002 a Communication "Towards a Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection". This was the first occasion on which the Commission has addressed soil protection for its own sake and therefore the Communication is both broad and descriptive in approach as well as charting the way forward. It outlined the first steps that lead to the development of a Thematic Strategy to protect soils in the European Union. The strategy is one of seven 'thematic strategies' foreseen under the EU's 6th Environment Action Programme.
Commission Communication 'Towards a Thematic Strategy for a Soil protection'
(pdf ~200K)
Opinions of the European Institutions
-
Conclusions of the European Council: adopted on 25 June 2002
(pdf ~20K)
-
Opinion of the European Parliament: adopted on 19 November 2003
-
Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee: adopted on 18 September 2002
(pdf ~20K)
Stakeholder Consultation
As integral part of the development of the soil strategy, the European Commission co-operates closely with Member States, Candidate Countries, European Institutions, Networks of Regional and Local Authorities and a broad commmunity of European-wide Stakeholder Organisations: Civil Society, NGO, Research, Industry and International and professional Organisations.
An Advisory Forum and 5 Working Groups were set up. These groups have been operational until June 2004. They have produced different reports addressing among other subjects the state of soils, impacts and pressures on soils in the EU as well as recommendation for soil policy at EU level in the following areas:
- erosion
- organic matter
- contamination
- monitoring
- research
Soil CIRCA Library
-
Very extensive supporting information on soil is publicly available in the electronic repository CIRCA SOIL introduced hereafter, at the following address : http://forum.europa.eu.int/Public/irc/env/soil/library
-
More information (pdf ~80K) on how to use Soil CIRCA.
-
Please send electronic mail on CIRCA to env-soil-circa@cec.eu.int
For further information, please contact:
European Commission
Directorate-General for Environment
Unit B1: Agriculture and Soil
B-1049 Brussels (Belgium)
e-mail: env-soil@cec.eu.int
fax: +32-2-2968825
| Last update: |
|
|