Thematic Strategies History … ab ovo

Birth of the 7 TS Commission’s proposal on the 6th EAP  6 Final text of the 6th EAP Decision  Specific Article on TS  7 24/01/ /07/2002

Outline of the 6th EAP Climate Change Nature & Biodiversity Environment & Health Resources & wastes Environmental policy making principles Strategic approaches

How to deliver? Stage 1 “Towards a Thematic Strategy on…”  Definition of the problem Information and data gathering Consultations of interested parties  Definition of potential solutions Scenario building Views of interested parties on scenarii

How to deliver? Stage 2 “Thematic Strategy on…”  Presentation of scenario adopted by the Commission to address the thematic issue  General and specific objectives of the strategy and of associated implementation measures  Definition of the means foreseen to achieve the objectives (legislation and other types of measures)  Timetables and responsibilities

Potential end-products Policy line Specific ENV proposals New or existing integration measures Monitoring instruments

Key features Festina lente A road to integration Participatory policy-making A knowledge- based approach

Advisory Forum Chair DG ENV Stakeholders meetings Chair DG ENV TWG 1 Monitoring TWG 2 Erosion TWG 3 Organic matter TWG 4 Contamination Soil Policy Development - Organisational Set-up ISWG = Interservice Working Group TWG = Technical Working Group 10/10/2002 Commission ISWG Chair DG ENV Technical co-ordination group and secretariat Chair DG ENV TWG5 Research

Mandate WG Contamination Co-ordination and planning Framework MANDATES Mandate WG Research Mandate WG Monitoring Mandate WG Erosion Mandate WG Organic Matter Mandates

ATTENDANCE TO THE WGs MEETINGS

WGs COMPOSITION

31 TASK GROUPS within Working Groups CONTAMINATION TASK GROUPS: 9 TASK GROUP LEADERS : 6 ORGANIC MATTER TASK GROUPS: 9 TASK GROUP LEADERS : 12 EROSION TASK GROUPS: 6 TASK GROUP LEADERS : 13 MONITORING CHAIRS : 3 TASK GROUPS: 5 RESEARCH CHAIRS : 3 TASK GROUPS: 9 TASK GROUP LEADERS : 14 CHAIRS : 3

ATTENDANCE TO THE ADVISORY FORUM

THE 5 MAIN SOIL RESEARCH CLUSTERS 1. Analysis of the 8 threats to soil and their interdependency: erosion, organic matter, contamination, sealing, compaction, decline in biodiversity, salinisation, floods + landslide 2. Development and harmonisation of methods for the analysis of the State (S) of the 8 threats to soil and their changes with time = Soil monitoring in Europe 3. Relating the 8 threats to Driving forces (D) and Pressures (P) = Cross linking with EU and other policies (agriculture, transport, energy, environment etc.) 5. Development of operational procedures for the mitigation of the threats = Responses (R) 4. Analysis of the Impacts (I) of the 8 threats, relating them to soil deliverables into other environmental compartments: - air - water (open + ground water) - biomass production - human health - biodiversity Fig. 1: Soil Ground Water Biodiversity Open Water Air Biomass Production (e.g. food chain) Human Health W.E.H. Blum, 2003

THE 8 THREATS TO SOIL AND THEIR PROCESSURAL INTERDEPENDENCIES Erosion Compaction Floods and landslides Salinization Sealing Contamination (local and diffuse) Decline in Biodiversity Organic Matter Fig. 2:

SOIL THEMATIC STRATEGY Working group Contamination and Monitoring

PREVENTION of DIFFUSE and LOCAL contamination  identify new developments or adjustments of existing environmental legislation to reduce and prevent soil contamination  identify other areas in Community policy- integration of soil protection aspects for prevention contamination  recommendations for the parameters for contamination in the Directive on monitoring  relevant aspects of the right of ownership of the land  possibilities to encourage the participation of landowners  [suitability of establishing a “Report or Statement on the land status] Working Group on CONTAMINATION MANDATE

MANAGEMENT of CONTAMINATED Sites  criteria for a common definition of contaminated soils and sites  consequences of soil contamination for sustainable development  identify the major sectors and releases  aspects related to liability and the polluter pays principle  difficulties to set up an inventory of contaminated sites  assess common methodologies already in practice  uniform criteria/principles for risk assessment Working Group on CONTAMINATION MANDATE

MANAGEMENT of CONTAMINATED Sites  common risk assessment methodologies  principles to establish common risk-acceptability criteria for specific land uses  principles to establish a list of best available techniques for soil remediation  assess existing and develop new mechanisms to fund the remediation of “orphan” sites  principles to set priorities to build up a national strategy for remedial actions - hierarchy of sites to be decontaminated Working Group on CONTAMINATION MANDATE

Working Group on CONTAMINATION Preliminary RECOMMENDATIONS LOCAL SOURCES  Revision of IPPC; i.e. reference to soil, amendment of BREFs in view of soil protection.  Structured information on pollution prevention devices should be disseminated to develop adequate BAT reference documents for defined potentially polluting activities.  Amendment of EPER, inclusion of emissions to soil  A revision of the status of strategic industries (i.e. Seveso II)  Equal treatment (environmental standards) for civil and military installations

DIFFUSE INPUTS  Reach a consensus on the concept of bioavailablity  Anticipate effects of land use changes, as changes will affect the current/future degree of risk.  Incorporate nutrient/contaminants balance approaches in the Good agricultural practice at EU level- CAP  Screen the authorisation system of pesticides and agrochemicals. - stronger emphasis on persistence in soil  Revise or develop directives regarding application of biodegradable waste products on soils (e.g. Sewage sludge directive, Compost directive) Working Group on CONTAMINATION Preliminary RECOMMENDATIONS

CONTAMINATED LAND MANAGEMENT  Amend the IPPC directive- include soil monitoring as duty for operators + to incorporate some soil contaminating installations  Clarify, harmonise the application of Article 3 of the IPPC Directive  Couple contaminated land with groundwater contamination.  Create an incentive to move to a global basis for risk assessment.  Create a formal basis for the use of the RBLM concept  Protect soil = other environmental compartments (i.e. Directive on environmental damage)  Amend the State Aid Guidelines to make it clear pertaining to the possibilities of funding the remediation of orphan sites  Try to link the management of large-scale contamination and management of water at the river basin scale as WFD Working Group on CONTAMINATION Preliminary RECOMMENDATIONS

Working Group on MONITORING Preliminary RECOMMENDATIONS Diffuse soil contamination: Minimum data set: Arsenic (As), Cadmium (Cd), Chromium (Cr), Copper (Cu), Mercury (Hg), Nickel (Ni), Lead (Pb), Phosphorus (P),Selenium (Se), Zinc (Zn) Radionuclides: 137Cs and 90Sr. (Note: it is unlikely to be useful to monitor radionuclides over large areas of land, but it is important to know the baseline situation in order to assess unusual events. ‘Extractable’ forms of elements are to reflect greater bio-availability. The proposed minimum dataset is: Acidity, Aluminium (Al) Cadmium (Cd), Calcium (Ca) Copper (Cu), Fluorine (as fluoride), Lead (Pb), Magnesium (Mg), Nickel (Ni), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K), Organic compounds: Halogenated compounds; Linear alkylbenzene sulfonates Di-(2-ethylhexyl)-phthalate Nonyl- phenol and nonylphenol-ethoxylates Poly-aromatic hydrocarbons Polychlorinated-biphenyls, Di-benzofurans and di-benzodioxins (congeners to be agreed) Local soil contamination: - cannot be specified as depends on the local circumstances but could be on the basis of the above.

Potential end-products Policy line Specific ENV proposals New or existing integration measures Monitoring instruments

Single soil package on the Soil Thematic Strategy: Strategic “umbrella” document (Communication) 3 more detailed legislative initiatives: soil monitoring compost sewage sludge Commission will draw on the final reports of WGs Soil Package: September 2004