1 Towards a Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection Lieve Van Camp

2 History z Soil Forum: Bonn, Berlin, Naples z th Environmental Action Programme z Sustainable Development Strategy Communication adopted 16 April 2002 zEnvironment Council: June 2002 zEconomic and Social Committee : October 2002 zCommittee of Regions: end 2002 zEuropean Parliament - debate started

3 Existing policies Air Water New policy soil Objective: sustainable use + soil protecting Objectives

4 Soil versus Land zSoil = upper layer of land zLand-use zCommunication “Planning and Environment - the Territorial Dimension”

5 Main functions of soil zFood and biomass production zStorage, filtering and transformation zHabitat and gene pool zCultural environment zSource of raw materials

SOIL FEATURES RELEVANT FOR POLICY MAKING Soil feature Local perspective Non renewable resource Prevention and precaution Storage/buffer capacityAnticipation Variable medium Soil policy requires... Source of biodiversity Protection Subject to property rights Agricultural soils - both precious and limited Sustainable use Degradation and remediation of local pollution Environmental liability

7 Threats to soil zErosion zDecline in organic matter zContamination zSealing zCompaction zDecline in biodiversity zSalinisation zFloods and landslides Council: linkages to water

8 Erosion

9 Decline in organic matter

10 Contamination

11 Sealing

12 Compaction

13 Decline in biodiversity

14 Salinisation

15 Floods and landslides

16 Conclusions from these threats 3Soil degradation processes: 3Largely driven by human activity. 3Currently taking place in the EU and candidate countries. 3Lack of policy relevant information on the extent and the significance. 3No evidence of any trend reversal.

17 Soil as a global issue 3Climate change : soil as a carbon sink 3Food security 3Poverty alleviation 3Biodiversity 3Key element in land use

18 International Conventions The wider discussion y Framework Convention on Climate Change (CCC) (1992) yConvention on Biological Diversity (CBD) (1992) yConvention to Combat Desertification (CCD) (1994) Council recognises sustainable soil use for poverty alleviation worldwide

19 The way forward - Thematic strategy for soil protection zProposal for soil monitoring legislation yRelated to the threats yKnowledge base for action zCommunication dealing with yErosion yDecline in organic matter ySoil contamination - linkage to health issues Council also sees sealing as an issue

20 Community policies zEnvironmental Policy zCommon Agriculture Policy zRegional Policy zResearch Policy zTransport Policy zSingle Market implications of protection and remediation (competition)

21 The way forward - from 2002 onwards zEnvironmental policy initiatives ySewage sludge revision yCompost directive yMining waste directive

22 Advisory Forum (Expert Group) Chair DG ENV Member States / 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