Legislative and ecological aspects of soil protection in the European Union and in Germany
2005
Filip, Z. | Demnerova, K.
Sustainable soil quality represents a fundament of environmental quality and economic viability, including sustainable agriculture. All this is a common preconditions for healthy, prosperous and sustainable life on Earth. In the 6th Environment Action Programme, the European Union took the commitment of addressing soil alongside water and air as environmental media to be preserved. On 16 April 2002 a communication "Towards a Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection" was adopted by the Commission of the European Communities. The EU soil protection strategy builds upon the recognition that the basic functions of soils are threatened throughout Europe by different long-lasting negative processes. These include soil erosion, decline in organic matter content, loss of soil biodiversity, soil contamination, salinization, compaction, sealing, and also major hydro-geological risks such as floods and landslides. A work plan for specific proposals was adopted in order to improve soil quality in the EU in the next years. In Germany, the Federal Soil Protection Act entered into force already in March 1999, and in July of the same year, the German Federal Government agreed with the Federal Soil Protection and Contaminated Sites Ordinance. These legislative and regulatory tools have the main purpose to protect or restore soil functions on a sustainable basis for the present and future generations. For they consider a wide spectrum of soil functions that are to be protected, the German Soil Protection Act and the respective Ordinance may serve a shining example in this field of environmental policy both within and outside of the EU.
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