Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions - Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection [SEC(2006)620] [SEC(2006)1165]
Date: 2006-09-22
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: biodiversity, environmental protection, public awareness campaign, soil pollution

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 22.9.2006 
COM(2006)231 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL, THE 
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection 

[SEC(2006)620] 
[SEC(2006)1165] 

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COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL, THE 
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection 

(Text with EEA relevance) 

1. 

INTRODUCTION 

Soil  is  generally  defined  as  the  top  layer  of  the  earth’s  crust,  formed  by  mineral  particles, 
organic matter, water, air and living organisms. It is the interface between earth, air and water 
and hosts most of the biosphere. 

As soil formation is an extremely slow process, soil can be considered essentially as a non-
renewable  resource.  Soil  provides  us  with  food,  biomass  and  raw  materials.  It  serves  as  a 
platform for human activities and landscape and as an archive of heritage and plays a central 
role  as  a  habitat  and  gene  pool.  It  stores,  filters  and  transforms  many  substances,  including 
water,  nutrients  and  carbon.  In  fact,  it  is  the  biggest  carbon  store  in  the  world  (1,500 
gigatonnes).  These  functions  must  be  protected  because  of  both  their  socio-economic  and 
environmental importance. 

Soil  is  an  extremely  complex  and  variable  medium.  Over  320  major  soil  types  have  been 
identified in Europe and within each there are enormous variations in physical, chemical and 
biological properties. Soil’s structure plays a major role in determining its ability to perform 
its  functions.  Any  damage  to  its  structure  also  damages  other  environmental  media  and 
ecosystems. 

Soil is subject to a series of degradation processes or threats. These include erosion, decline in 
organic matter, local and diffuse contamination, sealing, compaction, decline in biodiversity, 
salinisation, floods and landslides. A combination of some of these threats can ultimately lead 
arid or sub-arid climatic conditions to desertification. 

Given  the  importance  of  soil  and  the  need  to  prevent  further  soil  degradation,  the  Sixth 
Environment Action Programme1 called for the development of a Thematic Strategy on Soil 
Protection ('the strategy'). 

As a first step, in 2002 the Commission presented a Communication2 which was the subject of 
favourable conclusions by the other European institutions. 

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2 

Decision No 1600/2002/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 July 2002 laying down 
the Sixth Community Environment Action Programme (OJ L 242, 10.9.2002, p. 1). 
COM(2002)179. 

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2. 

ASSESSMENT OF THE SITUATION 

2.1. 

The state of Europe’s soil 

Soil degradation is a serious problem in Europe. It is driven or exacerbated by human activity 
such as inadequate agricultural and forestry practices, industrial activities, tourism, urban and 
industrial sprawl and construction works. These activities have a negative impact, preventing 
the soil from performing its broad range of functions and services to humans and ecosystems. 
This  results  in  loss  of  soil  fertility,  carbon  and  biodiversity,  lower  water-retention  capacity, 
disruption of gas and nutrient cycles and reduced degradation of contaminants. 

Soil degradation has a direct impact on water and air quality, biodiversity and climate change. 
It can also impair the health of European citizens and threaten food and feed safety. 

Although soil degradation processes vary considerably from Member State to Member State, 
with different threats having different degrees of severity, soil degradation is an issue all over 
the EU. 

–  An estimated 115 million hectares or 12% of Europe’s total land area are subject to water 

erosion, and 42 million hectares are affected by wind erosion3. 

–  An  estimated  45%  of  European  soils  have  low  organic  matter  content,  principally  in 

southern Europe but also in areas of France, the UK and Germany. 

–  The  number  of  potentially  contaminated  sites  in  EU-25  is  estimated  at  approximately 

3.5 million4. 

The  Corine  Land  Cover  database5  shows  significant  changes  in  land  use  in  Europe  which 
have an impact on soil. Between 1990 and 2000, at least 2.8% of Europe’s land was subject to 
a change in use, including a significant increase in urban areas. Big differences exist between 
Member  States  and  regions,  with  the  proportion  of  the  surface  sealed  during  that  period 
ranging from 0.3% to 10%. 

It is difficult to extrapolate current trends into the future based on the limited existing data. 
However, the human-induced driving forces causing the threats are showing an upward trend. 
Climate  change,  in  the  form  of  rising  temperatures  and  extreme  weather  events,  is 
exacerbating both greenhouse gas emissions from soil and threats such as erosion, landslides, 
salinisation and organic matter decline. All this suggests that soil degradation in Europe will 
continue, possibly at a faster pace. 

Extensive  evidence  shows  that  most  of  the  costs  of  soil  degradation  are  not  borne  by  the 
immediate land users, instead they are often borne by society at large and by players far from 
the location of the problem (off site). 

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5 

EEA  (European  Environment  Agency),  1995:  Chapter  7  Soil  in  Europe’s  Environment  the  Dobris 
assessment - covers geographical Europe. 
See the impact assessment. 
http://terrestrial.eionet.eu.int/CLC2000/docs/publications/corinescreen.pdf. 

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2.2. 

European, national and international policy background 

Different Community policies contribute to soil protection, particularly environment (e.g. air 
and water) and agricultural (agri-environment and cross-compliance) policy. Agriculture can 
have  positive  effects  on  the  state  of  soil.  For  instance,  land  management  practices  such  as 
organic  and  integrated  farming  or  extensive  agricultural  practices  in  mountain  areas  can 
maintain and enhance organic matter in the soil and prevent landslides respectively. However, 
provisions  in  favour  of  soil  protection  are  spread  across  many  areas  and,  to  the  extent  that 
they often aim to safeguard other environmental media or to promote other objectives, do not 
constitute  a  coherent  soil  protection  policy.  This  means  that  even  if  exploited  to  the  full, 
existing  policies  are  far  from  covering  all  soils  and  all  soil  threats  identified.  Hence,  soil 
degradation continues. 

Since  the  adoption  of  the  2002  Communication2,  an  effort  has  been  made  to  ensure  that 
recently  adopted  environment  policy  initiatives  on  waste,  water,  air,  climate  change, 
chemicals, flooding, biodiversity and environmental liability will contribute to improving soil 
protection.  In  particular,  the  Directive  on  environmental  liability6  creates  a  harmonised 
framework  for  the  liability  regime  to  be  applied  across  the  EU  when  land  contamination 
creates  a  significant  risk  of  human  health.  However,  it  does  not  apply  to  historical 
contamination or to damage prior to its entry into force. There are a variety of approaches to 
soil  protection  in  the  Member  States.  Nine  Member  States  have  specific  legislation  on  soil 
protection.  However,  these  laws  often  cover  only  one  specific  threat,  such  as  soil 
contamination and do not always provide a coherent protection framework. 

Increased awareness of the importance of soil protection at international level is reflected by 
the  2003  revision  of  Council  of  Europe’  Charter  for  the  protection  and  sustainable 
management of soil. 

All Member States as well as the Community are parties to the United Nation Convention to 
Combat  Desertification  (UNCCD).  Some  Mediterranean  and  most  new  Member  States  are 
affected  parties  and  are  therefore  in  the  process  of  adopting  regional  and  national  Action 
Programmes to combat desertification. 

The Protocol on Soil Protection under the Alpine Convention, seeks to preserve the ecological 
functions of soil, prevent soil degradation and ensure a rational use of soil in that region. 

The Kyoto Protocol highlights that soil is a major carbon store which must be protected and 
increased  where  possible.  Carbon  sequestration  in  agricultural  soils  by  some  land 
management  practices  can  contribute  to  mitigating  climate  change.  The  European  Climate 
Change Programme (ECCP) Working Group on Sinks Related to Agricultural Soils estimated 
this potential at equivalent to 1.5 to 1.7% of the EU’s anthropogenic CO2 emissions during the 
first commitment period7 under the Kyoto Protocol. 

The  Convention  on  Biological  Diversity  (CBD)  identified  soil  biodiversity  as  an  area 
requiring particular attention. An International Initiative for the Conservation and Sustainable 
Use of Soil Biodiversity has been established. 

Several countries, including the USA, Japan, Canada, Australia, Brazil and several developing 
countries  have  established  soil  protection  policies  which  include  legislation,  guidance 

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Directive 2004/35/EC (OJ L 143, 30.4.2004, p. 56). 
See: http://ec.europa.eu/comm/environment/climat/pdf/finalreport_agricsoils.pdf. 

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documents,  monitoring  systems,  identification  of  risk  areas,  inventories,  remediation 
programmes and funding mechanisms for contaminated sites for which no responsible party 
can  be  found.  Such  policies  ensure  a  comparable  level  of  soil  protection  to  the  approach 
endorsed by this strategy. 

3. 

OBJECTIVE OF THE STRATEGY 

3.1. 

Ensuring sustainable use of soil 

Against this background, the Commission considers that a comprehensive EU strategy for soil 
protection  is  required.  This  strategy  should  take  into  account  all  the  different  functions  that 
soils  can  perform,  their  variability  and  complexity  and  the  range  of  different  degradation 
processes to which they can be subject, while also considering socio-economic aspects. 

The overall objective is protection and sustainable use of soil, based on the following guiding 
principles: 

(1) 

Preventing further soil degradation and preserving its functions: 

–  when soil is used and its functions are exploited, action has to be taken on soil use 

and management patterns, and 

–  when  soil  acts  as  a  sink/receptor  of  the  effects  of  human  activities  or 

environmental phenomena, action has to be taken at source. 

(2) 

Restoring degraded soils to a level of functionality consistent at least with current and 
intended use, thus also considering the cost implications of the restoration of soil. 

3.2. 

Level of intervention 

To  achieve  these  objectives,  action  is  required  at  different  levels  –  local,  national  and 
European. Action at European level is a necessary addition to the action by Member States, 
given that8: 

–  Soil  degradation  affects  other  environmental  areas  for  which  Community 
legislation  exists.  Failure  to  protect  soil  will  undermine  sustainability  and  long-
term competitiveness in Europe.  Indeed, soil is interlinked with air and water in 
such  a  way  that  it  regulates  their  quality.  In  addition  soil  functions  enormously 
to  areas  such  as  biodiversity  and  marine  protection,  coastal 
contribute 
management, and to the mitigation of climate change. 

–  Distortion  of  the  functioning  of  the  internal  market  –  the  wide  differences 
between  national  soil  protection  regimes, 
in  particular  as  regards  soil 
contamination,  sometimes  impose  very  different  obligations  on  economic 
operators, thus creating an unbalanced situation in their fixed costs. The absence 
of such regimes and the uncertainty as regards the extent of soil degradation can, 
in some cases, also hinder private investment. 

8 

See the impact assessment for supporting evidence. 

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–  Transboundary impact – soil, though generally immobile, is not completely so 
and therefore degradation in one Member State or region can have transboundary 
consequences.  Losses  of  soil  organic  matter  in  one  Member  State  impair 
achievement  of  the  EU’s  Kyoto  Protocol  targets.  Dams  are  blocked  and 
infrastructure is damaged downstream by sediments from massive erosion further 
upstream  in  another  country.  Groundwater  in  bordering  countries  is  polluted  by 
contaminated  sites  on  the  other  side  of  the  border.  Therefore  it  is  of  outmost 
importance  to  act  at  source  to  prevent  damage  and  subsequent  remedial  actions, 
otherwise costs to restore environmental quality may be borne by another Member 
State. 

–  Food safety – uptake of contaminants in the soil by food and feed crops and some 
food  producing  animals  can  have  a  significant  impact  on  the  safety  of  feed  and 
food, which are traded freely within the internal market, by increasing their level 
of contaminants, hence posing a risk to human or animal health. Acting at source 
and at European level, by preventing soil contamination or reducing its level, are a 
necessary complement to the strict EU measures and controls performed to ensure 
feed and food safety. 

–  International  dimension  –  soil  degradation  is  receiving  increasing  attention  in 
international agreements and charters. By establishing an appropriate and coherent 
framework which will translate into better knowledge and management of soil, the 
EU  can  play  a  leading  role  internationally,  facilitating  the  transfer  of  know-how 
and technical  assistance  whilst  at  the same  time ensuring the  competitiveness of 
their economies. 

In addition, action at EU level will also have an added value by contributing to the protection 
of the health of European citizens that can be impaired in different ways by soil degradation, 
for  instance  because  of  exposure  to  soil  contaminants  by  direct  ingestion  (children  in 
playgrounds)  or  indirect  intake  (through  contaminated  food  or  drinking  water).  Equally, 
casualties may occur in the event of landslides. 

Therefore the Commission proposes establishing a targeted policy to close the gap and ensure 
comprehensive soil protection. In doing so, the Commission is fully conscious of the need to 
respect  the  principles  of  subsidiarity  and  of  taking  decisions  and  action  at  the  most 
appropriate level. Soil is a prime example of the need to think global and act local. 

4. 

ACTIONS AND MEANS 

The strategy proposed by the Commission is built around four key pillars: 

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

framework legislation with protection and sustainable use of soil as its principal aim; 

integration  of  soil  protection  in  the  formulation  and  implementation  of  national  and 
Community policies; 

closing  the  current  recognised  knowledge  gap  in  certain  areas  of  soil  protection 
through research supported by Community and national research programmes; 

(4) 

increasing public awareness of the need to protect soil. 

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4.1. 

Legislative proposal 

Having examined different options, the Commission proposes a Framework Directive as the 
best  means  of  ensuring  a  comprehensive  approach  to  soil  protection  whilst  fully  respecting 
subsidiarity. Member States will be required to take specific measures to address soil threats, 
but  the  Directive  will  leave  to  them  ample freedom  on  how  to  implement  this  requirement. 
This means that risk acceptability, the level of ambition regarding the targets to be achieved 
and the choice of measures to reach those targets are left to Member States. 

This  recognises  that  certain  threats,  such  as  erosion,  organic  matter  decline,  compaction, 
salinisation  and  landslides9,  occur  in  specific  risk  areas  which  must  be  identified.  For 
contamination and sealing, a national or regional approach is more appropriate. The proposal 
sets  up  a  framework  for  adopting,  at  the  appropriate  geographical  and  administrative  level, 
plans to address the threats where they occur. 

4.1.1.  Erosion, organic matter decline, salinisation, compaction and landslides 

Erosion, organic matter decline, salinisation, compaction and landslides are addressed taking 
the following approach: 

COMMON CRITERIA set in Directive

Model or 
empirical
MONITORING

Member States 
establish
RISK 
ACCEPTABILITY

Risk Area IDENTIFICATION

Member States establish a TARGET for  Risk Area

Member States adopt MEASURES to achieve target

REPORT to Commission 

The  proposed  Directive  will  require  Member  States  to  identify  risk  areas  on  the  basis  of 
common  elements  to  be  taken  into  account,  set  risk  reduction  targets  for  those  areas  and 
establish  programmes  of  measures  to  achieve  them.  For  identifying  risk  areas,  the 
Commission  encourages  Member  States  to  use  existing  monitoring  schemes.  Over  time  a 
more  harmonised  monitoring  approach  and  methodology  may  be  developed,  exploiting 
ongoing work of the European Soil Bureau Network on harmonisation of methodologies. Risk 
acceptability and measures will vary in response to the severity of the degradation processes, 
local conditions and socio-economic considerations. 

Programmes  can  build  on  measures  already  implemented  in  national  and  Community 
contexts,  such  as  cross-compliance  and  rural  development  under  the  CAP,  codes  of  good 
agricultural  practice  and  action  programmes  under  the  Nitrates  Directive,  future  measures 
under  the  river  basin  management  plans  for  the  Water  Framework  Directive,  flood  risk 

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Flooding has been addressed in a separate proposal for a Directive on the assessment and management 
of floods (COM(2006)15). 

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management  plans,  national  forest  programmes  and  sustainable  forestry  practices  and  forest 
fire  prevention  measures.  Concerning  measures  for  combating  the  decline  in  soil  organic 
matter, not all types of organic matter have the potential to address this threat. Stable organic 
matter is present in compost and manure and, to a much lesser extent, in sewage sludge and 
animal  slurry,  and  it  is  this  stable  fraction  which  contributes  to  the  humus  pool  in  the  soil, 
thereby improving soil properties. 

Member States will be free to combine approaches to combat concurrent threats. This will be 
particularly  beneficial  for  Member  States  addressing  desertification  under  the  UNCCD  and 
will avoid duplication of effort. 

4.1.2.  Contamination 

With respect to management of contamination, an approach based on the following approach 
is envisaged: 

Common 
DEFINITION in 
Directive

Common LIST OF 
POTENTIALLY 
POLLUTING 
ACTIVITIES in 
Directive

Member States establish an INVENTORY of contaminated sites

Soil Status Report

MECHANISM FOR 
« ORPHAN SITES »

Member States adopt a NATIONAL REMEDIATION STRATEGY

REPORT to Commission

On the  basis of  a common definition of  contaminated sites (i.e. sites which pose significant 
risk  to  human  health  and  the  environment),  its  application  by  the  Member  States,  and  a 
common list of potentially polluting activities, Member States will be required to identify the 
contaminated  sites  on  their  territory  and  establish  a  national  remediation  strategy.  This 
strategy  will  be  based  on  sound  and  transparent  prioritisation  of  the  sites  to  be  remediated, 
aiming at reducing soil contamination and the risk caused by it and including a mechanism to 
fund the remediation of orphan sites. This is complemented by the obligation for a seller or a 
prospective buyer to provide to the administration and to the other party in the transaction a 
soil  status  report  for  sites  where  a  potentially  contaminating  activity  has  taken  or  is  taking 
place. The Directive also addresses prevention of contamination via a requirement to limit the 
introduction of dangerous substances into the soil. 

4.1.3. 

Sealing 

In  order  to  achieve  a  more  rational  use  of  soil,  Member  States  will  be  required  to  take 
appropriate  measures  to  limit  sealing  by  rehabilitating  brownfield  sites  and  to  mitigate  its 
effects  by  using  construction  techniques  that  allow  maintaining  as  many  soil  functions  as 
possible. 

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4.1.4.  Other threats 

The  Directive  does  not  cover  soil  biodiversity  directly.  Biodiversity  will  generally  benefit 
from the action proposed on other threats. This will contribute to achieving the objective of 
halting the decline of biodiversity by 2010. 

4.2. 

Research 

Further  research  is  necessary  to  close  the  gaps  in  knowledge  about  soil  and  strengthen  the 
foundation  for  policies.  The  Commission  intends  to  follow  the  recommendations  from  the 
stakeholder consultation, on the priority clusters: 

–  processes  underlying  soil  functions  (e.g.  soil’s  role  in  global  CO2  accounting  and  in  the 

protection of biodiversity), 

–  spatial and temporal changes in soil processes, 

–  ecological, economic and social drivers of soil threats, 

–  factors influencing soil eco-services, and 

–  operational procedures and technologies for soil protection and restoration. 

The  proposal  for  the  Seventh  Framework  Programme  (2007-2013)  covers  research  into  soil 
functions  as  part  of  its  “Environment”  and  “Food,  Agriculture  and  Biotechnology”  priority 
areas. 

4.2.1.  Biodiversity 

Not  enough  is  known  about  soil  biodiversity.  This  will  also  be  addressed  in  the  Seventh 
Framework  Programme  with  a  view  to  gaining  a  better  understanding  of  the  function  of 
biodiversity  as  an  environmental  service.  This  knowledge-building  process  will  also  be 
supported by ongoing initiatives under the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Forest 
Focus Programme. 

4.3. 

Integration 

Community policies on, inter alia, agriculture, regional development, transport and research 
have  a  significant  impact  on  soil.  Soil  protection  will  need  to  be  further  integrated  in  other 
policy areas, if the goals of this strategy are to be met. 

The Commission envisages taking some actions described under section 6. 

4.4. 

Awareness-raising 

There  is  little  public  awareness  of  the  importance  of  soil  protection.  Measures  to  improve 
knowledge  and  exchange  information  and  best  practices  are  needed  to  fill  this  gap.  The 
Commission will foster initiatives such as: 

•  wide  distribution  of  the  Soil  Atlas  of  Europe,  and  maintenance  of  the  soil  web  site 

http://eusoils.jrc.it for open access to policy relevant soil information in Europe, 

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•  continuation of the European Summer School on Soil Survey to provide specific training to 

young researchers, 

•  encouragement  of  initiatives  such  as  the  European  Manifesto  on  Earth  Heritage  and 

Geodiversity, 

•  integration  of  soil  knowledge  and  protection  aspects  in  Community-funded  information 

and training events, 

•  soil management awards, where appropriate, 

•  initiatives  within  the  UNCCD,  particularly  in  2006,  International  Year  of  Deserts  and 

Desertification. 

5. 

EXPECTED IMPACT AND RESULTS 

This  strategy  has  been  subjected  to  an  impact  assessment  and  extensive  stakeholder 
consultation. Various options and related measures have been analysed as part of this work, 
including no binding action, a flexible non-prescriptive EU legal framework, and laws on the 
different threats to soil, setting targets and means at EU level. 

The  recommendations  by  stakeholders,  the  current  situation  with  soil  protection  in  the  EU, 
including  policies  and  measures  in  place  in  a  minority  of  Member  States,  allied  to  the  total 
cost to society of soil degradation have convinced the Commission that a flexible Framework 
Directive would be the most appropriate way of addressing soil protection. 

The impact assessment, carried out in accordance with the Commission’s guidelines and on 
the basis of available data, shows that soil degradation could cost up to €38 billion a year. 

The costs directly derived from the proposed Directive, which are mainly stemming from the 
obligations to carry out the identification of risk areas and the inventory of contaminated sites, 
are estimated to be up to €290 million a year for EU-25 in the first five years and up to €240 
in the following 20 years. These costs will drop to less than €2 million per year thereafter and 
will mainly be borne by public administrations. 

The benefits deriving from these obligations will come from a better knowledge of the extent 
and  location  of  the  soil  threats  which  will  allow  adopting  more  targeted  and  efficient 
measures.  These  benefits  could  not  be  quantified  as  they  will  depend  on  the  actual  use  that 
will be made of this improved knowledge. 

The  Directive  allows  Member  States  to  set  their  own  levels  of  ambition  on  targets  and  to 
select  the  measures  under  the  programmes  and  remediation  strategies  which  they  consider 
most appropriate and most cost-effective. Therefore, the costs and benefits will depend on this 
level of ambition and will also vary according to the extent to which Member States make use 
of the possibilities offered by existing legislation, such as cross-compliance within the CAP, 
to contribute to soil protection. 

Different  scenarios  of  measures  can  be  envisaged,  based  on  different  levels  of  ambition. 
Common to all scenarios is that additional costs would only start to apply from around 2015 
onwards  and  may  be  borne  either  by  the  land  users  and  the  polluter  and/or  by  the  public 

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administration, depending on the decisions ultimately taken by Member States. The benefits 
would be shared mainly by society at large and a number of economic operators. 

For  specific  scenarios  of  medium  to  high  levels  of  ambition,  the  social,  economic  and 
environmental  impact  of  possible  measures  that  could  be  adopted  by  Member  States  have 
been analysed in an annex to the impact assessment. 

In assessing the possible additional costs, in particular of the scenario envisaged, it has to be 
borne  in  mind  that  estimated  benefits  clearly  outweigh  costs  even  more  so  as  many 
environmental  benefits  from  soil  services,  notably  preserving  biodiversity  and  ensuring 
nutrient and gas cycles, could not be included. 

Moreover the Directive marks the first policy approach targeted at soil protection at EU level 
and is designed to protect the soil as an important and essentially non-renewable resource of 
the EU, totalling approximately 400 million hectares. 

6. 

NEXT STEPS 

To ensure that the action outlined above is put into practice, the Commission will: 

–  develop calls for research projects to support  policymaking in line  with  the  objectives of 
this  strategy  and  incorporate  in  decision-making  any  new  knowledge  acquired  on  soil 
biodiversity from 2006 onwards, 

–  review the Sewage Sludge Directive in 2007, as also announced in the Thematic Strategy 
on Waste Prevention and Recycling10, to ensure that maximum benefit is reaped from the 
reintroduction of nutrients while further limiting the release of dangerous substances into 
the soil, 

–  review  the  Integrated  Pollution  Prevention  and  Control  (IPPC)  Directive11  in  2007  to 
strengthen  its  soil  protection  and  contamination  prevention  aspects  by  exploring,  in 
particular, harmonisation of the basic obligation to avoid any pollution risk, returning the 
site of IPPC installations to a “satisfactory state”, and periodically monitoring soil on the 
site, 

–  monitor  closely  whether  the  need  to  protect  soil  is  adequately  taken  into  account  in  the 

Rural Development Plans for 2007-2013, and thereafter, 

–  check  the  contribution  made  to  soil  protection  by  the  minimum  requirements  for  good 
agricultural  and  environmental  condition  defined  by  Member  States  in  accordance  with 
Article 5 and Annex IV of Regulation 1782/2003, 

–  initiate  activities  to  develop  best  practices  to  mitigate  negative  effects  of  sealing  on  soil 

functions in 2007, 

–  prepare  a  Common  Implementation  Strategy  for  the  Framework  Directive  and  the  other 
pillars  of  the  strategy,  in  partnership  with  Member  States,  while  maintaining  an  open 

10 
11 

COM(2005)666. 
Directive 96/61/EC (OJ L 257, 10.10.1996, p. 26). 

EN 

11 

   EN 

 
                                                 
dialogue  with  experts  who  participated  in  the  stakeholder  consultation.  This  will  allow 
initiating activities to support Member States in identifying and developing the most cost-
effective  measures  to  achieve  the  objectives  of  the  strategy.  This  will  also  allow  better 
cooperation between Member States in reaching comparable approaches to soil protection, 

–  build  a  robust  approach  to  address  the  interaction  between  soil  protection  and  climate 
change from the viewpoints of research, economy and rural development so that policies in 
this areas are mutually supportive, 

–  assess possible synergies between measures aiming at protection and sustainable use of soil 
and measures incorporated  in  river  basin management plans under the Water Framework 
Directive in 2009, 

–  assess possible synergies between measures aiming at protection and sustainable use of soil 
and measures aiming at the protection of coastal waters, including those incorporated in the 
Thematic Strategy on the Protection and Conservation of the Marine Environment12, 

–  ensure integration of soil protection aspects in product policy to prevent contamination of 

soil, 

–  ensure  that  the  actions  of  this  strategy  and  the  initiatives  taken  under  the  UNCCD,  the 
UNCBD,  the  Kyoto  Protocol  and  the  Alpine  Convention  are  mutually  supportive, 
consistent and complementary. 

This  strategy  contains  the  measures  deemed  appropriate  at  this  stage  at  EU  level.  Progress 
towards meeting the objectives of this strategy will be evaluated as part of the review of the 
Sixth EAP, as appropriate. 

12 

COM(2005)504. 

EN 

12 

   EN