Brussels, 22/05/2002 (Agence Europe) - Floating the debate on the protection of a natural resource that is often damaged by human activities, the Spanish Presidency hopes to define lines of action to prevent soil contamination and to slow down the process of damage and erosion. It aims to sketch out an integrated Community policy for the protection of soil quality, after the fashion of that which already exists for air and water. The working paper prepared by the Presidency to guide the debate stresses that "the biosphere consists of three natural elements - air, water and soil - all just as necessary for the life cycle" and that "the soil on which a large number of human activities are carried out must be protected in the same way as the two other elements which have so far enjoyed rigorous protection policies". It also highlights the importance of adequate soil protection, recalling that "the sixth action programme has made the sustainable use of soil one of its objectives in order to protect against erosion, damage, pollution and desertification, to preserve its fertility and guarantee the continued wealth of the agriculture upon it"
Spanish Environment Minister Jaume Matas will chair this informal session attended also by European Environment Commissioner Margot Wallström.
Ministers will be invited to identify the threats that compromise soil quality as well as the actions to be carried out to eradicate such threats. More specifically, the Presidency expects them to answer the following questions: 1 What are the most important dangers for soil as a natural resource and what threats should be tackled as a matter of priority? 2) How should synergies between actions to be conducted at national and Community level be promoted, bearing in mind that, at the latter level, the lack of comparative data on the status of soils is one of the main issues to be resolved as a matter of urgency?; 3) What additional measures could be taken at Community level and what would be the most appropriate timetable for implementing such action?
Examination of the recent Commission communication, which lays the foundations for an overall strategy for soil protection in the Union (see EUROPE of 20 April, p.9), will make a useful contribution to the debate. The Spanish Presidency considers this is a first stage towards the elaboration of a thematic strategy within the sixth action programme for the environment.