Brussels, 01/08/2005 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has just launched a public consultation over eight weeks, on measures the EU could take to address the problem of soil erosion. The public and experts are invited to fill in an on-line questionnaire. The contributions returned will be taken account in the thematic strategy being prepared by the Commission with a view to creating a future integrated policy for the protection and preservation of the quality of soils at Community level. Soil, which is under increasing pressure due to human activities, deserves specific protection as a determining element of the countryside and of the cultural heritage of humanity, and as a non-renewable natural substance, which is essential for the economy and the environment, and thus for sustainable development. The environment ministers of the EU, taking a communication of the Commission as their basis, came to this agreement at an informal Council and the Spanish Presidency in May 2002 (see EUROPE 8219). The questionnaire focuses on a broad range of subjects: the importance of the functions of soil, means to address the problem of erosion and the decline of organic matter, soil contamination, salinisation, etc- all of which phenomena have a huge impact on issues of Community interest such as the protection of water, human health, climate change, the protection of nature and biodiversity, food safety. This strategy, which was initially anticipated for spring 2005 and which was planned under the sixth Environment Action Programme, will finally be presented at the end of the year (the questionnaire may be consulted at the following address: http: //europa.eu.oint/comm/environment/soil/index.htm).