State of Play of Soil Policy in Europe and possible support

actions for contaminated sites

1st EIONET NRC Soil Ad-hoc Working Group on Contaminated Sites and Brownfields

Joint Research Centre Ispra, Italy, 10.03.2015

Josiane MassonEuropean Commission

Environment Directorate-GeneralUnit ENV.B.1 – Agriculture, Forests and Soil

BU-5, 5/1781049 Brussels

E-mail: josiane.masson@ec.europa.eu

State of Play of Soil policy in Europe Possible support actions related to

contaminated sitesLIFE EnvironmentResearch and Innovation – H2020Regional funds

Why should we care about Soil protection at European level?

Soil is a non-renewable natural resource It performs crucial ecological, social and economic

functions Soils are being increasingly degraded or irreversibly

lost across the EU - According to SOER 2015 the situation of soils in Europe continues to degrade

Estimated costs of soil degradation reach up to €38bn per year (SEC(2006)620)

A lot of legislation at National and subnational level in particular for soil contamination but…

Only two or three MSs have a comprehensive legislation on soil protection

Trans-boundary impacts – soil contamination, soil-water-marine pollution

Major threats affecting soils in EU Soil sealing: some 1000 km2 per year = 270 ha/day

are taken mainly from agriculture for urban and infrastructure development ... In 10 years an area of the size of Cyprus

Soil erosion: 1.3 million km² in EU-27 estimated to be affected by soil erosion by water

Soil contamination: estimate of 3.5 M sites potentially contaminated with 0.5 M sites really contaminated (2006) – 4.5 M sites, Ernst and Yound study (2013)

Landslides: Over 630,000 landslides currently registered in national databases. Estimated affected surface areas are: 7% Italian territory, 5% Slovakian territory, 1% Portuguese territory

CommunicationCOM(2006)231, 22.9.2006

Proposal for aSoil Framework DirectiveCOM(2006)232, 22.9.2006

Impact AssessmentSEC(2006)1165 & SEC(2006)620, 22.9.2006

The Soil Thematic Strategy

Overall objective is the protection of soil functions and sustainable use of soil, based on the following guiding principles: Prevention of soil degradation Restoration of degraded soils

Sets out the four pillars of EU soil policy

To be implemented by MS 2012 Report from the Commission on

the implementation of the STS COM(2012)46

The Soil Thematic strategy, COM(2006) 231

SealingErosion

Organic matter decline

Compaction

Salinisation+Acidification

Landslides

Contamination

Soil threats considered:

Proposal for aSoil Framework Directive

COM(2006)232, 22.9.2006

Objective: Protection of soil functions

• Integration in sectoral policies• Precautionary measures• Prevention of contamination• Measures to limit or mitigate sealing

• Programme of Measures

• National Remediation Strategy

• Identification of priority areas for erosion, organic matter decline, compaction, salinisation, acidification, and landslides in 5 years

• Identification of contaminated sites in 25 years

The structure of the proposal for aSoil Framework Directive, COM(2006) 232

Proposal for a Soil Framework Directive, COM(2006) 232

Withdrawal Decision, OJ C 163, 28.5.2014:

"The Commission remains committed to the objective of the protection of soil and will examine options on how to best achieve this. Any further initiative in this respect will however have to be considered by the next college".

The European Parliament adopted its first reading opinion on 14 November 2007 and the Committe of Regions and the Economic and Social Committee delivered their opinion on 13/02/2007 and 25/04/2007

In the Council the proposal was repeatidly discussed but always ran into a blocking minority of 5 Member States (AT, DE, FR, NL and UK)

REFIT Communication(2013) 685, 2,10,2013 The Commission noted that the proposal has been pending for 8 years

during which time no effective action has resulted, and decided to withdraw the proposal.

What has happened to the proposal for a Soil Framework Directive?

What next?

The SFD was withdraw but… we are still committed to achieve soil protection The Soil Thematic Strategy is still alive Resource Efficiency Roadmap « by 2020 EU policies take into

account their direct and indirect impact on land use in the EU and globally… with the aim to achieve no net land take by 2050; soil erosion is reduced and the soil organic matter is increased, with remedial work on contaminated sites well underway »

7th EAP provisions on land and soil protection

The Commission will examine options on how to best achieve soil protection including targets on soils and land, based on proportionality and susbsidiarity principles

"Variable progress at MS to ensure soil protection including on

contaminated site identification"

"The EU and MS should reflect on how soil quality could be adressed using a

targeted and proportionate risk-based

approach within a binding legal framework"

1st steps for a new initative Meeting of the Director General of DG ENV with the

Directors General of Environment in September 2014 – gap analysis of soil legislations and policies needed

A study on soil legislations and policy instruments will be launched in 2015 for knowledge update (IA done in 2006)

For soil contamination regulatory context analysed in details (Ernst and Young study, 2013)

Feed-back required from EIONET WG

Need to improve knowledge e.g. on soil biodiversity, soil contamination etc.

Lessons learnt exercise Network to be rebuilt – objective of this meeting Dialogue with stakeholders – using existing platforms

Possible support activities

Publication ‘LIFE and Soil protection’, DG ENV (2014) providing information on LIFE projects on Soil protection (147)

21 projects Soil sealing 13 projects Soil biodiversity 24 projects Soil carbon capture 11 projects Soil monitoring 12 projects Water and soil 43 projects Sustainable agriculture 23 projects Land contamination

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/project/Projects/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.getProjects&themeID=42&projectList

LIFE Environment

Diverse pollution activities addressed: landfills and waste treatment plants, industrial production, mining and quarying and military use – mainly heavy metals and mineral oil

Remediation techniques BIOSOIL to demonstrate the feasibility of compost bioremediation

technology for the reclamation and sustainable management of brownfields

BioReGen Biomass, remediation, régénération re-using brownfield sites for renewable energy crops

EKOHEMPKON targeted more specific contaminants such as lignite cultivating crops such as hemp to remediate mining site in PL

DEMO-MNA in situ biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbonates in soil contaminates sites

TWIRLS bioremediation of contaminated soils from organic pollutants (PAHs) and heavy metals – 20% increase in soil organic matter

BIOXiSOIL and VOPAK-EXPER03 testing in-situ chemical oxidation of industrial and military sites

LIFE and contamination

Mining and quarrying – projects to remove high concentration of chemicals such as arsenic, sulphuric acid and mercury in soils and water bodies

DIPFOLMINE and MIPOLARE testing phytostabilisation BIOMAN used dealginated seaweed as bioabsorber for toxic

substances cadmium, nickel, zinc and lead from abandonned mines in Wales and Italy

EcoQuarry and LOS TOLLOS focusing on integrating the contaminated areas in the landscape

Landfills and waste management New Life testing innovative method for the

reclamation of soils around landfills, using both chemical and mechanical processes, mixing exhausted soiks with other solid matrices (waste material from quarries and paper mills)

LIFE and contamination

LIFE Calls 2015 indicative tableProvisional Calendar 2015: Summary Table

Grant Type Phase Opening Date Closing Date

Traditional Projects   01 June 201515 September 2015

Preparatory Projects   01 June 201530 October 2015

Technical Assistance Projects

  01 June 2015Mid September 2015

Integrated ProjectsConcept Notes 01 June 2015

01 October 2015

Full Proposals   Mid April 2016

NGO Framework Partnerships

  May 2015 July 2015

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/funding/life2015/index.htm

H2020 Call for Proposals and FUNDING PROJECTS 2014-2015

23

More information http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/data/ref/h2020/wp/2014_2015/main/h2020-wp1415-climate_en.pdf

SC5: Climate Action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials.

Deadline: 10/03/2015

European Commission Decision C (2014)4995 of 22 July 2014)

1. SC5-8-2014: Preparing and promoting innovation procurement for soil decontamination (2M€)

2. SC5-10-2014/2015: Coordinating and supporting research and innovation for the management of natural resources (9M€)

a) [2014] Enhancing mapping ecosystems and their services

b) [2014] Structuring research on soil, land-use and land management in Europe

c) [2015] An EU support mechanism for evidence-based policy on biodiversity & ecosystems services.

Societal Challenges (SC5)

Rehabilitation of brownfield sites  Within Regional Policy Investment priorities relating to the environment

(Art.5(6) ERDF and Art. 3(c) CF) include  Protecting and restoring biodiversity, soil protection and restoration and

promoting ecosystem services including NATURA 2000 and green infrastructures;

Action to improve the urban environment, revitalisation of cities, […] regeneration and decontamination of brownfield sites (including conversion areas), reduction of air pollution and promotion of noise-reduction measures;

 The objective is to limit land take on Greenfields and recycling of land,

including remediation of contaminated sites. The special ERDF objective is ‘Sustainable urban development’.

 

Regional policy

Promote the regeneration of brownfield sites and more generally the remediation of contaminated sites, respecting the 'polluter pays' principle

Thank you for your attention!

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/soil/index.htm