A strategy to keep Europe's soils robust and healthy
Soil is defined as the top layer of the earth’s crust. It is formed by mineral particles, organic matter, water, air and living organisms. It is in fact an extremely complex, variable and living medium. The interface between the earth, the air and the water, soil is a non-renewable resource which performs many vital functions: food and other biomass production, storage, filtration and transformation of many substances including water, carbon, nitrogen. Soil has a role as a habitat and gene pool, serves as a platform for human activities, landscape and heritage and acts as a provider of raw materials. These functions are worthy of protection because of their socio-economic as well as environmental importance.
Erosion, loss of organic matter, compaction, salinisation, landslides, contamination, sealing… Soil degradation is accelerating, with negative effects on human health, natural ecosystems and climate change, as well as on our economy. At the moment, only nine EU Member States have specific legislation on soil protection (especially on contamination).
Different EU policies (for instance on water, waste, chemicals, industrial pollution prevention, nature protection, pesticides, agriculture) are contributing to soil protection. But as these policies have other aims and other scopes of action, they are not sufficient to ensure an adequate level of protection for all soil in Europe.
For all these reasons, in September 2006, the Commission adopted a comprehensive EU strategy specifically dedicated to soil protection.
The strategy is one of seven Thematic Strategies that the Commission has presented. The other strategies cover air pollution, the marine environment, waste prevention and recycling, natural resources, the urban environment and pesticides..
Three components
The Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection consists of a Communication from the Commission to the other European Institutions, a proposal for a framework Directive (a European law), and an Impact Assessment.
The Communication (COM(2006) 231) sets the frame. It explains why further action is needed to ensure a high level of soil protection, sets the overall objective of the Strategy and explains what kind of measures must be taken. It establishes a ten-year work program for the European Commission.
The proposal for a framework Directive (COM(2006) 232) sets out common principles for protecting soils across the EU. Within this common framework, the EU Member States will be in a position to decide how best to protect soil and how use it in a sustainable way on their own territory.
The Impact Assessment (SEC (2006) 1165 and SEC(2006) 620) contains an analysis of the economic, social and environmental impacts of the different options that were considered in the preparatory phase of the strategy and of the measures finally retained by the Commission.
- Press release
- Questions and answers on the Thematic Strategy on soil protection
- Communication
- Directive
- Summary Impact Assessment
- Impact Assessment
The making of the Strategy 
Developing the Strategy was quite a process in itself (read "Soil Protection - The story behind the strategy").
The Commission launched the consultation process in February 2003. It involved the EU Member States, Candidate Countries, European Institutions, Networks of Regional and Local Authorities and a broad community of European-wide Stakeholder Organisations: Civil Society, NGO, Research, Industry and International and professional Organisations.
An Advisory Forum and five Working Groups were set up, which produced the following reports:
- Volume 1 : Introduction and executive summary
- Volume 2 : Erosion
- Volume 3 : Organic matter
- Volume 4 : Contamination and land management
- Volume 5 : Monitoring
- Volume 6 : Research, sealing & cross-cutting issues
Internet consultation
- Background
- Statistical results
- Citizens (pdf ~33K)
- Organisations (pdf ~65K)
Opinions of the European Institutions 
- Conclusions of the European Council: adopted on 25 June 2002
(pdf ~20K)
- Resolution of the European Parliament: adopted on 19 November 2003
- Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee: adopted on 18 September 2002
- Opinion of the Committee of the Regions
(pdf ~190K)
Communication of the Commission "Towards a Thematic Strategy on Soil Protection" (COM(2002)179)
In response to concerns about the degradation of soils in the EU the Commission published in April 2002 a Communication "Towards a Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection". This was the first occasion on which the Commission has addressed soil protection for its own sake and therefore the Communication is both broad and descriptive in approach as well as charting the way forward. It outlined the first steps to the development of a Thematic Strategy to protect soils in the European Union. 
Publications
- Soil Protection - The story behind the Strategy
- Soil Atlas of Europe
- Common criteria for risk area identification according to soil threats
- Reports from the Working Groups set up in preparation of the Strategy:
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