The European Environmental Bureau has called on European environment ministers to support a soil framework directive that includes a strong obligation to decontaminate soils and forbid simply changing to less-sensitive land uses and clear text on soil sealing.
In an open letter to the ministers in advance of the key 15 March Environment Council the Bureau, a federation of environmental organisations, calls for action in three areas - biodiversity, emissions from light goods vehicles and the soil directive.
Secretary general John Hontelez welcomed the Spanish presidency's commitment to the directive and urged the ministers to focus debate on how it contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation, biodiversity loss and food security.
"Even the member states who are against a directive on grounds of principle cannot deny the vital importance of soil in matters such as climate and food security and the delivery of ecosystem services," says the letter.
"Nor will they be able to ensure that, without a European directive, the 18 member states that do not currently have a soil policy will be taking decisive action to adequately protect their soils, thereby ensuring their contribution to European food and climate security and the delivery of ecosystem services."
In an annex on the directive, the EEB says it should have a strong obligation to decontaminate soils "without allowing the option to change the land use to a less-sensitive one".
It says only by making such a strong obligation and making the polluter pay would the directive prevent future contamination.
"The option to change the land use depending on the level of contamination and the costs associated with remediating it, would seriously undermine this preventive effect," wrote Mr Hontelez.
He also called for a clear text on soil sealing, another of the UK government's concerns, to preserve soils' ecological functions.
"The covering of soil with concrete and asphalt for developments means soil looses all its other functions," says the letter.
"It leads for example to increased risks of flooding and the loss of some of the most fertile agricultural land (as many settlements are historically located in the most fertile agricultural areas)."
