Dear Prime Minister Brown,
We are writing you to express our deepest concern about the continued lack of progress in the Council's discussions on the proposed Soil Thematic Strategy including a proposal for a soil framework directive. Although the negotiations in the Council are carried out by the ministers of environment, we are addressing you as heads of states and governments, not only because soil is a vital resource of cross cutting importance extending well beyond the environmental sphere alone but also because the opposition has manifested itself at this level.
With Spain, a long time supporter of European soil policy taking over the helm of the European Council in January 2010, another opportunity presents itself to break the political impasse.
Our soils provide Europeans with vital services such as food and energy production, carbon abatement and water storage and purification. We firmly believe that the effective and urgent protection of, soils is therefore fundamental for the EU to deliver food and environmental security for its citizens.
Arguing against such a policy on the grounds that soil degradation has no cross boundary effects or is too expensive to deal with is, in our view, highly irresponsible. The current lack of soil protection in a majority of the EU member states is a direct threat to the continued delivery of the vital services soils provide. Delaying legislative action to protect soils will only lead to even higher costs further down the road.
The previous European Parliament adopted its common position in November 2007 giving its support to a soil framework directive, a position that included significant compromises towards those who demanded more flexibility. The newly elected European Parliament has now decided to continue to work on the basis of this position.
As newly appointed shadow rapporteurs on this dossier we are committed to this subject and ready to restart the negotiations with Council and Commission in order to come to a meaningful and effective EU soil policy. We call on you and your ministers to start engaging in this discussion in a responsible and constructive manner.
Yours sincerely,
Bas Eickhout, Corinne Lepage, Vittorio Prodi, Sandrine Bélier
cc: Barroso, Zapatero
