The United Kingdom will continue to oppose the soil framework directive if, as expected, the Spanish presidency restarts attempts to enact it in the New Year, according to environment minister Huw Irranca-Davies.
He was addressing the Brownfield Briefing Remediation Innovation Awards where he commended the industry for its innovative approach.
"Your work has made a major contribution to dealing with land contamination," he said.
"It has reduced the pressure to build on greenfield land and it has helped to regenerate blighted communities."
But he was less complementary about the expectation that the Spanish EU presidency will attempt to revive the directive in something like its present form.
"The current directive proposals seek to introduce a prescriptive, one-size-fits-all approach," he said.
"We strongly believe this is not the right way to deal with the diversity of soil-related issues across Europe. It would have serious cost implications for the tax payer, businesses and individuals - and it does not take account of existing national measures."
He said the UK would continue to engage with other member states to try to find an approach that works well for all.
The minister acknowledged the last year had been tough for the industry and he commended it for its resilience and adaptability as it had fared better than feared thanks to leadership of key players.
He also noted the Corby judgement which he said serves as a reminder of the duty of care which must be applied when remediating sites.
"It also reminds us just how far the sector has come since the Corby work took place in the 1980s and 90s - both in terms of the much tighter controls introduced, and the high standards that are now the norm throughout the sector," he said.
"For these reasons the Corby case should not discourage responsible remediation."
