[20th October 2011, Berlin] - The condition of Europe’s soil is under pressure with its deterioration costing the EU up to €38 billion a year, says a report unveiled in Berlin today. The report, published by green groups EEB and DNR, says an EU-wide Soil Directive should be backed by member states to ensure soil is protected like other natural resources such as water or air.
‘Soil: worth standing your ground for’ reveals that the second largest carbon store on earth after oceans is being slowly but continuously run down in Europe. Almost ten per cent of Europe’s soil is completely sealed over.
We are paving over valuable agricultural soils for cities and roads, squeezing it out through intensive agriculture and polluting it in industrial accidents, said Sarolta Tripolszky of EEB. The very basis of everything we depend on is slowly eroding beneath our feet, and it’s time for action to put a stop to this.
Big member states such as Germany, the UK, and France have been blocking a Soil Directive as they argue it would increase bureaucracy, implementation costs and go against their national interests.
However, at today’s conference titled ‘Yes to a European Soil Directive’, scientists, politicians and NGOs are demonstrating that soil protection is in the European interest and, like climate and water, cannot be left to individual countries. They will also show that implementing the Soil Directive would not incur high costs as member states claim, and actually reduce the overall costs to society.
In times of climate risk and growing world population soil becomes an increasingly important resource for food production and to maintain public health. Soil is also an invaluable asset in the fight against climate change, said Tripolszky.
The report says that it is more costly to do nothing and that establishing a preventive policy at EU level would avoid soil pollution and consequently minimise clean up costs. Specialised firms in Europe would also benefit from the export of soil remediation technologies and know-how. Maintaining soil is also the interest of farmers, whose business ultimately depends on it.
Read the report : ‘Soil: worth standing your ground for’
Source : EEB