Recent Developments in the EU Legal Framework for Soil Protection

Abstract

Although the importance of soilstill is underestimated, soil protection receives increasingly more attention at the international, as well as at the European level and the national level. At present, governments, NGO's, scientists and other relevant stakeholder, are attempting to deal with the protection of soil. This also is the case within the EU. This article focuses on the recent developments in the EU legal framework for soil protection. The following legal documents are discussed: the Proposal for a Soil Framework Directive, the Environmental Liability Directive, the Floods Directive, the Environmental Crime Directive and the Proposal for an Industrial Emissions Directive. Clearly there already exists a large legal framework for soil protection within the EU. The article point out the relevance and the importance of the different instruments. It will also look at possible developments in the near future. It is anticipated that there will be a great deal more focus on the development of both national, European and international legal regimes of sustainable use of soil over the coming years, particularly in relation to the climate change debate, and that new legislation in this regard will emerge.