Written by Vector1Media Wednesday, 17 March 2010 08:21
A Europe-wide system of soil protection is rejected by some EU member states once again with a blocking minority. The Spanish Presidency has addressed the issue today in the Environment Council in Brussels. The EU's department heads were following a further debate, only the rigid fronts in the now-year long dispute over an EU Soil Framework stick. Germany, Austria, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands want to protect their soils with national regulations.
The templates of the EU only bring additional administrative burden, the four countries were united. The Austrian Environment Minister Nicolas Berlakovich reminiscent of the subsidiarity principle and declared that the expected benefits of such a directive was lower than the foreseen today bureaucracy.
The draft EU soil directive, EU Member States are to "priority areas" show, where the soils are particularly at risk, and propose protective measures. The UK Environment Minister Hillary Benn rejected the requirement that the sale of each house must be accompanied by a soil status report on the garden.France and Finland also expressed doubts. EU Environment Commissioner Janez Potocnik and the Belgian Presidency of the Council want to continue with a slimmed-down version of an EU soil protection policy discussions.
