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Do Current European Policies Prevent Soil Threats and Support Soil Functions?

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  • Nadia Glæsner

    (Directorate, Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Müncheberg 15374, Germany
    Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, Frederiksberg 1871, Denmark)

  • Katharina Helming

    (Directorate, Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Müncheberg 15374, Germany)

  • Wim De Vries

    (Alterra, Wageningen University and Research Centre (WUR), P.O. Box 47, Wageningen 6700 AA, The Netherlands)

Abstract

There is currently no legislation at the European level that focuses exclusively on soil conservation. A cross-policy analysis was carried out to identify gaps and overlaps in existing EU legislation that is related to soil threats and functions. We found that three soil threats, namely compaction, salinization and soil sealing, were not addressed in any of the 19 legislative policies that were analyzed. Other soil threats, such as erosion, decline in organic matter, loss of biodiversity and contamination, were covered in existing legislation, but only a few directives provided targets for reducing the soil threats. Existing legislation addresses the reduction of the seven soil functions that were analyzed, but there are very few directives for improving soil functions. Because soil degradation is ongoing in Europe, it raises the question whether existing legislation is sufficient for maintaining soil resources. Addressing soil functions individually in various directives fails to account for the multifunctionality of soil. This paper suggests that a European Soil Framework Directive would increase the effectiveness of conserving soil functions in the EU.

Suggested Citation

  • Nadia Glæsner & Katharina Helming & Wim De Vries, 2014. "Do Current European Policies Prevent Soil Threats and Support Soil Functions?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(12), pages 1-26, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:6:y:2014:i:12:p:9538-9563:d:43821
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    10. Jürges, Nataly, 2016. "Wahrnehmungen und Funktionen in der Transformation zur Bioökonomie: Eine Akteursanalyse im Politikfeld "Boden"," UFZ Discussion Papers 6/2016, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Division of Social Sciences (ÖKUS).
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    12. Rui Zhao & Kening Wu, 2021. "Soil Health Evaluation of Farmland Based on Functional Soil Management—A Case Study of Yixing City, Jiangsu Province, China," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-27, June.
    13. Cabini, Emanuele & Fontana, Luca & Malavasi, Pierluigi & Iavicoli, Ivo, 2018. "Land use: The perception of risk by the citizens and local administrators in the North of Italy," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 553-564.
    14. Tomáš Brabenec & Anna Maroušková & Tomáš Zoubek & Martin Filip, 2021. "Residues from Water Precipitation via Ferric Hydroxide Threaten Soil Fertility," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-11, April.
    15. Rui Zhao & Junying Li & Kening Wu & Long Kang, 2021. "Cultivated Land Use Zoning Based on Soil Function Evaluation from the Perspective of Black Soil Protection," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-29, June.
    16. Stankovics, Petra & Montanarella, Luca & Kassai, Piroska & Tóth, Gergely & Tóth, Zoltán, 2020. "The interrelations of land ownership, soil protection and privileges of capital in the aspect of land take," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    17. Dietze, Victoria & Hagemann, Nina & Jürges, Nataly & Bartke, Stephan & Fürst, Christine, 2019. "Farmers consideration of soil ecosystem services in agricultural management - A case study from Saxony, Germany," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 813-824.
    18. Till Hermanns & Katharina Helming & Katharina Schmidt & Hannes Jochen König & Heiko Faust, 2015. "Stakeholder Strategies for Sustainability Impact Assessment of Land Use Scenarios: Analytical Framework and Identifying Land Use Claims," Land, MDPI, vol. 4(3), pages 1-29, September.
    19. Spyra, Marcin & Kleemann, Janina & Calò, Nica Claudia & Schürmann, Alina & Fürst, Christine, 2021. "Protection of peri-urban open spaces at the level of regional policy-making: Examples from six European regions," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    20. Jessica Stubenrauch & Beatrice Garske & Felix Ekardt, 2018. "Sustainable Land Use, Soil Protection and Phosphorus Management from a Cross-National Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-23, June.

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