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The conference, which will be opened by the Environment Commissioner, Janez Potočnik, has the objective to highlight the importance of tackling soil contamination at an early stage and the opportunities that this offers to the European remediation industry. Moreover, it will underline how addressing contaminated sites and brownfields can be helpful in limiting land take and soil sealing, which continues in many parts of Europe at alarming rates, often at the expense of fertile agricultural lands. In this context, the Commission will present recently published Soil Sealing Guidelines (http://ec.europa.eu/environment/soil/sealing_guidelines.htm) that aim to spread best practice across Member States. The conference will be closed by a panel gathering, among others, Commissioner Potočnik, Agriculture Commissioner Ciolos and the Chair of the Environment Committee in the European Parliament, Matthias Groote, discussing 'Land take, soil remediation and food production: the role of the EU's policies'. Interpretation will be provided in Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Polish and Spanish. For further information, registration and an updated programme, please go to http://ec.europa.eu/environment/soil/conference_may2012.htm
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Soil is one of the planet's invaluable resources but continues to be degraded in Europe. Together, the mineral particles, water, air, organic matter, and living organisms that constitute soil perform key functions which underpin our society.
The map shows soil sealing degree ranging from 0 - 100% in aggregated spatial resolution (100 x 100 m).
The European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (E-PRTR) is a web-based register established by Regulation (EC) No 166/2006 which implements the UNECE PRTR Protocol, signed in May 2003 in Kiev.
Soil underpins 90% of all human food, fiber, and fuel and is essential for water and ecosystem health. It is a global carbon sink; holding an important role in the potential slowing of climate change. Soil conserves the remains of our past, it is a reservoir for genes and is an important element of our cultural heritage, through the maintenance of landscapes and biodiversity. Nevertheless, soil is being exploited and irreversibly lost and degraded as a result of conflicting demands from most economic sectors.
Over the last decades, continuous urban expansion at rates much higher than population growth has resulted in a massive urban footprint on Europe – fragmenting rural space, blocking ecosystem services and increasing the demand for transport and energy.
Soil is the earth's living skin and provides us with essential services for life in our planet: production of food; infiltration and cleansing of water and protection against flooding; habitat for plants; areas for recreation and mental health; micro climate regulation, etc. It is such a crucial resource that it can't be ignored. However, particularly in urban areas, soil is being sealed off with increasing housing and infrastructure.
Graph showing estimated loss of agricultural land in 20 EU countries due to urbanization between 1990 and 2000 based on an analysis of CORINE Land Cover Data
Estimated nitrogen surplus (the difference between inorganic and organic fertilizer application, atmospheric deposition, fixation and uptake by crops) for the year 2005 across Europe.
Global scheme of nitrogen cycle, showing major nitrogen reservoirs (atmosphere, soil and living organisms), major processes (nitrification, denitrification, nitrogen fixation, assimilation etc.) and actors (plants, animals, bacteria, human beings).
Location of areas of high risk(red), moderate risk (orange) and low risk (white)of water erosion.
Graph showing annual impact of soil losses, due to urbanisation, on the production capability of agriculture between 1990 and 2000 based on an analysis of CORINE Land Cover Data
The map shows: LEFT: Distribution of landslides with human consequences from AD 1300 to 2002. The size of the triangle indicates the intensity of the event. RIGHT: Landslide susceptibility map of Italy.
Map showing the distribution of Nematodes.
Maps showing changes in the extent to which European ecosystems are exposed to acid deposition (i.e. where the critical load limits for acidification are exceeded). Values for 2010 are predicted based on adherence to implementation of NEC Directive.
The Global Map of Irrigation Areas was developed by combining sub-national irrigation statistics with geospatial information on the position and extent of irrigation schemes to compute the fraction of 5 arc minute cells that was equipped for irrigation, which is called irrigation density.
The map shows the natural soil susceptibility to compaction
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