The Environment Directorate-General of the European Commission will host a high-level conference on 'Soil remediation and soil sealing' in Brussels (Belgium) on 10-11 May 2012, which will be opened by Janez Potočnik, Environment Commissioner.

The conference is part of the European Commission's work in implementing the Soil Thematic Strategy (COM(2006) 231) it adopted in 2006. It aims to highlight the importance of tackling soil contamination at an early stage and the opportunities created in the European remediation industry. Moreover, it will underline how addressing contaminated sites and brownfields can be helpful in limiting land take and soil sealing on fertile agricultural land. At the conference the Commission will present the recently published Soil Sealing Guidelines (SWD(2012)101). These guidelines are part of the Soil Thematic Strategy and will contribute to achieving the land take target proposed in the Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe (COM(2011) 232. The conference will be closed by a panel, including Commissioner Potočnik and the Agriculture Commissioner, Dacian Cioloş, to discuss 'Land take, soil remediation and food production: the role of the EU's policies'.

For more information visit: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/soil/conference_may2012.htm