The general objectives of COMMON FORUM are to develop strategies for the management and treatment of contaminated sites and for land recycling with respect to “sustainable resource protection” for contaminated land and groundwater. COMMON FORUM holds regular meetings to discuss important and current issues in these fields. When possible, common views are developed and expertise is offered to the European Commission, relevant stakeholder networks and European Union research projects. Many COMMON FORUM members participate in stakeholder groups in European Union research projects or participate in discussions at workshops where results of European Union projects are presented.
The publication of the European Union thematic strategy for the protection of soil by the European Commission in 2002 marked the transition towards a more formal European Union policy. As most COMMON FORUM members need to advise their Ministers in the European Union Soil policy discussion, an exchange of technical arguments and information on political positions is very informative even if they lead to different national conclusions.
COMMON FORUM intends to continue to provide this “mutual professional support” by:
- being a platform for exchange of knowledge and experiences,
- establishing a discussion platform on policy, research, technical and managerial concepts of contaminated land,
- being a platform for initiating and following-up of international projects among members,
- offering an exchange of expertise to the European Commission and to European networks.
