EU SOIL PROTECTION STYRATEGY
Dear All,
The biggest news, and most of your probably already heard it, is the publication last friday of the EU soil protection policy package containing a communication about the soil protection strategy, a proposal for a soil framework directive, an impact assessement ( large document) and a summary of the impact assessment, a press communication, a questions and answers document and a beautiful document entitled ” soil protection, the story behind the strategy” .
All this can be downloaded from :
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/soil/index.htm
NEXT COMMON FORUM MEETING IN BILBAO
This means that we can now discuss the real texts in the open, and we will have a good start at the meeting in Bilbao. Luca Marmo from the DGENV soil team will give an in depth presentation and we will have time to exchange opinions. Another important discussion we will have in Bilbao is about the rules for ” state aid” and the financing of soil remediation projects. We will have some presentations about experiences in memberstates and a larger in depth presentation by Saskia Dirkzwager - De Rijk from EU DG Competition. State aid will be the theme of the now traditional smaller group discussions on the afternoon at the first day.
Other issues on the agenda are:
- A special request for a discussion by our hosts, which I am presently discussing by email with Ana Alzola (IHOBE, Basque country) who helps me to organize the meeting
- A get together on wednesday evening November 1
- A joint dinner with possibly a visit to the famous Guggenheim museum
MY QUESTIONS:
1] Please look at the draft agenda below and if you have any comments, questions or additions please let me know as soon as possible. I kept the times for the different session a bit flexible in view of the probably later than usual lunch and dinner times in Spain
2] Please confirm your presence or absence at this meeting so that the organizers have an estimate of the number of participants.
AGENDA
November 1,
Informal get together at a place still to be decided, start 19.00
November 2, start 10.00
- Opening and welcome by a representative of the Basque country
- Introduction to the agenda
- Tour the table ( short introductions and statements by meeting participants) part 1
Coffee break
- Tour the table ( short introductions and statements by meeting participants) part 2
- The Bilbao case
Lunch
- One or two country presentations on state aid
- EU presentation on current developments of ideas concerning state aid and contaminated sites remediation funding (Saskia Dirkzwager)
Tea Break
Dinner (possibly in combination with a visit to the Guggenheim museum)
November 3, start 9.00
- Reports of group discussions
- General conclusions
Coffee break
- Presentation of the EU soil policy package (Luca Marmo)
- Discussion
Lunch
- Discussion about next common forum activities
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