Dear All,
Please find the draft meeting report (PDF file - 20 KB) attached. COMMON FORUM mainly discussed the proposal for the Soil Framework Directive as amended by the Portuguese presidency. COMMON FORUM observed that the amendments are in the right direction but add also many details a the directive that is intended to be a framework. COMMON FORUM also concluded that the discussion in the Council of the EU would greatly improve if a thematic technical workshop could be organised to discuss certain issues in more detail and to make the ambitions of the directive clearer. I do hope that some country will take up this initiative and propose such a workshop to the Presidency.
For reference I attach the results of previous COMMON FORUM discussions (SFDCOMFOR2 (PDF file - 120 KB)), and the SFD text as amended by the Portuguese presidency (PDF file - 99 KB).
The document SFDCOMFORDRAFT5 (PDF file - 84 KB) is new but the difference with the previous SFDCOMFORDRAFT4 (PDF file - 84 KB) is a very small change in the proposed article 11-4-c : within 25 years from [transposition date] for the remaining sites is changed into within 25 years after [transposition date] for at least 90% of the sites.
The reason for this change is that the identification and assessment of sites is seen as a running programme and the lag between location of suspect sites and their assessment should decrease in time. The previous text suggested that inventories should be really comprehensive and complete after 25 years.
Please feel free to comment on the preliminary report and the SFDCOMFORDRAFT5. I will read and respond to your comments in the last week of september.
