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Will the EU Commission Stop the Soil Framework Directive?

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In the summer of 2013, the European Parliament and the Member States, however, had agreed to the demand for a legal framework to protect soil on the 7th Take environmental action program.According to the German Nature and Environment (DNR) will show that the proposed changes could turn out at the expense of environmental protection and civil rights. Although to date, the Commission considered an EU-wide soil protection framework directive necessary to tackle the problem of increasing degradation of European soils, it was considering now seem to withdraw its proposal for a Directive of 2006. NABU throws Barroso of trust especially in view of the not to bring opposition from the federal government's policy on the way. The European Environmental Bureau (EEB) expressed dismay at the possible regression in the land policy. Given the recent IPCC report, which is threatened by climate change, among other things food security, the Commission's announcement was incomprehensible. The Commission will also consider taking a 2003 proposed Directive on access to justice in environmental matters retire again. So they would - as the German Nature and Environment - prevent implementation of the Aarhus Convention. At the same time it was said in the statement, however, it is working on an alternative proposal. Jeremy Wates, Secretary General of the EEB said, a retreat in the 2003 directive could only be justified if the Commission would actually present a new proposal in the coming months. fact that Barroso back rows at improvements in the rights of action of citizens and organizations in the environmental field, is NABU's view, a bad signal for the environmental protection and the opportunities for participation of citizens in the EU.NABU President Olaf Tschimpke stressed: "Environmental protection is one of the areas in which the citizens put most trust in the EU and are demanding more involvement, not less."

Deutscher Naturschutzring (DNR)

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