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Launch of the EASAC policy report on "Opportunities for soil sustainability in Europe"

Wednesday 26 Sep

Time and Location

  • 12:00
  • Brussels, Belgium

Soils provide numerous essential services in terrestrial ecosystems, ranging from the support of plant growth in agriculture and forestry to moderation of flood risks, water purification, large-scale carbon storage, and support of biodiversity. However, despite soils’ essential roles, they are threatened by sealing, compaction, reductions in quality and organic-carbon content, and erosion, and insufficiently included in sustainability planning in the EU. A multidisciplinary group of European experts has examined the implications of recent scientific research for integrated policy solutions towards ensuring the sustainability of Europe’s soils, and identified many opportunities for policy-makers to safeguard this valuable resource for the benefit of the EU’s citizens.

Programme:

[12:00 light lunch available]
 

12:30– 12:40

‘The European Academies’ Science Advisory Council (EASAC) – who we are and what we do’ - EASAC President Professor Thierry Courvoisier

12:40 – 13:00

‘Soils study: process and results’ - Project leader Professor Wim van der Putten, Netherlands Institute of Ecology and Wageningen University and Research

13:00 – 13:15

Policy implications from EASAC’s perspective - Professor Michael Norton, Director of EASAC Environment Programme

13:15 Panel discussion with

Representative of European Commission DG ENVI, Land Use & Management Unit, D1 – Josiane Masson, Team Leader “Soil Policy”

Representative of the European Environment Agency – Dr Rainer Baritz, Project Manager “Soil Assessments”

Representative of the World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF) – Dr Jabier Ruiz, Senior Policy Officer, Agriculture and Sustainable Food Systems

Representative of COPA-COGECA - Mr Evangelos Koumentakos, Senior Policy Advisor for Climate Change, Air, Soil, Waste, Emissions

13:45 Open discussion of the panel with the audience

14:00 End of event [followed by coffee]

 Register for event here.

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