Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The proposal by the Commission is for a Framework Directive intended to establish a common strategy across all Member States for the protection and sustainable use of soil. Its aims include the integration of soil concerns into other policies, preservation of soil functions within the context of sustainable use, prevention of threats to soil and mitigation of their effects, and restoration of degraded soils. While some of the measures relate to agriculture, the proposals would also extend to other sectors and as such a number of Government Departments are involved.

The national position on this proposal was developed by the Department for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government with input from my own Department, as well as from others. I expressed my own views on the subject in relation to the agriculture sector at the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council in January. It remains my view that any policies to be adopted in the proposed Soil Framework Directive must be flexible and adaptable given the diverse nature of soils in the Member States. In addition, they should not replicate or cut across existing measures and should avoid imposing an untoward financial burden on Member States. Ireland has also supported similar concerns expressed by a number of other Member States in relation to the proposals.

Discussions have continued on a variety of compromise proposals and amendments intended to address the concerns of the various Member States. My Department will continue to work closely with the Department for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government in putting forward the Irish position on the proposals.