March 17-18, 2010 - link to program

St. Pölten, Austria

Motivation:
Soil protection is becoming an issue of ever increasing importance, especially in view of the dynamic environmental and economic developments and trends at global and regional scale. The current debate on European soil policies (EU Strategy and EU Directive for soil protection) has been stimulating the discussion about the most effective approaches to secure one of our most valuable natural resources, our soils. Whilst there is consensus among most soil scientists and administrators regarding the main impacts threatening soil quality in Europe, the best legislative approach to tackle soil protection is a matter of controversial debates. What should be regulated at European community level, what at national, regional or even local scale? What are the key elements of such legislation and how can we avoid inefficient, time-consuming administrative loads while ensuring better outcomes of soil protection at each scale?  

    
The 17th Expert Meeting is deemed to provide an overview on national, regional and local approaches of soil protection with emphasis on legislative tools and complementary incentive programmes. Based on the input of experts form the fields of soil science and soil protection legislation, it is intended to define key elements of “best practice” model legislation by considering and integrating the soil protection needs and efficient administrative approaches at the local up to the European scale. Questions such as “what should be regulated in soil protection laws and what is better accommodated in voluntary and incentive programmes” will be addressed in keynotes and in a workshop which will result in a “white paper” to be published jointly by the participants. The outcomes shall serve as a benchmark for soil protection legislation in the individual countries, regions and in the further debate of European soil protection policies.

Registration: Closing date March, 5, 2010

Moderation: Erwin Szlezak (Austria)

March 17, 2010: 

12:00 - 14:00  arrival and refreshment at the buffet -

                    „signature painting with the colors of the earth"  with Irena Racek

14:00    common press photo

Theme: soil protection legislation: Integrating regional, national and European requirements

Opening:         

14:05               Christian Steiner in place of Stephan Pernkopf (Austria)

14:10               Michal Dzatko (Slovakia) - chairman of the working group

14:15               Peter de Martin (Austria) - general secretary - Working comunity of the danube regions

14:20                Anton Reinl (Austria) Short update on „European Soil Protection Policies including the EU Framework Directive for Soil protection"

14:35                Roland Norer (Schweiz) „Best practice and pitfalls of soil protection legislation from a legislator's perspective"

14:55                Roland Norer (Schweiz)  soil protection policy: setting the line between legislation and incentives)

Theme: national and regional soil protection laws and related legislation by the country representatives

15:15                Michal Dzatko, Michal Svicek, Pavol Bezak (Slovakia) „ New aspects of the soil conservation and land use legalization in Slovakia"

15:30                Marija Romic (Croatia)

15:45                Milan Sanka in place of P. Tlustos (Czech Republic) „Regional             programes for soil  protection in the Czech Republic"

16:00                Lazlo Simon, Tamas Nemeth (Hungary)

16:15                Coffee break

16:35                Vlado Licina (Serbia)

16:50                Marko Zupan (Slovenia)

17:05                Christoph von Heydebrand  (Germany)

17:20                Peter Dreher (Baden Württemberg, Germany)

17:30                Alois Gruber - soil protection in upper austria (Austria)

 17:45               Break

 18:00               Workshop: "Building together best practice models for legislation integrating regional, national and European dimensions" Objective: Come up with the key elements of legislation at various levels, don´ts and dos for efficient, administrable soil protection legislation ("white paper").

 18:45                Dinner   

 19:45                exchange of information about activities and projects               

music: Karl Prieler

22:00                end of programme

March 18, 2010:

8:00 - 8:45       breakfast

Theme:  soil protection and humus management throug voluntary and incentive programmes in the Danube Countries

9:00                Christian Krumphuber (A) humus management , Director for Crop Production, Chamber of Agriculture, Upper Austria

9:30                Marko Zupan (SI): Voluntary and incentives programmes for soil protection in Slovenia

10:00                Tamas Nemeth / L. Simon (HU): Voluntary and incentives programmes for soil protection in Hungary

10:30                Vlado Licina (SR): Voluntary and incentives programmes for soil protection in Serbia

11:00                Marija Romic (Croatia): Voluntary and incentives programmes for soil protection in Croatia

11:30                Break

12:00                Alex Dellantonio / Walter Wenzel (Austria) - Soil carbon loss and sequestration - myths and reality

12:30                Josef Springer (Austria) - agriculture and greenhouse gases

Austria

13:00

-14:00              Lunch

 14:00                Peter Mayrhofer (Austria) - „PlaneteGHG" (GreenHouse Gases) - Presentation of the french method fort he calculation of Carbon sequestration in agricultural soil and biomass as part of the greenhouse gas balance of the farm

14:30                Manfred Swoboda (Austria) - Composting and biogas in Lower austria

15:00                Wilfried Hartl (Austria) Boden und Pflanze

15:30                summing - up and common statement

16:00                end of programme

Departure - transport to railway station St. Pölten possibel