In Bavaria, various initiatives and projects to support sustainable land use have been carried out. These activities, as well as best practices from selected Member States were presented and discussed at a workshop on the planned European Strategy for Soil Protection. The event on behalf of the Free State of Bavaria was also a contribution towards the Environmental Conference of the Regions of Europe (ENCORE).

The workshop, orgaised by Ecologic Institute, brought together representatives from the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Federal States of Germany. Furthermore, experts from the European Space Agency (ESA), the German Aerospace Centre (DLR), as well as industry and non-governmental organisations participated.

Until 2004 the European Commission compiles a thematic strategy to achieve comprehensive soil protection. The workshop analysed the planned strategy and strengthened the awareness of the significance of soil protection.

So far, there is no comprehensive procedure for soil protection at EU level. It was the first time that in the year 2000, a prior significance to soil protection was given by the 6th Environmental Action Programme of the EU. It was decided that until 2004 the EU compiles a thematic strategy to achieve comprehensive soil protection. In recent years, intensive efforts on European level have been devoted to create a comprehensive strategy for soil protection. To achieve a sustainable level of soil protection, an integrated approach to land use planning and environmental management is crucial. With an average of 147 inhabitants per km², the European Union is one of the most densely populated regions in the world. Every ten years, the area of sealed land in Europe grows by two percent. Increasing soil sealing is regarded as one of the main threats to soil in Europe and is, therefore, high on the political agenda, not only on European level, but also on national, regional and local levels.

The Bavarian Environmental Ministry regularly holds workshops on current environmental issues at the Representation of the Free State of Bavaria to the European Union in Brussels. Ecologic also organised the following workshops in 2001 and 2002:

• Climate Dialogue in Bavaria in the Light of the Kyoto Process, 14 November 2002
• EU-Enlargement and Environment: The Role of the Regions, 3 May 2001 [Workshop Proceedings, pdf, 216 KB, English]