The Interaction between Soil and Waste Legislation in Ten European Union Countries (NICOLE project)
Country: EU Projects
Start Date:   1/1/2005         Duration: 2005 months         Project Type: Feasibility study
Contract Number: 
Organisation Type:  Consultancy, contractor or other service provider
Topics: 
Brownfields
Contaminated land-->policy and regulatory
Contaminated land-->Remediation options-->Recycling/reuse
Project objectives: 
An outcome of the NICOLE workshop in Sofia in November 2004, was that the role of      
waste legislation on a national and European Union (EU) level in contaminated land      
management is a key issue affecting NICOLE members. It also became clear from recent      
European Court of Justice (ECJ) rulings that the definition of waste on an EU level and its  interpretation at a national level may differ from country to country.
Project Summary: 
The Interaction between Soil and Waste Legislation in Ten European Union Countries    
This project was a direct result of the NICOLE workshop in Sofia in November 2004, which identified that national and European legislation related to contaminated 
land management was a key issue affecting NICOLE members. A further complication is the variation between EU member states over the definition of waste and 
interpretation of legislation. Against this background a one year study was undertaken to investigate the inter-relationships between soil and water legislation 
in a range of EU member states. NICOLE members in each of the ten countries	were invited to review the legislative situation in their country. The review was 
structured around ten questions in three categories (legislation, the relationship between soil and waste and soil reuse) in order to allow some degree of 
comparison between the reviews. Each review was reviewed by a second NICOLE partner. The general conclusions were that comprehensive legislation was present 
in many of the countries investigated, but that it was generally a very recent innovation; in cases where comprehensive legislation didn’t exist, cases were 
generally examined on a case-by-case basis. Nonetheless, in either situation there were clear limitations to the legislation and opportunities for confusion,	particularly 
over the interpretation of waste as related to soil reuse.
Achieved Objectives: 
A full report and a summary report were published in December 2005 [1].    
The publication of these documents has stimulated a significant amount of comment [2, 3]. Clearly the subject is of concern to a variety of groups and it is 
hoped that the debate produced through this project will help to bring a legal resolution to the problems highlighted.    
1 Available at http://www.nicole.org    
2 EU study finds 'legal vacuum' on reuse of polluted soil in ENDS edition, January 2006  http://www.endsreport.com    
3 Clean and Pleasant Land; The changing world of land remediation in July/August 2006  issue of waste management world http://www.waste-management-world.com
Product Descriptions: 
As above
Additional Information:
Project Resources:
Weblink:
http://www.nicole.org/projects/DisplayProject.asp?Project=25
Funding Programme(s): 
NICOLE Funding Scheme
Link to Organisations:

Network for Industrially Contaminated Land in Europe
Submitted by: EUGRIS Team Professor Paul Bardos  Who does what?  10/10/2006 10:22:00
Updated by: EUGRIS Team Professor Paul Bardos  Who does what?  13/10/2006 10:11:00