Environment and Soil Management Award

The Environment and Soil Management Award was created by ELO under the auspices of Commissioner Stavros DIMAS. It is promoted by ELO, DG Environment, the University of Natural Resources and Applied Sciences of Vienna, the Centre for Soil and Environmental Sciences of the University of Ljubljana, the EU Joint Research Centre (JRC) and Syngenta International AG.

With an amount of 2500 € and a diploma of recognition, the Environment and Soil Management Award recognizes outstanding tools and management practices contributing to the protection of soil and land, and improving environmental quality.

The project:

Must contribute to the increase in land sustainability, land protection and the improvement of soil quality and particularly to the mitigation of the threats below;
Shall be environmentally, socially and economically sustainable;
And must be innovative, original and transferable as a model.

The Environment and Soil Management Award 2009 was given to Ms. Jana MADĚROVÁ (the Czech Republic) for her efforts in preserving her family estate. The second ranked application "The Domains LISTEL” (France) was awarded with a diploma of excellence.

The aim of this prize is to encourage new concepts of protection and their implementation and to enhance awareness of the importance of soil and environmental activities. This prize will reward professionals working in the area of land use and management, while pursuing the soil protection from threats defined by EU criteria in a preventive approach. These threats are erosion, reduction of organic matter content, pollution, soil sealing and compaction as well as the reduction of soil biodiversity, salinisation, flooding and land slides.

Eligibility criteria:

The Environment and Soil Management Award is intended to recognize quality instruments and management practices which contribute to the protection of land and the soil, by improving the quality of the environment.

Selection criteria:

The project must contribute to added value to sustainable land management practices, the protection and improvement of soil quality and particularly to the fight against the above-mentioned threats.

The project must be sustainable environmentally, socially and economically.

The project must also be innovative, original and transferable as a model.

Appropriate measures must be taken to avoid:

· Erosion;

· decline in organic matter;

· soil contamination;

· soil compaction;

· decline in soil biodiversity;

· salinisation;

· floods and landslides.

Prize description:

With an amount of 2500 € and a diploma of recognition, the Environment and Soil Management Award Certificate will recognize outstanding tools and management practices contributing to the protection of soil and land, and improving environmental quality.

Deadline: The call for proposals is open until 30^th November 2009.

Please find the application form HERE and send it to the following address:

Environment and Soil Management Award

European Landowners’ Organization

Rue de Trèves 67

BE - 1040 Brussels

Tel: + 32 (0)2 235 2004

Fax: + 32 (0) 2 234 3009

AND by email to forest@elo.org