Aims and Activities

The overriding aim of the network is "the sustainable use of all types of soils to retain and promote all soil functions and soil resources and the natural and cultural heritage for present and future generations and the socially acceptable use of soil and land" In order to achieve this aim, the member local authorities want to:

• exploit the powers vested in them to encourage sustainable development
• make use of their exemplary function as local authorities
• involve all actors as called for by Agenda 21 in planning and arranging their municipal areas and in solving specific urban and rural soil problems

contribute to raising the awareness of the general public for the sustainable utilisation of soils acquire further members from all member states of the EU and from countries which have concluded the association agreement with the EU. Work together with the EU Commission on European strategies concerned with the sustainable use of soils. The main strengths of ELSA lie in bringing together specialists at European and inter-municipal level, with the aim of developing and implementing joint strategies for local authorities and regions. Among other things, the focus is on developing joint strategies for implementing meta-level concepts at local and regional level, such as the European Spatial Development Perspective (ESDP), the European Commission's Soil Protection Communication etc.. ELSA e.V. holds yearly international conferences on soil topics. The first international conference took place in november 2001 in Osnabrück, Germany under the patronage of Mr. Hama Arba Diallo, Executive Secretary of the UNCCD, the second Conference in Augsburg, Germany under the patronage of Prof. Dr. Klaus Töpfer, Executive Director of the UNEP, Nairobi, Kenia.

Informing and communicating with the general public is a paramount concern in putting across topics involving sustainable urban development and the sustainable utilisation of soils. For this reason, members of ELSA commit themselves, as worded in the manifesto, "...to involve all actors in accordance with Agenda 21 in planning and arranging the municipal area and in solving specific urban and rural soil problems" and "to contribute to raising the awareness of the general public for a sustainable utilisation of soils." The collaboration of ELSA members will enable a significant contribution to be made in involving the public at large and increasing the level of awareness throughout Europe. This is the only way to realise the aims of sustainable urban development and those of Agenda 21.