WORKING COMMUNITY OF THE DANUBE REGIONS Heads of Governments Piestany SK, 12 October 2017

1. WORKING COMMUNITY OF THE DANUBE REGIONS Heads of Governments Piestany SK, 12 October 2017 Working Group SUSTAINABILITY-ENERGY-ENVIRONMENT, Soil Protection DI Christian Steiner & DI Dr. Erwin Szlezak, NÖ Agrarbezirksbehörde/Fachabteilung Landentwicklungwww.unserboden.at

3. EU Soil Framework Directive • A politicalandscientificmajority in Europe supports a European Soil Framework Directive • BlockingMinority(DE, F, UK, NL, AT) Targets: • Area-widesoilprotectionbyvoluntarymeasures • Tomaintainandtoenhancesustainablelanduse • Working Community supportsawarenessraisingto stick tothe Austrian position in theDanube Region (SONDAR-network)

5. CASEE – A Network of Central and South-Eastern European Universitieshttp://www.ica-casee.eu • Participating Members • of the Consortium: • BOKU Wien • Szent Istvan University • CULS Prague • WULS Warsaw • University of Zagreb • University of Novi Sad • USAMVBT Timisoara • SAU Nitra • Corvinus University Budapest

6. PA 6 SONDAR Soil Strategy Network in the Danube Region • PA 6, 7, 8, 9 SOPRO Soziale Produktion für die Umwelt • PA 6, 7, 8, 9 SONDAR+ Sustainable Strategy Network in the Danube Region • PA 9 BeFoRe Beteiligungsprozesse mit Fokus Globale Verantwortung

7. Decision regarding "soil protection & sustainable land use" 1. The Working Group “Sustainability” within the ARGE Donauländer continues its cooperation with Priority Area 6 “Biodiversity, Landscape, Air and Soil” of the EU Strategy of the Danube Region. In this context on-going and future projects are embedded and disseminated by the Task Force SONDAR Soil Strategy Network in the Danube Region. 2. ARGE Donauländer acts jointly with existing networks such as SONDAR, ELSA European Land and Soil Alliance, CASEE (Network der Life Science Universities) to distribute best practice examples in the Danube Region. 3. ARGE Donauländer turns special attention to the implementation of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, adopted by the United Nations.

8. Decision regarding "soil protection & sustainable land use" Work Program 2017 • „Humus managementand regional productionoforganicfertilizers“ Meeting on January 20, 2017 at Bio-Forschung-Austria in Vienna • Working Group „Sustainability, Energyand Environment“ focusingon „Soilprotectionandsustainablelanduse“ on April 26/27, 2017 in Tulln (focusingon „Shelterbelts“) • Life Science-Universities in theDanube Region (CASEE-Network): Meeting on April 27, 2017 in Tulln • Annual Conference oftheEuropean Land andSoil Alliance ELSA „Urban Gardening“ on May 18/19, 2017 in Linz • ApplicationofWater- andSoil-Data in theprojects „HydroBod“ and „SoilMap“ in autumn 2017 in Petzenkirchen • „Boden im Zentrum von Kreisläufen - Wissenschaft, Verwaltung & Praxis im Dialog“, 14./15. Nov. 2017 am Universitäts- und Forschungszentrum Tulln

9. Decision regarding "soil protection & sustainable land use" Work Program 2018 • 25. Working Group “Sustainability, Energy and Environment“ focusing on “soil protection and sustainable land use“, April 24/25, 2018 in Tullncooperating with Life Science-Universities in the Danube Region (CASEE-network): “Small-scale food production systems (micro-farming): perspectives for sustainable land use” • Annual Conference of the European Land and Soil Alliance ELSA “Soil Protection under pressure” in cooperation with City of Stuttgart, June 14/15, 2018 in Stuttgart • ETC-Project CZ-AT “Climate Green – Adaptation toclimatechangebymeansof Green Infrastructure“ (Lead Partner: RU3/AT; Partner: NÖABB) • ETC-Project CZ-AT “INTEKOTechnological Innovation of Compost Application and Soil Protection” (Lead Partner: ZERA/CZ) • ETC-Project AT –HU “AgriNature” Biodiversityby anthropogene use in natureprotectionreserves(submitted) (Lead Partner: MA49 Wien/AT) • EROWIN Challenges for forest management in Eastern Austria, will we be able to control wind erosion under climate change? (submitted) (Lead Partner: BFW/AT) • Humus Management and regional Production of Organic Fertilizers (Bioforschung Austria Wien) • Alliance of Networks of Sustainability and Health (coperation with NÖGUS)

10. Decision regarding "soil protection & sustainable land use" Outlook 2019, maintopics • Shelter belts as Biotope Network Systems: Assessment and Implementation of Soil Protection Hedges in the Danube Regions. • Soil Fertility: Humus management and regional production of organic fertilizers provide relevant contributions to the adaption to climate change. • Soil Map for the Danube Region: General Map of the Danube Region Map on regional level using the example of Lower Austria • Adaptation to Climate Change: Protection and Improvement of Green Infrastructure under the aspects of Health and Quality of Life using the examples of the project “Climate Green”. • Micro-farming: Small-scale food production systems, perspectives for sustainable land use • Production Potential of Agricultural Area: Assessment of production potentials of the agricultural area using the example of soya from Danube regions

11. SoilProtectionHedges in Lower Austria • New Plantings • about30 hectares per year • about80% ofnewinstallations • about20% Re-greeningofoldfacilities Treeheight • Care Measures • about 900 greeneries • on 150 hectares(3 operations per year) • in 120 cadastralmunicipalities Shrubheight • Total Stock (since 1958) • about3.000 hectares • Plant Requirement per year • 20.000 trees (on average) • 80.000 shrubs (on average) • mainlyproduced in ourowntreenursery • from regional seeds, harvested in Lower Austria

12. DI Christian Steiner & DI Dr. Erwin Szlezak Working Community of the Danube Regions Working Group Sustainability – Soil Protection & Sustainable Land Use NÖ Agrarbezirksbehörde/Fachabteilung Landentwicklung Landhausplatz 1, 3109 St. Pölten christian.steiner@noel.gv.aterwin.szlezak@noel.gv.at www.unserboden.at / www.sondar.eu / www.soilart.eu / www.sozialproduziert.at