On the role of environmental reference materials in the development of horizontal standards for environmental protection

摘要

The need for standardisation and harmonisation of measurements increases with the progress of the European integration process. One of the areas for which the need for harmonisation has been emphasised is the protection of the soil compartment. While knowledge of problems associated with soils is increasing in Europe, based on soil surveys, monitoring systems and data networks, the corresponding (analytical) data is not often comparable, which limits its value for policy development. In this context, the European Commission has invited the Member States to investigate the possibility for a harmonisation of European standards in the fields of soil, sludge and biodegradable waste (compost). Furthermore, the development of new reference materials for both the validation of these new methods and their successful implementation on a routine basis is required. This paper shows some selected examples for which the development of horizontal standards may be worth investigating. In addition, it discusses and proposes the vehicle of (C)RMs for the implementation of a common measurement system for soil, related to these horizontal standards. It also raises some open questions and sheds light on future perspectives and challenges.