scholarly journals Present restrictions of sewage sludge application in agriculture within the European Union

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (No. 2) ◽  
pp. 104-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hana Hudcová ◽  
Jan Vymazal ◽  
Miloš Rozkošný

The use of sludge in agriculture within the European Union (EU) is currently regulated only by the limits of heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn) listed in Council Directive 86/278/EEC. This document is now more than 30 years old. Several European countries have introduced more stringent requirements in comparison with the directive, and have adopted limits for concentrations of other heavy metals, synthetic organic compounds and microbial contamination. The paper provides an overview of the current limits of these substances in sewage sludge and concentration limits of heavy metals in soil intended for sludge application, together with applicable laws and regulations in European Union countries. There is a need to update these regulations taking into account the current risks associated with the application of sludge to agricultural land, with the possibility of using ecotoxicological tests to assess the risks. A wide range of technologies for sewage sludge processing is used in EU countries. The predominant choice is a direct application in agriculture followed by composting. The use of sewage sludge in agriculture in 2014 and 2015 in 13 EU countries that provided data amounted to 22.6% (2014) and 22.1% (2015) of produced sludge and 23.3% (2014) and 23.1% (2015) of sludge disposed. It is also highly variable within EU countries ranging between zero (Malta, Slovenia, Slovakia) and 80% (Ireland). Over 50% of sewage sludge is used in agriculture in Bulgaria according to 2015 data.  

2004 ◽  
pp. 143-149
Author(s):  
Imre Horváth

Regulating the use of waste water and sewage sludge in agriculture in such a way as to prevent harmful effects on soil, vegetation, animals and man.In European Union there is a Council Directive (86/278/EEC) on the protection of the environment, and in particular of the soil, when sewage sludge is used in agriculture.In the enlargement process of the European Union the Hungarian Government created a new rule (50/2001. (IV. 3.) Government regulation) which regulate using of waste water and sewage sludge in agriculture. This Hungarian rule is legal and reconcilable with the Council Directive.The Regulation lays down limit values for concentrations of heavy metals in the soil, in waste water, in sludge and for the maximum annual quantities of heavy metals which may be introduced into the soil.Waste water, sludge and soil on which it is used must be sampled and analysed.Sewage sludge must be treated for six months before being used in agriculture.The use of waste water and sludge prohibited on grassland, on nature reserved areas, in ecological farming, and soil in witch fruit and vegetable crops are growing, with the exception of fruit trees.The states soil conservation authority must keep records registering the following:– the quantities of waste water and sludge produced;– the composition and properties of sludge;– the type of treatment carried out;– the names and addresses of the recipients of the sludge and places where the sludge is to be used.The Government every four years must prepare a consolidated report on the use of sludge in agriculture, specifying quantities used, criteria followed and any difficulties encountered. This report must be forwarded to the Commission.Last but not least in the light of Member States reports, the Commission will if necessary submit appropriate proposals for increased protection of the soil and the environment.


2019 ◽  
Vol 19(34) (1) ◽  
pp. 133-143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Twardowska

The article raises the issue of dependence between agricultural land prices in the European Union countries. The aim of the article is to provide an answer to the following question: if the level of agricultural land price differentiation in the European Union is diminishing. The analysis covered prices of agricultural land in selected the EU countries in the period 2006 - 2016. The study was based on the occurrence of convergence in three dimensions: throughout the European Union, between the so-called old EU and between the so-called new EU countries. As a result of the conducted analyses, the phenomenon of sigma-convergence of agricultural land prices across the EU was confirmed. It was also found that in the so-called new EU countries and in so-called old EU countries there is no sigma convergence of agricultural land prices.


THE BULLETIN ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (390) ◽  
pp. 220-228
Author(s):  
S. V. Ryazantsev ◽  
M. N. Khramova ◽  
A. I. Tyshkevich

The article analyzes the prerequisites, factors and consequences of immigration to the European Union from countries with a predominantly Muslim population. The main typological characteristics of the recipient countries of migrants from predominantly Muslim countries are highlighted. The problems studied in this article attract the attention of a wide range of specialists due to its relevance and at the same time due to the lack of any adequate answers to the modern challenges faced by the de facto multicultural societies of developed industrial countries. The results of consideration of the rights and freedoms of migrants in various EU countries are also important in scientific and practical terms. Special attention is paid to the analysis of the situation in Germany, as the most attractive country for migrants. In the context of the ongoing changes in the ethnodemographic structure of the population, the forecast of the number and gender and age structure of the Muslim population in Germany by 2050 is given. This forecast suggests that the population of Muslim origin in Germany will increase from 4.3 million in 2014 to at least 5.8 million by 2050. The increase will be achieved mainly due to a higher fertility rate than that of the Germans. According to the theory of E. Lee, the authors distinguish two groups of factors, "pushing factors" and "attraction factors", which contribute to the immigration of Muslims to more economically developed countries. The push factors in the countries of origin of migrants are mainly related to the unstable political situation, economic crises, and high unemployment, especially among the young population. Attracting factors are mainly related to the ability to receive certain economic preferences in the country of reception, to get educated, to have a stable income and medical care. Along with certain benefits, expressed in an increase in the share of the working-age population, Muslim migration also carries certain risks for EU countries: socio-cultural, religious, criminal, economic, political and geopolitical factors that can significantly affect the balance of political forces in the EU countries. The problems that arose with the adaptation and integration of Muslim migrants as a result of the largest migration crisis in the twenty-first century showed that the host country, in this case, the member States of the European Union, found themselves in a paradoxical situation. On the one hand, resolutions were prepared and adopted at the European level, and a set of measures was developed to accept migrants and provide them with financial and social assistance, which was expected to facilitate the process of adaptation and further lay the foundation for the assimilation of young Muslims. It was assumed that these steps will help, to some extent, to spread democratic values and principles for immigrants. On the other hand, in reality, the situation turned out to be much more complex and ambiguous, a number of EU States actually refused to accept migrants on their territories. The countries of the Visegrad group can be cited as an example. The split within the EU on migration issues calls the very existence of the European Union into question. This paper uses data from Eurostat, the International organization for migration, the German statistical office, the European Commission, the European Statistical Office, and a number of other reputable statistical agencies as input data. The material presented in the article does not contain information (information) related to state secrets of the countries of the European Union and the Russian Federation.


2020 ◽  
pp. 92-97
Author(s):  
A. V. Kuznetsov

The article examines the norms of international law and the legislation of the EU countries. The list of main provisions of constitutional and legal restrictions in the European Union countries is presented. The application of the norms is described Human rights conventions. The principle of implementing legal acts in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic is considered. A comparative analysis of legal restrictive measures in the States of the European Union is carried out.


2012 ◽  
Vol 50 (No. 11) ◽  
pp. 486-494
Author(s):  
Z. Chrastinová

In the year before the accession to the European Union, the Slovak agricultural sector reported a loss of SKK 2.4 billion and following a profitable year, the earnings were reduced by SKK 2.8 billion. The situation was caused by a number of reasons, namely reduced sales of agricultural products, damage resulting from adverse weather effects (cold weather, hail, drought and  swine fever), as well as widening of the price gap compared to the year before (increasing input prices in agriculture and decreasing purchase prices of agricultural products, especially in livestock production). Legal entities and natural persons experienced mixed business success. While 51% of legal entities made profit, the figure rose to 76% in the group of natural persons. Both the agricultural cooperatives and trading companies performed with a loss. The loss per hectare of agricultural land (a.l.) was substantially lower in the case of business companies. Natural persons - private farmers were profitable over the period. The gap between the profitable and loss-making enterprises has widened. Some 60% of profitable enterprises owned by legal entities made only a small profit below SKK 0.5 million. The loss-making performance was typical for more productive areas of Slovakia. This was related to stronger effects of adverse climate in 2003.


Resources ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 49
Author(s):  
Ewa Mazur-Wierzbicka

There are many studies which implement and assess existing measurement manners and document the progress of entities towards the circular economy (CE) at various levels, or present or propose new possibilities of measurement. The majority of them refer to the micro level. The aim of this paper is to conduct a multidimensional comparative analysis of the implementation of circular economy by EU countries. After an in-depth critical analysis of the literature, CE indicators which were proposed by the European Commission were adopted as a basis. Owing to the research population-Member States of the European Union (EU-28), focusing on the said indicators was declared reasonable in all aspects. The classification of EU countries according to the level of their advancement in the concept of CE was adopted as a main research task. In order to do so, a relevant index of development of circular economy was created (IDCE). This will allow us, inter alia, to trace changes in the spatial differentiation of advancement of the EU countries in implementing CE over the years, to identify CE implementation leaders as well as countries particularly delayed in this regard. The comparative analysis was conducted by means of statistical methods. On the basis of the analyses, it was concluded that among all EU countries, those of the old EU are the most advanced in terms of CE. The analysis confirmed significant rising trends for IDCE only in the case of Belgium and The Netherlands.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 1570
Author(s):  
Tomasz Rokicki ◽  
Aleksandra Perkowska ◽  
Bogdan Klepacki ◽  
Piotr Bórawski ◽  
Aneta Bełdycka-Bórawska ◽  
...  

The paper’s main purpose was to identify and present the current situation and changes in energy consumption in agriculture in the European Union (EU) countries. The specific objectives were the determination of the degree of concentration of energy consumption in agriculture in the EU countries, showing the directions of their changes, types of energy used, and changes in this respect, establishing the correlation between energy consumption and changes in the economic and agricultural situation in the EU countries. All member states of the European Union were deliberately selected for research on 31 December 2018 (28 countries). The research period covered the years 2005–2018. The sources of materials were the literature on the subject, and data from Eurostat. Descriptive, tabular, and graphical methods were used to analyze and present materials, dynamics indicators with a stable base, Gini concentration coefficient, concentration analysis using the Lorenz curve, coefficient of variation, Kendall’s tau correlation coefficient, and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. A high concentration of energy consumption in agriculture was found in several EU countries, the largest in countries with the largest agricultural sector, i.e., France and Poland. There were practically no changes in the concentration level. Only in the case of renewable energy, a gradual decrease in concentration was visible. More and more countries developed technologies that allow the use of this type of energy. However, the EU countries differed in terms of the structure of the energy sources used. The majority of the basis was liquid fuels, while stable and gaseous fuels were abandoned in favor of electricity and renewable sources—according to which, in the EU countries, the research hypothesis was confirmed: a gradual diversification of energy sources used in agriculture, with a systematic increase in the importance of renewable energy sources. The second research hypothesis was also confirmed, according to which the increase in the consumption of renewable energy in agriculture is closely related to the economy’s parameters. The use of renewable energy is necessary and results from concern for the natural environment. Therefore, economic factors may have a smaller impact.


Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 585
Author(s):  
Catalina Iticescu ◽  
Puiu-Lucian Georgescu ◽  
Maxim Arseni ◽  
Adrian Rosu ◽  
Mihaela Timofti ◽  
...  

The use of sewage sludge in agriculture decreases the pressure on landfills. In Romania, massive investments have been made in wastewater treatment stations, which have resulted in the accumulation of important quantities of sewage sludge. The presence of these sewage sludges coincides with large areas of degraded agricultural land. The aim of the present article is to identify the best technological combinations meant to solve these problems simultaneously. Adapting the quality and parameters of the sludge to the specificity of the land solves the possible compatibility problems, thus reducing the impact on the environment. The physico-chemical characteristics of the fermented sludge were monitored and optimal solutions for their treatment were suggested so as to allow that the sludge could be used in agriculture according to the characteristics of the soils. The content of heavy metals in the sewage sludge was closely monitored because the use of sewage sludge as a fertilizer does not allow for any increases in the concentrations of these in soils. The article identifies those agricultural areas which are suitable for the use of sludge, as well as ways of correcting some parameters (e.g., pH), which allow the improvement of soil quality and obtained higher agricultural production.


2017 ◽  
Vol 603-604 ◽  
pp. 827-831 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gergely Tóth ◽  
Tamás Hermann ◽  
Gábor Szatmári ◽  
László Pásztor

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (11) ◽  
pp. 251-257
Author(s):  
Anzhelika L. Gendon ◽  
◽  
Galina F. Golubeva ◽  

The article examines the financial support (not tax) of the economy in the EU countries due to the pandemic. A comprehensive vision of the situation and strategic planning are the foundation of the Euro-pean Union's economic policy. These qualities help to develop comprehensive measures to stabilize the labor market and entrepreneurship in the countries of the European Union in the context of a global emergency. A positive factor is also the fact that in an epidemic situation, political decisions of various states are aimed at introducing socially oriented measures that support their citizens.


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