Foundation

Soil is a physical medium for the development of infrastructure (houses, industrial premises, roads, recreational and leisure facilities, etc.) and for waste disposal.

Two percent of the European continent is covered by constructed areas, ranging from 0.5 percent in Iceland to 12 percent in Hungary, 13 percent in Italy and 14 percent in the Netherlands. A number of countries have taken the view that the best agricultural soils should not be used for building or infrastructure development.