D5.1 Barriers & solutions for reuse of contaminated land and soils

ISLANDR (Information-based Strategies for Land Remediation) is a multidisciplinary project that supports the implementation of the EU mission A Soil Deal for Europe. Its research activities develop tools and methods to delineate polluted soils across Europe, assess soil-related risks based on evidence, promote sustainable and risk-based land management, broaden economic valuation in investment cases, and better integrate land contamination considerations into spatial planning. Insights gained throughout the project will also inform policy-relevant outcomes linked to the EU Soil Strategy, the proposed Soil Monitoring Law, and other soil-related policy areas. To test and validate its approaches, ISLANDR has identified seven ISLANDR Test Areas (ITAs) across Europe. These ITAs provide real-world contexts representing diverse land uses, including urban, peri-urban, rural, agro-forestry, mining, and coastal areas. They include both point and diffuse pollution sources and cover a wide range of soil contamination types, such as organic and inorganic pollutants and contaminants of emerging concern. A key focus of ISLANDR is low-input remediation, particularly in areas affected by the green transition, such as former mining sites. This focus aims to enable remediation even where economic returns are marginal or potentially negative. Achieving this requires not only a stronger technical understanding of low-input remediation solutions but also broader value propositions for investment and innovative financial planning. Stakeholders and end users in the ITAs provide continuous feedback on the ISLANDR Roadmap, ensuring iterative refinement and encouraging wider uptake of project outcomes. Within ISLANDR, Work Package 5 (WP5) addresses spatial planning models, prioritization, and strategies for contaminated land and soil reuse. This report represents the first step, identifying barriers to land reuse and strategies to maximize the reuse of excavated soils. Task 5.1 examines technical, financial, legal, social, and institutional barriers through desk research and stakeholder input, highlighting challenges in implementing Sustainable and Risk-Based Land Management. Task 5.2 focuses on excavated soil reuse, addressing regulatory and circular-economy barriers and reviewing pioneering reuse schemes across Europe, resulting in a template to support wider adoption of soil reuse practices.