From the 1970s onwards, soil and groundwater contamination has become an increasingly important regulatory issue. However, there are still no uniform regulations. Numerous sets of rules have been developed which, among other things, aim to protect soil and groundwater and have led to standardisation throughout Europe and the world. These sets of rules include, for example, laws on the transport of dangerous goods, laws governing chemicals and laws relating to emission control. However, questions such as how to deal with contamination and who is responsible for its elimination can be answered only for the respective legal system.
The purpose of this guide is to assist with an initial risk assessment and to provide practical advice regarding the particularities of each of the 24 legal systems covered. However, owing to the large number of scenarios, this guide does not constitute legal advice. On the following pages, CMS environmental law experts present an overview by answering a set of eleven questions according to their respective jurisdiction, including Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Chile, China, Colombia, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkiye, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.