Faced with highly comparable issues any given number of people will likely come up with similar, yet differing approaches. This panel looks into how this principle has worked out in the approach of soil contamination issues in the EU and the US. Philippe Quevauviller (EC, DG Environment - Brussels) kicks off by describing 25 years of Soil and Water policy from the perspective of the European Commission. He speaks, incidentally, directly from the seat of the Commission in Brussels through a telephone connection. Jeffrey Heimerman (US EPA - Washington DC) then presents the evolution of US Clean Up Programs, taking on issues across the board, from policy development to citizen involvement. Jörg Frauenstein and Maike Hauschild (Umweltbundesamt – Berlin) compare legal, administrative, and remediation trends in several European countries, demonstrating a promising Internet tool called EUGRIS in the process. Anja Sinke (BP, representing the industrial network NICOLE) completes the picture by presenting the view of the industrial world on 25 years of dealing with soil contamination. All speakers include perspectives for the (immediate) future where possible.