Article 13 — Risk-based and stepwise approach

1. Member States shall ensure that the risks to human health and the environment of potentially contaminated sites and contaminated sites are identified, managed, and kept at acceptable levels, taking account of the environmental, social and economic impact of the soil contamination and of the risk reduction measures taken pursuant to Article 16(4). Those risks may be evaluated taking into account the current and planned land use during each of the steps referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article. Member States shall establish a hierarchy of responsibility to determine the party or parties responsible for the site-specific implementation of paragraph 2, points (b) and (c), of this Article. 2. Without prejudice to more stringent requirements that arise from Union or national law, Member States shall, by 17 December 2029, establish a risk-based and stepwise approach for the following: (a) the identification of potentially contaminated sites in accordance with Article 14; (b) the investigation of potentially contaminated sites in accordance with Article 15; (c) the site-specific risk assessment and management of contaminated sites in accordance with Article 16. 3. The public concerned shall be given early and effective opportunities: (a) to provide comments on the establishment and concrete application of the risk-based and stepwise approach referred to in paragraph 2; (b) to provide information relevant for the activities referred to in point (a), such as human biomonitoring or environmental monitoring data from research projects; (c) to provide information with a view to correcting the information contained in the register referred to in Article 17. Comments provided under point (a) of this paragraph shall be taken into account when Member States establish and apply the risk-based and stepwise approach. 4. For the purposes of paragraph 3, Member States shall ensure that relevant information is provided to the public in a timely, adequate and effective manner, including by public notices and electronic media.