International experience shows that a complete and scientific technical system for prevention and control of soil pollution is the foundation key to comprehensive promotion of protection of soil quality and protection and control of soil pollution, particularly in China where the work to prevent and control soil pollution is still at its starting stage and confronted a series of challenges. Although the responsibility is heavy and long-lasting, it is a must for building up soil pollution management capacity. In this sense, to effectively prevent and address the problem of severe soil pollution in deserted industrial sites, and promote safety and sustainable utilization of urban lands, this paper presents a comprehensive and systematic overview of the technical systems for prevention and control of soil pollution in the USA, UK and other European countries, including their elements, composition, evolution features, laws and regulations, technical guidelines and standards, and management system. Though the technical systems of these countries are quite similar, but do differ from each other in certain aspects. The establishment of a complete effective sets of soil pollution prevention and control systems must be based on the principle of end-to-end sustainable management of risks and encompass the three interrelated and mutually affected elements, i.e. legal support, technical system and management means. Laws and rules are the core principles and key guidance in standard formulation and measure enforcement; standard guidelines further detail and specify feasibilities of the laws and rules; and management means are assorted guarantees of the laws, rules and standard guidelines at the practice level. The perfect site soil pollution prevention and control systems of the developed countries may serve as reference of great guiding significance to China in building its soil pollution prevention and control system. By referring to the successful experience of the developed countries, and proceeding from the actual needs and specific national conditions, this paper elaborated development direction and important contents of a "legislation - technology - management" integrated soil pollution prevention and control system.