EU member states have today (Monday, June 17), reached a general approach on the proposed soil monitoring law which aims to have all soils in the EU in “healthy condition” by 2050.
Last year, the European Commission put forward the soil monitoring directive to ensure the same level of protection for soil that exists for water, the marine environment, and the air in the EU.
The general approach reached by the Council of the EU (environment ministers) today aims to make soil health monitoring obligatory, as 60% of soils in the EU are not in a “good condition”.
Healthy soils are the foundation for 95% of our food, host more than 25% of the biodiversity in the world, and are the largest terrestrial carbon pool on the planet. Yet, soil is a limited resource, the council said.
The general approach provides guiding principles for sustainable soil management, and addresses situations where soil contamination poses “unacceptable” health and environment risks.
Soil monitoring
Under a “comprehensive monitoring framework”, member states, supported by the commission, will first monitor and then assess the health of all soils in their territory.
Sustainable soil management practices and other “appropriate measures” can then be taken by authorities and landowners across the EU. Member states will determine sampling points for monitoring.
Soil sampling will be based on an EU common methodology. Additional flexibilities are sought for member states regarding soil measurements, including the possibility to use existing data and monitoring systems.
The general approach on the proposed law reached by the council also sets out the minimum quality requirements for laboratories analysing soil samples to ensure the comparability of soil measurements.
The council shares the commission proposal’s ambition on assessment of soil health, maintaining the concept of soil descriptors. These are physical, chemical and biological parameters.
In order to adapt to local circumstances, a “more flexible” double-value system was agreed in the council today to assess soil health:
- Non-binding sustainable target values at EU level to reflect the long-term objectives;
- Operational trigger values, set at member state level for each soil descriptor, in order to prioritise and gradually implement measures leading to a healthy soil status.
Member states will define practices on sustainable soil management within five years of the directive entering into force, according to the council’s general approach.
While maintaining the objective to have no net land take by 2050, the general approach is centred on tackling soil sealing and soil destruction, as the most visible, the most impactful and the easiest to monitor aspects of land take.
Land take is a process which causes a modification of land use and of the characteristics of the soil, according to the council’s general approach on the proposed soil monitoring law,.
However, mitigation principles set out are “sufficiently flexible” to respect member states’ spatial planning decisions, including on housing and energy transition measures, the council said.
Under the directive proposed by the commission, member states will identify all potentially contaminated sites, then map them in a public register. The general approach by the council, however, introduces a “risk-based” and “stepwise” approach.
This will allow member states to “prioritise” measures. To help identify potentially contaminated sites, EU environment ministers agreed on establishing national lists of potentially contaminating activities.
Once a contaminated site has been identified, it will be investigated, and any “unacceptable risks” for human health and the environment will be addressed, according to the Council of the EU.
The general approach reached by the council will allow its rotating presidency to start talks with the European Parliament on the final shape of the text. Negotiations are expected to start under the new legislative cycle.