Mejor apoyo para agricultores con nueva ley de monitoreo de suelos de la UE
On Wednesday night, the Parliament and Council negotiators reached a provisional political agreement on the Commission’s proposal for a soil monitoring law. The overall goal is to have healthy European soils by 2050, in line with the EU’s «zero pollution» ambition. It should also provide a more coherent and harmonized EU framework for soil monitoring.
Monitoring and Evaluation of EU Soil
According to the agreement, Member States will be required to monitor and evaluate soil health in their territories using common soil descriptors, which characterize the physical, chemical, and biological aspects of soil health for each soil type, and a EU methodology for sampling points. To make it easier for Member States, they will be free to rely on national soil monitoring campaigns or other equivalent methodologies. The Commission will support Member States by strengthening their current EU soil sampling program, Lucas Soils. It will provide financial and personalized technical assistance.
To reflect different levels of soil degradation and local conditions, national governments will set specific and enduring goals for each soil descriptor, in line with the overall goal of improving soil health.
No New Obligations for Farmers
To protect farmers and forestry, the agreed Directive does not impose any new obligations on landowners or land managers. Instead, it requires EU countries to help them improve soil health and soil resilience: the soil’s ability to play its vital role in the ecosystem. Support measures may include independent advice, capacity training, and consolidation activities, as well as promoting research, innovation, and measures to enhance the benefits of soil resilience. Member States will also have to regularly assess the financial burden on farmers and forestry to improve soil health and soil resilience.
Contaminated Soils
The law will require Member States to draw up a public list of potentially contaminated sites within ten years of entry into force and address any unacceptable risks to human health and the environment.
Finally, an indicative watch list of emerging substances that could pose a significant risk to soil health, human health, or the environment and for which data is needed will be drawn up 18 months after the law enters. This list will include relevant PFAs (also known as «Forever Chemicals») and pesticides.
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To reach the agreement, Rapporteur Martin Hojsk (Renew, SK) said: «Today’s agreement is an important step to enhance support for farmers and everyone else in maintaining soil health. Providing better information and assistance while avoiding bureaucracy and new obligations are the cornerstone of soil.»
Next Steps
The Parliament and Council concluded an «early reading agreement» (negotiation took place after the Parliament’s first reading in plenary). The Council is now expected to formally adopt this Agreement, and the Parliament will have to approve the text in plenary, in the second reading.
The directive will enter into force 20 days after its publication in the Official Journal of the EU. From this moment, EU countries will have three years to comply.
Background
It is estimated that 60 to 70% of European soils are unhealthy due to urbanization, low recycling rates, intensification of agricultural practices, and climate change. Degraded soils are key factors in climate and biodiversity crises and reduce ecosystem service provision. This costs the EU at least 50 billion euros per year, according to the Commission.
