A new law requiring EU countries to monitor and protect soil health will take effect across the European Union starting 16 December, the European Commission has announced.
Soil degradation affects every EU nation, with 60–70% of soils currently in poor condition, according to the Commission.
The economic impact of unhealthy soils is estimated to exceed €50 billion each year— more than the gross domestic product of Latvia or Cyprus.
The Soil Monitoring Law covers multiple types of land, including forests, farmland, and urban soils.
The regulation addresses various causes of soil degradation, such as erosion, contamination, and soil sealing, and tasks all EU member states with regularly assessing and reporting on soil health.
Tackle degradation
The European Commission will provide support for member states, including technical assistance, training, and access to a new online portal for soil health data.
The directive does not impose binding environmental targets or ban agricultural activities. It also does not require countries to introduce new permit procedures or affect national control over land use planning.
The policy includes steps to tackle issues with contaminated sites; if there are risks to human health or the environment, member states must apply appropriate risk reduction actions and ensure relevant information is publicly accessible at no cost, the European Commission noted.
In addition to better monitoring, the law will offer support to farmers and land managers to help rebuild soil quality and resilience.
