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REPORT (COM(2023)0416 – C90234/2023 – 2023/0232(COD))

On the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on Soil Monitoring and Resilience (Soil Monitoring Law)

A-9-2024-0138

Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety · Rapporteur: Martin Hojsík

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Written by a language model from the full text only; every figure comes from the text. The paragraph links open the paragraph a statement rests on — check the text itself before relying on it.

Parliament's amended version of the proposed Soil Monitoring Law sets up a framework for monitoring, assessing and improving soil health across the EU, aiming for healthy soils by 2050. It introduces a five-class soil ecological status system, lets member states choose among three monitoring tiers, and requires them to improve soil status within set timelines. Member states must identify and investigate potentially contaminated sites, manage risks, and ensure public participation and access to information. The Commission must establish a digital soil health data portal and a Sustainable Soil Management Toolbox, and provide financial support and assistance to member states.

Committee position. The Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety proposes amendments to the Commission proposal, introducing a five-class ecological status system, tiered monitoring, and binding improvement timelines.

Key points

  1. The directive aims to achieve healthy soils by 2050, with member states required to take technically feasible and cost-benefit-based measures.
  2. Soil health is assessed using a five-class ecological status: high, good, moderate, degraded, and critically degraded; healthy means good or high.
  3. Member states must establish soil districts, at least as many as NUTS 1 units, and may cooperate across borders.
  4. Monitoring must follow one of three tiers, with tier 1 as minimum; tier 2 allows 20% variation in thresholds and includes LUCAS sampling.
  5. First soil measurements must be done within 3 years, and new measurements at least every 6 years; land take indicators updated every 2 years.
  6. Member states must improve soil ecological status: from critically degraded to degraded within 10 years, and from degraded to moderate and moderate to good within 6 years.
  7. Sustainable soil management practices must be defined, taking into account non-binding principles in Annex III, and avoiding practices with significant negative effects.
  8. Land take must be avoided or reduced, with compensation for loss of ecosystem services and measures to prevent or limit land take.
  9. Potentially contaminated sites must be identified and investigated, with priority for areas used for drinking water abstraction.
  10. Risk reduction measures must be based on prevention and decontamination, and must comply with water quality standards for drinking water.
  11. The Commission must establish a digital soil health data portal and a Sustainable Soil Management Toolbox, publicly available free of charge.
  12. The Commission must report on financial resources and gaps, and additional resources for post-2027 period to support implementation.

Who is affected

  • Member states: must set up monitoring, assessment, and management systems, and report to the Commission.
  • Landowners and land managers: must receive soil health data free of charge and may be affected by sustainable management practices.
  • Public concerned: gets early participation opportunities in identifying and managing contaminated sites.
  • Commission: must provide support, establish data portal and toolbox, and report on funding.

Figures and deadlines

  • 60 to 70 % of soils in the Union are deteriorated.
  • 1 000 years to produce 1 centimetre of top soil.
  • At least 20 % of national samples to be analysed by LUCAS.
  • Up to 50% sampling assistance during first national monitoring round.
  • First soil measurements within 3 years; new measurements every 6 years.
  • Improvement timelines: 10 years for critically degraded to degraded, 6 years for other transitions.
  • 20% variation allowed for tier 2 thresholds.

Legal basis: Article 192(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union