The European Union has reached a provisional agreement on the first legislative framework dedicated to soils - the Soil Monitoring Law. The European Parliament and the European Council will now proceed with the formal adoption of the new directive. Once adopted, it will enter into force 20 days after its publication in the Official Journal of the EU.
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Jointly developed by the European Parliament, Council, and Commission, the law establishes a framework for monitoring and assessing soil health across Member States. It introduces common soil descriptors and principles for evaluating soil quality through a shared methodology, aiming to improve data comparability across the EU.
Supporters, such as Renew Europe political group, describe the law as a crucial step toward future soil policies. It acknowledges the essential role that healthy soils play in biodiversity, agriculture, and climate resilience. Notably, the directive also calls for the development of a watch list of soil pollutants - such as PFAS and pesticides – to enable long-term monitoring of potentially harmful substances.
However, environmental NGOs and stakeholders like CEJA (European Council of Young Farmers) have expressed concern about the final version of the law. Many provisions from the original proposal were removed during negotiations. The directive does not include binding targets or obligations to restore soil health. Sustainable soil management practices are encouraged but not required, and measures to reduce land take remain voluntary—raising doubts about their effectiveness.
The law also provides broad flexibility for Member States. While a common methodology will be used, countries will define what constitutes “healthy” soil through nationally determined trigger values. Critics argue this could lead to fragmented implementation and weaken the directive’s potential to meet EU-wide environmental goals.
Despite the concerns, some stakeholders - including CEJA - view the directive as a step forward in improving transparency around land use. They stress, however, that it lacks a clear roadmap to meet the EU’s objective of no net land take by 2050. They highlight the need to monitor land availability and safeguard agricultural viability for future generations.
In sum, the Soil Monitoring Law is a significant milestone in EU environmental legislation. While its final version falls short of initial expectations, many organisations still advocate for its swift adoption as a key step in addressing the interconnected crises of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss.
More information available at:
To read the press release, follow this link
To read the opinion of RENEW, follow this link
To read the opinion by the European Environmental Bureau, follow this link
To read the opinion by the European Federation of National Associations of Water Services, follow this link
To follow up on CEJAs opinion, follow this link