In October 2024, the European Joint Research Centre (JRC), in collaboration with leading European research institutions—including the Spanish Carbon Science and Technology Institute, Paris-Saclay University, the University of Wuppertal, and others—published a study highlighting significant shortcomings in the EU’s management of soil pollution. The findings reveal that the persistent presence of heavy metals in European soils is exacerbating pollution and call for decisive and immediate action from policymakers.
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The research concludes that soil pollution has far-reaching consequences, particularly on microbial diversity and soil functionality. The JRC notes that contaminants reduce crop yields, degrade groundwater quality, and pose health risks to humans and animals through bioaccumulation in the food chain. Populations living near polluted soils face heightened risks of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.
Maps of European soils compiled through the LUCAS survey reveal that heavy metal concentrations—including copper, zinc, and cadmium—exceed acceptable limits in 10%, 36%, and 19% of soil samples, respectively, across the EU-27. While soil pollution stems from routine activities such as agriculture, industrial processes, transport emissions, and urban waste, phosphorus inputs to agricultural land are a key driver of elevated cadmium and zinc levels, according to the JRC.
The absence of a unified methodology for monitoring soil pollution within the EU has left critical knowledge gaps in soil management. Over the years, the EU has introduced fragmented legislative measures to establish thresholds for hazardous substances in plant protection products. However, legislative derogations have allowed the continued use of heavy metals in fertilizers, albeit under certain restrictions. The study underscores that the current legislative framework remains inadequate to combat soil pollution effectively, as it does not mandate Member States to monitor soil characteristics or implement systematic improvements consistently.
The EU’s latest attempt at a coordinated approach is the Soil Monitoring Law, designed to create an integrated soil information system and establish sustainable target values for soil health. Proposed in 2023, the law advanced to the trialogue stage on 22 October 2024. While the initial draft mandated stricter requirements for Member States, subsequent revisions by the European Parliament and Council introduced greater flexibility in national soil monitoring, removed mandatory deadlines for improvements, and eliminated penalties for non-compliance.
As it stands, the current version of the law represents a retreat to the status quo, adopting less ambitious measures to tackle soil pollution. To achieve meaningful progress, it is hoped that the Council and Parliament will incorporate input from environmental NGOs during the trialogues, recognizing the severity of soil pollution in the EU and the urgent need for stronger measures.
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