07/11/2017 (Agence Europe) – The Estonian Presidency of the Council of the EU has had to give up on its plan to get a conclusions document adopted on soil protection by the EU's agriculture ministers (see EUROPE 11894). At their meeting in Brussels on Monday 6 November, most ministers recognised the importance of protecting agricultural land against erosion, pollution, impoverishment and artificialisation, but said they did not favour European legislation, preferring to be free to introduce measures at national level. The Estonian Presidency therefore had to simply call in the conclusions document for the next CAP to take better account of the question. The European Commission’s proposal for a directive on soil protection was dropped back in 2014 after years of deadlock.