22/02/2022 (Agence Europe) – The European Commission is consulting the public until midnight on 16 March, with a view to preparing the proposal for a directive on soil health, which will be the backbone of the EU's soil strategy for 2030. This strategy was presented in November 2021, ‘to reap the benefits of healthy soils for people, food, nature and climate’ (see EUROPE 12834/2). The proposal for a directive is planned for the second quarter of 2023. With this consultation, launched on 17 February, the Commission is inviting all interested parties to submit their contributions to feed into the impact assessment of this future EU directive, which will specify the conditions for healthy soil, identify options for soil monitoring and define rules for sustainable soil use and restoration. Access the public consultation: https://aeur.eu/f/fj (AN)