The European Union’s environment ministers, meeting in Luxembourg on Monday 17 June, reached a political agreement (‘general approach’) with the EU Council on the proposal for a directive on soil protection. Presented in July 2023 (see EUROPE 13216/4), this directive aims to protect soil in the same way that water, air and the marine environment are protected. It provides for mandatory monitoring of soil health and guidelines for sustainable management, with the aim of making all soils healthy by 2050, in line with the EU’s ‘zero pollution’ ambitions and the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
Under this ‘general approach’, a monitoring framework will be put in place, where Member States, supported by the Commission, will monitor and assess the health of soils in their territory. A common EU methodology will be used to select sampling points, while giving the flexibility to use existing monitoring systems. Minimum quality requirements for laboratories will ensure that measurements are comparable.
The assessment of soil health will be based on physical, chemical and biological descriptors. A double-value system has been agreed: non-binding target values at EU level and operational trigger values defined by each Member State. Member States will have to define sustainable management practices within five years of the directive coming into force.
The long-term objective is to eliminate net land take by 2050, focusing on the fight against the soil sealing and destruction. Flexible mitigation principles will be incorporated into land-use planning.
Member States will identify and map potentially contaminated sites in a public register. A progressive, risk-based approach will enable measures to be prioritised according to potential risks and the socio-economic context. National lists of potentially contaminating activities will be drawn up to help identify these sites.
This agreement enables the Council to begin discussions with the European Parliament, which adopted its position on 10 April. Negotiations should begin in the new legislative cycle, i.e. after the July plenary session.
To see the text: https://aeur.eu/f/cog (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)