The European Parliament approved the European Union's first-ever Soil Monitoring Law, a landmark directive aimed at contributing to the efforts towards the restoration of soil health across Europe by 2050. This new directive provides a critical framework that strongly supports the mission and activities of SOILL and the Mission Soil network of Living Labs.
As stated by Martin Hojsík, Vice President of the European Parliament:
The law's passage comes at a crucial time. With approximately 60–70% of European soils in poor health due to urbanisation, intensive agricultural practices, and climate change, the directive (first proposed in 2023) establishes a unified approach that requires EU member states to monitor and progressively improve soil health.
A Milestone for Harmonised Data and Collaboration
"SOILL welcomes the approval of the Soil Monitoring Law, marking a milestone for soil health in Europe. This achievement strengthens the foundation for harmonised soil data, knowledge exchange, and collaboration among Mission Soil Living Labs to advance restoration and sustainable soil management across Europe" Giulia Campodonico, SOILL-Startup Project Lead said. The directive's emphasis on harmonised soil data is particularly significant for the SOILL-Startup project. By establishing a common framework for soil monitoring, the law will enhance data comparability and foster the knowledge exchange essential for the project's network of Mission Soil Living Labs.
This synergy is expected to accelerate the development and implementation of sustainable soil management practices, a core objective of SOILL.
A New Framework for Soil Health
Rather than imposing new direct obligations on farmers or foresters, the directive places responsibility on member states to establish soil monitoring systems and implement measures to improve soil health across the EU by 2050.
For SOILL-Startup and its consortium partners, this directive represents a foundational shift. It provides the long-term policy environment needed to effectively implement and scale up soil restoration solutions, validating the collaborative, data-driven approach championed by the European network of Soil Health Living Labs.
The directive will enter into force 20 days after its publication in the EU's Official Journal and, from that date, member states will have three years to transpose it into national law and begin implementation.