Soil Health in Europe: Policy perspectives

In Europe soil health is facing emerging challenges that require innovative solutions and policy interventions. We acknowledge that 62% of the European Union (EU) soils are not in healthy condition, while we face serious challenges such as climate change, food security, biodiversity loss, and socio-economic pressures. The severity of these issues is evident in the fact that soil erosion is unsustainable for around ¼ of the EU territory, carbon stocks in soils are declining, nutrients are depleting, and emerging contaminants can pose a serious threat to soil and human health. The costs of soil degradation in the EU may reach up to €70 billion per year, highlighting the urgent need for action. 

To address these challenges, the EU has put in place many policies for agro-environmental protection since 2000, including soil protection. The European Green Deal, launched in 2020, has set an ambitious roadmap to make the EU the first carbon-neutral continent with a modern, competitive, and resource-efficient economy. As part of the Green Deal, the European Commission (EC) has put soil protection in a high position on the EU policy agenda, recognizing that healthy soils are essential to achieve climate neutrality, zero pollution, sustainable food provision, and a resilient environment. This increased focus on soil health has led to the development of new policies and initiatives, such as the Soil Monitoring and Resilience Directive, which aims to establish a common framework for monitoring and assessing soil health in the EU. 

The Soil Monitoring and Resilience Directive, in place since December 2025, lays down measures for monitoring and assessing soil health, managing soils sustainably, and restoring contaminated sites. Furthermore, the Mission Soil, which aims to set up 100 Living Labs to promote sustainable land and soil management in urban and rural areas, will play a crucial role in achieving the objective of healthy soils by 2050. With an estimated investment of nearly €800 million until 2028, funded research projects under the Mission Soil are expected to reverse soil degradation through action on the ground, underpinned by the development and monitoring of a set of indicators. 

In addition to these initiatives, the Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming (CRCF) regulation is the first EU volunteer framework for certifying carbon removals and carbon farming. This regulation will monitor, report, and verify carbon removals, soil emission reduction, and biodiversity benefits, providing a new opportunity for farmers and other stakeholders to contribute to climate change mitigation. The carbon farming framework can also serve as an interesting business model for additional income to farmers, while involving diverse actors such as certification bodies, auditors, tech industry, and creating new jobs. By promoting sustainable land use practices, the CRCF regulation can help sequester carbon, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and improve soil health. 

This presentation will discuss these EU soil policies in detail, with a specific focus on the role and activities of the EU Soil Observatory (EUSO). Overall, the presentation will show how the EU soil policies and the EUSO are advancing the data, knowledge and tools on soils and leading the transition towards healthy soils in the EU.