Government outlined its position on Commission proposal for Soil Monitoring Directive

The Government supports the EU's vision of healthy soils by 2050 and welcomes the European Commission’s proposal for a Directive on Soil Monitoring and Resilience (Soil Monitoring Law). In its position the Government stresses the need for national room for manoeuvre in the implementation of the Directive.

Today, the Government submitted a Union communication to Parliament where it outlines its position concerning the Commission proposal for the Soil Monitoring Directive. The proposal is part of the implementation of the EU Soil Strategy. 

According to the Commission, the status of soils in Europe has degraded and about 60 to 70% of the soils are currently in an unhealthy state. Soil degradation is caused by e.g. erosion, nutrient exceedances, compaction, harmful substances, or a combination of these. A good soil status is vital for ensuring the provision of ecosystem services. Healthy soils have an important role in the efforts to fight against climate change and biodiversity loss. The Commission estimates the costs of soil degradation to the EU at tens of billions per year.

“Soil health is even more important as we are trying to find solutions to environmental challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss. It is important that soil status and monitoring are now being considered with a Europe-wide perspective. In the negotiations it is also important to ensure that special national characteristics will be taken into account and that the proposal will not cause unreasonable costs and administrative burden,” says Minister of Climate and the Environment Kai Mykkänen.

The Commission proposal for the Directive includes different kinds of criteria and indicators for monitoring soil status. The Member States should identify contaminated sites and reduce the risks associated with these. The results of soil monitoring will be reported to the Commission regularly. The Member States are required to promote sustainable soil management practices following the principles listed in the proposal, but the more detailed measures will be specified by the Member States. Other strategies and programmes where soil-related matters are included will be taken into account in the implementation of the measures. 

The Government considers the Commission proposal concerning soil monitoring as an important step towards improving soil health status in Europe. However, it is important to ensure national room for manoeuvre for Member States in the implementation of the Directive. The Government also stresses the need to consider the effectiveness and proportionality of the measures.

The Government is in favour of making use of the existing monitoring systems in collecting the information and data.The Government considers that the proposed monitoring system should enable Member States to implement the monitoring in a cost-effective and appropriate manner that takes into account the differences in land use, possible common criteria and indicators to be agreed on the EU level and criteria and indicators to be defined nationally. 

The Government considers it important to promote sustainable land use. However, it is also important to include adequate national room for manoeuvre and freedom of choice in the proposed principles and development of the measures. In the further preparation of the provisions related to sustainable use of soils and land use it is important to make sure that they will not reduce the Member States’ power of decision in planning and land use matters and in forest policy. 

The European Commission gave the proposal for a Directive on Soil Monitoring and Resilience on 5 July 2023. Negotiations on the proposal have started in Brussels.

Inquiries:

Paula Perälä
Ministerial Adviser
tel. +358 295 250 224
[email protected]