The directive focuses mainly on monitoring, but with a consideration for resilience, it intends to also help forest owners play an active role in soil health.
The European Parliament and Council have now formally adopted the Directive on Soil Monitoring and Resilience, marking the first time that an agreement about soil monitoring and health has been reached on the EU level.
In the Parliament, the legislative text was passed by 341 votes in favour, 220 against, and 10 abstentions. In the Council, support was similarly strong with every Member State voting in favour except Germany that voted against and Austria that abstained.
The Directive mandates the Member States to monitor and assess the health of their soils. To do that, the Member States can build on and use the soil monitoring frameworks already in use to avoid the duplication of efforts. The directive also states that it shall not impose additional burdens on forest owners or other landowners, and clarifies that these actors should be supported, not penalised, as they contribute to improving soil health and resilience.
The directive will enter into force in 20 days after its publication in the Official Journal of the EU, from which point on the Member States will have three years to comply. The first reporting to the Commission under the directive must be done within six years of the entry into force.
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