Soil protection: the new law for soil monitoring

Soil is defined as the upper layer of the earth's crust, comprising mineral components, humus, water, air and living organisms. Soil, for humans, is a source of many ecosystem services: it enables us to obtain biomass and food production, provides us with raw materials and is home to our main activities. We often forget that it is also a very rich source of biodiversity: bacteria, algae, fungi, small worms are responsible for the continuous regeneration of the soil, ensuring its fertility. The soil is also a regulator of the water cycle and bio-chemical elements.

It is good to remember that soil is a limited resource, non-renewable. Its alteration jeopardises its productive capacity, and thus the agricultural products we eat, and water quality. However, despite the fact that soil has environmental, social, cultural and economic value, and is therefore fundamental for the whole community, there are no monitoring networks and no protection laws. Unlike air and water, soil is private property. This important aspect moves particular and not collective interests.

Soil degradation is currently occurring at an alarming rate. Soil degradation means the deterioration or loss of productive capacity, both in the present and in the future. It is a complex phenomenon in which there is the co-participation of many factors, which are interdependent. In fact, soil can be subjected to different degradation phenomena and different types of pollutants. Contamination may be diffuse or point source, creating actual contaminated sites. In addition, soil can undergo erosion, sealing and compaction.

Today, soil degradation is one of the most urgent problems to be tackled, as it is a global challenge that affects everyone through food insecurity, rising food prices, climate change, environmental hazards and the loss of biodiversity and the ecosystem services that come with it. When soil is degraded, molecules are released into the atmosphere, making soil degradation a major contributor to climate change.

There are a number of indicators to build a general picture and assess the soil degradation. The indicators relate more to changes in the artificial cover of the soil, its productivity, the amount of organic carbon and thus its possible loss, erosion, the level of salinisation, the compaction it may undergo and other factors related to the presence of fire-prone areas. Degradation is assessed by analysing the variation of these and other indicators, using data available at a national or European level.

Monitoring soil quality is important to prevent soil degradation, contamination and loss of fertility. In order to obtain useful information on changes over time, it is necessary to prepare periodic measurements using recognised and common methodologies, so that they are reproducible and comparable. Generally, on an international level, soil monitoring means the systematic determination of certain established variables in order to highlight changes over time.

Scientific studies have observed that 60-70% of European soils are currently unhealthy, due to problems such as urban sprawl,intensification of agriculture and climate change. This is closely intertwined with human and environmental health, which are placed at risk. According to the Commission, there are about 2.8 million potentially contaminated sites in the EU and degraded soils are the main culprits for climate and biodiversity crises. The deteriorated condition is also reflected in an economic problem, as the provision of ecosystem services, which are crucial, is drastically reduced and costs the EU at least 50 billion euro per year. The EU's ecosystem services are also at risk.

The Soil Strategy was adopted on 17 November 2021 by the European Commission, setting out a general framework of measures to be taken to restore and achieve a healthy condition of EU soils by 2050, but with concrete actions to be taken by 2030. The main objectives include the intensification of efforts to tackle the threat of desertification, the introduction of restoration targets, improved monitoring activities, reduction of erosion and impermeability. Soil organic matter could, thus, be increased and ecosystems restored to some extent. In addition, it is taken into account to reduce human expansion and thus the rate of soil occupation. The soil's organic matter could be increased and ecosystems could be, in part, restored.

On 5 July 2023, the European Commission published the text of the proposed Soil Monitoring and Resilience Directiveo, the Soil Monitoring Law, which would be the first law monitoring soil quality. Recently, on 10 April 2024, the European Parliament adopted its position on the Commission's proposal. The aim is to build a strong monitoring system of all EU soils for the restoration and achievement of healthy soils by 2050. Through this directive, the EU thus seeks not only to stop soil degradation, but also to prevent and mitigate the impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss, to increase resilience against natural disasters, and finally to ensure food security.