On the afternoon of June 4, 2025, the European Parliament officially adopted the agreement on the EU’s first-ever Soil Monitoring Law. The vote — 53 in favour, 27 against, and 2 abstentions — marks a significant milestone on the path toward effective European legislation on soil health.

The agreement, now awaiting formal approval by the Council, establishes a comprehensive framework for monitoring soil health and ensures that soil is assessed in all EU Member States. The vote took place during a meeting of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) in the European Parliament.

Watch the recording of the meeting here: https://multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/en/webstreaming/committee-on-environment-climate-and-food-safety-ordinary-meeting_20250604-1530-COMMITTEE-ENVI

Find the result of the vote here: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/cmsdata/296106/2025-06-04%20votes.pdf

Harmonised soil monitoring

The Soil Monitoring Law is the first of its kind. It seeks to address the deteriorating condition of European soils, more than 60% of which are currently classified as unhealthy. Under the directive, all EU countries will be required to monitor and assess soil health using a harmonised set of indicators. This will enable authorities across the Union to take targeted, effective action to prevent and combat soil degradation.

Member States will determine sampling points based on a common EU methodology. The agreement also includes initial provisions to begin monitoring pollutants such as PFAS and pesticides.

Classification system for soil health assessment

The agreement confirms the use of shared soil descriptors—covering physical, chemical, and biological characteristics. It also introduces a classification system for assessing soil health, based on two types of reference values: 1) Non-binding sustainable target values at EU level, reflecting long-term soil health objectives, and 2) Operational trigger values, set by each Member State for individual soil descriptors, to help prioritise actions and guide the progressive implementation of measures aimed at achieving healthy soil conditions

Next Steps

Following the European Parliament’s adoption of the provisional agreement, the text will undergo a legal-linguistic review and translation, a process expected to take up to eight weeks. The final step will be a formal vote by ministers in the Council of the European Union, followed by another vote in the European Parliament.