There is considerable scope to improve soil health in Europe, according to a new report by the European Court of Auditors (ECA) last week.
Between 60 % and 70 % of soils in Europe are unhealthy, in part due to poor soil and manure management practices. According to the report, the EU and its member states did not make enough use of the financial and other tools at their disposal. EU standards are frequently unambitious, and member states do not target funding towards areas with the most pressing soil problems.
“Soil is essential for life and a non-renewable resource,” said Eva Lindström, the Swedish ECA member in charge of the report. “But in Europe, large areas of soil are unhealthy. This should serve as a wake-up call for the EU to roll up its sleeves and bring our soils back to good health. We cannot turn our back on future generations.”
“The upcoming changes to EU rules are an opportunity for EU lawmakers to raise soil standards across Europe,” she added. The report was published just after the European Commission’s announcement of the first ever EU law on soil.
But it will take time to restore the soil in the EU. “Our ultimate objective is to achieve healthy soils by 2050, so that harm to people and environment is avoided, in line with our Zero Pollution ambition,” Environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius said at a press conference (5 July) presenting the new law. The draft law includes a clear definition of soil health and a framework to monitor soil quality.
“It also proposes sustainable management principles and regenerative practices that will allow farmers and foresters to enhance the quality of soils. These practices will increase carbon sequestration and water retention, which in turn will help reduce the effects of natural disasters and other systemic changes caused by climate change.”
The soil ecosystem in Europe continues to degrade due to different factors. How likely is it that this negative trend will reverse with the proposed EU law on soil?
“The draft law is a good step forward as it fills the data gaps on soil (it is mainly a soil monitoring law),” the audit team told The Brussels Times. “We cannot assess the likelihood of its effects, as the draft law has to be approved first (and it might change) and transposed to the legislation of member states (who determine how bold it will be).”
“However, as the draft soil law does not include provisions aiming to raise the level of the standards applicable to soils, it is only a first step in the action needed to reverse the negative trend affecting soil ecosystem in Europe.”
Soil supplies nutrients, water, oxygen and a place for plants to grow. However, the excessive use of fertilisers in farming has a negative impact on water quality and the variety of plant and animal life. EU rules, such as those governing the common agricultural policy (CAP) and the Nitrates Directive, encourage improvements in soil and manure management.
The auditors’ best estimate of the amount of CAP funding dedicated to soil health between 2014 and 2020 is around €85 billion. How much of that amount was wasted or misused?
“The €85 billion figure is our own best estimate of the amount of CAP funding dedicated to soil health between 2014 and 2020.,” the audit team replied. “It is an order of magnitude, not an exact amount, as a more precise calculation is not possible and the Commission itself has no estimate of CAP spending on soil and manure.”
“The amount wasted or misused cannot be calculated, as in addition to the necessary data not being available, voluntary measures, for example, are designed to improve soil so the money invested in these measures is not wasted. The key point is that targeting these measures on soil in most need would maximize the effect of the money spent.”
EU countries should have allocated funding to areas with acute soil problems. However, they only channeled a small proportion of their EU rural development funds – which are used to support voluntary environmentally friendly farming – in this way. Their rural development programmes contained few manure management measures, despite known problems with nitrogen surpluses.
The requirements that EU countries set on soil scarcely require any changes in farming practices, and may only marginally improve soil health. While some improvements have been made for the 2023-2027 period, the changes made up to now in some member states are insufficient and may have only a small impact on sustainable soil and manure management.
Data on how EU countries apply manure management requirements are incomplete. In addition, derogations render the restrictions on applying manure less effective. For example, soil pollution increased in farms that received derogations on nitrogen limits. The auditors also noted that infringement procedures against countries in respect of the Nitrates Directive are very lengthy.
The soil conditions differ by country. Is there a table ranking the countries?
"Soil conditions, soil types and structures, climatic and environmental conditions as well as soil threats differ between countries. These data are available in several reports from EU organisations like the the Commission’s Joint Research Center (JRC) and the European Environmental Agency, and from scientific institutions in the member states.”
A table classifying soil conditions that would rank the countries is not yet available. Instead, the audit team referred to the European Sold Data Centre (ESDAC), which has published a soil atlas with maps classifying the different types of soils.
Infringement procedures against countries in respect of the Nitrates Directive are very lengthy. How do you explain that?
“Enforcement is crucial and infringements do take a very long time. The European Parliament has called on the Commission to considerably improve the use of its enforcement powers in respect of the Nitrates Directive. The ECA intends to carry out an audit of how infringement procedures contribute on promoting and enforcing compliance with EU law.”
According to the latest data ECA received from the Commission, four infringement cases are still ongoing: Two against Belgium, one against Spain and one against Italy.
The objective of the new soil law is to achieve healthy soils by 2050. Why does it have to take so long time?
“Changes in soil take a lot of time. For example, changes in soil organic matter or carbon stocks need decades to centuries to become visible. That means stopping a threat will not improve immediately soil health. Soil is to be managed as a non-renewable natural resource.”
The audit report has four recommendations concerning reviews, reporting, improving consolidate data, and limiting the use of derogations. They do not specify any rule changes but are specific enough, according to the audit team. All four of them were accepted by the Commission in its reply to ECA. The Commission welcomed the audit report and the good description on the pressures impacting the soil.
The first recommendation calls for an assessment of the level of ambition of standards at member state level and an assessment of the results of the standards.
The second recommendation calls for a similar exercise regarding the voluntary measures to see whether these measures are adequate to achieve the expected results and to enable their effects on soil health to be assessed.
The third recommendation calls for limiting the use of derogations and review conflicting objectives in other policy areas.
The fourth recommendation calls for better data, which is a prerequisite for action, impacting all the other recommendations.
M. Apelblat
The Brussels Times
