Position paper: The EEB position paper on the Soil Health Law

Our soils are alive, or at least they should be. Soil ecosystems provide us with 95% of the food we eat, but with no legislation at the EU level to protect them 60-70% of our soils are in poor health. The European Commission has committed to propose a legislative proposal for a Soil Health Law (SHL), expected in June 2023, providing a unique opportunity to safeguard and improve the health of European soils.

This position paper outlines why we urgently need an ambitious and progressive Soil Health Law and makes recommendations for EU decision-makers on how it can be designed in order to accomplish its mission of achieving healthy soils by 2050 effectively, efficiently and providing an EU added value.