Debate: Soil protection
Date: MONDAY, 26 APRIL 2021
Speaker: Ana Paula Zacarias
Language: EN

Soil provides nutrients that sustain plants for food and energy. It purifies most of the water on the Earth, thereby supplying us with drinking water. It also regulates rainfall, prevents floods and acts as a buffer against pollutants. Soil is critical in helping to reduce the pace of climate change and it is the largest store of carbon on land. Much of the planet’s biodiversity resides in the soil. And yet, as you pointed out, soil is a fragile commodity that can easily erode. We are acutely aware that soil degradation continues to increase within the EU and that currently almost 13% of land in Europe suffers from a moderate to high level of erosion. We have read attentively the main conclusions of the European Environment Agency’s 2020 State of the Environment report and we have duly taken note of the warning it provides. Unless Member States reduce annual rates of land take and increase land recycling, the target zero net land take by 2050 is unlikely to be met. This is the reason why – and it is in the most recent conclusions on biodiversity adopted by the Council last October – we express support for stepping up efforts to better protect soil and soil biodiversity. In its conclusions, the Council reaffirmed its commitment to addressing desertification and land degradation in the EU and to reach land degradation neutrality by 2030. The Council also reiterated its will to make progress towards the objective of zero net land take by 2050. It is also important to take this opportunity to recall that the recent agreement reached between the Council and Parliament on the LIFE Regulation foresees in its Article 3 that the general objective of the LIFE programme will be to contribute to the shift towards a sustainable economy with a view to protecting, restoring and improving the quality of the environment, including that of soil, to halt and reverse biodiversity loss and to tackle the degradation of ecosystems.  In addition, similar attention is given to soil in the Council’s mandate agreed on the 8th environment action programme. The Council mandate establishes the pursuit of a zero pollution ambition for a toxin—free environment, including for air, water and soil, and the enhancement of European natural capital, notably air, water, soil and forests, as well as the fight against desertification and soil degradation.  Allow me to mention as well that the Council remains fully committed to the fulfilment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and, in this regard, let me emphasise SDG 15.3, which aims to combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, droughts and floods, and strives to achieve a land degradation neutral world by 2030. In view of the above, the Council welcomes the planned update of the 2006 EU soil thematic strategy, which aims to address soil and land degradation within the EU in a comprehensive way, and we look forward to the adoption of this strategy by the Commission.  Finally, let me reassure you that the Presidency is fully committed and determined to work with Parliament and the Commission on soil protection once this updated strategy has been put forward. We will also work with you on any emerging initiatives that are proposed in this regard.