European Union
Directive 2025/2360 establishes a common legal framework for sustainably protecting, assessing and managing soil in the EU
On November 12, the European Parliament and the Council approved EU Directive 2025/2360 on soil monitoring and resilience (the “Directive” or “Soil Monitoring Law”).
Although its obligations are directed at Member States —and not at individuals— the deployment will have practical consequences for spatial planning, risk management and real estate transactions and, with more intensity, in sectors such as infrastructure, energy, agri-food and manufacturing.
Among its key aspects are the following:
- Soil is recognized as a vital, limited resource and is considered non-renewable. It is crucial for the economy, human health and for the resilience of the food system
- The Soil Monitoring Law seeks to reverse soil degradation, guarantee soil resilience and secure the capacity of soil to provide ecosystem services, with the objective of achieving healthy soils by 2050.
- It addresses monitoring and assessment of soil health, soil resilience, and management of contaminated sites.
- It incorporates measures for mitigating land take and soil artificialization, integrating them into planning and permits without creating new procedures or preventing projects of public interest.
- It establishes a harmonized and data-based approach (European portal and public registries) and a risk-management framework for contaminated soils, based on the polluter pays principle and on publicly accessible georeferenced databases.