Soil Monitoring Law adopted – a long-awaited step and the start of a much bigger journey

24 October 2025

After years of waiting, the EU now has its first law dedicated to soil health. The Soil Monitoring Law, approved yesterday by the European Parliament, is a long-awaited and much-needed step towards restoring and protecting the very ground we depend on.

It sets out a common framework for monitoring soil condition across Member States, defining what a healthy soil is, and how we can act to prevent degradation. Yet, as important as this milestone is, it is also a beginning. Its impact will depend on how well we implement it, and on how we connect policy, data, and innovation on the ground.

For the first time, Europe will have a legal framework to assess and track the condition of soils across all land uses. It identifies key risks such as erosion, compaction, sealing, and contamination, and calls for harmonised data, comparable indicators, and coordinated action. This is a crucial step forward for soil protection and restoration. Reliable data will strengthen policies, guide management practices, and support targeted action where it is most needed.

However, the success of this law will depend on collaboration across the quadruple helix, bringing together the public sector, research and education, businesses, and civil society. Public authorities at all levels – Member States, regions, and local municipalities – will play a central role in creating the enabling conditions for adoption and implementation.

The Mission ‘A Soil Deal for Europe’ is central to this effort, providing the structure and community needed to translate ambition into practice. The Mission is building a network of 100 Living Labs and Lighthouses across Europe, with 45 already funded and identified, now working on their establishment and on engaging communities on the ground. Called to lead the transition towards healthy soils by 2030, and the broader restoration goals by 2050, these Living Labs are where monitoring meets management, and where policy can evolve through feedback from real-life experimentation.

At ENoLL, our aim is to empower the development of Living Labs as enablers of impactful open innovation ecosystems, where everyone can co-create and innovate through cross-border and cross-sector collaboration in an inclusive way. Living Labs are engines of regulatory learning, helping policies adapt based on evidence from practice, and the experiences of those managing the land. Through SOILL the support structure for the Mission Soil Living Labs coordinated by ENoLL, we work to foster harmonisation, promote knowledge exchange, and ensure that Living Labs are equipped to contribute directly to the implementation of the new law.

The adoption of the Soil Monitoring Law is a milestone, but its success will depend on what follows. Implementation, adoption, and support are now key. Ensuring that Living Labs are aligned, connected, and empowered will be essential to make this framework deliver real change on the ground.

The law gives us the framework, the Mission gives us the means to act, and through open innovation, collaboration, and shared learning, we can make this the start of a much bigger journey towards healthy soils, resilient landscapes, and thriving communities across Europe.

Giulia Campodonico – ENoLL Head of Projects – SOILL Coordinator