DG ENV - EU Soil Policy and soil erosion. Soil erosion modelling workshop, Ispra 20 March 2017

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1 DG ENV - EU Soil Policy and soil erosion Soil erosion modelling workshop, Ispra 20 March Josiane MASSON D1 Unit Land use and management 1. DG Environment 2. European Commission

2 Main soil threats in EU Soil sealing km²/yr Erosion identified as a problem for one quarter of the transboundary river basins Contamination 3M potentially contaminated sites 0.5 M significant risks to human health and env. Low Soil Organic Matter for 45% of mineral soils - SOM decline due to conversion of grassland to arable crops, deforestation, degradation of peatlands link climate change Soil biodiversity loss due to SOM depletion, excessive nutrients and pesticides -> Estimated costs of soil degradation reach up to 38bn per year (SEC(2006)620)

3 (EEA) European Environment State and Outlook 2015 The ability of soil to deliver ecosystem services is under increasing pressure. ESS: food production, biodiversity pools and as a regulator of gasses, water and nutrients Observed rates of soil sealing, erosion, contamination and decline in organic matter all reduce soil capability.

4 Susceptibility to erosion by water - JRC

5 The Soil Thematic strategy COM(2006) 231 Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection adopted in September 2006, incl. proposal for a Soil Framework Directive, COM(2006)232 Overall objective is the protection of soil functions and sustainable use of soil, based on the following guiding principles: Prevention of soil degradation Restoration of degraded soils Sets out the four pillars of EU soil policy incl. 3 non-binding pillars 2012 Report from the Commission on the implementation of the STS COM(2012)46 Soil Framework Directive: the Commission withdrew its proposal in 2014 after 8 years without compromise in the Council Awareness raising Legislation Research Integration in other policies

6 7 th Environment Action Programme Objective By 2020: "land is managed sustainably in the Union, soil is adequately protected and the remediation of contaminated sites is well underway;" This requires, in particular: "increasing efforts to reduce soil erosion and increase soil organic matter, to remediate contaminated sites and to enhance the integration of land use aspects into coordinated decisionmaking involving all relevant levels of government, supported by the adoption of targets on soil and on land as a resource, and land planning objectives;" Commitments "The Union and its Member States should also reflect as soon as possible on how soil quality issues could be addressed using a targeted and proportionate risk-based approach within a binding legal framework. Targets should also be set for sustainable land use and soil."

7 Key ongoing actions on EU soil policy STS non binding pillars Launch of an EU Expert Group on Soil Protection in 2015 Experts nominated by EU Member States Reflexion on further EU soil policy Inventory of EU soil-related policies and national legislations and gap analysis Final report available on Mapping and Assessment of Soil-related Ecosystem Services (MAES) Soil pilot ongoing

8 CAP instruments reviewed The CAP is an important economic driver of land management decisions across the EU Rural Development Programmes Voluntary Pillar 1 Greening obligations Cross compliance rules SMR (other EU law)+ GAEC standards Compulsory Agricultural area farms receiving Pillar 1 direct payments Agri-environment-climate land management contracts (5-7yrs) Compulsory Other farmland Crop diversification Protection of permanent grassland Ecological Focus Areas GAEC standards 4 soil cover, 5 soil erosion, 6 soil organic matter 7 landscape features 8 Subsidiarity for Member States Choices for farmers GAEC, EFAs, ESPG, all RDP measures EFAs, all RDP measures

9 Summary of soil threats adressed by CAP policy cluster Source final report "updated inventory of soil protection policy in EU", Final report

10 Analysis of GAEC standards defined by MS in 2015 GAEC 4 - soil cover period of year (winter/all year/growing period) in all MS slope of land defines location of soil cover in 9 MS minimum percentage cover in 7 MS GAEC 5 soil erosion slope of land defines location of practices in 22 MS contour ploughing, ridge planting, reduced tillage, maintenance of grassland or woody vegetation, green winter cover, restrictions on growing particular crops GAEC 6 - maintenance soil organic matter minimum obligation of a ban on stubble burning is the only standard in 15 MS (c.f. 10 in 2014) additional requirements in other MS: not entering wet/frozen land, crop rotations, apply and/or monitor organic matter, soil testing, stubble management

11 Soil and RDPs Priority 4: restoring, preserving and enhancing ecosystems related to agriculture and forestry, Focus area 4(c): preventing soil erosion and improving soil management Targets: 14.3% of agricultural land and 3.4% of forestry land under management contracts to improve soil management and/or prevent erosion Priority 5: promoting resource efficiency and supporting the shift towards a low carbon and climate resilient economy in agriculture, food and forestry sectors, Focus area 5(e): fostering carbon conservation and sequestration in agriculture and forestry

12 Thank you for your attention!