>> Link to full press release: Soil Policy Dialogue – 19 January 2026 – Brussels <<

As the European Union moves from soil policy ambition to implementation, a growing challenge is no longer whether soil health matters, but how existing policy frameworks can work together effectively on the ground.

This question was at the centre of the EU Soil Policy Dialogue, held on 19 January at the European Committee of the Regions in Brussels and organised by the Horizon Europe project BENCHMARKS. More than 200 participants – including 56 attending in person and 145 joining online – came together to explore how soil health and soil monitoring can be strengthened across EU and Member State policy frameworks in a way that is coherent, efficient and workable for farmers and public authorities alike.

Bringing together European Commission services, Member States, farmers, researchers, civil society organisations, Mission Soil projects and private-sector actors, the Dialogue created space to map overlaps, identify gaps and explore alignment opportunities across four key policy frameworks shaping Europe’s approach to soil and environmental outcomes: the Soil Monitoring Law (SML), the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the Carbon Removals Certification Framework (CRCF) and the Nature Restoration Law (NRL).

Participants highlighted that while these instruments pursue different objectives, better coordination at the implementation stage could reduce administrative burden, improve consistency, and accelerate soil health outcomes across Europe.

“Soil health policy doesn’t fail because of a lack of ambition. It fails when the system becomes unreadable for the people expected to implement it. This Dialogue showed that coordination, translation and trust are not ‘soft’ issues – they are the infrastructure that makes soil health policy work on the ground.”

Fabio Volkmann, Stakeholder Manager, Soil Health BENCHMARKS Project

EU policy updates: a shared emphasis on implementation

The morning opened with updates from the European Commission on the state of play of key EU soil-relevant policy frameworks. Mirco Barbero (DG ENV), Valeria Forlin (DG CLIMA) and Emmanuel Petel (DG AGRI) outlined how the Soil Monitoring Law (SML), the Carbon Removals Certification Framework (CRCF), the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the Nature Restoration Law (NRL) are moving from policy design towards implementation.

“Soil health is essential to addressing Europe’s biggest challenges — from climate change and biodiversity loss to food security and human health. These are not separate issues. When soils are degraded, they become part of the problem; when they are healthy, they can be part of the solution.”

Mirco Barbero, Team Leader of Soil Team, DG ENV

Member States underline need for harmonisation and shared learning
A second panel brought national and regional implementation perspectives into the discussion, highlighting how soil monitoring and soil-related policies are currently organised across Member States.

“These regulations are complex, and it’s important that there is a strong advisory structure on the ground to help farmers and administrations navigate this landscape.”

Marco Dimech, Ministry for Agriculture, Malta

Farmers call for practical, fair and outcome-driven monitoring
A dedicated farmer panel brought field-level perspectives from across Europe into the policy dialogue. Meghan Sapp (Curly Creek Ranch, Spain), John Gilliland (Brook Hall Estate, Northern Ireland), Indigo Janka (Edelgart, Germany) and Géraud Dumont de Chassart (Ferme de la Sarte, Belgium) shared how soil health objectives and monitoring requirements translate into day-to-day farm management.

“If soil monitoring doesn’t help me make better decisions on my farm, it won’t be used — no matter how good it looks on paper.”

Meghan Sapp, Curly Creek Ranch, Spain