What changed between the adopted text of 10 Apr 2024 and the adopted text of 23 Oct 2025

Removed:4. Based on the assessment of soil health carried out in accordance with this Article, the competent authority shall, where relevant in coordination with local, regional, national authorities, identify, in each soil district, the areas which present unhealthy soilsof soil that are not of high soil ecological status or good ecological status and inform the public in accordance with Article 19. [Am. 104]

Removed:4a. The Commission shall adopt delegated acts by 31 December 2026 in accordance with Article 20 to supplement this Regulation by establishing a methodology for determining threshold values for soil descriptors in Annex I for each soil ecological status. The methodology shall take into consideration the most recent scientific evidence and account for different climatic conditions and type of soils. [Am. 105]

Removed:4b. By 30 June 2028, Member States shall submit to the Commission draft threshold values for soil descriptors in Annex I, taking into consideration climate conditions, the type of soil and type of land area, together with the scientific justification and evidence on which they based their choices. [Am. 106]

Removed:4c. Within 6 months of the date of the submission of the draft threshold values referred to in paragraph 4b, the Commission shall make observations on the draft threshold values, assessing the scientific justification and ensuring a level playing field within the internal market. Upon request from the Commission, Member States shall provide to the Commission all necessary additional information and, where appropriate, revise the proposed threshold values. [Am. 107]

Removed:4d. Provided that any observations made by the Commission in accordance with paragraph 4c have been adequately taken into account, the Commission shall, by means of implementing acts, approve threshold values no later than 31 December 2029. [Am. 108]

Removed:4e. When applying a Tier 2 for soil monitoring design, Member States may benefit from variation of up to 20% in comparison to the threshold values set in accordance with paragraph 4d. [Am. 110]

Removed:5. Member States shall set up a mechanism for a voluntary soil health certification for land owners and managers pursuant to the conditions in paragraph 2 of this Article. [Am. 111]

Removed:The Commission may adopt implementing acts to harmonise the format of soil health certification. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 21. [Am. 112]

Removed:6. Member States shall communicate soil health data and assessment referred to in Articles 6 to 9 to the relevant land owners and land managers upon their requestand make them available free of charge, in particular to support the development of the advice referred to in Article 10(3). Member States shall ensure that research institutions have easy and continuous access to samples, DNA extracts and raw data free of charge. [Am. 113]

Removed:Chapter III Sustainable soil management

Removed:Article 10 Sustainable soil management

Removed:1. From (OP: please insert the date = 4 years after date of entry into force of the Directive), Member States shall take at least the following measures, taking into account the type, use and condition of soil:

Removed:(a) defining sustainable soil management practices respecting the sustainable soil management principles listed in Annex III to be gradually implemented on all managed soils and, on the basis of the outcome of the soil assessments carried out in accordance with Article 9, regeneration practices to be gradually implemented on the unhealthy soils in the Member States;

Removed:(b) defining soil management practices and other practices affecting negatively the soil health to be avoided by soil managers.

Removed:When defining the practices and measures referred to in this paragraph, Member States shall take into account the programmes, plans, targets and measures listed in Annex IV as well as the latest existing scientific knowledge including results coming out of the Horizon Europe Mission a Soil Deal for Europe.

Removed:Member States shall identify synergies with the programmes, plans and measures set out in Annex IV. The soil health monitoring data, the results of the soil health assessments, the analysis referred to in Article 9 and the sustainable soil management measures shall inform the development of the programmes, plans and measures set out in Annex IV.

Removed:Member States shall ensure that the process of elaboration of the practices referred to in the first subparagraph is open, inclusive and effective and that the public concerned, in particular landowners and managers, are involved and are given early and effective opportunities to participate in their elaboration. [Am. 248]

Removed:2. Member States shall ensure easy and equal access to impartial and independent advice on sustainable soil management, training activities and capacity building for soil managers, landowners, land managers and relevant authorities, in all their soil districts. [Ams. 120 and 249]

Removed:Member States shall also take the following measures:

Removed:(a) promoting awareness on the medium- and long-term multiple benefits of sustainable soil management and the need to manage soils in a sustainable manner;

Removed:(b) promoting research, innovation, citizens science and encourage and implementation of holisticsustainable soil management concepts; [Ams. 121 and 250]

Removed:(c) making available a regularly updated mapping of available funding instruments and activities to support the implementation of sustainable soil management, and other activities to support the implementation of this Directive, including research and citizen science. [Am. 122]

Removed:3. Member States shall regularly assess the effectiveness of the measures taken in accordance with this Article and, where relevant, review and revise those measures, taking into account the soil health monitoring and assessment referred to in Articles 6 to 9. [Am. 251]

Removed:4. The Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 20 to amend Annex III in order to adapt the sustainable soil management principles to take into account scientific and technical progress. [Ams. 123 and 252]

Removed:4a. The Commission shall, upon request, assist and provide guidance to Member States regarding the development of specific measures linked to the sustainable soil management principles listed in Annex III. [Am. 124]

Removed:Article 10a Sustainable Soil Management Toolbox

Removed:1. In order to support the implementation of this Directive, the Commission shall establish a sustainable soil management toolbox that provides soil managers with practical information on the use of sustainable soil management practices, which includes information provided by the Member States.

Removed:2. The toolbox shall contain:

Removed:(a) recommendations and examples of best practices from the Member States´ competent authorities which monitor the impact of soil management practices, and information about the impact of such practices on various ecosystem services and soil threats;

Removed:(b) the context-specific information related to combinations of soil type, land use and climatic conditions;

Removed:(c) new knowledge from research and innovation, including from the Horizon Europe mission ‘A Soil Deal for Europe’;

Removed:(d) other relevant information collected by the Commission or provided to the Commission by the Member States.

Removed:3. The toolbox shall be publicly available free of charge, and be included in the digital soil health data portal established in accordance with Article 6(6).

Removed:The Commission shall actively update and take all appropriate measures to promote the content of the toolbox to land managers. [Am. 125]

Removed:Article 11 Land take mitigation principles [Am. 126]

Removed:In case of land take, Member States shall ensure thatconsider the following principles are respected in case of land takeactions, while taking into account local specificities and socio-economic impacts: [Am. 127]

Removed:(a) avoid or reduceavoiding or reducing as much as technically, socially and economically possible the loss of the capacity of the soil to provide multiple ecosystem and other services, including agriculture, food production, and sustainable forest management by: [Ams. 128 and 254]

Removed:(i) reducing the area affected by the land take to the extentas much as possible and; [Am. 129]

Removed:(ii) selectingprioritising areas where the loss of ecosystem services would be minimized and; [Am. 130]

Removed:(iii) performing the land take in a way that minimizes the negative impact on soilis aligned with sustainable development, including preserving soil fertility, biodiversity, water permeability, filtration and retention to the extent possible; [Am. 131]

Removed:(b) compensateif possible, compensating as much as possible the loss of soil capacity to provide multiple ecosystem services; such compensation, where applicable, may take place on an aggregated level or cross border between Member States if the soil district has the same characteristics as an adjacent soil district in a neighbouring Member State or a cross-border soil district. [Am. 132]

Removed:(ba) adopting measures to ensure fair compensation of landowners in case of land take; [Am. 133]

Removed:(bb) putting in place measures to prevent or limit land take, including mapping of abandoned brownfield and industrial sites and incentives to restore and reuse abandoned areas with sealed soils. [Am. 134]

Removed:Chapter IV Contaminated sites

Removed:Article 12 Risk-based approach

Removed:1. Member States shall manage and reduce the risks for human and animal health and the environment of potentially contaminated sites and contaminated sites, and keep them to acceptable levels considering the intended use of the soil, taking account of the environmental, social and economic impacts of the soil contamination and of the risk reduction measures taken pursuant to Article 15 paragraph 4. [Am. 135]

Removed:2. By … (OP: please insert the date =4 years after the date of entry into force of the Directive) Member States shall establish a risk-based approach for the following:

Removed:(a) the identification of potentially contaminated sites in accordance with Article 13;

Removed:(b) the investigation of potentially contaminated sites in accordance with Article 14;

Removed:(c) the management of contaminated sites in accordance with Article 15.

Removed:3. The requirement laid down in paragraph 2 is without prejudice to more stringent requirements arising from Union or national legislation.

Removed:4. The public concerned shall be given early and effective opportunities: [Am. 136]

Removed:(a) to participate in the establishment and concrete application of the risk-based approach as defined in this Article, the identification of potentially contaminated sites in accordance with Article 13, the investigation of potentially contaminated sites in accordance with Article 14 and the assessment and management of contaminated sites in accordance with Article 15, when all options are still available; [Am. 137]

Removed:(b) to provide information and evidence relevant for the identification of potentially contaminated sites in accordance with Article 13, the investigation of potentially contaminated sites in accordance with Article 14 and the management of contaminated sites in accordance with Article 15activities referred to in point (a) at any time, such as human biomonitoring or environmental monitoring data; [Am. 138]

Removed:(c) to request correction of information contained in the register for contaminated sites and potentially contaminated sites in accordance with Article 16.

Removed:4a. For the purposes of paragraph 4, Member States shall ensure that the public is informed in a timely, adequate and effective manner, including by public notices and electronic media, of all relevant information. [Am. 139]

Removed:4b. Member States shall take due account of the information submitted in accordance with paragraph 4 when implementing the provisions of this Chapter and in relation to the soil descriptors for soil contamination listed in Annex I. [Am. 140]

Removed:4c. Where the evidence shows wide dispersive soil pollution or exposure to the substance or mixture concerned via soil, the competent authority shall initiate a risk management process. Where the evidence shows a lack of information on the risk to human or animal health or the environment posed by a hazardous substance or mixture present in the soil, the competent authority shall investigate further with a view to taking risk management measures in line with the precautionary principle, where necessary. [Am. 141]

Removed:4d. Member States shall promptly inform the public of any decision or measure taken pursuant to paragraphs 4 and 4c and of the reasons and considerations upon which the decision or measure is based, including an explanation of how the information was taken into account. [Am. 142]

Removed:Article 13 Identification of potentially contaminated sites