Policies & regulations for soil degradation
The Netherlands has responded to soil degradation differently since the early 2000s. Whereas policy previously focused mainly on soil remediation, the emphasis has shifted towards risk prevention and sustainable soil management. And in recent years, in line with developments at European level, soil health has become the pivotal theme.
European policy & regulation
At European level, the European Commission adopted a legislative proposal on soil health in 2023, as part of the EU Soil Strategy for 2030. The strategy sets out three main objectives:
- Ensuring that all soil ecosystems in the EU are healthy and resilient and able to deliver their essential services.
- Achieving no net land take and reducing soil pollution to levels that are no longer harmful to human health or ecosystems.
- Making soil protection, sustainable management and restoration the standard practice.
To support this, the Commission also established the European Soil Observatory (EUSO), which acts as the European Union’s central provider of soil data and knowledge, and launched Mission Soil ("A Soil Deal for Europe") under Horizon Europe, which funds research and a network of living labs to develop and test sustainable soil management practices.
In 2025, the Soil Monitoring Directive was adopted, which aims to achieve healthy soils across Europe by 2050. Member States are required to establish soil districts and monitoring systems to assess the physical, chemical and biological condition of soils and to report to the EU. Member States themselves set the specific sustainability targets and trigger values for their soils. The requirement to monitor and report is binding, while the targets for soil health are not.
Soil regulation in the Netherlands
In the Netherlands, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management is responsible for soil policy and works closely with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature, given the large share of agricultural and natural soils in the Netherlands.
Since 2024, Dutch soil policy has been embedded in the Environment and Planning Act. Under this framework, the National Environment and Planning Vision is being further developed and will be incorporated into the National Spatial Strategy in 2026, with a focus on restoring soil health and increasing climate resilience. Local authorities translate this vision into environmental strategies on their own level and environmental plans for implementation.
Since 2024, Dutch soil policy has been embedded in the Environment and Planning Act. Under this framework, the National Environment and Planning Vision is being further developed and will be incorporated into the National Spatial Strategy in 2026, with a focus on restoring soil health and increasing climate resilience. A central principle guiding this work is "water and soil as guiding factors" (water en bodem sturend in Dutch), under which water and soil conditions are meant to determine what spatial developments are possible where. This principle is not legally binding, but it is directive for spatial planning choices made by national, provincial, and local authorities. Local authorities translate this vision into environmental strategies on their own level and environmental plans for implementation.
In addition, the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality aims to ensure that all agricultural soils are managed sustainably by 2030, recognising that sustainable soil management supports crop production, soil structure and broader environmental and climate objectives.
Alongside overarching soil policy, the Dutch government also implements measures addressing specific types of soil degradation, as outlined in the relevant hazard pages (see for example soil erosion, drought, and saline intrusion).
