Copa-Cogeca welcomed in Brussels  today the EU Commissions’ decision to withdraw the EU proposal for a soil directive stressing it would have resulted in far more costs than benefits.

Copa-Cogeca Secretary-General Pekka Pesonen said “We warmly welcome the Commissions’ decision. The proposal for a soil directive(published in the Official Journal),  had been blocked in the Council for years. And it was not necessarily going to improve soil protection in the EU. Its only consequence would have been more bureaucracy for farmers and agri-cooperatives”.

He continued “Soil is a valuable resource for farmers and forest owners and a key production factor so is protection and sustainable use is crucial. Farmers are making huge efforts to prevent soil degradation resulting from erosion, compaction and decline in organic matter. The EU already has effective legislation which contains strict soil protection measures, included in the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) as well as in a framework of EU environmental legislation. The soil directive would have just added layers of red tape. There was no need for it”.

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