In a political climate where much of Europe’s green agenda is being delayed or dismantled, a draft bill aimed at protecting soil health, seemingly a low-profile issue, recently succeeded, surviving a final vote in the European Parliament against the odds. The article outlines how this unlikely success was steered through at a moment when environmental legislation faces widespread opposition, especially from farming lobbies and conservative political forces.
The piece describes the path to passing the soil-health law as a kind of “six-step” political recipe: essentially, how a modest, technical environmental file was able to survive in an “anti-green age”. Key to the success was the role of a single liberal MEP from Slovakia, who quietly navigated negotiations behind the scenes to build sufficient support.
The article suggests that part of the reason this “unglamorous” topic passed is that soil protection lacks the political flashiness (and controversy) of other environmental reforms, such as pesticide bans or biodiversity regulation — which makes it less of a target for fierce lobbying or public backlash. In addition, the law focuses on monitoring, data gathering, and long-term soil health, framing it as technical, necessary groundwork rather than radical regulatory intervention.
Still, the law’s approval comes amidst a broader context of weakening green legislation across the EU. The article argues that this success should not be taken as evidence of a wider political shift toward environmental ambition but rather as a rare exception made possible by political calculation, timing, and low public visibility.
Overall, the story of the soil-health law’s passage reveals both the challenges facing environmental legislation in Europe today, and the small, strategic victories that remain possible if advocates choose modest, technically framed proposals that can avoid heavy opposition.
Read the full article here.
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