Europe: Focus on soil, circular economy and biodiversity in March and April 

Presenting Brussels knowhow concerning soil management

During the Belgian Soil Week in mid-March, a meeting of experts was held at the offices of Brussels Environment to discuss Soil Health issues. The event was a great opportunity to share best practices and bring together stakeholders from all over Europe and beyond. Brussels Environment acted as facilitator and shared its extensive experience on the topic with peers. 

While soil was not much on the EU radar in the past, it has become an important topic for EU legislators in recent years. Viewed through the lens of the EU’s Green Deal, the current European Commission considers healthy soils essential as a means of achieving climate neutrality, a clean and circular economy, reversing biodiversity loss, providing healthy food, safeguarding human health and halting desertification and land degradation.  

In 2021 and with that viewpoint in mind, European lawmakers presented an EU Soil Strategy for 2030, which provided a framework for soil protection and restoration in Europe. To this end, the new proposal for a Directive on Soil Monitoring and Resilience that was presented in July 2023 puts in place a comprehensive and coherent monitoring framework and promotes sustainable soil management and the remediation of contaminated sites. 

Soil is a matter of importance for the Belgian presidency. One of its commitments is to make every effort to advance negotiations on the Soil Monitoring Law, with the aim of arriving at an overall agreement among the 27 Member States regarding its content. This legislative file, on which the European Parliament already adopted a position and which is still currently being discussed between Member States at Council level, provides a legal framework to help achieve healthy soils by 2050.

Europe and Brussels gearing up for circular economy

On 17 April 2024, companies, knowledge institutions and NGOs from around the world were taken on a tour of key players and initiatives that form part of Belgium's circular economy.  On that occasion, Brussels Environment organised visits to circular projects such as the Circularium and les Petits Riens. It also led a workshop on circular construction, promoting reclaimed and bio-based materials.  The event formed part of the World Circular Economic Forum (WCEF), which took place from 15 to 18 April at the Square in Brussels and brought together an international crowd of experts and stakeholders to share knowledge on the subject of circular innovation. This WCEF week was filled with new insights, powerful practical examples and lots of networking opportunities to help global, European and local representatives tackle the transition towards a full-fledged circular economy.

What is Europe doing in order to boost circular economy? In 2020, it introduced a series of measures to promote this new lifestyle. These measures are elaborated in the Circular Economy Action Plan. The Action Plan focuses on the sectors that use most resources and in which the potential for circularity is high, such as electronics and ICT, batteries and vehicles, packaging, plastics, textiles, construction and buildings, food, water and nutrients. Ultimately, this set of initiatives aims to modernise and transform our economy. For what purpose? To make sustainable products that last and enable European citizens and companies to be part of this change.

The Belgian presidency wants to be a driver for change in the transition towards a circular economy. How? By fostering dialogue on that topic and by advancing interinstitutional negotiations on critical files such as the proposed Regulation on Packaging and Packaging Waste. In that regard, we also have some good news! Negotiators have reached an agreement that will make packaging in the EU safer and more sustainable. It is one of the first key successes of the presidency on environment policy.

Climate change mitigation: Nature-based Solutions as powerful ally

On 29 April, a meeting of EU experts took place at the offices of Brussels Environment to discuss the potential of an upcoming approach that will help to address the challenges posed by climate change and biodiversity: Nature-based Solutions. Nature-based Solutions are solutions that are inspired and supported by nature. They are cost effective and provide environmental, social and economic benefits as well, as well as helping to build resilience. They are an ally when it comes to mitigating the impacts of climate risks such as floods or heatwaves.

Various prospective studies were presented during the event, including the much-anticipated latest report of the European Environment Agency on urban adaptation in Europe. The gathering allowed stakeholders, including local actors such as Brussels Environment, to exchange views with global and European partners and further promote this cross-cutting take on climate action and resilience. 

The most recent key document in terms of biodiversity protection in Europe is the EU’s Biodiversity Strategy. It sets out an ambitious long-term plan to reverse the deterioration of our ecosystems, while preparing the EU to take up a leading role in international negotiations to halt loss of biodiversity. Nature-based Solutions are specifically mentioned in the Strategy and are acknowledged as a powerful tool that will play a part in the successful implementation of the EU’s Green Deal, the roadmap for Europe’s climate and environment ambitions. 

In this context, the European Commission is conducting various awareness-raising initiatives at both EU and global level to encourage the widespread adoption of Nature-based Solutions. The EU funds numerous European research and projects relating to nature-based solutions, including by means of the Horizon Europe programme and its programme for environment and climate action (LIFE). 

The Belgian presidency of the Council of the EU has the opportunity to play a positive role in promoting and implementing Nature-based Solutions. The short-term objectives of the Belgian presidency in that area are: (1) to convince the next European legislature (2024-2029) of the potential of Nature-based Solutions and (2) to encourage research and innovation in this field by supporting the funding of projects in the next multiannual financial framework.