Az európai talajmegfigyelésre vonatkozó törvényjavaslat talajegészség-értékelési rendszere és ennek egyes hazai vonatkozásai = Soil health assessment system of the European soil monitoring law proposal, and some Hungarian aspects

Bakacsi, Zsófia and Takács, Tünde (2025) Az európai talajmegfigyelésre vonatkozó törvényjavaslat talajegészség-értékelési rendszere és ennek egyes hazai vonatkozásai = Soil health assessment system of the European soil monitoring law proposal, and some Hungarian aspects. SCIENTIA ET SECURITAS, 6 (1-2). pp. 201-207. ISSN 3057-9759

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Abstract

Az Egy Egészség” holisztikus szemléletű, rendszerszintű megközelítés, amely az ember és a környezeti elemek kapcsolatát egységként vizsgálja, nem csupán az egyes részeket külön-külön. Rávilágít arra, hogy a talaj központi szerepet tölt be az emberi, állati és környezeti egészség megőrzésében: nemcsak az élelmiszer-termelés alapja, hanem az ökoszisztéma működésének és a klímaváltozás mérséklésének is meghatározó tényezője. Az Európai Parlament és a Tanács javaslatot nyújtott be egy egységes európai talajmegfigyelési és ellenálló képességi keretrendszer létrehozására. Az irányelv célja, hogy minden tagállamban információt biztosítson a talaj állapotáról, valamint útmutatást adjon az egészséges talajállapot eléréséhez és fenntartásához. | Soil health has a direct impact on food security, disease control and ecosystem resilience, and is closely linked to the health of people, animals and the environment. Sustainable land management practices that conserve both the quantity and quality of soils, while preserving soil biodiversity, are essential to mitigating the risk of infectious diseases. The richness and diversity of the soil microbiome can play a pivotal role in combating antibiotic-resistant bacteria, facilitating the degradation of environmental pollutants, and enhancing the safety of the food chain – all of which are fundamental to advancing the objectives of the “One Health” framework. Currently, there is no unified method or set of criteria in the EU for assessing soil quality. The indicators used for this purpose must be reliable, easy to measure, cost-effective, and closely linked to soil functions. It is important that they sensitively reflect the impacts of climate change and land use, while providing a comprehensive view of soil condition. The directive proposed by the European Parliament and the Council aims to establish a unified soil monitoring and resilience framework that provides information on soil status across all member states and offers guidance on how to achieve and maintain healthy soils. The framework is intended to ensure good soil condition in EU member states by 2050, reduce pollution, and support ecosystem services. Technical negotiations on the legislation are ongoing, gradually moving toward a final agreement through compromises. The European Soil Health Directive aims to identify key indicators – covering physical, chemical, and biological aspects – to define optimal soil conditions. However, international indicators (e.g., erosion, biological markers) may not be directly applicable at the national level without prior, site-specific assessments. It is important to ensure cooperation between the suggested measurement methods and national monitoring systems, as well as their alignment at the international level, where the so-called LUCAS (Land Use/Cover Area Frame Survey) Soil Monitoring methodology could serve as a key connecting link. Most soil health indicators focus on topsoil (0–30 cm), aligning with the current sampling depth of the Hungarian Soil Information and Monitoring (TIM) system. However, implementing some newly proposed indicators will require upgrades and methodological expansion of the TIM. Integrating new biodiversity indicators, adopting international lab methods, aligning national results statistically, and defining intervention thresholds (“trigger values”) pose professional and funding challenges. During the debate on the draft law, several soil biodiversity indicators were discussed, but one of the most widely supported was DNA metabarcoding, an indicator already tested in the LUCAS biodiversity survey. Microorganisms can serve as excellent indicators, as their high surface-to-volume ratio enables a much closer interaction with their environment compared to higher organisms. They actively participate in numerous soil processes and respond more rapidly and sensitively to changes in soil conditions. There is an urgent need to adapt international and domestic data for local use and possibly designate additional sampling sites, as EU member states will be required to report every 5–6 years on the condition of soil health zones based on changes in monitored indicators.

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