Directive reference – Arts 7, 10
Criteria define when a soil is healthy for a descriptor and are set at Union level (Part A) or Member State level (Part B) (Art 7; Annex I). A sustainable target value is a non-binding value indicating healthy soil, while an operational trigger value is a value that, once passed, triggers investigation and, where needed, measures (Art 7).
The soil health assessment evaluates monitoring results per soil unit, first by 17 December 2031 and then every six years (Art 10). Results are placed in three assessment classes: good, moderate and poor (Art 10). Exempted soils, such as naturally saline or unmanaged natural soils, are excluded from a criterion (Annex I).