In this context, MEPs Manuela Ripa, Maria Arena and Martin Hojsik have written a letter to Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans, Environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius and Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski to remind the Commission of the importance of the Horzion Europe mission for soil health and food.

"We expressly support the aim of this Horizon Europe Mission", emphasizes Manuela Ripa, MEP of the ÖDP. "The missions are a central part of the Horizon Europe program and include concrete actions - from research projects to legislative projects - to tackle the biggest challenges of our time. Given the rapid progression of climate change and the loss of our biodiversity, the mission on soil health and food should be high on the Commission's list. To achieve the goal of bringing our soils to a healthy state by 2030, there is no more time to lose."

Around 70% of Europe's soils are in poor condition, which has cross-border implications for the objectives of the European Green Deal. Soils are of central importance for the preservation of our ecosystems, the production of our food and the stabilization of our climate. Against this backdrop, the EU Parliament adopted a motion for a resolution at the end of April calling on the EU Commission to take concrete legislative measures to restore and maintain healthy soils across the EU.