Scientific-Technical Reports

Polices on climate, nature, agriculture and soils that support the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 (BDS) have indicators (used for the monitoring of their implementation) in common – such as soil organic carbon (SOC) and deadwood indicators. The EU Biodiversity Platform Sub-Group on Monitoring & Assessment (EUBP MA) proposed that a task for 2024, assigned to the European Commission’s Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity (KCBD), would be the “harmonisation of monitoring methods across policy areas” related to the implementation of the BDS. As a starting point on this task, this report presents a semantic interoperability study focused on the linkages, synergies, and differences in reporting requirements on SOC and deadwood indicators across eight different policies relating to climate, nature, agriculture and soil. We identified explicit cross-policy linkages written in the policy documentation in addition to some synergies, and also identified differences in the reporting requirements of these indicators across policies. These differences are related to indicator scope and definition, to the level of detail given for indicator definitions and methodologies, or to the resolution of land use categories, meaning that an indicator measured for one policy may not fit for purpose to be used in another policy having a different purpose. On the other hand, the synergies include the measurement of the same indicator for overlapping land categories across multiple policies, and references to the same wellestablished methodologies. This reflects the overall coherence of EU policies on the area of natural resources. By consulting greenhouse gas inventory reports, we additionally identified instances whereby current methodological choices by certain Member States may not be compatible with the requirements of some of the investigated incoming policies (i.e. policy proposals). The cross-policy linkages that we identified highlight the importance of achieving scientific and technical consistency in the monitoring methodologies used across policies, but also highlight the potential for improving synergy in monitoring and reporting across policies. The differences in reporting requirements for SOC and deadwood indicators and the potential lack of alignment on methodologies identified in this report could provide a starting point for cross-sectoral technical guidance documents or discussions with experts groups aiming to achieve greater harmonisation, simplification and cost-effectiveness of monitoring methods across these policies, particularly in view of the new and revised legislative proposals.

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The directive on soil monitoring and resilience (Soil Monitoring Law) was included in the Official Journal of the European Union (EU 2025/2360) on November 26th, 20225. After water and air, this Directive puts forward the first EU legislation on the soil environmental compartment. The directive establishes a harmonised soil monitoring framework for assessing the health of soils throughout the EU. A harmonised approach implies that standards become important to ensure intercomparability among, and within, Member States. The directive prescribes reference methodologies and requires transfer functions for other methods. The Directive also includes some standards for the monitoring and measuring of soil descriptors based on those being used through the LUCAS topsoil surveys from 2009 to 2022. The present technical report provides an inventory of 574 soil-related standards from international and European standard bodies including the International Organization for Standardisation (ISO) and the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN), as well as standards from other well-recognised international institutions including the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO-GLOSOLAN). There is a need for harmonisation of soil-related standards to ensure consistency and comparability of soil data and to support effective soil management and protection effort.

Download the report: https://esdac.jrc.ec.europa.eu/public_path//shared_folder/doc_pub/JRC144540_01.pdf

The present report provides an overall picture of the status of environment and climate - air quality, emissions of air pollutants and greenhouse gases - (GHG), forests, soil and marine environment in Ukraine. The analysis is based on available studies by JRC and other sources. However, the report does not cover all environmental areas as completeness and quality of data varies across the different topics. The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine has exacerbated pre-existing challenges related to environmental monitoring and the enforcement of environmental regulations, further complicating this assessment.

The information summarised in this study provides for the first time the basis for assessing the impact of war in Ukraine with reference to specific environment and climate aspects, including relevant elements for the reconstruction of the country. Moreover, the report provides additional information for benchmarking the EU accession process of Ukraine, with particular reference to Chapter 27 of the EU Acquis on Environment, as well as for monitoring the progress in the green transition, with an emphasis on zero-pollution, low-carbon and nature-preserving dimensions.

In the last decade, Ukraine made efforts to align its environmental strategy with EU standards including the definition of key strategic goals and a roadmap for its participation in the Green Deal. The concentration of pollutants regulated by Ukrainian legislation meet the EU criteria, with the exception of NO2 and CH2O. National standards for atmospheric particulate matter with diameter <2.5 μm and <10 μm (PM2.5 and PM10, respectively) are not in place yet. Emission of pollutants have decreased over the past decade due to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic and the war.

Over the past decade, climate change and the war have significantly increased the risk of large forest fires, with the worst situation in the last five years. Wildfires account for 45-65% of the total forest cover losses every year. Although soils in Ukraine contain high levels of organic matter and nutrients, they are also vulnerable to degradation, such as nutrient mismanagement, acidification, erosion, compaction, salinisation, contamination. Erosion is the most widespread threat since it affects 40% of the Ukrainian soil.

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The study shows that significant achievement has been delivered so far but progress needs to accelerate in many areas. As of mid-2024, 32 of the 154 targets are currently “on track” and 64 are identified as “acceleration needed” meaning that more progress is needed to meet the targets on time. Furthermore, 15 of the targets are found to be “not progressing” or “regressing”, and for 43 of the targets no data is currently available. The timing of the binding policies, most of which have been recently agreed and are expected to deliver results in the coming years, is a significant factor influencing these assessments.This report integrates all EGD actions and related policies, offering an assessment of the EU’s green transition based on robust data and science. It identifies priority areas for intensified efforts to meet short-term implementation goals and contribute to the long-term ambition of a sustainable, fair, just, and climate-neutral Europe by 2050. This collective work serves as a benchmarking tool, providing scientifically grounded guidance for future EU policies and programmes.

Link to the report: https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC140372

The EU Soil Strategy for 2030 sets out a framework to ensure that soils are used sustainably by setting concrete measures to protect and restore soils. It sets a vision and objectives to achieve healthy soil by 2050, with concrete actions due by 2030. The newly developed ‘EU Soil Strategy Actions Tracker’ is a tool to track the progress of these concrete actions since the adoption of the EU Soil Strategy in 2021. The EU Soil Strategy Actions Tracker provides an overview on the status of the actions, information on the due date, recent updates, links to related EU policies, links to relevant sources, and the main actors responsible for implementation. Currently, 62 out of 90 actions (69%) are marked as completed, 24 actions (27%) as in progress, and 4 actions (4%) as withdrawn. The EU Soil Strategy Actions Tracker provides a clear overview of the progress made by the European Commission under the EU Soil Strategy. With almost 70% of complete actions, the tracker shows that the Commission is well on track to complete most of the actions included in the EU Soil Strategy. Together with the EU Soil Observatory (EUSO) Soil Degradation Dashboard, it provides an informative overview on EU soil health status and ongoing actions to preserve and restore the state of soils in the EU. The EU Soil Strategy Actions Tracker is the first step towards an EUSO Soil Policy Actions Tracker to monitor EU policy actions relevant to soils, other policies (e.g. EU Climate Law) are foreseen to be included in 2025.

Soil-related citizen science projects have gained significant interest driven by the prominence of soil within public policy agendas. Amongst others, this includes the EU Soil Strategy for 2030, which contributes to the objectives of the EU Green Deal and proposes specific actions to increase citizen engagement on soils. Increasing citizen engagement is also one of the building blocks in the EU Mission: A Soil Deal for Europe.

In this work, we reviewed over 60 citizen science projects, across the globe, that considered soil health. We collected citizen science projects based on literature search, expert interviews, suggestions from project partners and through the mailing lists of the European Network for Soil Awareness (ENSA) and the European Soil Data Centre (ESDAC). We then screened all projects for the following characteristics: geographic coverage, duration, scientific factors (e.g. soil properties considered, fieldwork), technological factors (e.g. applications used) and their citizen engagement (e.g. target groups).

Two-thirds of the reviewed studies were based in Europe and mostly conducted at regional- or national scales. We recommend to align the citizen science methodology with the desired level of participation. We also identified a need for the development of standardised, user-friendly and costeffective methodologies to generate soil data. Engagement of citizen can be facilitated through, i.) providing feedback protocols on their scientific contribution and, ii.) assigning qualified mediators or activity leaders to support participants throughout the project. All collected information has been made available as an open-access repository and can inform future citizen-science projects on soil health

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This report delves into the intricate interplay between drivers, pressures and impacts on soil in the 32 Member States of the European Environment Agency (EEA), along with six cooperating countries from the West Balkans, Ukraine and UK, shedding light on the multifaceted challenges facing soil conservation efforts. Our analysis shows the complex interactions among various factors, both anthropogenic and natural, shaping soil degradation processes and their subsequent consequences. We highlight key findings, including the significant impacts of soil degradation on agriculture, ecosystem resilience, water quality, biodiversity, and human health, underscoring the urgent need for comprehensive soil management strategies. Moreover, our examination of citizen science initiatives underlines the importance of engaging the public in soil monitoring and conservation efforts. This work emphasises the policy relevance of promoting sustainable soil governance frameworks, supported by research, innovation, and robust soil monitoring schemes, to safeguard soil health and ensure the long-term resilience of ecosystems.

Direct link: /public_path//JRC137600_State_of_Soils_in_Europe_Report_2024_online.pdf

Clay minerals are a key factor in mineral soils as they are controlling physic, chemical and biological soil properties. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis has been widely used to identify and quantify minerals in earth science The aim of this research is to describe the clay minerals in soils of Europe and United Kingdom by using soil samples from the Land Use/Cover Area Frame Survey (LUCAS) topsoil database sampled in 2015. A subset of 388 soil samples were selected from LUCAS 2015 topsoil survey. The clay fraction (<2 µm) was separated by sedimentation in distilled water. X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) measurements have been carried out with a Siemens D5000 diffractometer with a graphite monochromator, using CuKα radiation at 40 kV and 40 mA. Clay mineralogy has been studied by measurement of basal spacing parameters on the clay fraction oriented in glass slides: 3 to 13 °2θ range 0.02 °2θ step size. The study involved the measurement of the 1. air-dried sample, 2. ethylene glycol solvated sample, 3. heat treatment at 110, 350 and 550 °C. Identification of clay minerals were based on the d-spacing value of their 00l (mainly 001) reflections after different diagnostic treatment. The semiquantitative composition of <2 µm fractions was estimated by using integrated areas of 00l reflections. Brief description of the clay mineralogy of all samples and semi quantitative mineral composition was performed at country level. The X-ray diffractograms after the different treatment (black = untreated, blue = ethylene glycol solvated, green = 110 °C, dark red = 350 °C, red = 550 °C) for each soil sample were analyzed. Majority clay minerals were compared to soils properties such as CEC, soil pH, soil organic carbon (SOC), and clay and sand content. Current descriptive analysis can be used to identify the most relevant clay minerals in soils of Europe. Monitoring over time can be used as soil health indicator to establish potential correlations between clay minerals and relevant threats as soil degradation, soil erosion, and soil pollution.

Download PDF: Clay mineral inventory in soils of Europe based on LUCAS 2015 survey soil samples

The objectives of the ‘IACS65 data sharing project’ performed by the JRC were to make: IACS data more visible and accessible through the INSPIRE geoportal by the production and publication of discovery metadata for datasets and services, improve interoperability with other relevant data sets for the interest of public administration (LULUCF, crop classification, landscape features), ensure effective re-use through use cases, with a specific focus on soil, explore IACS data when it is integrated with third data bases, collaboration with the Member States (Paying agencies). Substantial progress has been made in the 30 months for the project thanks to AGRI/JRC efforts to facilitate IACS data sharing with Member States, even though data are not yet available for all Member States. Good results have been obtained and the positive trend along time was possible thanks to different EC actions, notably: publication of technical guidelines for the data discovery metadata and datasets metadata, adaptation of INSPIRE geoportal for better visibility of LPIS and GSA(A) (In line with the implementation action on High Value data sets) and trainings for the paying agencies, leading to exchange during workshops and conferences. Nevertheless, the efforts should continue.

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EU Soil Observatory 2022

This report presents the activities of the EU Soil Observatory (EUSO) that took place during 2021. Through its five main objectives, the EUSO contributes to improving the monitoring of soils, to creating and sharing knowledge and data about EU soils, in particular producing tailored outputs in support of policy development and to the wider public. These activities feed into the overarching knowledge management objective under which the EUSO provided extensive policy support to a range of policy areas, notably the upcoming Soil Health Law and the Horizon Europe’s Soil Mission.

A key element of the EU Soil Observatory are the six EUSO Working Groups (WG) that aim to discuss policy or technical advances on a particular topic. Their activities in 2022 were diverse and ranged from providing policy support (Soil Monitoring, Soil Pollution WGs), technical progress on integration of soil data (Soil Data WG) or advancing scientific knowledge about soils (Soil Erosion WG).

This report also highlights the developments to be expected in 2023. In particular, the EUSO will produce reports on soil pollution, soil organic carbon trends, pesticides in soils, land degradation and a soil fertility index and work on the state of soil health in the EU. A key development will be the publication of the EUSO soil health dashboard. The EUSO will support dedicated Soil Mission research projects and will continue to provide support for the upcoming Soil Health Law proposal. The EUSO is also planning a 2023 EU Soil Week.

Link: https://esdac.jrc.ec.europa.eu/public_path//shared_folder/doc_pub/JRC133346.pdf

Developing a methodology for the analysis of the anthropogenic intervention on natural capital is an ambitious process. The LANDSUPPORT project implemented a Decision Support System (DSS) to help support better land use planning. The LANDSUPPORT DSS aimed at creating an innovative and intuitive environment that will improve the readability of measured and modelled geo-information, making it accessible to a wide range of stakeholders. A cross-evaluation analysis has been developed to measure the ability to support policy-related stakeholders and help them make informed decisions.

In the field of land use and land management, appropriate data are essential to support effective land planning in which different sources of available information need to be synthesised to provide an holistic picture of their combined effect. Policy stakeholders play a pivotal role in designing the DSS to be transversal and able to cope with issues at local, national and regional scales. National and regional land monitoring projects are often evenly disseminated or unsuitable for policy needs. Many attempts were recently made to overcome this problem, and the concept of decision dashboards is now extensively used to address these challenges. DSS are growing in popularity. They are often distributed as open access online interfaces that use georeferenced data and visualization tools to present model metrics and key performance indicators. Data behind DSSs can be static or dynamic as it is for the LANDSUPPORT DSS. The set of tools developed at different scales within different domains of application, are regularly updated and obtained from the state-of-the-art scientific development. With the user in mind, the LANDSUPPORT DSS encourages an extensive range of policy stakeholders to perform land use analysis, improving the tool's usability and making informed decisions for land sustainability. Decisions on land management at local scale are already benefiting from such information systems.

For the EU, specific tools were developed, tailored to the specific needs of stakeholders. For instance, in line with its strategic plan, Italy uses specific functionality and indicator sets to support its decision-making across agriculture sectors (viticulture and oliviculture tools are tailored examples of the DSS dynamism).
Another goal of DSS is to improve geodata integration across highly compartmentalized sectors. Each tool which appears in the dashboard will undergo regular improvements as the backend platform is refined. The LANDSUPPORT tool allows for the analysis of soil sealing in the land take tool, the land degradation neutrality tool (SDG 15.3.1 indicator), and the climate change resilience through another dedicated tool embedding future scenarios of climate change based on CORDEX ensemble models and (Representative Concentration Pathways, RCPs). Given the challenge of identifying and gaining access to good quality data from local partners, the LANDSUPPORT project fostered the capacity building among partners through workshops and other interactions and drew attention to better data management and improved accessibility and sharing. Embedding data access and its use in end-user organizations is vital to generating and sustaining interest in the dashboards.

This report presents the analysis carried out to test the LANDSUPPORT DSS’s ability to support EU policies when applied at the EU scale. Key EU policies of interest include the 7th Environmental Action Porgamme; COM 2006/231 Soil Strategy, Dir 2000/60/EC Water Directive; Dir 2007/2/EC INSPIRE Directive. and the land-related targets of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in particular, SDGs 2 “Zero Hunger”, 3 “god healh and well-being”, 13 “Climate action”, 15, with a special emphasis to the key SDG 15.3.1, “achieving a land degradation-neutral world” (LDN) and climate change (CC) mitigation goals.