The European Union has established within its Sixth Environmental Action Programme the need to prevent soil degradation in Europe.
In order to achieve this objective, the EU proposed to develop a specific thematic strategy for soil protection. The way forward towards such a new strategy has been presented in a Communication from the Commission entitled “Towards an EU Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection” where a number of major threats, i.e. erosion, contamination, decline of organic matter content, loss of biodiversity, sealing, salinization, landslides and flooding have been identified.
Some features of soil, such as its enormous variability or the fact that soil is mainly privately owned in Europe, make the development of a soil protection policy somewhat different from the protection policy of air and water. Soil diversity reflects differences in climate, geological origin, vegetation, land use and historical development that are the main characteristics of European landscapes. Recognizing soil diversity implies taking into account the strong local component of any soil protection policy. Different soil types require different management and protection measures.
This new “Soil Atlas of Europe” is intended to be a step towards raising public awareness on the importance and the key role of soil for many human activities and for the survival of ecosystems.
The Atlas compiles existing information on different soil types in easily understandable maps covering the entire European Union and bordering countries. The publication is intended not only for the specialized reader but also for the general public, aiming to ‘bridge the gap’ between soil science, policymaking and public knowledge. By addressing a non-specialized audience, the Atlas will increase public awareness and understanding of the diversity of soils and of the need to protect this precious resource.
Recognizing the importance of soil as a non renewable resource which provides many functions crucial to human activities as well as ecological functions (hosting soil biodiversity, the filtering and buffering capacity, the role as an archive of cultural heritage, etc.), will support the development of protective measures that will incorporate local knowledge about each specific soil type and function as well as safeguarding soils for future generations.
The Atlas draws on the expertise and activities of the Joint Research Centre in this field and has been elaborated in close collaboration with specialized institutions in Member States and bordering countries participating in the European Soil Bureau Network.
We trust that this publication will be a major step towards a better understanding of the soils of Europe and their diversity, thus fostering and strengthening the commitment of the European Union to protect and preserve our soil.
Commissioner for Science and Research Commissioner for Environment
Janez Potocnik Stavros Dimas
Download the preface in PDF format
http://eusoils.jrc.it/projects/soil_atlas/Preface.html