Soil Atlas of Europe
PREFACE
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” 1
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
Janez Potočnik
1
Commissioner for Environment
Stavros Dimas
COM 179 (2002) See http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/environment/soil/índex.htm