Lignite mines Kerpen, Germany (Rhein-Erft district) in the heart of the Rhenish lignite mining area.
The European Soil Partnership
The European Soil Partnership is part of a global network of seven regional soil partnerships, the Global Soil Partnership (see FAO). This network has been founded as a multi-lateral initiative by FAO member countries and many other governmental and non-governmental institutions. Subregional and national partnerships enable close links with stakeholders including land managers and the public. The ESP sees itself as an umbrella network for various European initiatives and actions, at the level of regions, countries, EU and its neighbours, and it advocates for their visibility and contributions in the global soil protection movement.
Become a member
The European Soil Partnership is a voluntary partnership, open to governments, regional organizations, institutions and other stakeholders at various levels. It is mandatory that your organization becomes first member of the Global Soil Partnership. You will then be automatically a member of the ESP. More
Join the ESP-Contact-List
With our contact list, we inform members and any other interested party about ESP activities.
If you want to join the contact list, please get in touch with the secretariat.
After more than two years of negotiations, the European Parliament finally adopted the EU Soil Monitoring Directive - and thus, the first-ever EU law on soils. Today's decision follows the approval of the European Council in September and the ENVI vote in the beginning of the week.
The Soil Monitoring Directive has been formally adopted by the European Council on 29 September 2025. The final vote of the European Parliament is yet to take place in the upcoming weeks.
The Action Plan for Forest Soils in France has finally been published, following two years of work and a public consultation in the first quarter of the year. It aims at monitoring, restoring and preserving soils at the national level.
