13th ESP Plenary Meeting

23 April 2026: Sustainable soil management in Europe

Overview

1. Policy framing: Towards a European voluntary guideline for sustainable soil management

• Guidelines for sustainable soil management in Europe: design options, expectations, synergies, implementation conditions/requirements 

• Connections to the European Soil Monitoring Law Directive

2. Management impact on soil health: what is possible, feasible, efficient and effective?

• Can Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) be sustainably increased? 

• Sustainable forest soil management 

• Sustainable nutrient, crop and soil management practices for carbon, nitrogen and pollution

• Which practices improve soil biodiversity?

Statements:

Reflections by stakeholders (each participating stakeholder to summarize their engagement for sustainable soil management)

• European Compost Network (ECN)

• TP Organics

3. Writing and coordination process of the European VGSSM

24 April 2026: ESP Action Areas

Overview

1. Action area 1: Sustainably manage soils across all land uses

• Conclusions of day 1 including stakeholder input

2. Action area 2: Strengthen participation in soil protection

• Soil policies: EU Soil Monitoring Law developments and implications

• Subregional and National Soil Partnerships: reports/contributions

  • Western Balkan Subregional Soil Partnership
  • Alpine Subregional Soil Partnership
  • Eurasian Subregional Soil Partnership
  • Pyrenean Subregional Soil Partnership
  • National Partnership of Ukraine: Current problems of Ukrainian soil health; Spatial heterogeneity of military impact

3. Action area 3: Research for stakeholders

• EJP Soil Roadmap

• European soil research landscape

• EU Soil Mission clusters: output for stakeholders

4. Action area 4: “Make-the-difference”: awareness and advocacy

• Summary of activities

• Soil literacy

• NB Soil Academy for farm advisors (NBSOIL)

5. Action area 5: Assess, map and monitor soil health

• Soil monitoring and indicators: global-continental-national-regional-local 

• Cooperation: harmonized soil analytics (EUROSOLAN), ESP study in support of the EU Soil Monitoring, EUHarmony project (transfer functions)

6. Action area 6: Foster technical cooperation

• Activity overview, GSP PA