A proposal for soil health indicators at EU-level : report on indicator framework available through the EU Soil Observatory

Healthy soils are essential for our environment and society, as soils deliver crucial ecosystem services. The publication of the EU Soil Strategy for 2030 and the Soil Monitoring Law marked major milestones for soil protection and restoration in the EU. In parallel, the Mission Soil aims to advance knowledge on healthy soils and establish 100 Living Labs and Lighthouses to co-create innovations for soil health. Contributing to a better EU soil health monitoring and a complete set of indicators at the EU-level are crucial components of the Mission Soil's objectives. This report proposes a list of indicators for soil health in the EU, together with targets and thresholds for these indicators. Nineteen indicators are presented, representing the main soil degradation processes and monitoring the state of soil health at EU scale. The EUSO Soil Degradation Dashboard is proposed as the main platform for presenting these indicators, together with key results and statistics. The dashboards shows that, based on the proposed indicators, more than 60% of EU soils are currently unhealthy. Planned updates on the proposed indicator framework include: (i) refining, updating and adding new datasets for indicators, (ii) refining thresholds for the indicators, and (iii) developing a composite Soil Health Index. For these planned activities, close collaboration with the Mission Soil projects will be crucial.