Environmental assessment of soil for monitoring : Volume VI: Soil monitoring system for Europe

The ENVASSO Project (Contract 022713) was funded under the European Commission 6th Framework Programme of Research, 2006-8, with the objective of defining and documenting a soil monitoring system appropriate for soil protection at continental level. The ENVASSO Consortium, comprising 37 partners drawn from 25 EU Member States, reviewed almost 300 soil indicators, identified existing soil inventories and monitoring programmes in the Member States, and drafted procedures and protocols appropriate for inclusion in a European soil monitoring network of sites that are geo-referenced and at which a qualified sampling process is or could be conducted. Volume V (this volume is one of 6) describes the procedures and protocols, needed for harmonised soil monitoring in Europe, which have been modified following the extensive testing of 22 indicators in 28 Pilot Areas of EU Member States reported in Volume IV. The results provide a foundation for implementing a soil monitoring programme in the near future but they are the scientific opinions of the ENVASSO Consortium, presented here without prejudice and in no way represent the official position of the European Commission on soil monitoring in Europe.