First Soil Atlas of Europe
European Commission raises awareness of the value of soil and soil protection
Soil performs a multitude of environmental, economic, social and cultural functions and thus plays a vital role in conserving biodiversity and supporting global environmental systems. The European Commission has therefore created the first Soil Atlas of Europe, designed to describe and explain the threats to our soil, and raise awareness of its diversity and its importance to our lives. The Atlas will contribute to future actions to protect Europe's soil, such as a proposal for a Thematic Strategy on soil protection, scheduled to be put forward by the Commission before the end of 2005.
The Commission has coordinated the creation of the first «Soil Atlas of Europe» by bringing together expert scientists from soil institutes in over 40 countries, all of them represented in the European Soil Bureau Network. The Atlas consists of high quality soil maps and easy to understand texts supported by unique photographs. It is based on the European Soil Information System developed by the Commission covering the whole European Union and bordering countries.
Source: European Environmental Press
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