Last month, ARAGORN participated in a 2-day-workshop with other Soil Mission Projects (ISLANDER, EDAPHOS, BENCHMARKS, SOIL WISE) at the Joint Research Center (JRC), Ispra, Italy.
The workshop focused on the topic of Soil Pollution and Remediation: Soil Data and Knowledge structuring, harmonising and sharing. This event was instrumental in initiating discussions around the Soil Monitoring and Resilience Law (SMRL), focusing on the creation of a comprehensive soil watchlist and foundational principles for soil preservation.
A dozen stakeholders, mostly from the cited Mission Soil Projects dealing with soil pollution, together with representatives from DG Environmental and DG Agricolture, Mission Projects Benchmarks and SoilWise, and the European Committee for Standardization (CEN), met to discuss how EUSO and the IPCHEM platform could be used to support the harmonisation of procedures, data and knowledge relating to both diffuse soil pollution and contaminated sites.
The meeting addressed the interoperability efforts that would be needed to allow for a seamless discovery, harvesting and sharing of relevant data and knowledge to ensure new data flows from R&I projects, Member States and the EUSO, especially in the context of the forthcoming Soil Monitoring Law.
ARAGORN team’s contributions were particularly impactful, demonstrating the potential to directly influence the SMRL. During the meeting, a pivotal study was presented, introducing a new chemical risk indicator. This scoping study aims to develop a robust indicator to assess the risk posed by chemicals to ecosystems, a critical step in enhancing soil monitoring and resilience. Other discussion topics included: types of data and knowledge on soil pollution and remediation to be structured, possible data sources, and how to ensure current and future data flows.
ARAGORN’s commitment to advancing soil science and protecting ecosystems remains unwavering as we continue to lead in this vital area of environmental research.
