The project's main objective was to define and document a soil monitoring system for implementation in support of a Soil Framework Directive, aimed at protecting soil in the EU.

The ENVASSO Consortium, comprising 37 partners drawn from 25 EU Member States, succeeded in reviewing existing soil inventories, monitoring programmes, soil indicators and criteria that could serve as a base for a soil monitoring system for Europe. Procedures and protocols appropriate for inclusion in a European soil monitoring system were defined and fully documented and 22 of these procedures were evaluated in 28 Pilot Areas. In conclusion, an outline European Soil Monitoring System, comprising a network of geo-referenced sites at which a qualified sampling process is or could be conducted, is presented.