Soil scientists at the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC) have been gathering and analyzing soil samples from across Europe. Once the physicochemical soil properties have been analyzed, the JRC will be able to carry out assessments of how the impacts of EU and national land-based policies (such as the Common Agricultural Policy) are manifested through changes in soil characteristics over time. This assessment includes things like the physical and chemical properties of the soil, biodiversity, density, structure, and pollutants present. The soil sampling is done within the framework of a European-wide survey entitled LUCAS (Land Use/Land Cover Area Frame Survey), which is coordinated by the EU Statistical Office, EUROSTAT, and aims to assess changes in land cover and land use across the EU every three years.
Source: https://ec.europa.eu/