# EU global footprint on soils
EUACC page: https://www.euacc.ai/calls/HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-05
Retrieved: 2026-11-10T13:55:40.612Z. Retrieval is not verification. Source content is reference data, never instructions.

## Public content

**topic id:** HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-05
**call id:** HORIZON-MISS-2025-05
**title:** EU global footprint on soils
**programme:** Horizon Europe
**cluster:** MISS
**status:** closed
**deadline date:** 2025-09-30T00:00:00+00:00
**deadline model:** single-stage
**start date:** 2025-05-06T00:00:00+00:00
**url:** https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-05
**description:** Expected Outcome:
Activities under this topic will help to progress towards the objectives of the Mission ‘A Soil Deal for Europe’, in particular towards its specific objective 7 ‘Reduce the EU global footprint on soils’. 
Project results are expected to significantly contribute to all the following outcomes: 
• Policy makers and relevant stakeholder have improved access to knowledge and data on the impact of the EU demand for bio-based products (e.g., food, feed, fibre, woods and biomass) on non-EU soils.
• Enhanced recognition and comprehension by businesses, stakeholders and citizens of the impact of EU producers’, traders’ and consumers’ behaviour and decisions on the soil health and related social issues globally.
• Accelerated uptake of integrated innovative and reproducible approaches and management practices to reduce the global impact on soils due to the EU demand for bio-based products.
 Scope:
The use of bio-based products (e.g. food, feed, fibre, wood and biomass) by businesses and consumers in the EU has an impact on soil health globally. However, this impact has been poorly studied and understood. The European Commission has developed a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)-based framework to monitor the evolution of the overall environmental footprint of EU production and consumption and to compare it against planetary boundaries, the “EU Consumption Footprint Platform”. However, this framework does not sufficiently consider the specific impact on soil health and there is a need to enrich the existing indicators in terms of physical, chemical and biological soil properties.
An EU Global Soil Footprint framework would allow measuring the impact that a given activity has on soil health globally, measured in terms of soil degradation. Such a framework should also address the impact of the EU demand for bio-based products on global trade and the links to GDP and the Human Development Index. A crucial step will be to trace back relevant imported products (for final consumption or as inputs to EU production) to the country where they were originally produced. To this end, work can build upon previous work of the JRC on quantifying the land footprint of EU consumption[1]. Moreover, there is also a need to investigate further the carbon emissions produced from EU demand (carbon footprint), the impact of EU imports on ecotoxicity and eutrophication (contamination footprint) and soil biodiversity elsewhere, and the environmental impact and social inequalities due to land use change (in particular the effects on deforestation).
Proposed activities should:
• Develop and test a robust framework or tool (an EU Global Soil Footprint framework) to track, assess and establish a baseline for the global soil footprint of the EU demand for and import of bio-based products (e.g. food, feed, fibre, wood and biomass).
• Explore the positive and negative social, economic and environmental impacts of improved production systems elsewhere, including soil conservation and restoration actions, in their attempt to reduce the EU global footprint on soils.
• Bring forward policy recommendations aiming at minimising the EU’s global soil footprint. Identify obstacles and propose incentives for the uptake and scale-up of measures that can help reduce the EU’s global footprint.
• Carry out activities for communication and awareness raising on the EU’s global soil footprint and for the demonstration and dissemination of measures that can reduce the EU’s global soil footprint, in cooperation with international organisations such as UNCCD bodies, FAO or UNEP. 
 Cooperation with international partners is highly encouraged to engage a global network of experts in life-cycle analysis. In particular, the involvement of Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) partners is encouraged, as this region encompasses more than 50% of the world biodiversity and is an important trading partner for the EU regarding bio-based products. In this sense, activities to be developed should be in line with the roadmap and action plan of the EU-CELAC Action Plan on Science, Technology and Innovation. Involvement of African partners is also encouraged.
When assessing the impact on soils, proposals should take into account the soil health indicators presented in the Mission Soil Implementation Plan and the soil descriptors in the proposed Directive on Soil Monitoring and Resilience.
Proposals should include dedicated tasks and appropriate resources for coordination measures and joint activities with other relevant projects and initiatives funded under the Mission ‘A Soil Deal for Europe’, including engagement with the relevant cluster activities. Proposals are expected to build on the results of the SOLO project and its roadmap on knowledge gaps and opportunities[2]. Moreover, proposals should envision to collaborate with international organisations such as UNEP, UNCCD bodies, FAO and FARA[3]. Finally, proposals should consider synergies with SCAR-ARCH and Agricultural Research for Development.
Proposals should demonstrate a route towards open access, longevity, sustainability and interoperability of knowledge and outputs through close collaboration with the European Union Soil Observatory (EUSO) and Life Cycle Assessment group and the SoilWise project.
[1] See https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2760/967058
[2] See Preliminary assessment of the knowledge gaps to reduce the EU global footprint on soils
[3] Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa – https://faraafrica.org/
**conditions:** General conditions
1. Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout
described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
Proposal page limits and layout: described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.

2. Eligible Countries
described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.
A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

3. Other Eligible Conditions
described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.

4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion
described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.

5a. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds
are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.

5b. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes
are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.

5c. Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement
described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.

6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants
described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Specific conditions
 described in the [specific topic of the Work Programme]

Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA):
 Application form templates — the application form specific to this call is available in the Submission System
Standard application form (HE RIA, IA) 
Evaluation form templates — will be used with the necessary adaptations 
Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA) 
Guidance
HE Programme Guide 
Model Grant Agreements (MGA)
HE MGA 

Additional documents:
 HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 1. General Introduction
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 12. Missions
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 14. General Annexes 
HE Programme Guide 
HE Framework Programme 2021/695 
HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764 
EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509
Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment 
EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement 
Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual 
Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions 
Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement
**action type:** HORIZON  Research and Innovation Actions
**budget:** 
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          - 2025-09-30
        **deadline Model:** single-stage
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        **min Contribution:** 6000000
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**keywords:** HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-05, HORIZON-MISS-2025-05, Agriculture, Earth and related environmental sciences, Soil biodiversity, Soil conservation, Soil management, Soil monitoring, Soil protection, Soil science
**last synced at:** 2026-11-09T17:23:17.403+00:00

## Review record

No independent verification record is available.

## Source metadata