Structuring research on soil, land-use and land management in Europe

Specific Challenge: The pace of current developments and uncertainties surrounding likely future trends in ecosystems and their services requires further steps to maintain and strengthen the evidence base to ensure that policy makers, businesses and citizens in the EU and Associated Countries can continue to draw on a sound understanding of the state of natural resources and the wider environment, the possible impact of response options and their consequences in social, economic and environmental terms.

Better coordination of often fragmented research and innovation actions within Europe and beyond is needed, accompanied by timely and open exchange of information and research results to enhance the impact of research and ensure a more efficient use of resources and scientific developments.

Innovative ways are required to mobilise all relevant actors, increase policy coherence, resolve trade-offs, manage conflicting interests, increase participation of citizens in decision-making and improve public awareness and business uptake of research results.

Scope: Creation of European networks to facilitate dialogue among the relevant scientific communities, funding bodies and user communities in Europe throughout the duration of Horizon 2020. Proposals should cover activities such as clustering, coordinating and creating synergies between international, European and nationally funded research and innovation actions, developing joint programmes and projects, creating links with related international programmes, forward looking analysis to establish emerging needs, communication and dissemination activities for an improved science-policy interface, and aligning research with decision-making requirements. This requires cross-disciplinary interaction and an integrated, systemic approach, especially between socio-economic and environmental sciences.

Proposals shall address the following issue:

Structuring research on soil, land-use and land management in Europe: a network of funding agencies and other key players in Europe (and possibly beyond) to scope national funded research activities, develop a joint vision and design a strategic research agenda (SRA) for activities on soil, land-use and land management that should be implemented through future joint calls. Examples of relevant issues are: land-use change impacts and trends, including the ones related to bioenergy/bioeconomy resources, spatial planning, soil threats, sustainable use of the soil-sediment-water system, impacts at global level and effects on trading partners, integrating socio-economic research and identifying elements linking to relevant policy domains and multilateral environmental agreements.

Expected impact: Evidence-based policy and appropriate, cost-effective management, planning and adaptation decisions by the public sector, businesses, industry and society through the provision and effective communication of trustworthy and timely science-based information. Enhanced impact of research and innovation activities through better identification of R&I priorities, improved coordination of EU and Member State/Associated Country research and innovation programmes and funded activities, and synergies with international research and innovation programmes.

In addition, the following specific impacts are expected:

In the short-term establish a jointly agreed vision and SRA and a network of funding agencies determined to implement it through a joint call in a follow-up phase. Enhance synergies and collaboration between national research programmes in the domain. Medium to long-term, improved evidence-based policy making in domains such as agriculture, environment, climate action, spatial planning, energy transition, drinking water production, resource efficiency and cohesion, and for implementing the Rio+20 pledge to achieve a 'land-degradation neutral' world.

Type of action: Coordination and support actions