The European Commission has prioritized soil health in its political agenda with the proposal for a Soil Monitoring Law and the ambitious Soil Mission research framework. The EU Soil Observatory (EUSO) used the latest state-of-the-art pan-European datasets to propose a preliminary assessment of soil health in the EU based on 18 soil degradation proxy indicators. The body of knowledge will be enriched by a 1 billion euro investment in the 'A Soil Deal for Europe' mission, aiming to promote the development of new harmonized bottom-up and top-down soil health indicators. National soil monitoring schemes will also contribute new data and knowledge to support the implementation of the Soil Monitoring Law. The Soil Mission roadmap aims to assess and achieve soil health in the EU by 2030 to meet Green Deal objectives. The EUSO Soil Health Dashboard, a soil degradation indicator tool using soil health indicators developed by the European Soil Data Centre (ESDAC), will contribute to Soil Monitoring Law assessments. Since Plato first observed land degradation in Greece, Europe has continued to struggle with accelerated soil degradation. Human-induced land degradation is a global threat to food production, climate change, and ecosystem services. A recent assessment indicates that 60-70% of EU soils are unhealthy, impairing crop productivity and other soil functions. The socioeconomic impact of soil mismanagement is considerable, with soil erosion alone costing the global economy $8 billion annually. In contrast, the total cost of land degradation in the EU was estimated at €50 billion per year. Over the last two decades, the EU has implemented policies for agro-environmental protection, including the Soil Thematic Strategy and the greening of the Common Agricultural Policy. Since 2020, the EU Green Deal has set an ambitious roadmap to make the EU the first carbon-neutral continent. The EU has ranked soil protection high on the policy agenda, adopting the EU Soil Biodiversity Strategy 2030, the Zero Pollution Action Plan, and the EU Climate Adaptation Strategy. The Soil Mission aims to set up 100 Living Labs to promote sustainable land and soil management in urban and rural areas to achieve the EU's policy objective of having all soils healthy by 2050. The Soil Mission has already funded projects totalling more than €250 million and will continue to do so with larger funding allocations. With an estimated investment of around €1 billion until 2028, research projects under the Soil Mission are expected to reverse soil degradation through action on the ground. This will be underpinned by the development and monitoring of a set of indicators. The goal is to develop a soil health programme based on a framework and roadmap that will translate globally. The Soil Mission will propel the EU's goal to manage all land in more sustainable ways, both across the EU and globally. Action will be centred around 100 Living Labs, real-world environments where practitioners, researchers, and other stakeholdersThe European Commission has prioritized soil health in its political agenda with the proposal for a Soil Monitoring Law and the ambitious Soil Mission research framework. The EU Soil Observatory (EUSO) used the latest state-of-the-art pan-European datasets to propose a preliminary assessment of soil health in the EU based on 18 soil degradation proxy indicators. The body of knowledge will be enriched by a 1 billion euro investment in the 'A Soil Deal for Europe' mission, aiming to promote the development of new harmonized bottom-up and top-down soil health indicators. National soil monitoring schemes will also contribute new data and knowledge to support the implementation of the Soil Monitoring Law. The Soil Mission roadmap aims to assess and achieve soil health in the EU by 2030 to meet Green Deal objectives. The EUSO Soil Health Dashboard, a soil degradation indicator tool using soil health indicators developed by the European Soil Data Centre (ESDAC), will contribute to Soil Monitoring Law assessments. Since Plato first observed land degradation in Greece, Europe has continued to struggle with accelerated soil degradation. Human-induced land degradation is a global threat to food production, climate change, and ecosystem services. A recent assessment indicates that 60-70% of EU soils are unhealthy, impairing crop productivity and other soil functions. The socioeconomic impact of soil mismanagement is considerable, with soil erosion alone costing the global economy $8 billion annually. In contrast, the total cost of land degradation in the EU was estimated at €50 billion per year. Over the last two decades, the EU has implemented policies for agro-environmental protection, including the Soil Thematic Strategy and the greening of the Common Agricultural Policy. Since 2020, the EU Green Deal has set an ambitious roadmap to make the EU the first carbon-neutral continent. The EU has ranked soil protection high on the policy agenda, adopting the EU Soil Biodiversity Strategy 2030, the Zero Pollution Action Plan, and the EU Climate Adaptation Strategy. The Soil Mission aims to set up 100 Living Labs to promote sustainable land and soil management in urban and rural areas to achieve the EU's policy objective of having all soils healthy by 2050. The Soil Mission has already funded projects totalling more than €250 million and will continue to do so with larger funding allocations. With an estimated investment of around €1 billion until 2028, research projects under the Soil Mission are expected to reverse soil degradation through action on the ground. This will be underpinned by the development and monitoring of a set of indicators. The goal is to develop a soil health programme based on a framework and roadmap that will translate globally. The Soil Mission will propel the EU's goal to manage all land in more sustainable ways, both across the EU and globally. Action will be centred around 100 Living Labs, real-world environments where practitioners, researchers, and other stakeholders