Background Soil degradation is an issue for the whole EU, although it varies considerably between Member States, with different threats of different degrees of severity. An estimated 115 million hectares (ha), or 12% of Europe’s total land area, is subject to water erosion, and 42 million ha is affected by wind erosion. An estimated 45% of European soils have low organic-matter content, mainly in the Mediterranean countries. The number of potentially contaminated sites in the EU is approximately 3.5 million. Moreover, over-intensive agriculture and improper tillage reduce the stock of organic matter in the soil, adding to the decline in soil quality. Current methods for the assessment of soil conditions are limited, being able to only provide “static” physical, chemical, and biological reports about the status of soil in a given moment and, consequently, only short-term interventions can be planned./p> Objectives The main objective of the BIOREM project is to demonstrate an innovative integrated methodology for the restoration and biochemical monitoring of degraded soils, which can be restored by combining revegetation with the addition of exogenous organic matter. In terms of soil remediation, the project will demonstrate that the BIOREM strategy can successfully restore degraded soils, enhancing their physical-chemical properties and biochemical activity and increasing fertility. In terms of soil monitoring, BIOREM promises faster, more thorough, dynamic monitoring of soil conditions. This will aid the development of precisely targeted restoration and development strategies and policies. The main specific objectives are: Restoration of degraded soils, taking into account current and planned uses, along with the provision of strategies and good practices for cost-effective restoration; Provision of support to EU farmers and land managers, to enable them to effectively tackle land contamination and depletion; Prevention of further soil degradation; and Furthering of the ability of policy-makers and land managers in all sectors to devise and implement new and effective soil use and management plans. Expected results The project will: Treat 30 degraded sub-plots, each with an area of 30 m2; Improve the overall condition of the treated soils, and demonstrate the superior effectiveness of BIOREM’s innovative combined-approach restoration and monitoring strategy; Carry out five sampling and monitoring campaigns conducted on 40 (30 m2) sub-plots; Provide physical, biochemical, molecular and environmental analyses and characterisation of 170 soil samples from 10 areas in Italy and Spain. These analyses will be used to establish 10 libraries of soil microbial content; Characterise the biochemical and environmental evolution of the soils and their conditions after the BIOREM treatment; and Remediate soils to achieve the following: a 6 tonnes/ha increase in organic matter content; a 24,2% increase in carbon content; a 120% increase in microbial content and biodiversity; 95% plant cover; a 100% reduction in organic matter loss; a 95% reduction of water-caused erosion; a 20-25% increase in soil fertility; and annual sequestration of 130 grammes per c m2 of carbon.