In the EU-FP7 project EcoFINDERS 81 sites located across Europe were sampled in a standardized way in
order to determine and evaluate the local soil biodiversity and associated ecosystem function. The results
of this sampling activity give a broad overview on the structure and functions of soil biological
communities at European arable, grassland and forest sites. Probably more importantly, a set of
indicators (i.e., organism groups and measurement endpoints) were identified, fulfilling criteria such as
ecological relevance, practicability, or cost efficiency. In this contribution we want to address two issues:
firstly, we review current legalization in the European Union and selected member states that relates to
monitoring of soil biodiversity as well as selected individual Member States. Secondly, we discuss which
legal tools could benefit from applying the set of soil biology indicators identified in the EcoFINDERS
project. Since the withdrawal of the proposed Soil Framework Directive in 2014 there is no common legal
approach on how to protect soils – and specifically its ecological functions – in Europe. However,
assuming that such a general framework will be in shape in the foreseeable future, we will discuss how
the new knowledge of soil biodiversity and in particular its monitoring as identified in the EcoFINDERS
project would
fit into such a potential legal approach.