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For any question on data and metadata, please contact: Eurostat user support |
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1.1. Contact organisation | Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union |
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1.2. Contact organisation unit | Unit E1: Agriculture and fisheries |
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1.5. Contact mail address | 2920 Luxembourg LUXEMBOURG |
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2.1. Metadata last certified | 18/12/2019 | ||
2.2. Metadata last posted | 18/12/2019 | ||
2.3. Metadata last update | 18/12/2019 |
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3.1. Data description | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Data on soil erosion are published under agreement with data provider - Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (JRC – Ispra), one of the partners of the Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation on the development of Agri-environmental indicators. Soil erosion by water is one of the most widespread forms of soil degradation in Europe. Since it is difficult to measure at large scales, soil erosion models are a crucial estimation tool at regional, national and European levels. This dataset represents the soil erosion rates by water estimated on the basis of the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) empirical computer model in tonnes per ha of EU territory per year (t ha-1 yr-1), in EU-28 Member States for NUTS 3 level administrative areas. Note that Eurostat is not the producer of these data, only re-publishes them. For more information please consult the Eurostat Statistics Explained article Agri-environmental indicator – Soil erosion. |
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3.2. Classification system | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Classification in DPSIR (Driving forces, Pressures, State, Impact, Responses): Pressures and benefits, Resource depletion |
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3.3. Coverage - sector | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The coverage area of the indicator refers to several classes of the CORINE Land Cover (CLC) nomenclature. Generally, artificial, sandy, rocky and icy surfaces as well as wetlands and water bodies are not included in the area on which the indicator is based.
Refers to all potentially erosive-prone land (in simplified terms)
Refers only to agricultural land (agricultural cropland as well as grassland in simplified terms)
Refers only to agricultural cropland (in simplified terms)
Refers only to agricultural grassland (in simplified terms) |
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3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Soil erosion (by water and wind) can be defined as the wearing away of the land surface by physical forces such as rainfall, flowing water, wind, ice, temperature change, gravity or other natural or anthropogenic agents that abrade, detach and remove soil or geological material from one point on the earth's surface to be deposited elsewhere. When used in the context of pressures on soil, erosion refers to accelerated loss of soil as a result of anthropogenic activity, in excess of accepted rates of natural soil formation. The main factors affecting the rates of soil erosion by water are precipitation, soil type, topography, land use and land management. The most commonly used erosion model is the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) and its revised version (RUSLE). RUSLE is the most frequently used model, which was developed to evaluate soil erosion by water at a regional scale. Erosion rates in this dataset have been estimated with the revised version of empirical model RUSLE 2015 which considers six main factors controlling soil erosion:
Compared to past approaches, the RUSLE 2015 has the following improvements:
In addition, the best available pan-European databases have been introduced for all input layers:
For more information please consult the Eurostat Statistics Explained article Agri-environmental indicator – Soil erosion. |
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3.5. Statistical unit | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The smallest regional entity presented in this dataset is NUTS 3 regions of EU territory. |
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3.6. Statistical population | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Areas of the EU territory that refer to specific classes of the CORINE Land Cover (CLC) nomenclature (see 3.3). Generally, artificial, sandy, rocky and icy surfaces as well as wetlands and water bodies are not included in the area on which the indicator is based. |
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3.7. Reference area | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
EU Member States Data are not available for the following NUTS2 and NUTS3 oversea regions:
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3.8. Coverage - Time | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2000, 2010 and 2016 |
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3.9. Base period | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Not applicable. |
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Soil erosion rates are estimated on the basis of empirical computer model in tonnes per ha of EU territory per year (t ha-1 yr-1). This dataset presents the following units:
The values of the following units were provided by the Joint Research Centre (JRC): Tonnes per hectares and hectares. The values of the following units were computed by Eurostat based on the provided values of the JRC: Tonnes, square kilometres, percentages.
The soil erosion levels are classified in three size categories:
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Calendar year |
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6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements | |||
Soil erosion is one of the 28 indicators developed on the basis of the Commission Communication COM (2006) 508 - Development of agri-environmental indicators for monitoring the integration of environmental concerns into the common agricultural policy. Soil erosion by water is also one of the impact indicators for Monitoring and Evaluation Framework for measuring the performance of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) based on the Regulation No 1306/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the financing, management and monitoring of the CAP and Commission Implementing Regulation No 834/2014 laying down rules for the application of the common monitoring and evaluation framework of the CAP. |
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6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing | |||
Data are modelled by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) and re-published by Eurostat. Original data are downloadable from European Soil Data Centre (ESDAC). |
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7.1. Confidentiality - policy | |||
Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics (recital 24 and Article 20(4)) of 11 March 2009 (OJ L 87, p. 164), stipulates the need to establish common principles and guidelines ensuring the confidentiality of data used for the production of European statistics and the access to those confidential data with due account for technical developments and the requirements of users in a democratic society. |
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7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment | |||
Only non-confidential data are published. |
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8.1. Release calendar | |||
Data are disseminated as soon as they are available. |
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8.2. Release calendar access | |||
Not applicable |
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8.3. Release policy - user access | |||
In line with the Community legal framework and the European Statistics Code of Practice Eurostat disseminates European statistics on Eurostat's website (see item 10 - 'Accessibility and clarity') respecting professional independence and in an objective, professional and transparent manner in which all users are treated equitably. The detailed arrangements are governed by the Eurostat protocol on impartial access to Eurostat data for users |
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On a non-regular basis, as soon as new data become available. |
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10.1. Dissemination format - News release | |||
Not applicable |
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10.2. Dissemination format - Publications | |||
Eurostat's Statistics Explained on-line publication Agri-environmental indicators – Soil erosion. |
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10.3. Dissemination format - online database | |||
Eurostat data on-line: Estimated soil erosion by water, by erosion level, land cover and NUTS 3 regions (source: JRC) (aei_pr_soiler) Joint Research Centre (JRC) data on-line: European Soil Portal – Soil Data and Information Systems |
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10.4. Dissemination format - microdata access | |||
Not applicable |
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10.5. Dissemination format - other | |||
Not applicable |
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10.6. Documentation on methodology | |||
Panagos, P., Borrelli, P., Poesen, J., Ballabio, C., Lugato, E., Meusburger, K., Montanarella, L., Alewell, .C. 2015. The new assessment of soil loss by water erosion in Europe. Environmental Science & Policy. 54: 438-447. Panagos, P., Ballabio, C., Borrelli, P., Meusburger, K., Klik, A., Rousseva, S., Tadić, M.P., Michaelides, S., Hrabalíková, M., Olsen, P., Aalto, J., Lakatos, M., Rymszewicz, A., Dumitrescu, A., Beguería, S., Alewell, C., 2015a. Rainfall erosivity in Europe. Sci Total Environ, 2015. 511: 801-814. Panagos, P., Borrelli, P., Meusburger, K. 2015b. A New European Slope Length and Steepness Factor (LS-Factor) for Modeling Soil Erosion by Water. Geosciences, 5: 117-126 Panagos, P., Borrelli, P., Meusburger, K., van der Zanden, E.H., Poesen, J., Alewell, C. 2015c. Modelling the effect of support practices (P-factor) on the reduction of soil erosion by water at European Scale. Environmental Science & Policy 51: 23-34 Panagos, P., Meusburger, K., Ballabio, C., Borrelli, P., Alewell, C. 2014b. Soil erodibility in Europe: A high-resolution dataset based on LUCAS. Science of Total Environment, 2014. 479–480:189–200. Panagos, P., Borrelli, P., Meusburger, C., Alewell, C., Lugato, E., Montanarella, L., 2015d. Estimating the soil erosion cover-management factor at European scale. Land Use policy journal. 48C, 38-50. |
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10.7. Quality management - documentation | |||
Not available |
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11.1. Quality assurance | |||
Validation of scientific methodology (see documentation of methodology). Validation of individual input layers in peer review publications. |
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11.2. Quality management - assessment | |||
See 11.1. |
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12.1. Relevance - User Needs | |||
Regional to European policy makers, land use planners, scientists. |
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12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction | |||
Not available |
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12.3. Completeness | |||
All EU Member States are covered. |
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13.1. Accuracy - overall | |||
Contact the Joint Research Centre (JRC) at https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/. |
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13.2. Sampling error | |||
Not applicable |
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13.3. Non-sampling error | |||
Not applicable |
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14.1. Timeliness | |||
Joint Research Centre (JRC) publishes data on a non-regular basis. |
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14.2. Punctuality | |||
Not well defined, since data delivery depends on the organisation providing the data. |
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15.1. Comparability - geographical | |||
Comparability across countries is considered good. |
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15.2. Comparability - over time | |||
Comparability over time is considered good. |
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15.3. Coherence - cross domain | |||
Other models are available and these do not give the same results. Examples are Pesera and Eurosem. The journal article 'Evaluation of the EUROSEM Model for Simulating Erosion in Hilly Areas of Central Italy' discusses the relative closeness to actual erosion evidence of Eurosem and Rusle. However, the RUSLE model has been used for its usability and applicability to the whole of Europe. |
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15.4. Coherence - internal | |||
Not applicable |
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Input data are mainly derived from existing data sources and reporting requirements. Validation is rather complex. |
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17.1. Data revision - policy | |||
5 years interval is planned for the future. |
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17.2. Data revision - practice | |||
Not applicable |
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18.1. Source data | |||
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18.2. Frequency of data collection | |||
Continuous |
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18.3. Data collection | |||
Contact the Joint Research Centre (JRC) at https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/. |
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18.4. Data validation | |||
Contact the Joint Research Centre (JRC) at https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/. |
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18.5. Data compilation | |||
The values of the following units were provided by the Joint Research Centre (JRC): ha t/ha The values of the following units were computed by Eurostat based on the provided values of the JRC: t % km² |
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18.6. Adjustment | |||
Contact the Joint Research Centre (JRC) at https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/. |
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None |
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