Headline: IASS and Joint Research Center of the European Commission sign Collaboration Agreement

On the occasion of the Global Soil 2013, Klaus Töpfer, Executive Director of the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) and Maria Betti, Director of the Institute for Environment and Sustainability (IES) of the European Commission, signed a 5-year Collaboration Agreement that aims to foster the cooperation of the two institutes in the field of sustainable soil management.

The main objectives of the Collaboration Agreement are:

• to collaborate in the field of soil governance, sustainable soil management, the reduction of soil degradation; and
• to foster the knowledge exchange between decision takers in society and scientists on issues relating to sustainable soil management.

In addition, IASS and IES will closely cooperate in the context of the European Regional Soil Partnership which was founded during the Global Soil Week 2013.