Participatory governance for Soil Health quality management: The legacy of the HuMUS project

The event was a success, with 100 participants, 25 speakers, 18 project partners and 34 pilots who actively shaped this conference! Thank you to all who participated and supported the HuMUS Project in the past 3 years.

21 November 2025, 09:00-16:30 CET | European Committee of the Regions, Room JDE 51, 5th floor, Jacques Delors Building, Rue Belliard 99 1040 Brussels, Belgium

The HuMUS Final Conference brought together policymakers, soil stewards, municipalities, regional authorities, researchers, farmers, urban planners, and civil society to share knowledge and outcomes from the three-year Horizon Europe project HuMUS – Healthy Municipal Soils.

This event highlighted the value of participatory governance for soil health, while identifying practical and policy-level bottlenecks in funding, regulation, and implementation.

Participants explored how to scale and replicate the HuMUS methodology, which empowers local and regional communities to co-develop soil solutions adapted to their specific territorial contexts.

Registrations closed on Tuesday, 11 November

Please Note: You will be later contacted by the CoR at the email address used to register in order to access the venue. If you insert a wrong email address, you will not be accepted to the building)
Important notice: Don’t forget to bring your ID on the day of the conference. Without an ID, you will not be able to enter the European Committee of the Regions premises.
The organisers decline all responsibility for participants who are not granted access to the institution.

The objective of the conference is to:

• Present the key results of the HuMUS project, including the Territorial Management Agreements and the participatory methodology
• Discuss bottlenecks in policy, regulation, and funding mechanisms related to soil health
• Showcase best practices from pilot sites across Europe and assess their replicability
• Strengthen dialogue and coherence between place-based initiatives and EU-level soil and environmental policies

Why attending?

The event brought together a diverse community of stakeholders, including:

• EU, national, and regional policymakers
• Mayors, municipal officers, and regional representatives
• Researchers and soil scientists
• Farmers and urban planners
• Civil society organisations and networks

Your participation helped bridge perspectives between decision-makers, practitioners, and citizens, strengthening the collective effort to protect and restore Europe’s soils.

What to expect

The programme offers a dynamic mix of formats designed to foster dialogue and knowledge exchange:

• Keynote speeches from EU officials and soil policy experts
• Panel discussions featuring pilot sites and regional success stories
• Interactive Q&A sessions with audience participation
• Poster exhibition showcasing project activities and outcomes
• Networking opportunities over coffee and lunch

Practical information

• Language: The conference was held entirely in English
• The agenda was updated here as speakers are confirmed
• Venue: European Committee of the Regions, Jacques Delors Building, Rue Belliard 99 1040 Brussels, BE

Agenda

08:00 – 09:00 | Registration & Networking breakfast

• Informal networking
• Poster exhibition in the hallway

09:00 – 09:50 | Welcome Remarks (starting at 09:00 sharp)

Luca Menesini – Member of the European Committee of the Regions, Tuscany Region
Beatrice Corsi – Councillor of the Environment, Municipality of Sesto Fiorentino, on behalf of ANCI Toscana
Tanya Hristova – Mayor of Gabrovo Municipality and First Vice-Chair of the SEDEC Commission, European Committee of the Regions 
Anna Frosini – Agroecology Europe

09:50 – 10:20 | Keynote Session 1 – The EU framework to protect and restore soil health

Carole Esclapez – DG AGRI, Unit F.2 Research and Innovation / Soil Mission Secretariat, European Commission
Mirco Barbero – DG ENV, Unit D.1 Land use and management / Soil protection and sustainable land use, European Commission
Kristine De Schamphelaere – Policy Officer for Agriculture, PAN Europe

10:20 – 10:30 | Audience Q&A

10:30 – 10:50 | Keynote Session 2 – HuMUS Results

Simone Gheri – Director, ANCI Toscana
Annalaura Vannuccini – Project coordinator, ANCI Toscana
Francesco Molinari – Project manager, ANCI Toscana

10:50 – 11:00 | Audience Q&A

11:00 – 11:20 | Coffee Break

• Informal networking
• Poster exhibition remains open

11:20 – 12:45 | Panel Session 1:  The HuMUS Methodology and Territorial Management Agreements

Alberto Mataran – University of Granada (HuMUS partner): HuMUS participatory method
Paola Migliorini – University of Pollenzo (HuMUS partner): Territorial Management Agreement Guidelines and results

HuMUS pilot site representatives:
Jamila Bentrar – Lille Métropole
Pietro Romano – Municipality of Siena
Martin Simeonov – RAM Central Stara Planina

12:45 – 13:00 | Audience Q&A

13:00 – 14:00 | Lunch Break

• Buffet light lunch 
• Poster exhibition remains open

14:00 – 14:45 | Panel Session 2: The HuMUS Impact on Soil Literacy & Education and Other relevant experiences

The HuMUS Impact on Soil Literacy & Education:
Mayte Gallego – Fundecyt-Pctex (HuMUS partner): Soil steward training programme

Trained HuMUS Soil Steward testimony:
Georgete Marques Félix – INIAV
Ward De Witte – PXL University of Applied Sciences and Arts

Other relevant experiences:
Serena Heckler – Programme Specialist, Man and Biosphere Programme, UNESCO

14:45 – 15:00 | Audience Q&A
    

15:00 – 16:00 | Panel Session 3: From Practice to Policy | Regions in Focus: Unclogging Policy Bottlenecks

Blanca Lucena – AGAPA Andalusian Agency for Agriculture and Fisheries (HuMUS partner)
Laura Perez – Chambre de l’Agriculture de Pays de la Loire (HuMUS partner)
Astrid Hannes – Project and policy manager, ERRIN (European Regions Research and Innovation Network)
Samuele Pii – Policy Officer, ERIAFF (Network of European Regions for Innovation in Agriculture, Food and Forestry)

16:00 – 16:15 | Interactive Q&A

16:15 – 16:30 | Closing Remarks

Sandra Heinzelmann – HuMUS Project Advisor, REA (European Research Executive Agency)
Henri Delanghe – DG AGRI, Head of unit F.2 Research & Innovation, European Commission

During the day, discussions were moderated by Valentina Bucchi – ANCI Toscana

Registrations closed on Tuesday, 11 November

Please Note: You will be later contacted by the CoR at the email address used to register in order to access the venue. If you insert a wrong email address, you will not be accepted to the building)
Important notice: Don’t forget to bring your ID on the day of the conference. Without an ID, you will not be able to enter the European Committee of the Regions premises.
The organisers decline all responsibility for participants who are not granted access to the institution.

Contact & info

Email: anna.frosini@aeeu.org; annalaura.vannuccini@ancitoscana.it
Website:www.humus-project.eu 
Organised by Agroecology Europe for the HuMUS Consortium, coordinated by ANCI Toscana