Published by Blackwell Science and the British Society of Soil Science on behalf of the National Societies of Soil Science in Europe. Our understanding of soil continues to advance.Better instruments and new techniques allow us to penetrate its structure and monitor its behaviour. Developments in statistical theory backed by sound programming and more powerful computers are leading to more effective survey and spatial prediction. Long-term experiments continue to provide new insight into the soil's response to management. The knowledge and understanding gained are essential for managing land without its deteriorating, and for protecting and restoring it. They should also underlie sound policies in land use regionally and nationally.