18th June 2015 It has just ended the 8th European Congress on Regional Geoscientific Cartography and Information Systems (EureGeo), held in Barcelona with the participation of over 150 scientists from all around Europe. The Congress was opened on 15th June by the Directors of the European Regions of Bavaria, Catalonia and Emilia-Romagna, the President of EuroGeoSurveys (EGS) and the Head of Soil Contamination activities of the European Commission DG Joint Research Centre (DG JRC). The importance to provide fast, digital and understandable data to general public, has been the main message of the European Regions, while Mr Koen Verbruggen, President of EuroGeoSurveys, highlighted the necessity to strengthen the collaboration among all the Regions and to work together to solve common problems. Since many years, EGS is working more and more to increase the involvement of the European Regions in the work carried out by National Geological Surveys at EU and global level under the EuroGeoSurveys umbrella. The congress, focused on two main themes Geological 3D Modelling and Soils, has been an opportunity for exchanging ideas and sharing experiences among the participants. As explained by Ana Payà-Pérez, Scientific Projects Officer at the Joint Research Centre, the Regions have a key role in the implementation of the Soil Thematic Strategy and the Road Map to a Resource Efficient Europe; and the congress is an opportunity to present new ways to monitor the state of the soils, as well as new methods and proposals on how to restore degraded soils. The European Commission is making available various forms of financial support through the LIFE programme, Regional Developments Funds and Horizon 2020 to foster collaborations and joint research between institutions in Europe.  ...