The European Union aims to be climate neutral by 2050 under targets set in the Paris Agreement. Forest soils contain larger amounts of carbon (C) than standing biomass. Forest management can both increase and decrease carbon stock, soil CO2 emissions, and net exchange of other greenhouse gases (GHG) such as methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). Increasing the carbon sequestration in forest soils and reducing net GHG emissions is crucial to achieve the target. This policy brief highlights the need for the European forestry sector to have a comprehensive understanding of the carbon sequestration potential of soils to help design climate change mitigation measures.