X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analytical technique was used to determine the concentration of heavy metals and trace elements in topsoils from Galati and Tulcea County, Romania, in the frame of the Project MIS ETC 1676. Soil samples were collected at 0–5 cm depth in open areas from fields with various land use – industrial, agricultural, background and protected areas. The composite samples used for analysis were air-dried, homogenized and sieved at 250 μm particle size. The soil analyses were performed using a portable XRF energy-dispersive spectrometer at “Dunarea de Jos” University of Galati, Romania and the detected elements in the soils samples were the following: As, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Rb, Sr, Ti, Zn and Zr. Quantitative analysis for XRF spectrometry was performed using fundamental parameters approach. All major interferences by overlapping X-ray alpha emission lines are known and accounted for by the program algorithm that separates close peaks based on the element’s characteristic X-ray beta lines. For selected trace metals, a comparison of the results was made with those obtained by Atomic Absorbtion Spectrometry (AAS) at project partner institutions Institute of Geology and Seismology, Academy of Sciences of Moldova, and Ukrainian Scientific Centre for Ecology of the Sea, Odessa, Ukraine. The analytical capabilities of the employed techniques are discussed in terms of number of elements detected, sensitivity and matrix effects. The results obtained were compared with the permitted concentration values for heavy metals and other trace elements in soils in Romania, and with values reported in the literature for the European and world median elemental concentrations in the earth crust. Further studies will include application of complementary atomic and nuclear techniques such as Particle induced X-ray Emission (PIXE), Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) and Inductively- Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) for soil investigation