The future of water in the changing world

Welcome to the international conference “The Future of Water in the Changing World: Innovative solutions against PFAS and micropollutants”, which will take place in Berlin, Germany, on 19-20 November 2025! This key Baltic Sea Region event is dedicated to exploring innovative solutions for addressing organic micropollutants, including pharmaceuticals and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), in the context of the evolving regulatory landscape in Europe.

"Hazardous substances are causing even more pressure on the Baltic Sea’s ecosystems compared to eutrophication that was traditionally considered as the most severe threat. Recently we have developed regional approaches to address that with e.g. defining new HELCOM priority substances, and drafting a regional action plan. EMPEREST has been instrumental in supporting this work in relation to PFAS substances and for micropollutants found in urban wastewaters."
— Lotta Ruokanen, Professional Secretary and Deputy Executive Secretary at the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (HELCOM)

The conference will bring together European, national and local policymakers and experts to discuss:

• Linking new EU policies with their implementation in the Baltic Sea region
• Latest data and recommendations for monitoring PFAS in the aquatic environment
• Risk-based assessments of the state of play and useful frameworks and tools for this
• Tested innovative wastewater treatment technologies to remove organic micropollutants
• Capacity building tools and upstream measures to reduce hazardous substances
• Opportunities for cross-sectoral partnerships to enhance water quality and sustainability

Programme documents for general public

• Programme of the conference (ver. 12.11)
• Practicalities (ver. 11.11)