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Innovative societies Water-smart societies Climate-neutral societies 

Interreg makes
a difference!

Explore how people in the Baltic Sea region have been benefitting
from our projects.

#MadeWithInterreg solutions for

Cleaner waters

Cleaner waters thanks to viable monitoring system, new methods for removing micropollutants from wastewater and sharing knowledge

What are we doing?

Coordinated actions are the key to cleaning Baltic Sea waters efficiently. Interreg projects that bring people together across sectors and countries stand behind many of them. Not only do they introduce new systemic methods to clean wastewater, but also ensure the spread of knowledge of those methods in the region. Trust in project recommendations directly translates into new policies and investments. In a long run, cooperation in projects exceeds original partnerships and builds grounds for new initiatives and actions to respond to arising challenges.

Examples of #MadeWithInterreg solutions:
  • a platform collecting best practices in smart water operations
  • a risk assessment system to monitor concentrations of micropollutants
  • novel methods to clean wastewater from micropollutants, e.g. pharmaceuticals
  • new technologies to reduce phosphorus losses
  • enhanced water treatment to improve water quality in lakes

 

What we’ve achieved so far? 

The Baltic Sea is one of the most heavily eutrophicated seas in the world. Interreg projects helped improve wastewater treatment, which is one of the factors influencing eutrophication. At the beginning of the 2000s, more than 20 cities collected best practices in water management and shared them with other city administrations around the Baltic Sea region. In 2009-2013, projects showcased that it was possible to reduce discharges of nutrients from wastewater treatment facilities to the level set in the Baltic Sea Action Plan of HELCOM. The HELCOM Action Plan targets were stricter than the EU requirement.

In 2016-2021, projects in cities and villages focused on improving the treatment of wastewater from residents and industries. Partners in projects tested new technologies that increased nutrient removal and reduced energy consumption in cities such as Daugavpils, Gdańsk, Tartu, Jūrmala, Kaunas, and Grevesmühlen. Rural municipalities benefitted from solutions like septic tanks and soil infiltration in Kolgaküla, Gennarby, Ainaži, and Leitgiriai. In other projects, partners tested the pre-treatment of wastewater at poultry, meat, and dairy factories in Leszno, Doruchów, Põltsamaa, and Jelgava. Following this joint work, the partners synthesised more than a hundred examples of smart water operations. Using this knowledge, they helped develop the new Baltic Sea Regional Nutrient Recycling Strategy of HELCOM, and revise the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan. These two strategic documents help achieve a healthy state of the Baltic Sea.

 

Ongoing projects

The ongoing projects explore new methods to clean wastewater more efficiently and better monitor concentrations of harmful substances and micropollutants in water environments. They address various stages of water management, starting from pollution prevention at its source, extending to robust monitoring and risk assessment practices, and culminating in the adoption of advanced wastewater treatment technologies. The projects aim to influence policy-making processes and implement practical measures for long-term improvements.

 

Supporting the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region 

Our projects play a vital role in achieving the ambitious goals of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) to save the Baltic Sea. In collaboration with the coordinators of the EUSBSR policy areas Nutri, Bioeconomy, Hazards, and Tourism, our projects make water and wastewater management more efficient and less resource-intensive in cities, rural areas, and tourist destinations. Together, our projects and the EUSBSR coordinators drive changes in water-related policies in our region, ensuring that the outcomes of our projects are integrated into legislation and continue to contribute to clearer, cleaner waters in the region.

 

Explore project solutions in more detail:

EMPEREST

Eliminating Micro-Pollutants from Effluents for REuse STrategies
The project EMPEREST tests advanced treatment technology that helps water utilities and companies better remove organic micropollutants such as PFAS or pharmaceuticals from wastewater.
Read more about the project

APRIORA

Improved risk assessment for strategic water management to reduce micro-pollutant emissions in the Baltic Sea Region
In the project APRIORA, environmental protection agencies and wastewater treatment plants get equipped with a GIS-based risk assessment system to monitor and model concentrations of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in order to improve water management and reduce emissions.
Read more about the project

BEACON

Application of biological effects methods in monitoring and assessment of contaminants in the Baltic Sea
In the project BEACON, public authorities and governmental organisations develop harmonised methods to assess contamination in the Baltic Sea waters, sediment and biota.
Read more about the project

AdvIQwater

Improving quality of BSR waters by advanced treatment processes
The project AdvIQwater tests photocatalysis, fungal treatment and biofilms methods to efficiently clean wastewaters from pharmaceuticals.
Read more about the project

NonHazCity 3

Reducing hazardous substances in construction to safeguard the aquatic environment, protect human health and achieve more sustainable buildings
The project NonHazCity 3 helps municipalities, entrepreneurs and individuals construct and renovate buildings with tox-free materials in order to protect health and the environment.
Read more about the project

TRUST ALUM

Building trust in target groups for ALUM treatment - an effective, yet misunderstood method for water quality improvement
The project TRUST ALUM helps public authorities in the Baltic countries make better use of ALUM water treatment and improve water quality in lakes.
Read more about the project

MUNIMAP

Baltic Sea Munitions Remediation Roadmap
The project MUNIMAP develops a legal and administrative framework for public authorities to initiate joint remediation of dumped munitions from the Baltic Sea and Skagerrak, which pose threats to the marine ecosystem and hinder the maritime economy.
Read more about the project

COMPLETE

Completing management options in the Baltic Sea Region to reduce risk of invasive species introduction by shipping
The Interreg project COMPLETE contributed to the reduction of the uncontrolled introduction of invasive species in the region by introducing a unified approach to monitoring and operational risk assessment on a national level.
Read more about the project

CEforestry

Innovation in forestry biomass residue processing: towards circular forestry with added value products
The project CEforestry establishes cooperation among researchers, SMEs and large companies to support industrial symbiosis using forestry biomass residues in a more efficient way.
Read more about the project

BlueBioSites

Data, information and tools to identify and monitor optimal sites for the Blue Bioeconomy in the Baltic Sea Region
BlueBioSites aims to develop a ‘large scale’ project with the objective to create a Baltic Sea wide effective system for the identification and monitoring of Blue Bioeconomy sites covering mussel and macroalgae cultivations, fish aquaculture, microalgae and reed harvesting sites. The project focuses on data and information necessary to identify new sites, as well as the monitoring of existing sites, and shall provide recommendations on most effective technology means to generate such data.
Read more about the project

eRural resilience

Creating resilient rural communities in BSR based on the opportunities of digital bio businesses
The project eRural resilience enables local authorities and business support organisations in rural areas to help SMEs increase their digital literacy in e-marketing of bio products and thus seize new business opportunities.
Read more about the project

WaterMan Seed

Climate resilient wastewater and groundwater management by circular approaches that reduce outflows of nutrients and hazardous substances
WaterMan develops and promotes circular approaches to reducing outflows of nutrients and hazardous substances to surface water, groundwater and the Baltic Sea. Its centre of attention is measures and techniques to re-use water from wastewater treatment plants and the retention of water before flowing to the sea. The project focuses on measures at the local level and on areas in the Baltic Sea region, where the water supply may be affected by climate change. It explicitly addresses this by developing circular approaches for municipalities & water companies.
Read more about the project

CITYAM

CITYAM - Preparing cities for sustainable Urban Air Mobility
The project CITYAM equips cities with tools to improve airspace management in dealing with emerging urban air mobility and scaling drone operations.
Read more about the project

SEMPRE

Social Empowerment in Rural Areas
In the Interreg project SEMPRE, charity organisations, trainers and universities gave social services in disadvantaged rural areas of the Baltic Sea region a new role: to empower people in need instead of offering help - this brought happiness and hope to elderly people, migrants, single parents and other vulnerable groups.
Read more about the project

BalticLSC

Baltic Large Scale Computing
BalticLSC helped smaller innovative businesses, startups, research centers and independent innovators take advantage of complex data thanks to the improved access to large-scale computing.
Read more about the project

LARS

Learning Among Regions on Smart Specialisation
The project LARS reinforced transnational learning in the implementation of the smart specialisation strategies and contributed to better connectivity of the regional innovation systems across the Baltic Sea region.
Read more about the project

BALTFLOODS

Baltic Flood Resilience and Digital Solutions
The project BALTFLOODS helps public authorities better monitor and respond to floods, reduce polluted stormwater discharges, and encourage community engagement in addressing environmental threats.
Read more about the project

Energy Circle

Promoting circular approaches for energy independency in business and communities.
The project EnergyCircle helps public authorities and business support organisations develop long-term plans and transition towards circular energy independence, ensuring energy security in the region.
Read more about the project

AgriLoop

AgriLoop: Circular Innovations for Sustainable Farms in the Baltic Sea Region
The project AgriLoop helps farmers, cooperatives and agri-businesses in Lithuania, Latvia and Poland adopt affordable, practical circular solutions, from herd management to turning manure by-products into compost and organic fertilisers, to lower production costs and improve soil health.
Read more about the project

CM

Cross Motion
The Interreg project CM helped audio-visual and videogame industry boost their businesses and enter new markets by teaming them up with traditional sectors of education, tourism and healthcare, and innovating their products with audio-visual content.
Read more about the project

DESIRE

Development of Sustainable (adaptive) peatland management by Restoration and paludiculture for nutrient retention and other ecosystem services in the Neman river catchment
DESIRE helped ministries, agricultural advisories, environmental NGOs and farmers reactivate drained wetlands and use them in paludiculture, thus reducing nutrient leaking into the Baltic Sea.
Read more about the project

Care@Home

Outpatient care and integrated day care provided by housing companies - affordable arrangements and solutions in home care services for elderly people
The ageing population is a major social, economic and cultural challenge in every civil society. As many elderly would like to continue to live independently and self-determined in their current environment, an increasing number of older people need to receive care services at home. The Care@Home project aims to provide a solution for this challenge by showing how a cooperation between professional care service providers and housing companies will lead to mutual benefits of all parties involved.
Read more about the project

HAZGONE

Connecting up- and downstream measures for better hazardous substances governance and policy in the Baltic Sea Region
HAZGONE equips public authorities, NGOs, and businesses in the Baltic Sea region with knowledge, best practices, and training to tackle hazardous substances and micropollutants through the first holistic strategy, combining prevention at the source and advanced clean-up at the end of the pipe. HAZGONE consolidates outcomes from 14 EU projects.
Read more about the project

GreenSAM

Green Silver Age Mobility
The project GreenSAM helped to involve the senior citizens more actively in developing green transportation solutions.
Read more about the project

BREC

Bridging the gap between research and education for the circular bioeconomy
The project BREC connects agricultural schools, authorities and researchers to spread circular agricultural practices among practitioners and test technologies driving circular bioeconomy.
Read more about the project

REDIRECT

Regenerative Tourism in Baltic Sea Region for Resilient Communities towards a Circular Economy
The project REDIRECT assists the public and private sectors in adopting regenerative tourism practices that minimise negative impacts from tourism, while enhancing the condition of nature and cultural heritage sites.
Read more about the project

BSR S3 Ecosystem

Baltic Sea Region Smart Specialisation Ecosystem
Multiple smart specialisation strategies synthesised from Interreg projects enabled public administrations and development agencies to strengthen innovation ecosystems and develop pathways for green transition.

Read more about the project

BSR Urban Mobility

Enhancing active and efficient urban mobility in the Baltic Sea region
The BSR Urban Mobility project platform connects cities, regional authorities, and policymakers in a peer learning network to support the implementation of sustainable urban mobility plans and deliver on EU goals for multimodal, zero-emission transport. BSR Urban Mobility consolidates outcomes from 17 EU projects.
Read more about the project

BSR Cultural Pearls

Baltic Sea Region Cultural Pearls for more resilient Cities and Regions
The project BSR Cultural Pearls helps smaller cities and regions be more attractive to live in and improve their quality of life by engaging people in cultural activities and developing a stronger sense of commonship.
Read more about the project

StratKIT

Innovative Strategies for Public Catering: Sustainability Toolkit across Baltic Sea Region
The StratKIT project built a path for more sustainable public catering services by addressing relevant procurement strategies in the Baltic Sea region.
Read more about the project

VillageWaters

Water emissions and their reduction in village communities – villages in Baltic Sea Region as pilots
The Interreg project Village Waters produced comprehensive knowledge about technical solutions for cleaning waste water in the countryside and successfully made it available to municipal officials, home owners and companies - now they can improve the waste water treatment and comply with EU directives also where large waste water treatment facilities are missing.
Read more about the project

CreaDigi&Tourism

Creativity, Digital Innovation and Cultural Tourism: Synergies, Network and Capacity Building
CreaDigi&Tourism aims to facilitate the development of cultural tourism in the Baltic Sea region and its neighbourhood by increasing interaction of tourism operators and cultural and creative industry actors. With the main emphasis placed on peripheral areas of the region, the project will use gamification, mobile applications and virtual and augmented reality in order to boost individualised and interactive cultural tourism services.
Read more about the project

PestSpace

Improving resilience to the spread of plant diseases via a regional Pest Common Data Space
The project PestSpace helps farmers, authorities, and researchers quickly detect and respond to emerging plant pests using AI and environmental DNA, protecting crops and ecosystems in the Baltic Sea region.
Read more about the project

TENTacle

TENTacle - Capitalising on TEN-T core network corridors for prosperity, growth and cohesion
The Interreg project TENTacle equipped public authorities and industry around the Baltic Sea with recommendations on how to benefit from the core transport network corridors in order to boost prosperity and growth around the Baltic Sea.
Read more about the project

SISU

SISU – Bootstrapping Rural Resilience
In the project SISU, villages and small towns across Poland, Finland, and Germany apply participatory mechanisms to involve citizens in shaping local decisions and community initiatives, strengthening social ties while collecting inspiring examples of how to build resilient communities.
Read more about the project

H2Deri@BSP

H2-Derivatives@BalticSeaPorts
The project H2Deri@BSP helps port authorities, terminal operators and energy providers integrate green hydrogen derivatives fuels, such as methanol and ammonia, into port operations to reduce CO2 emissions and turn seaports into green energy hubs.
Read more about the project

GlassCircle

Exploring full cycle circular economy for glass fiber industry
The project GlassCircle helps glass fiber manufacturers reduce the environmental impacts of glass fiber waste by bringing it back into use.
Read more about the project

RETROUT

RETROUT
An eco-brand developed by the Interreg RETROUT project enabled to promote the Baltic Sea as a destination for ethical and sustainable coastal fishing tourism.
Read more about the project

Land-Sea-Act

Land-sea interactions advancing Blue Growth in Baltic Sea coastal areas
With the help of Land-Sea-Act, national and regional authorities, coastal municipalities, NGOs and businesses learned to plan together the use of land and sea space at the coasts of the Baltic Sea for the benefit of local communities.
Read more about the project

CREWS

CREWS – Enhancing capacities in disaster risk reduction by facilitating public-civil cooperation
The project CREWS helps public authorities empower and engage local communities in crisis and disaster management to enhance response efforts and build a strong, active civil society.
Read more about the project

Solutions stay with the people: listen to our #InterregVoices

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

© UBC SCC/Mariia Andreeva

Thanks to Interreg (...), we created momentum for essential aspects of sustainable water management connected to climate change, for example improving the wastewater and storm water management, reducing water pollution, and increasing the application of circular economy principles. [IWAMA; BSR Water]

 

 

 

Agnieszka Ilola 

Head of Secretariat, Union of the Baltic Cities, Sustainable Cities Commission

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

© Dmitry Frank-Kamenetsky

I can name a large number of examples of project outputs directly integrated into the regional policy framework. The first one is the recommendation on sludge handling. It was largely based on the PURE project. What’s more, the technologies tested in the project PURE to treat wastewater are in regular use now.

 

 

 

Dmitry Frank-Kamenetsky

 Special Advisor to HELCOM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

© City of Turku

Thanks to Interreg projects, we have improved our public services for our citizens. Our water treatment facility has been involved in benchmarking water management processes and our water management processes have continuously been improving. Now, we have even better water quality and managed to keep the price of our water services at a moderate level.

Minna Arve

Mayor of Turku, Finland

#MadeWithInterreg solutions by topic

Agriculture

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