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
Fewer hazards around us
From raising awareness to action: this is how Interreg projects reduce hazardous substances in the environment to keep people and nature healthier.
What are we doing?
From microplastics, organic micropollutants like PFAS or pharmaceuticals, through hazardous substances hidden in building materials, cleaning products, kitchenware and toys to danger caused by dumped ghost nets and dumped munitions in the Baltic Sea. Hazardous substances are all around you unless you follow our Interreg projects which strongly stand against all that. Thanks to changed policy frameworks, novel methods and working with people on the ground, beyond borders and sectors, we succeed in the fight with the invisible.
Examples of #MadeWithInterreg solutions:
- chemical action plans for cities
- household checks for individuals on hazardous substances
- efficient strategies to retrieve, recycle, and prevent new ghost nets in the Baltic Sea
- new methods to assess contamination in the Baltic Sea waters, sediment and biota
- monitoring and models of concentrations of pharmaceuticals
- tested methods to efficiently clean wastewaters from pharmaceuticals and PFAS
- improved public procurement system to enable the purchase of non-toxic and climate-neutral products
- practical guidance for municipalities, entrepreneurs and individuals on how construct and renovate buildings with tox-free materials
- legal and administrative framework to initiate joint remediation of dumped munitions
What we’ve achieved so far
The HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP), adopted in 2007 by Baltic Sea region countries, activated efforts to save the Sea from pollution by hazardous substances. From 2009 to 2013, Interreg projects assessed hazardous substances already in the Sea prioritised by the BSAP, and those coming from industrial and residential areas, dumped chemical munitions, and contaminated sediments in ports.
Between 2016 and 2021, projects came up with solutions to decrease emissions and prevent discharges. Cities developed chemical action plans, with green public procurement and ways to substitute chemical products in educational, medical, and social care institutions. They improved urban drainage systems to control floods and remove microplastics from urban streams. Municipal wastewater treatment plant operators learned to remove pharmaceuticals and micro-pollutants more efficiently. Dairy and meat processing companies improved pre-treatment of industrial effluents. Cities educated residents to avoid using materials with hazardous substances in cleaning agents, toiletries, kitchenware, and toys. Businesses, like hotels, car repair, laundry services, received tailor-made advice.
Projects addressed hazardous substances already present in the Baltic Sea, such as chemical munitions and derelict fishing gear. Ministries and maritime administrations learned to assess ecological risks and handle dumped munitions. Fishery authorities and industries learned to map, retrieve, recycle, and prevent abandoned fishing gear. Solutions tested by Interreg projects were used to update the HELCOM BSAP in 2021 with measures to be implemented by 2030 to achieve the goal of a “Baltic Sea unaffected by hazardous substances and litter”.
Ongoing projects
The ongoing projects continue addressing hazardous substances and micropollutants in the water environment in a comprehensive manner: from influencing the policy to implementing practical measures. The latter covers 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 systemic change applies also to green procurement frameworks, which help cities build and renovate smarter. Last but not least, the long lasting threat resting on the bottom of the Baltic Sea, chemical and conventional munitions, are subject to joint actions by countries around the Baltic Sea.
Supporting the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region
Our projects play a crucial 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 area Hazards, our projects help prevent water pollution both in cities and in the Sea, as well as work to clean polluted waters from hazardous substances. Together, our projects and the EUSBSR coordinators empower cities and citizens to reduce the use of hazardous substances in everyday life, ensuring safer living conditions for all in the Baltic Sea region.
