Policy Area Hazards: Actions in the EUSBSR Action Plan of 2021

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Action 1: Prevent Pollution and reduce the use of hazardous substances

Objective: To develop and implement measures and Baltic Sea region wide policies to reduce the use and prevent emissions of hazardous substances to the Baltic Sea environment.

Description: PA Hazards supports the development of measures, practical solutions and policy recommendations for reducing hazardous substances. There is a close connection with the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan, in particular with the working groups on Hazardous substances (EG-Haz) and on reduction of pressures from the Baltic catchments area (PRESSURE) 

The action mainly (but not exclusively) focuses on:

• Human and veterinary pharmaceuticals (PHARMA)
• Per-and poly fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)

Human and veterinary pharmaceuticals

PA Hazards offers knowledge transfer and capacity building through: training courses and workshops; testing of solutions and practical measures through cooperation in projects and policy impact; through recommendations from lessons learnt.

The Baltic Sea Region platform on Pharmaceuticals in the environment was created under PA Hazards in 2017 as a way to support these processes. Since 2021, it is run by the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE).

 

Per-and poly fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)

PA Hazards aims at enabling knowledge transfers from countries that have come furher in the process of developing national actions, capacity building, development of harmonized policy approaches through cooperation.

The Baltic Sea Region platform on PFAS in the environment was created under PA Hazards in 2021, and is run by the Swedish Environmental Research Institute (IVL).

 

Action 2: Mitigate new and remediate historic contamination

Objectives: To mitigate and remediate historic contamination, causing negative effects in the Baltic ecosystem.

Description: The circular economy approach offers the possibility to develop measures and practical solutions to both getting rid of chemicals and othe rharmful pollution, recycling nutrients and other (raw) materials to be (re)used in production streams, as well as generating new data for better marine spatial planning to prevent and mitigate new sources of pollution.

Historic contamination with hazardous substances includes industrial emissions accumulated in soil and sediments, and hazardous substances in marine wrecks, as well as items deliberately dumped to the Sea, such as munitions, which contribute to contamination of sediments in the Baltic Sea region. Solutions need to be tailor-made, based on precautionary prniciple and risk assessment for prioritisation. A macro-regional stakeholder platform will bring together different stakeholders from different policy levels to jointly develop action plans, strategies, policy recommendations, "best & worst practice" briefs and product cases. Innovative projects and initiatives addressing these issues are encouraged.