Zero Pollution Stakeholder Platform Newsletter

Held on 18 April, the Zero Pollution Stakeholder Platform’s sixth meeting focused on the next steps of the EU’s Zero Pollution agenda and the importance of continuing joint efforts to reach the 2030 targets for improving air, water, and soil quality, as well as reducing waste.

On 24 and 25 January 2024, the Zero Pollution Stakeholder Platform hosted a workshop on the Zero Pollution Monitoring and Outlook. The workshop focused on the results and lessons learned from the first edition, as well as preparations and the collection of stakeholder inputs for the forthcoming second edition.

The mid-term review of the 8th EAP sheds light on the progress towards achieving the EU's 2030 environmental targets outlined in the Zero Pollution Action Plan. Although most initiatives have been delivered and others are on track to reach their targets, challenges persist.

The Commission has approved new minimum hygiene standards for materials and products that come into contact with drinking water. These standards will aim to prevent microbial growth and reduce the risk of harmful substances leaching into our water supply.

EU regions and cities have welcomed the new proposal for a regulation aimed at preventing plastic pellet losses in manufacturing processes to reduce microplastic pollution for a Zero Pollution environment.

The JRC has released a new edition of the Guidance on Monitoring of Marine Litter in European Seas, which provides recommendations on how to sample, analyse and record marine litter with the aim to make the data comparable and usable across countries.

The Commission adopted an amendment to Horizon Europe's 2023-24 Work Programme, increasing the 2024 budget by €1.4 billion. The amended programme also introduces a new call on zero-pollution cities under the Smart and Climate Neutral Cities Mission, addressing various pollution types and their health impacts. The call will open on 17 September 2024.

The Committee of the Regions has adopted an opinion urging to accelerate the implementation of the European Green Deal in partnership with local and regional authorities to respond to the health threats arising from environmental pollution and the consequences of climate change.

From sourcing eco-friendly ingredients to switching to recycled PET, Portuguese cosmetics manufacturer Cosmopak overhauled its products to meet the EU Ecolabel’s strict criteria. Discover how this company is helping reduce pollution and is attracting more clients in the process.

Share your insights and contribute to the design of the Horizon Europe work programme 2025, covering all six clusters, research infrastructures, European innovation ecosystems, the five EU Missions, and the New European Bauhaus facility. The feedback opportunity will close on 6 May.

Contribute to the mid-term evaluation of the LIFE Programme 2021-2027! Share your views and experiences with the programme or projects funded by it to help assess its effectiveness and shape the evaluation report. The survey will close on 21 May.

Cedefop is conducting a survey to understand how cities assess the impact of the green transition on jobs and policies related to green skills. Your input will amplify cities' voices among policy makers and inspire greener practices for a Zero Pollution future. The survey takes 15 minutes to complete and can be accessed via the link below.

Save the date for EU's leading environmental conference, taking place in Brussels 29-30 May, 2024. This edition will focus on recurring water-related crises, aiming to enhance the EU's water resilience for both present challenges and those of the future. Conference registration will open in April, with registrations for partner events set to run from 4 to 17 March.