During the 2nd Annual Stocktaking Meeting (22-24 April 2024, Podgorica - Montenegro) of the GEF-funded MedProgramme, a roundtable on "Invisible Threat: New Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in Water – Challenges in Detection and Prevention" was co-led by MedWaves – the UNEP/MAP Regional Activity Centre for Sustainable Consumption and Production and Regional Centre for the Stockholm Convention – together with the EBRD.
Second Annual Stocktaking Meeting (ASM) of the Global Environment Facility (GEF)-funded MedProgramme took place on 22-24 April 2024 in Podgorica, Montenegro.
ASM was organized by UNEP/MAP, the lead executing agency of the MedProgramme, and convened in cooperation with the GEF Implementing Agencies UNEP and the EBRD, and the co-executing partners of the eight Child Projects of the MedProgramme.
EBRD ENVITECC participated as a speaker to the Regional Workshop in Bratislava (April 2024) on "Environmentally Sound Management and Disposal of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)", aiming to accelerate action in eliminating it in Europe, working towards the 2025 and 2028 deadlines under the Stockholm Convention.
EBRD ENVITECC participated to the MedProgramme side-event “Using System Thinking to Enhance Water Quality, Sustainability and Climate Resilience in the Mediterranean Source-to-Sea Continuum" organized by UNEP/MAP and GWP-Med as part of the 5th Mediterranean Water Forum on 5 February 2024 in Tunis, Tunisia.
The EBRD is providing a MAD 130 million (€12 million) loan to the Guelmim-Oued Noun region in Morocco to improve drinking water supply in rural areas and to upgrade four existing wastewater treatment plants.
ENVITECC participated to the Side Event “PFAS contamination and experiences on their phase-out in firefighting foams” co-organized by Finland and MedWaves (former SCP/RAC) on 2 May 2023 during the 2023 Conference of Parties (COPs) of the Basel/Rotterdam/Stockholm (BRS) Conventions in Geneva, Switzerland.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), well known as “forever chemicals”, are a group of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) represented by more than 10,000 chemicals and used in almost all industry branches and many consumer products such as water- and oil-proof apparel, non-stick cook and bake-ware, food packaging, stain resistant upholstery, carpet, firefighting foams, and household agents such as cleaning agents. In short, PFAS are all around us, and they pose significant risks to human health and the environment.
First Annual Stocktaking Meeting (ASM) of the MedProgramme took place on 2-3 November 2022 in Athens, Greece.
The first issue of the MedBulletin of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) funded MedProgramme is published in December 2022.
In 2021, ENVITECC supported POPs audits with companies in Tunisia and Bosnia and Herzegovina as part of pre-investment support to assess the presence of POPs and safe removal and disposal options.
The POPs Accounting Methodology and Tool was presented by the EBRD’s technical consultant at the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions COP2021.