Concrete measures to neutralise environmental, health and economic threats posed by chemicals weapon dumped in the Baltic Sea and advancing the hydrogen economy to fight climate change were key points raised by EPP-CoR members during a debate on EU matters for local and regional authorities held during the CoR plenary session.
Chemical weapon dumped in the Baltic Sea and their impact on environment, health and tourism
Mieczysław Struk, President of Pomeranian Region said that the threat to health and the environment posed by ammunition, sunken ships, and, above all, chemical weapons dumped in European waters, is not only a regional problem, but also a European, and even global one. Possible leakages and unsealing will in the short and long term, have unpredictable effects of a cross-border economic and social dimension. "This topic is of particular importance for the Baltic regions, as there are about 50-60 thousand tones of chemicals weapons dumped in the sea. However, and I want to emphasize that this problem is bigger, because it also affects the regions in the Adriatic Sea, the North Sea and Tyrrhenian Sea, the Mediterranean Sea and the East Atlantic Ocean."
Struk added that European funds helped to map problematic areas but said that concretes measures are now needed. "Thanks to projects such as CHEMSEA, DAIMON and DAIMON II, implemented in the Interreg Baltic Sea Region program in 2007-2013 and 2014-2020, we were able to estimate and indicate ways to reduce the risk that these highly hazardous substances pose on the seabed. Considering the scale of the problem and the fact that these substances have been lying on the seabed for 76 years, the above activities can only be considered as soft measures. Today we need concrete measures because we know through research that the release of just one sixth of the chemical substances sunk in the Baltic Sea will lead to the destruction of life in the sea and its shores for decades."
Struk welcomed the European Parliament's resolution which calls to coordinate the activities of the European Union, NATO and the Member States in the neutralization of the threat and to establish a working group responsible for proposing environmentally friendly and cost-effective solutions for pollution control and treatment, with the ultimate goal of removing or fully neutralizing hazardous materials. Struk added that the CoR, as the body representing the voice of local and regional communities, aware of the immediate threats that abandoned weapons pose to the health, life and well-being of people in coastal regions, should reinforce the European Parliament's call to put the matter on track. Struk concluded: "The coastal population already suffers from fishing restrictions in the Baltic Sea due to chemical weapons, as well as from the pandemic and related restrictions on tourism. These lost opportunities will probably be made up for in the next few years. I urge all of us to do everything possible to protect fishing, tourism and related industries from another knockout blow. But most of all, I am appealing for action to save the Baltic Sea for future generations".
Advancing the hydrogen economy
Sonja Ledl-Rossmann, President of the State Parliament of the Tyrol said that the Hydrogen economy is important for Europe's green future. Referring to transport, Ledl-Rossmann said that more efforts should be made to shift from road to rail transport. She said that 2021 is very important turning point for hydrogen energy especially since this is European Year of Rail. "We need to do more to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and to reduce greenhouse gasses."
Markku Markkula, Chair of the Espoo City Board, President of the Helsinki Region said that novel solutions are needed to fight climate change. "We have the technology solutions but we need to promote the use of the recovery package to attract huge investments by the private sector". Markkula said that while technology has been developing for years, the market was not ready yet but now, a number of breakthroughs are expected. "We have excellent examples in various companies and businesses to use hydrogen, such as steel and other process industries." concluded Markkula.