Successful kick-off meeting for CEN Workshop Agreement on “Soil-sediment-water system - Solutions to deal with PMT/vPvM substances”

The kick-off meeting for the CEN Workshop Agreement (CWA) on "Soil-sediment-water system – Solutions to deal with PMT/vPvM substances” was held on 15 February 2024. The CWA is a collaboration with PROMISCES’ sister projects ZeroPM and SCENARIOS. It marked a significant step towards addressing the challenges posed by persistent, mobile, toxic (PMT) and very persistent, very mobile (vPvM) substances in our environment.

As the concern about persistent, mobile, toxic (PMT)/very persistent, very mobile (vPvM) substances and its impact on our environment rises, PROMISCES in collaboration with ZeroPM and SCENARIOS is developing a CEN Workshop Agreement (CWA) on "Soil-sediment-water system – Solutions to deal with PMT/vPvM substances”. This reference document seeks to establish best practices, solutions, and recommendations for managing PMT and vPvM substances, encompassing a spectrum of preventive measures and end-of-pipe solutions. The ultimate goal is to create a nexus between similar initiatives and external stakeholders to ensure the credible exploitation, transferability, and replication of results. The initiative also aims to extend its impact beyond the project's lifespan, fostering knowledge transfer within the scientific community.

Moreover, the CWA serves as a consensus document developed within Research and Innovation projects, facilitated by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN). While not a formal standard itself, a CWA supports future standardization activities and remains publicly accessible for three years, with the potential for extension after revision. The exciting fact about the CWA is that it will receive endorsement from the standardization bodies of all EU27 member states, elevating its visibility and importance.

 

What happened during the kick-off?

During the first meeting, about 30 participants from the proposing projects and from external interested parties (active in the field of PMT management) got a deeper insight on what our CWA is about and what the involved projects are working on. After the introduction of the workshop, presented by Thomas Track, and the introduction of the project plan, the stakeholders actively participated in the kick-off meeting and engaged extensively in the CWA process. The initial meeting outlined the expectations, approach, and upcoming tasks integral to the initiative. Furthermore, first valuable insights and perspectives were shared.

As part of the meeting outcome, Thomas Track, Head of Water management from DECHEMA e.V., and Vice-Chair Veronika Zhiteneva, Group Lead Water Treatment and Reuse from Kompetenzzentrum Wasser Berlin, were nominated as Chair and Vice-Chair of the CWA respectively.

 

And what is going to happen next?

After the kick-off meeting, five more workshop meetings will be arranged. They will be held as web conferences, during which the content of the CWA will be presented, discussed, and approved by the registered participants.

If you are interested in having the opportunity to work on a CWA with us but have missed the kick-off meeting, there is still a possibility to participate! Visit https://www.cencenelec.eu/news-and-events/news/2023/workshop/2023-12-13-promisces/ for more information about the CWA and the registration details for future meetings.