The R&D Department of EYDAP is invited by the Interreg Europe Policy Learning Platform to share its experience, within the European program BIGDATA 4RIVERS, by presenting INTCATCH Good Practice services. More specifically, Dr. Giorgos Katsouras participated to an on-line discussion on ‘Zero Pollution for air, water and soil’ as a speaker and presented the use of autonomous boats as an innovative water quality monitoring strategy for catchments, developed in the framework of INTCATCH Horizon 2020 project. The meeting was attended by twenty (20) representatives from thirteen (13) European countries (Greece, France, Spain, Italy, Malta, Belgium, Holland, Finland, Romania, Portugal, Slovakia, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic).
Martin Romantschuk, professor of the University of Helsinki (Finland) presented the Good Practice of the 'Soil Research Centre' within the context of the TANIA Project: Treating contamination throught NanoremedIAtion, for dealing with pollution through Nanoremediation from the soil. The Region of Crete from Greece also participated in the project (Ms. Maria Vamvakaki, professor at the University of Crete, Department of Materials Science and Technology).
Dr. Luisa Garcia (Intermunicipal Community of Alto Minho, Portugal) after referring to the collaboration developed through the project with EYDAP and the Region of Attica, presented the Good Practice of BD4R: 'Emerging pollutants (EMs) in waters: new tools for risk management ' for the removal of priority pollutants (EMs) from WWTPs with nanotechnologies. In the same topic, Professor Isabel Martínez-Alcalá (Spain) presented new technologies for the removal of Heavy Metals and micropollutants using algae and other Natural Based Solutions (NBS). Finally, Dr. Elena Cano (Government of Aragon, Spain) spoke about the LINDANET Good Practice entitled 'HCH air monitoring in Aragon sites'. The main objective of the project was the treatment of air and soil contamination with 6-chlorocyclohexane (HCH) and other organochlorine compounds.
The discussion that followed was moderated by Astrid Severin (Thematic Expert Environment and resource efficiency), Diane Bulon (Policy Officer at Interreg Europe), Magda Michaliková and Etienne Verhelle-Rodzinka (Policy Officer – Environment & Resource Efficiency) on behalf of the EU. Interventions were made by all speakers concluding on common points of future action plans:
• The need for digitization and dissemination of data produced by European Programs through collaborations and knowledge transfer to stakeholders across Europe.
• The integration of new technologies and methodologies for the protection of soil, water and air in the revisions of the European Legislation.
In conclusion, the Prefecture of Attica developed the Joint Analytical Report (Ms. Antigoni Goufa and Ms. Vicky Karavangeli) for the river runoff management plans as well as the policies of the participating regions, improving partners' knowledge of identifying good practices (GP) of other partners.
