NATUREM
Title: NATUre-based REMediation solutions for Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) contamination
Acronym: NATUREM
Project ID: 03C0757
Policy objective: Greener Europe (policy objective 2)
Specific objective: Nature and biodiversity
Project duration: 01/05/2025 – 31/07/2029
The lead partner: Government of Aragon
Project partners: State office for contaminated sites (LAF), Regional Cluster "North-East", Ministry of Science, Energy, Climate Protection and Environment of Saxony-Anhalt, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), ADEME (Ecological Transition Agency), Ministry of environment and physical planning, Regional Council Durres, Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), Biology Centre (CAS)
Total project budget: 1.932.066,00 EUR
Principle investigator: RNDr. Jakub Borovec, Ph.D.
Project summary
NATUREM project aims to take a step forward in soil policies, by favouring prioritization of soil restoration using sustainable remediation solutions.
The EU Soil Strategy for 2030 establishes medium and long-term objectives to achieve good soil health by 2050. It promotes the hierarchy of waste (prioritizing recovery over landfill) and soil restoration using sustainable and innovative methods (such as bioremediation), specifying that "contaminated sites require remediation with often complex and expensive techniques, although in certain cases, low-cost bioremediation techniques are effective." Conventional remediation methods are not sustainable nor definitive methods whereas bioremediation is. The incorporation of bioremediation in public policies for POPs (Persistent Organic Pollutants) soil pollution management is a pending task that will be addressed by NATUREM.
POPs are a group of organic compounds, with toxic and persistent properties, that pose a risk to human health and the environment. They include obsolete pesticides, among them several isomers of the HCH (hexachlorocyclohexane). Their elimination from the environment is required by Regulation (EU) 2019/1021.
The main objectives of NATUREM are:
- To exchange experiences and knowledge on sustainable remediation solutions
- To involve stakeholders in the development of the project.
- To implement pilot actions to test the incorporation of new sustainable remediation approaches in public policies.
- To improve the current policy instruments.
- To raise awareness and disseminate the project results.
NATUREM also contributes to the EU biodiversity strategy and the the European Green Deal: healthy soils are essential for achieving climate neutrality, reversing biodiversity loss, providing healthy food and for human health.
The topic is among the highers priorities of the European Union, being the proposal Directive on Soil Monitoring and Resilience under legislative deliberation.
