Maintaining the dialogue on trace substances (DE0037)

What is the public problem that the commitment will address? Even in very small concentrations, residues from pharmaceuticals, pesticides, biocides and other chemicals in our lakes and rivers can impact on the environment and on human health. This requires swift corrective action to protect drinking water supplies and other resources. The huge variety of ways in which trace substances find their way into water makes a one-size-fits-all solution difficult. Public-sector regulation also reaches its limits here. This reali-sation led to the creation of a dialogue on trace substances, as a project encompassing the following measures: a body of experts to analyse the relevant micropollutants, roundtables, information campaigns, and a framework of reference for advanced wastewater treatment. Participating actors were drawn primarily from among the manufacturers of relevant prod-ucts (including industry associations), water management, Länder and their environmental administrations, and environmental groups and civil society. The pilot phase of the project ended in the spring of 2021.

What is the commitment? The process that emerged from the pilot Dialogue on Trace Substances is to be continued. On 22 March 2021 it was handed over to the new Federal Centre for Trace Substances at the Federal Environment Agency, which will take it forward. Led professionally by the Centre from now on, the process is intended to provide a platform for stakeholders such as manufacturers, users, water managers, representatives of agriculture, environmen-tal associations, unions and the Länder. The Dialogue will discuss all measures that might reduce the release of micropollutants into the aquatic environment, whether at source in manufacturing, processing and consumption, or ‘end of pipe’ during wastewater treat-ment. Participants will together select the relevant substances. As an expression of their corporate social responsibility, manufacturers will attend roundtable sessions to draft a set of independent undertakings. Other stakeholders will design information campaigns, and Länder will select those wastewater treatment plants that are to be fitted with improved purification technology to eliminate trace substances. Data and information on material properties, emission pathways, findings from lakes and rivers, and purification technologies will be collated and published for all of these measures.

How does the commitment contribute to overcoming the challenge?The new Dialogue on Trace Substances at the Centre for Trace Substances at the Feder-al Environment Agency will build on the positive outcomes of the pilot phase mentioned above, and will establish combating micropollutants as a long-term task. No specific reduc-tion measures emerged from the pilot phase, but these are now expected as the Dialogue is consolidated. Additional information campaigns on ways of reducing micropollutant levels are planned. The findings of this work may highlight to legislators that there is more work to be done in those areas in which the Dialogue does not result in the required emissions reductions.

Why is this commitment relevant to OGP values?Participation is at the heart of the Dialogue on Trace Substances that the new Centre for Trace Substances will support. Participation processes have already begun. With all of the affected stakeholders contributing, these offer maximum transparency. The project takes a cross-sectoral approach and is to be broadened to include further target groups.

Additional information • Relation to Europe: European Green Deal, specifically its zero-pollution ambition, and allEU legislation on materials, such as the REACH Regulation 1907/2006, the Plant Protec-tion Products Regulation 1107/2009, and the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC• Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 6 (Clean water and sanitation)

Milestones Start Date Implementation by Centre for Trace Substances and stakeholders produce a report on progress achieved to date: number of substances analysed, data availability, implementation measures instituted, obstacles to implementation, planned expansions of wastewater treatment plants, and workshops and campaigns conducted October 2021 October 2022 Centre for Trace Substances and stakeholders evaluate the further progress that has been made (as above), and present it for discussion at a joint event. The outcomes of this event are published and communicated effectively to the general public. October 2022 October 2023

Action Plan Review

Commitment 6.8: Maintaining the dialogue on trace substances