The Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme project APRIORA, involving researchers from the Latvian Institute of Aquatic Ecology, has been officially recognised as a Mission Charter Action under the European Union Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030”. This recognition acknowledges the project’s contribution to protecting marine and freshwater ecosystems, reducing water pollution and promoting data-driven water management. The EU Mission aims to protect and restore Europe’s oceans, seas and inland waters by 2030.
One of the major challenges facing the aquatic environment is the release of pharmaceutically active substances and other micropollutants into the environment through treated wastewater. Conventional wastewater treatment technologies are not always able to remove these substances completely, which means they may enter rivers, lakes and the Baltic Sea. The APRIORA project is developing an approach that combines pollution monitoring, modelling and multi-factor risk assessment. As part of the project, a freely accessible geographic information system tool has also been developed, allowing users to visualise pollution data, prepare regional maps of potential risk and carry out risk-based prioritisation of wastewater treatment plants in order to identify which facilities should be upgraded first.
The developed approach is being tested in five river catchment areas in Finland, Germany, Latvia, Poland and Sweden.
The tasks of the Latvian Institute of Aquatic Ecology within the project are related to coordinating the assessment of environmental, antimicrobial resistance and human health risks. In cooperation with specialists from the Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre (LEGMC), LIAE researchers are also participating in a Latvian pilot study on pollution from pharmaceutically active substances, its modelling, and the identification of areas where the pollution risk may be highest. An important part of the project is also the transfer of the knowledge gained to environmental protection institutions and representatives of the water management sector. The status of an EU Mission Charter Action increases the visibility of APRIORA’s results at the European level and strengthens its recognition within the broader community of organisations and initiatives working together to restore aquatic ecosystems and reduce pollution.
The project results and opportunities for their further use will be discussed at the APRIORA final conference on 14 and 15 September 2026 in Helsinki, Finland. The APRIORA project is being implemented from November 2023 to October 2026 with support from the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme, and its lead partner is the University of Rostock.
