| November 25th, 2025 | News

On 17 and 18 November, SOS-ZEROPOL2030 brought together 35 experts, policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders from across Europe for a two-day Living Lab during the Zero Pollution Parliament in Brussels. The event focused on co-creating actionable pathways to achieve the EU’s Zero Pollution vision across European seas.

Through interactive sessions, participants jointly explored priorities, trade-offs, and timelines for advancing a source-to-sea approach. They discussed the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of achieving the EU zero pollution ambitions for nutrients, underwater noise, micro plastic and chemical contaminants of two potential future source-to-sea approaches: reactive and risk-based or precautionary and proactive. What was also discussed is whether such approaches should be public or privately lead. Participants also got the chance to build their own preferred future for zero marine pollution governance. Cross-pollutant stakeholder exchanges lead to the conclusion that while currently a risk-based approach dominates, the European Union should develop a proactive source-to-sea approach for achieving its zero marine pollution ambition for nutrients, underwater noise, micro plastic and chemical contaminants. In addition, the EU should include more emphasize on the private responsibilities involved in a proactive source-to-sea approach for achieving the zero marine pollution ambition. Participants were then challenged themselves to come with concrete recommendations to put a proactive source-to-sea approach in practice. The SOS-ZEROPOL2030 will take these recommendations and include them in the Source-to-Sea Zero Marine Pollution Framework, roadmap and guidelines.

A warm thank you to all participants for your energy, insight, and willingness to push boundaries. Together, we are shaping a future where European seas can thrive.