From Stakeholder Dialogue to German Centre for Micropollutants

In 2016, the BMU launched a stakeholder dialogue to develop a strategy at the federal level for dealing with “micropollutants” in water bodies. Ever since, the German Environment Agency has been providing technical support for this dialogue process together with Fraunhofer ISI and IKU GmbH as its project partners. The goal is to prevent or reduce the input of micropollutants into the aquatic environment. This requires a combination of source-oriented, application-oriented and downstream measures with sufficient effectiveness and the highest possible efficiency. Such a list of measures forms the basis of the federal government’s Trace Substance Strategy.
In a first phase lasting until June 2017, the stakeholders drew up initial recommendations in a policy paper. These were fleshed out in the 2nd phase by March 2019. Four working groups developed the following under the Stakeholder Dialogue:

• A procedure for determination relevant micropollutants
• Mitigation strategies at source implementing producer responsibility
• Mitigation strategies on the user side: Communication, education and application-related measures
• Mitigation strategies based on end-of-pipe measures such as the orientation framework for advanced wastewater treatment at wastewater treatment plants.

Stakeholder Groups in the Stakeholder Dialogue on Micropollutants

Source: BMU/UBA 2017 (Stakeholder Dialogue Policy Paper)

Source: BMU & UBA

On 19/03/2019, representatives of the stakeholders presented the results paper (in German) with proposals to Minister Schulze. This was followed by a pilot phase until December 2020, in which the following measures were tested for their practicability:

• The selection of relevant micropollutants on the basis of the approach developed by a committee of experts 
• The identification of avoidance and reduction measures as part of producer responsibility for selected relevant micropollutants (X-ray contrast agents, diclofenac and benzotriazole) at three “Round Tables”.
• A joint communication strategy under the umbrella of the UN Water Decade
• An information campaign by the BMU on the correct disposal of medicinal products https://www.richtigentsorgenwirkt.de 
• Application of the orientation framework for advanced wastewater treatment by the Länder at wastewater treatment plants
• Establishment of the “German Centre for Micropollutants” at the German Environment Agency

Following the pilot phase, an evaluation took place. The results were presented to stakeholders at an event on 15 and 22 March 2021. Here, the starting signal was given for the newly created German Centre for Micropollutants at the UBA. In future, the Centre is to continue identifying relevant micropollutants together with the committee of experts and the Round Tables involving manufacturers and the water industry and advise the Länder on issues such as input pathways, substance properties and introducing the advanced wastewater treatment stage in wastewater treatment plants. In addition, a structured exchange of information is to be established between the Länder, municipalities, other competence centres and universities regarding source-oriented and downstream mitigation measures. The project partners mentioned above – Fraunhofer ISI and IKU GmbH –supported the dialogue process until mid-2022.

The German Centre for Micropollutants (SZB) is currently being established at the German Environment Agency (UBA) to further consolidate and intensify the micropollutant strategy. It is linked directly to the Vice President and is headed by Prof. Dr-Ing. Adolf Eisenträger. The headquarters of the Centre are located in the building of the former Wörlitz railway station in Dessau.

At the following link, you can find articles from the ⁠UBA⁠/BMU Symposium on 22 and 23 January 2019 (in German) in Berlin on the following topic: “How can measures to reduce micropollutants in water bodies be financed?”.