Revolutionising our fight against pollution: two new EU projects against World Wars’ underwater unexploded ammunitions

After the World Wars, hundreds of thousands of unexploded ammunitions have been disposed of in our European seas. Today, these explosives, chemical munitions, bombs, and artillery shells lie underwater, posing a severe and urgent threat to the marine environment, human health, and the development of economic activities at sea. 

Two new EU-funded projects start today to help mitigate the threats of dumped munitions to European seas and enhance our knowledge of this issue. 

 The MUNI-RISK project (Risk assessment of sea-dumped munitions in the Baltic Sea) is funded by the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF). The project will assess the environmental risks posed by submerged munitions in the Baltic Sea, fill knowledge gaps and determine the factors to consider for appropriate risk assessments. It will also establish priority geographical areas where appropriate action should be taken. The project will create a comprehensive database of existing data, identify areas of greatest concern, and conduct site-specific risk assessments for planned wind farms. With an EU contribution of EUR 1,972,191.50, the project will run until October 2027. 

The MMinE-SwEEPER project (Marine Munition in Europe - Solutions with Economic and Ecological Profits for Efficient Remediation) is funded under Horizon Europe. The project will develop advanced technologies for detecting and identifying munitions, monitoring environmental contamination, predicting the spread of contaminants and corrosion, and creating a secure data-sharing platform. 100% funded by the EU (EUR 5,916,095.56), the project will end in March 2028. 

Taking action against Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) 

The Baltic and North Sea are the most affected by UXO. It is estimated that 300,000 tonnes of unexploded ordnance lie dormant in the Baltic Sea waters. We must address this issue quickly and collectively. For this reason, on 29 September 2023, the Commission invited all Baltic Member States to discuss UXO at the 2^nd edition of Our Baltic Conference. 

With the support of the Commission, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Finland, and Sweden agreed on a list of commitments to address the threat posed by underwater munitions in the Baltic Sea. The eight EU countries committed to closing knowledge gaps, mapping submerged munitions, and performing a thorough risk assessment. 

EU funds support actions addressing UXO: 

- The call for grants launched in 2023 led to today’s start of MUNI-RISK and MMinE-SwEEPER projects.  

- A call for proposals for a pilot project to reduce the danger of munitions dumped in European seas is open and will close on 21 November 2024. The call for proposals is funded under the EU Pilot Project Funds (PPPAs) with a budget of EUR 5.59 million.  

Useful links 

Our Baltic commitments on UXO 

 Call for proposals for a pilot project to reduce the danger of munitions dumped in European seas 

Cinea press release