Fourth meeting of the Zero Pollution Stakeholder Platform held on 20 April

The Zero Pollution Action Plan's (ZPAP) dedicated flagship initiatives on 'Towards Zero Pollution for production and consumption' and 'Living Labs for green digital solutions and smart Zero Pollution' are key to achieving the EU's Zero Pollution ambition. These were some of the key messages shared by participants in the fourth Zero Pollution Stakeholder Platform meeting held in Brussels on 20 April. 

The ZPSP meeting opened with a presentation on circular economy initiatives and the application of the Polluter Pays Principle by the European Commission, which was followed by discussions on strengthening synergies between circular economy and Zero Pollution, and making the Polluter Pays Principle more effective. 

The meeting continued with the CoR highlighting its efforts to implement the Green Deal at the local level, specifically in relation to Zero Pollution. These efforts included two opinions on the Zero Pollution agenda. Members of the platform discussed the challenges and opportunities associated with Zero Pollution at the regional and local levels, and emphasised the need to ensure sufficient policy and funding opportunities from the Green Deal for local authorities to promote a fair and effective sustainable transition. 

At the meeting, attention was also given to ZPAP Flagship 7 and the role of digital solutions in promoting the wellbeing of citizens and the environment. The European Commission's DG CNECT presented the priorities and initial outcomes of the digital agenda in support of the Green Deal, while ENOLL, the European Network of Living Labs, shared their recommendations on promoting green digital solutions and smart Zero Pollution engagement with local and regional authorities. The platform members endorsed the recommendations and highlighted the importance of continuous engagement on a local level for environmental action. 

Lastly, the European Environmental Agency presented an upcoming environment and health monitoring tool, the Environment & Health Atlas, which will provide thematic maps of geographical variations for a range of health conditions and environmental agents. This atlas will follow trends in environmental quality indicators and health across Europe and equip citizens to be aware of their local environments. 

The Zero Pollution Stakeholder Platform, a joint initiative of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) and the European Commission (EC), convenes twice a year.  

You can read the full press release for this event here. 

A video recording of the web-streamed meeting is available here.

Agenda:

Summary Report:

Please find the presentations made at the meeting: