Arnout Pottie from the Vlaamse Milieumaatschappij (VMM) will open the presentation by highlighting the urgency of the problem of medicine residues in north-west Europe, particularly in Flanders.

Emma Witteveen from the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) will shed light on types of pharmaceuticals in wastewater, including prioritisation lists and challenges. Her presentation will inform water technology companies, public authorities, and healthcare institutes about which pharmaceuticals should be monitored and removed from wastewater in the coming period.

Erika Brattinga-Róth from project leader TCNN will explain how the PREWAPHARM project can contribute to reducing medicine residues in water by fostering strong collaboration between NWE experts from the healthcare and water sectors. This approach involves a combination of a transnational strategy and comprehensive regional action plans, offering practical solutions with a strong focus on the implementation of best practices and capacity building.

The work package leaders – Eelko Hak (University of Groningen), Pieter-Jan De Buyck (VITO) and Jimmy Roussel (LIST) – will share further details of the PREWAPHARM approach to ensure the broad implementation of promising solutions and Europe-wide impact. The practical solutions to be developed will partly focus on medicine use and partly on wastewater treatment.