Aarhus University logo
The overarching objective of the MUNI-RISK project is to support the HELCOM BSAP S34 and the EU Ocean Pact objectives regarding sound risk-based management of sea-dumped munitions in the Baltic Sea. Moreover, to ensure that the frameworks developed to do this are transferable to other seas, particularly the Black Sea. The objective is to better protect our environment and support the maritime industry in ensuring the sustainable development of the blue economy. As part of this objective, Work Package (WP) 5 aims to ensure that the project's outputs are aligned with stakeholder needs, facilitating their incorporation into national and regional policies on submerged munitions in the Baltic Sea.
To achieve this aim, there is a need to engage relevant authorities and stakeholders in co-developing the problem formulation for other WPs and to bring the project's outcomes to the policy level through meetings and participatory workshops. Against this backdrop, a project meeting and information seminar was organized by the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) in Stockholm between March 10-12, 2026. The seminar was attended by experts and policymakers. We organized two workshops – one with experts and one with policymakers—where we discussed the same risk criteria for prioritization of sites for potential remediation to examine the positions and potential agreement or disagreement between the two groups on the criteria.
The Baltic Sea floor still holds large quantities of conven-tional and chemical munitions left over from the World Wars – an estimated 40,000 tonnes of chemical warfare agents alongside over one million tonnes of unexploded conventional ordnance.
Munition casings are corroding, and toxic compounds will be released into the marine environ-ment, posing threats to ecosystems, human health, fishing, shipping and offshore infrastructure.
