The general theme of the AquaticPollutants TAP Action has been defined as “Measuring of inputs and taking actions to reduce CECs, pathogens and antimicrobial resistant bacteria in the aquatic ecosystems (inland and marine)”.
This theme aims at reducing the effects of CECs, including chemicals, pathogens, antimicrobial resistant bacteria and (micro)plastics in the aquatic ecosystems (inland and marine) and subsequent impacts on human, animal, plants and ecosystems.
Following the priorities identified in the Strategic and Research Innovation Agendas (SRIAs) of the three participating JPIs on Water, Oceans and Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), the theme of the AquaticPollutants TAP Action focuses in particular on multidisciplinary approaches to:
- the development of methodologies and strategies to remediate and reduce CECs (at the sources, on their pathways and end-of-pipe), including their environmental effects on water, soil, sediment and sludge and subsequently their effects on living organisms, ecosystems and human and animal health;
- the determination and modelling of the contribution of existing wastewater and excreta treatment technologies to the emergence and spread of AMR in aquatic ecosystems;
- the characterization of the exposome (including cocktail of contaminants, individual and collective behaviour and interactions between stresses of different natures);
- the evaluation of governance tools for new risk linked to contamination taking into account the reactions of public communities;
- the impact of CECs occurrence and AMR on the ecosystem services at the level of the catchment, and into the river basin management planning.
A preliminary list of countries who confirmed their participation in this TAP action can be found below:
- Czech Republic, CZ (represented by TA CR)
- France, FR (represented by ANR)
- Ireland, IE (represented by EPA)
- Spain, ES (represented by AEI)
- Sweden, SE (represented by SRC)
For TAP national contact points more information here.
This list is subject to change until July 2022.
Depending on the funding mechanisms at national level, the selection of national projects participating in the TAP action will be done through two options:
- Participating funding organisations include the same topic description in their own national calls for 2020-2022. A part of the national project budget is then dedicated to networking activities with the other projects funded under the TAP action. In the next phase participating national research funding agencies will select projects interested in the TAP action according to their national criteria.
- Participating national research funding agencies will identify projects awarded from their most recent national calls or running national projects, which are relevant to the theme of the TAP Action and will be running until the end of 2023. Funding organisations invite the coordinators of these projects to join the TAP Action with either additional new national funding or using their existing budget to cover the TAP Action-related activities. The national funded projects will be invited to join an international network of projects selected by the participating funding agencies.
Once formed, all members of the TAP Action will meet face-to-face in January 2022 (kick-off meeting facilitated by TA CR in the Czech Republic). Coordinators of these national funded projects will also have to participate in annual working meetings to exchange on approaches, methods, data (exchange) and results. It is envisaged that the TAP Action will carry out its networking and knowledge sharing activities:
- via two meetings per year;
- via online forum; and
- remotely (time input required) in between the meetings.