Work has begun for JPI Oceans at the new EU-funded project CAMMera, Clearance Activities for Marine Munitions through Efficient Remediation Approaches. Officially launched on 1 July 2025, CAMMera will develop and test environmentally sound, efficient and operationally viable solutions for the removal, disposal and neutralisation of dumped munitions across European sea basins.
Funded under the Pilot Projects and Preparatory Actions (PPPA) scheme—specifically the PPPA-2024-MUNITIONS call, ‘Saving our Seas – Reducing the danger of munitions dumped in European seas’—the project responds to rising environmental and safety concerns, particularly in the Baltic and North Seas, and more recently in the Black Sea.
CAMMera brings together a multidisciplinary consortium to evaluate, optimise and demonstrate technologies and methods to tackle the problem of submerged munitions. While the project will focus its testing activities in the Baltic Sea, where conditions allow for detailed monitoring and validation, it also seeks to ensure the transferability of solutions to other affected sea basins around Europe.
JPI Oceans will contribute by supporting communication, knowledge transfer and engagement at the EU level. The project builds on our long-standing work in this domain, including the Horizon Europe project MMinE-SwEEPER and the Munitions in the Sea Knowledge Portal (‘Munitions Portal’).
CAMMera will run for three years. Its outputs are expected to contribute to broader European efforts to protect marine and coastal ecosystems, reduce risks for maritime activities, and support the safe development of offshore infrastructure as part of a sustainable blue economy.
A busy month for the munitions in the sea community
The launch of CAMMera comes at a time when Europe is ramping up efforts to address sea-dumped munitions. Over recent weeks, JPI Oceans and partners have been active at several forums on the topic.
During the third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3) in Nice, JPI Oceans co-organised a side event on underwater munitions. Key announcements at that time included the European Commission’s commitment to developing removal strategies under the European Ocean Pact, Germany’s investment in its national immediate action programme for dumped munitions, and a new French-German Joint Ocean Agenda that will reinforce bilateral cooperation on this issue.
The following week, experts gathered at Kiel Munition Clearance Week, where JPI Oceans showcased the Munitions Portal’s contribution to policy and knowledge coordination. Opening remarks by the Schleswig-Holstein Environment Minister, Tobias Goldschmidt, transmitted a sense of urgency: “We are in a race against corrosion.”
At the Fraunhofer ICT International Annual Conference, JPI Oceans’ Executive Director Thorsten Kiefer presented European research and innovation efforts within a session spanning multiple geographic and governance levels. Our contribution focused again on the portal as a central hub for expert-vetted knowledge and results from EU-funded projects. The session also featured NATO’s growing interest in collaborative solutions and further insights from Germany’s €100 million clearance programme, highlighting the challenges of real-world remediation.
Together, these developments show that underwater munitions are firmly on Europe’s political, scientific and strategic radar. CAMMera will contribute meaningfully to this mission, bridging knowledge, technology and cooperation across borders.