Project News and Activity Updates

Online Learning Programme Commences

The Project 67 programme to deliver online learning and development programmes has completed its first three deliveries to great success. The project team has worked hard to develop, design and create sessions hosted on our dedicated Moodle Platform and delivered through the Zoom platform.

Delegates from all partner countries have engaged in the early sessions that commenced formally on the 5th November 2020, with an interactive session on 'Chemical Waste Management', led by Dr Sam Collins of Public Health England. Thereafter, inputs from Cranfield University have occurred on the 11th and 12th November where the subject matter covered the lessons learnt from a chemical related explosion and 'Characterisation & Sampling' approaches. The remaining programme has been set as follows:

19th Nov 2020 12:00 GMT (13.00 CET/ 14.00 EET) - Transportation: UN Model Regulations - Interactive activity and Q&A

26th Nov 2020 12:00 GMT (13.00 CET/ 14.00 EET) - PPE: Interactive activity and Q&A

3rd Dec 2020 11:00 GMT (12.00 CET/ 13.00 EET) - Treatment and Disposal: Interactive session and Q&A

8th Dec 2020 11:00 GMT (12.00 CET/ 13.00 EET) - Remediation technologies: Overview of remediation technologies + Q& A

9th Dec 2020 11:00 GMT (12.00 CET/ 13.00 EET) - Pollution Prevention: Interactive session and Q&A

CCOVID-19 Update:

Adapting to New Methods of Delivery

Due to the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on international travel, unfortunately all planned P67 in-country missions for 2020 have been postponed. However, in order to continue to support our partner countries and deliver project objectives, P67 is pleased to announce the launch of our Virtual Learning Platform in October 2020. Starting with the delivery of our Chemical Waste Management 'Train the Trainer' and Radiological Waste Management 'Best Practices' training modules, this platform will enable learning through interactive methods.

In addition to facilitating an increased number of partner country experts who can participate in the training, this method of delivery will enhance the sustainability of training programmes, as resources will remain online after the completion of the project, to enable the continuous professional development of experts.

Delivery Consortium hold Third Team Meeting in Bratislava

On the 12th-13th February 2020, the P67 Delivery Consortium held their third Team Meeting in Bratislava, Slovakia. Hosted by our consortium partners JAVYS at their Headquarters in Slovakia, the meeting focused on the following key areas:

Closing Work Package 1: Equipment Lists; Country Reports; Regional Reports; Previous Project Reports.
Activity Reports: including Best Practice Reports and Workshop Reports.
Work Package 2, 3 & 4 activities- discussion on workshop scheduling, location and content.

The meeting provided a valuable opportunity for the consortium team to discuss the progress of their activities and to review the successes of the project so far.

Local Experts play a vital role in the delivery of project activities

Since the summer of 2019, a group of almost 25 local experts from our partner countries in the SEEE region have been supporting the delivery of Work Package 1 activities. Carefully selected and highly skilled personnel from the fields of Chemical, Biological and Radio/Nuclear Waste Management have been undertaking essential work to assist in the completion of Country and Regional Assessment Reports and Equipment Lists, and to provide information on previous projects conducted on CBRN waste management in the region.

To ensure the relevance of project capability building activities, local experts have also worked closely with the consortium Key Experts Prof. Fred Coulon (Chem WM), Mr. Tom Pottage (Bio WM) and Mr. Peter Salzer (RN WM) to provide input and feedback on training and technical workshop planning. We are most grateful for the continued support of our local expert team members.

Delivery Consortium Partner VERTIC Successfully Complete Activities

Legal Framework Assessments - Work Package 1

Work Package 1 of P67 requires the creation of an ‘Inventory of CBRN WM existing legislation, regulations, practices, including capabilities of waste operational infrastructure and training needs’. In order to achieve this, our experts have been carrying out a thorough assessment of CBRN waste management in each partner country.

Central to this Work Package has been the review of relevant existing legislation in the SEEE region. Our delivery consortium partners VERTIC have been leading on this activity, with their review and recommendations being a key part of Assessment Reports for each Partner Country. Having now completed this activity and their input on the project, we would like to thank VERTIC for the critical work that they have undertaken on P67, in support of our objective to strengthen CBRN waste management capabilities in the region.

Image: Senior VERTIC Non-Key Expert Yasemin Balci

Presentation: P67 Kick-Off Meeting, Oct 2018

P67 Implementation Consortium Enhance Project Visibility in Europe

MSPO- 27th International Defence Industry Exhibition, Poland

P67 implementation partner MICHR educated delegates of the highly acclaimed MSPO Exhibition in Poland between the 3-6 September 2019. The MSPO Expo is an international defence industry exhibition and Central Europe's most significant fair event of this kind. With CBRN matters being at the heart of the exhibition, MICHR took the opportunity to present the scope and objectives of P67 to delegates from multiple countries.

Image: Mr. Max Stela, MICHR lead P67 Chemical and Radiological Non-Key Expert,

International Symposium on Risk Assessment Approaches for Decision Making, UK

Our Chemical Key expert, Prof Frederic Coulon and colleagues from Cranfield showcased the P67 CBRN project activities at the International symposium on risk assessment approaches for decision making that was held on 2nd and 3rd December in Salisbury House, near Oxford, UK (https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/events/events-2019/international-symposium-on-risk-assessment-approaches-for-decision-making). The workshop was well attended with over 30 delegates across the defense, oil & gas, insurance, aviation and environmental remediation sectors. NGO and governmental agencies were also represented. Key topics and interactive workshop sessions were on Remediating or not; Risk, hazards and consequences; emergency procedures and lessons learnt across the O&G and defense sectors; knowledge sharing on risk assessment and management of hazardous waste; risk assessment communication and diagnostic strategy for remediation and risk assessment. A lot of opportunity for the Chemical expert team to exchange concept and ideas around CBRN management especially on chemical waste.

Image: Symposium delegates

P67 2nd Regional Meeting

Assessment Review and Workshop Planning

Following the completion of the P67 Assessment Visits in May 2019, the project implementation consortium and partner country experts convened in Tirana, Albania, on the 5-6 November 2019 for the P67 2nd Regional Meeting. The key objevtives of the meeting were to:

Present observations and outcomes of the Assessment Phase and how they provide input for the implemenation of Work Packages 2-4.
Discuss the finalisation of planning and curriculum of technical workshops and training activities.
Identify activities to enhance regional and inter-disciplinary cooperation.
Finalise Assessment Reports and equipment lists.
Ensure consensus on the cooperative implementation of the project.

The meeting was a significant success, with excpetional levels of engagement and contributions from our partner country experts, who have been integral to shaping the project training plans.

Image: P67 Regional Meeting, Group picture

Image: P67 Team Leader presentation to partner country techincal experts

CBRN CoE BACAC Meeting, March 2019

Visibility for P67 in Central Asia

On 14 March 2019, Team Leader, Dr. Hendrik Visser, made a presentation on Project 67 at the EU CBRN Centres of Excellence – Biosafety Association of Central Asia and the Caucasus Conference: BACAC: Bridging the Gaps, 11 – 15 March 2019, Tashkent, Uzbekistan. At the meeting over 170 Regional (Central Asia and Caucuses regions) and International experts participated in the meeting.

The presentation allowed Dr. Visser to introduce Project 67 to a wider audience, including internal organisations (like the WHO, OiE, EBSA, etc), which resulted in fruitful discussions and raising greater awareness of the project on a regional and international level.

Project Assessment Visits

P67 Implementation Consortium approach the end of their Assessment Visits

As part of the activities under Project 67 Work Package 1 (Inventory of CBRN Waste Management existing legislation, regulations, practices, including capabilities of waste operational infrastructure and training needs), the Implementation Consortium Key Experts have been undertaking Assessment Visits to the partner countries in the SEEE region. So far, visits have been undertaken to Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, Serbia and Ukraine (between December 2018 - March 2019). In the coming weeks, the visits will be concluded with a trip to North Macedonia in April 2019 and Montenegro in May 2019.

Armenia: Meeting with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

As part of the P67 Key Expert team, Radiological & Nuclear WM Expert Peter Salzer and Biological WM Expert Tom Pottage prepare for the partner country visits.

Georgia: Site visit to the Lab of LEPL National Environmental Agency

January - February 2019

Following a very constructive visit to Albania in December 2018, the P67 Key Expert team will be conducting three further Assessment Visits between the 24th January - 1st February 2019 in Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan. These visits will be essential for the project team to identify ways in which Project 67 can strengthen CBRN waste management capabilities in South-East and Eastern Europe. The remaining partner country visits will be complete by the end of the spring 2019.

P67 Commences Assessment Visits in December 2018

Between December 2018 – March 2019, the P67 Key Expert team will undertake an assessment visit to each project partner country. Taking place on the 19th-20th December 2018, the team will first visit Albania to meet with a delegation of legal, chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear waste management experts. In addition to detailed technical discussions, key objectives of each visit will include the identification of 1) waste management organisation and processes, 2) waste types, 3) legislative infrastructure, 4) equipment and training needs and 5) site visits relating to waste processing and waste production.

Image: The Presidential Office, Tirana, Albania

P67 Kick-Off Meeting takes place in Podgorica, Montenegro, 19-20 October 2018

Kick-Off Meeting Communication Release

Communication Release P67 Kick-Off Meeti

Kick-Off Meeting attendees- Implementation Consortium, National Focal Points and Partner Country Experts

Team Leader Henk Visser hosts technical discussion with Serbian experts

Project Director Nicholas Apps

opens meeting

Legal expert Yasemin Balci (VERTIC) hosts break-out session to discuss legal implementation matters with Ukrainian experts

P67 Kick-Off Meeting confirmed to take

place in Montenegro

We are pleased to announce that the date and location of the formal project Kick-Off Meeting has been confirmed. This will take place in Podgorica, Montenegro on the 19th-20th October 2018, following the EU CBRN CoE Regional National Focal Point (NFP) Round-Table Meeting. This meeting will provide an opportunity for the NFPs of the South-East and Eastern Europe region and Waste Management experts from each partner country to meet the EU consortium and key experts to discuss in more detail the legal, chemical, biological and radiological & nuclear aspects of the project and its work packages. Importantly, the two-day event will include a series of ‘break-out’ sessions, in which partner country experts can interact with the project key experts to comprehensively discuss their respective areas of specialism.

Project 67: Inception Meeting

30th July 2018

P67 Consortium conducted Project Inception Meeting

On the 30th July 2018, the P67 Consortium held its Inception Meeting in London to discuss implementation issues. Topics discussed covered areas such as: technical implementation (with an emphasis on activities to be conducted during the first year), internal and external coordination, communication and document exchange, the project schedule, reporting requirements, visibility activities and administrative matters. This was the first time the Consortium Partners met after the awarding of P67, with the official project start date being the 23rd July 2018. Following this meeting, an Inception Report is now in preparation.

The P67 Consortium consists of the lead organisation Sustainable Criminal Justice Solutions (SCJS) from the UK, and partners: the International Security and Emergency Management Institute (ISEMI) and the Nuclear Decommissioning Company (Jadrová a vyraďovacia spoločnosť -JAVYS) from Slovakia, Public Health England (PHE), Cranfield University and the Verification Research, Training and Information Centre (VERTIC) from the UK, and the Military Institute of Chemistry and Radiometry (MICHR) from Poland. The group will next convene in Montenegro in October 2018, to hold the Project Kick-Off Meeting with the CBRN CoE National Focal Points (NFPs) from the South-East and Eastern Europe Region.

Project Commences

23rd July 2018

Project 67 Contract Signed

Following the signing of the P67 contract by the European Commission and project leaders Sustainable Criminal Justice Solutions (SCJS), the three-year project officially commenced on the 23rd July 2018.

Meeting with National Focal Points

20th June 2018

P67 Project Director and Team Leader meet with South-East and Eastern (SEEE) Region National Focal Points (NFPs) in Brussels

On the 20th June 2018, the P67 Director Nicholas Apps, Team Leader Dr Hendrik Visser and key consortium members met with the SEEE region NFPs at their 6th International Round-Table Meeting in Brussels. In this meeting, the following areas were presented and discussed: 1) An introduction to the P67 Consortium and the Biological, Chemical and Radiological/Nuclear Key Experts; 2) A summary of the key objectives of the project; 3) An overview of the work packages and intended results, and; 4) The importance of engaging with local experts in the region. Both the project team and NFPs are very much looking forward to the project commencing soon.

Funded by the European Union

Project 67

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​Project News and Activity Updates