Project 67
Funded by the European Union
Project News and Activity Updates
P67 Study Visit to Prague - Chemical and Biological Waste Sampling and Remediation
27th to 30th June 2022
As part of Work Package 4 on Chemical and Biological Waste Management Best Practices of the
EU CBRN CoE Project 67 Strengthening CBRN waste management capabilities in South-East and Eastern
European countries, the International Security and Emergency Management Institute (ISEMI) along the
United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Cranfield University and the Sustainable Criminal
Justice Solutions (SCJS) group, organized a series of field visits and practical exercises involving experts
from the P67 consortium and the partner countries including Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia.
The field visits and exercises were arranged following a series of advanced workshops
on Chemical and Biological Waste Management Best Practices as part of the P67
project. Within these workshops, decision-making guidance frameworks for sampling, as well as
remediation and disposal, of chemical and biological wastes and contaminated sites were developed.
Field visits on good practice for remediation of highly contaminated areas including sites with outdated and forbidden chemicals (i.e. fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides etc.) and other hazardous chemicals (i.e. chlorinated solvents, petroleum derived products, heavy metals) were organized by ISEMI with the support of Dekonta (https://www.dekonta.cz/) over 2 days on 27 and 28 June 2022.
Delegates visited two different facilities including a waste treatment station for contaminated sites and hazardous waste and Chemical and Biological laboratory facilities for waste analysis and testing.
Topics covered and discussed included: chemical and biological waste assessment (Sampling, Analysis, and Evaluation)
• Storage of chemical and biological waste,
• Chemical and biological waste packaging,
• Transportation of chemical and biological waste,
• Waste treatment (Stabilization / Solidification, Bioremediation, Thermal desorption etc.), and
• Disposal Methods (Incineration, Sterilization, Chemical treatment, Alternative fuel, Landfilling),
• Emergency response team (equipment, vehicles, PPE).
Participants from partner countries had the opportunity to see good practice in chemical and biological waste management. Apart from the theoretical presentations and practical demonstrations, there were also presentations of real remediation projects and case studies carried out by Dekonta such as:
• A project for the bioremediation of a site contaminated with hazardous chemical waste in BiH, where ex-situ biodegradation technology was implemented.
• A case study on the disposal of obsolete pesticides in Moldova (packing, transportation, disposal).
• A case study on the disposal of hospital waste in incinerator (packing, storage, transportation, incineration).
Following the field and study visits, practical exercises were organized by ISEMI with UKHSA, Cranfield University and SCJS support. Field and Table top exercises were conducted on 29th and 30th June 2022 at the National CBRN Protection Institute in Kamenna, Czech Republic. Each SEEE country expert was trained in wearing and use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), designing their sampling plan based on a risk assessment approach,
preparing their sampling kits accordingly, and designing and selecting remediation technologies for
chemical and biological waste.
The comprehensive evaluation of the Study visit and exercise showed a high degree of satisfaction with high ratings of participants from partner countries. The study visit and practical exercise met the expectations of the vast majority of participants who acquired new skills and knowledge through these training activities.
The content, the quality of the demonstrations and the opportunity to exchange and discuss the best practices of study visits and exercises were highly rated by the participants.
P67 Study visit and Exercise participants and consortium team
2nd Study Visit to Slovakia on the Characterisation and Predisposal Management of Radioactive Waste
20th - 24th June 2022
The second study visit to Slovakia took place between June 20 – June 24 2022. This visit was devoted to discussions and sharing of lessons learned in the field of characterisation and predisposal management of radioactive waste. 9 out of 10 Partner Countries of Project 67 nominated representatives to attend the event.
The first two days were dedicated to the topics of characterisation and pre-disposal management focusing particularly on optimisation process and application of the clearance concept.
On the third day the delegates visited the Bohunice Treatment Centre where they attended a presentation regarding waste management plans and related information systems including practical applications of the clearance concept.
Thanks to the hospitality and openness of our colleagues from the Hungarian Public Limited Company for Radioactive Waste Management (PURAM), the visit to the Radioactive Waste Treatment and Disposal Facility in Püspökszilágy was implemented on fourth day. The facility in Püspökszilágy was found to be similar to the facilities located in half of the Partner Countries. So-called RADON type facilities were originally designed and used as the institutional radioactive waste repositories. However, after revision of safety standards and in particular of approaches to the long-term safety assessment, the facilities have been re-licensed as storages.
The last day of the event was devoted to presentations provided by participants, subsequent discussions and sharing of lessons learned in the region.
Study visit to Slovakia on Decommissioning, Storage, Monitoring and Disposal of Radioactive Waste
30th May - 3rd June 2022
P67 Partners JAVYS successfully implemented a study visit in Slovakia, between May 30 – June 03. The visit was devoted to sharing the lessons learned in the field of decommissioning, storage and disposal of radioactive waste and related monitoring programmes. Participation from partner countries was excellent with 11 delegates attending from 10 Partner Countries in total.
The first two days of the visit were dedicated to the topic of decommissioning and related aspects. Special attention was paid to the application of a graded approach which is recommended for the decommissioning of small facilitates (e.g. storages).
The objective of the third day was a visit to the Interim Storage and related presentation. The facility is used as buffer storage for decommissioning, decay storage for selected materials and as long-term storage for waste that cannot be disposed of at near surface repository.
Visit to repositories and institutional radioactive waste storage at Mochovce site
Disposal aspects were targeted during the fourth day with a visit to the near surface repositories for low level and very low level radioactive waste. Participants also visited storage facilities for institutional radioactive waste located in the area.
The last day of the event saw presentations provided by the participants, with subsequent discussions and sharing of lessons learned in the region.
Series of Online Workshops to Promote Best Practice in the Management of Biological Waste
As part of Work Package of Project 67 a series of six online workshops were held between 16th March and 26th April 2022 covering best practices for the management of biological waste.
The objectives of this series of workshops were:
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To identify challenges and opportunities to improve BIO waste management in participating countries
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To identify common themes for strengthening BIO waste management
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To stimulate discussion and cooperation between participating countries
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To collect information to inform the drafting of an analytical report on best practices of BIO waste management
Draft Report on the Monitoring of Radioactive Waste Management Facilities in Final Stages
On 23rd March 2022 the first of three online review meetings of the final draft of the methodological document on the monitoring of radioactive waste management facilities was held as part of work package 3.1 of Project 67. The meeting was hosted by JAVYS one of the P67 project delivery partners who specialise in the decommissioning of facilities where radioactive waste is present.
Online Workshop on Chemical Waste Sampling and Remediation
The first of two workshops on Chemical Sampling and Remediation was delivered online by the UKHSA, on 15th March 2022. The first workshop introduced the general stepped procedure for developing a sampling plan using a case study as an example. The general practical considerations related to the implementation of sampling were discussed the draft framework approach to sampling was examined to identify gaps and areas for improvement. On 21st March the second workshop focused on the development of remediation strategies and remediation options again using a case study. Again, a discussion followed on the draft framework with gaps and improvements being discussed.
Workshop on the Sampling of Biologically Contaminated Sites
This workshop, carried out online on 17th February 2022 followed the introductory session held on 27th January 2022. The workshop saw a presentation by UKHSA on developing a sampling plan and more detailed considerations on the different parameters. Session 2 also provided an overview of the draft guidance document “Development of Sampling Strategies for Biologically Contaminated Environments” (attached to this email) and gave examples that were used as a discussion by the attendees. The second half of the session was used for the participants to provide details of the sampling events they have undertaken and to discuss where these could have been improved from using the sampling guidance.
P67 Article Featured in the UNICRI ' Freedom From Fear Magazine' Published December 2021
Please follow the link below to the December 2021 edition of the 'Freedom From Fear' publication by the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) which includes a P67 article by the SCJS project lead, Dr Hendrik Visser, on the importance of strengthening legislative and practical aspects of CBRN waste management (see page 98).
http://213.254.5.198/Publications/F3-CBRN-Risk-Mitigation
Further publications can be found using the following hyperlink;
Webinar - Introduction to Biological Sampling and Remediation
On 27th January 2022, the project hosted an online introduction Webinar for Biological Sampling and Remediation. Further workshops will follow as separate Webinars at a later date focusing on Sampling and on Remediation.
Workshop 3 - Chemical Remediation Interactive Exercises
17th December 2021
This workshop comprised of interactive exercise case study scenarios based on identified remediation and final solution needs, including the outputs from the needs assessment workshop. The outputs of the workshop will be used to finalise the draft of the decision-making Framework. Participants will then be expected to complete some activities to use the draft Framework prior to attending the final workshop.
Workshop 3 - Chemical Sampling Interactive Exercises
16th December 2021
This workshop comprised of interactive exercise case study scenarios based on identified sampling needs, including the outputs from the sampling needs assessment workshop. The outputs of the workshop will be used to finalise the draft of the decision-making Framework. Participants will then be expected to complete some activities to use the draft Framework prior to attending the final workshop.
Workshop 2 - Remediation Needs Assessment
On 10th December 2021 the project hosted an online workshop on Remediation Needs Assessment. This session explored Project P67 beneficiary needs for the decision-making framework on chemical waste and waste site sampling.
Workshop 2 - Sampling Needs Assessment
On 9th December 2021 the project hosted an online workshop on Sampling Needs Assessment. This session explored Project P67 beneficiary needs for the decision-making framework on chemical waste and waste site sampling.
Webinar Available Online
21st June 2021
The full version of the 9th EU CBRN CoE Webinar delivered by Tom Pottage is available for viewing at the following link. Please feel free to share the link and comment as appropriate.
https://youtu.be/0948xbwXMio
9th EU CBRN CoE Webinar
11th May 2021
The Regional Secretariat for South East and Eastern Europe will be sponsoring the 9th EU CBRN CoE webinar on the Management of SARS-CoV-2 waste generated from different settings on the 25th May 2021. Project 67 expert Tom Pottage from PHE will be the guest speaker. The event is free to attend following registration. Details are as follows:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82580764113?pwd=TEdnOUZESU1wTzFqTGFyN1k3RklPQT09
Meeting ID: 825 8076 4113
Passcode: 635801
Good Practice Workshop Schedule
23/03/2021
The schedule for the upcoming good practice workshops on chemical waste management have been finalised with six sessions making up the comprehensive programme of deliveries.
29 MARCH 2021 - SESSION A
'Introduction to Chemical Waste Management of Best Practices Workshop'.
Delivered by ISEMI
22 APRIL 2021 - SESSION B
'Transportation of chemical waste.'
Delivered by PHE
26 APRIL 2021 - SESSION C
'Sampling, Identification, classification, labelling and storage of chemical waste.'
Delivered by CRANFIELD UNIVERSITY / PHE
29 APRIL 2021 - SESSION D
'Personal protective equipment and emergency response to chemical waste incidents.'
Delivered by ISEMI
05 MAY 2021 - SESSION E
'Chemical waste treatment and disposal.'
Delivered by CRANFIELD UNIVERSITY
07 MAY 2021 - SESSION F
'Comments to drafted analytical reports.'
Delivered by ISEMI, CRANFIELD UNIVERSITY, PHE
Good Practice Workshop Preparation
12/03/2021
Following project working group meetings and the National Focal Points round table event in October, a series of webinars covering 'Good Practice in Chemical Waste Management' are being planned between March and May 2021. Six sessions are planned where the aim is twofold. Firstly, to stimulate discussions between partner countries on the technical issues relating to chemical waste management and secondly to discuss the technical content of the Analytical Report recently prepared by project consortium specialists.
Communications with partner country experts and National Focal Points indicate that sessions will commence on the 29th March, with the final input delivered on the 7th May 2021. Dates are currently being finalised.
Heading 1
Project Extension Approved
05/02/2021
Following the impact of the global pandemic on our programme of deliveries, the European Commission has approved an extension to this project, recognising the difficulties of operating in teh current climate. The project has been extended till the 22nd February 2022.
Radiological Waste Management Good Practice Workshops
27/11/2020.
Three workshops in a series of five have now been delivered to colleagues from partner countries. Conducted using Zoom and related technologies, the first three sessions have included the themes of decommissioning, national inventory development, characterisation, predisposal management, transportation and physical protection. Remaining sessions will be delivered on the 1st and 3rd of December and cover disposal, radiation monitoring and public relations. Project partners from JAVYS have successfully led these interactive workshops.
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:
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Closing Work Package 1: Equipment Lists; Country Reports; Regional Reports; Previous Project Reports.
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Activity Reports: including Best Practice Reports and Workshop Reports.
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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
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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:
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Present observations and outcomes of the Assessment Phase and how they provide input for the implemenation of Work Packages 2-4.
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Discuss the finalisation of planning and curriculum of technical workshops and training activities.
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Identify activities to enhance regional and inter-disciplinary cooperation.
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Finalise Assessment Reports and equipment lists.
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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
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.
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.
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
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
