Litter Free Rivers and Streams

Programme 2014 - 2020 INTERREG V-A Belgium - Germany - The Netherlands Euregio Meuse-Rhin / Euregio Maas-Rijn / Euregio Maas-Rhein

Date of latest update: 2023-03-07

Description

Description (EN):

One important aim of the EMR is to develop a healthy and appealing environment in which to live, work and spend leisure time. Tourism is a significant economic driver for the region. Every year, our rivers carry 8 million tonnes of plastic waste into the open sea. This enormous quantity of plastic litter causes serious damage to the environment and poses a danger to public health, the living environment, shipping and the landscape, resulting unattractive surroundings. Because rivers are the transport medium for plastic litter, a cross-border approach is absolutely essential. There is no relevant EU legislation; every country and region has its own strategy. Finding a solution depends on taking a comprehensive, cross-border approach: stop plastic being carried by rivers and clean up what is floating in the sea. LIVES is about stopping rivers carrying plastic and creating a sustainable situation. The purpose of LIVES is to organise a coordinated, cross-border approach to reducing plastic litter in the Meuse basin. The project consists of a broad alliance between regional authorities and stakeholders, including universities, NGOs, private and non-profit organisations, and the trade representative association in the plastics industry. Volunteers are also involved and play an important role in tackling the problem as project ambassadors. The project will unfold in three phases: 1 Survey: understanding the spread of plastic litter in the EMR rivers region by collecting and analysing data from the entire Euregion and by means of dedicated cross-border monitoring. 2 Measures: developing various types of innovative littler capture techniques and testing them at different locations in the EMR basin. Developing innovative measures for the prevention, transport and recycling of plastic litter. 3 Institutional arrangements: institutionalising the approach as it is developed: cross-border awareness-raising campaigns/communication (businesses, the public, authorities), coordinated efforts to influence policy (national and international); developing an adaption policy and administrative agreements. This approach will generate long-term engagement, commitment and support and lead to practical instruments and solutions focused on awareness-raising, management strategies and influencing policymaking at all levels of government (from local, regional and national to European) via Political Expert Forums. (see organisation scheme in attachment).

Description (DE):

Eine bedeutende Zielsetzung der EMR ist die Entwicklung einer gesunden und attraktiven Umgebung, in der man gut leben, arbeiten und sich erholen kann. Tourismus ist ein wichtiger Wirtschaftsmotor für die Region. Jährlich gelangen 8 Millionen Tonnen Plastikmüll durch Flüsse ins offene Meer. Diese enorme Menge Plastikmüll beeinträchtigt die Umwelt in hohem Maße, mit Gefahr für die allgemeine Gesundheit, Umwelt, Schifffahrt und Landschaft, und führt dazu, dass die Umwelt unattraktiv wird. Plastikmüll wird von den Flüssen mitgeführt, sodass ein grenzüberschreitender Ansatz absolut unerlässlich ist. Es fehlt eine entsprechende EU-Gesetzgebung; jedes Land und jede Region geht nach einem eigenen Konzept vor. Die Lösung erfordert ein integrales, grenzüberschreitendes Vorgehen: Die Zuführung durch die Flüsse sollte beendet und der Treibmüll im Meer beseitigt werden. Das Projekt LIVES ist darauf ausgerichtet, die Zuführung von Plastikmüll zu beenden und eine nachhaltige Situation zu schaffen. LIVES zielt auf ein koordiniertes, grenzüberschreitendes Vorgehen zur Verringerung von Treibmüll im Einzugsgebiet der Maas ab (50% weniger Abfall an den Ufern des Projektgebiets aufgrund verbesserter Kooperation und institutioneller Vereinbarungen zwischen den Behörden in der EMR). Das Projekt besteht aus einer breiten Arbeitsgemeinschaft regionaler Behörden mit den Interessengruppen, wie u. a. Universitäten, nichtstaatlichen Organisationen, privaten und gemeinnützigen Organisationen sowie dem Branchenverband für die Kunststoffindustrie. Zudem werden Ehrenamtliche in das Projekt einbezogen; sie haben schließlich eine bedeutende Rolle als Botschafter bei der Problemlösung. Das Projekt gliedert sich in drei Phasen: 1 Bestandsaufnahme: Man gewinnt zunächst einen Einblick in die Grösse, Natur und Verteilung des Treibmülls im Flussgebiet der EMR durch Sammlung und Analyse von Daten aus der gesamten Euregio sowie gezieltes grenzüberschreitendes Monitoring. Anbindung an bestehende Wissensplattformen. Daten werden in einer öffentlichen zentralen Datenbank gespeichert. 2 Maßnahmen: Entwicklung innovativer Treibmüllabfangtechniken unterschiedlicher Art und deren Erprobung an verschiedenen Standorten im Einzugsgebiet der EMR. Entwicklung innovativer Maßnahmen im Bereich der Prävention, des Transports und Recyclings von Plastikmüll. Auch hier werden Prototypen auf der Basis von Best Existing Techniques entwickelt und für den Einsatz in der Maas und den Nebenflüssen weiterentwickelt und maßgeschneidert. 3 Institutionelle Arrangements: Institutionalisierung des entwickelten Konzepts, z. B. durch grenzüberschreitende Kampagnen zur Bewusstseinsschaffung/Kommunikation (Unternehmen, Bürger, Behörden), koordinierte Beeinflussung der Politik (national und international), die Entwicklung einer Adaptationspolitik und amtliche Vereinbarungen. Damit werden auf nachhaltige Weise Mitwirkung, Engagement und Unterstützung generiert und praktische Instrumente und Lösungen entwickelt, die auf Bewusstseinsschaffung, Bewirtschaftungsstrategien und Beeinflussung der Politik auf allen Amtsebenen (von der lokalen, regionalen und nationalen Ebene bis zur EU-Ebene) abzielen mittels Politieke Expert Forums (sehe das Organisationsplan im Anlagen), wo es mit Stakeholdern wie dem IMC und der EG verbunden ist.

Description (FR):

Un objectif important de l’EMR vise le développement d’un environnement sain et attrayant en termes d’habitat, de travail et de loisirs. Le tourisme est un moteur économique essentiel pour la région. Chaque année, 8 millions de tonnes de déchets plastiques, charriés par les fleuves, se déversent dans la mer. Cette quantité énorme de déchets sauvages en plastique porte gravement atteinte à notre cadre de vie, met en danger la santé publique, l’environnement et la navigation, et enlaidit les paysages. Les déchets sauvages se déplacent par le biais des fleuves et rivières et nécessitent une approche transfrontalière. Faute d’une réglementation européenne, chaque pays et région applique ses propres solutions. Pour résoudre cette problématique, une approche transfrontalière globale est indispensable : suppression de l’apport par les rivières et enlèvement des déchets flottant dans les mers. Le projet LIVES se concentre sur la suppression de l’apport de déchets pour créer une situation durable. LIVES a pour objectif la mise en place d’une approche transfrontalière coordonnée afin de réduire les déchets sauvages dans le bassin hydrographique de la Meuse. Le projet se compose d’un vaste partenariat associant les pouvoirs publics régionaux et les parties prenantes, notamment des universités, des ONG, des organisations privées et sans but lucratif, ainsi que l’association professionnelle de l’industrie du plastique. Il réunit également des bénévoles, car ces derniers jouent un rôle primordial en tant qu’ambassadeurs dans l’approche de ce problème. Le projet comporte trois phases : 1 Inventaire : obtention d’un bon aperçu de la dissémination des déchets sauvages dans la zone des cours d’eau de l’EMR par la collecte et l’analyse des données de l’ensemble du territoire de l’Euregio, et par une surveillance transfrontalière ciblée. 2 Mesures : développement de divers types de techniques innovantes de captage des déchets sauvages et leur mise à l’essai sur différents sites dans le bassin hydrographique de l’EMR. Développement de mesures novatrices en matière de prévention, de transport et de recyclage des déchets sauvages en plastique. 3 Dispositions institutionnelles : institutionnalisation de l’approche développée, par exemple : communication/campagnes de sensibilisation au niveau transfrontalier (entreprises, citoyens, pouvoirs publics), influence politique coordonnée (à l’échelle nationale et internationale) ; développement d’une politique d’adaptation et accords administratifs. Il sera ainsi possible de créer une base durable en termes de soutien, de participation et d’implication, et de développer des outils et solutions pratiques, orientés sur la sensibilisation, les stratégies de gestion et l’influence politique à plus les niveaux des pouvoirs publics (locaux, régionaux, nationaux et européens) via Forums d´Expert Politiques (voir calendrier organisationnel dans l´attachment).

Achievements (EN):

The wide-spread and ever-growing use of plastic in our daily lives confronts us with many challenges. One of the biggest challenges we face is how to deal with plastic that ends up as litter in and around our rivers, where it stays in the sediment or from where it floats into the seas and oceans. Between 2018 and the start of 2022 the Litter Free Rivers and Streams (LIVES) project brought together 10 water and waste management organizations, knowledge institutions and NGOs from Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany to address the timely issue of plastic pollution in the Meuse River basin. In order to get an overview of the presence and distribution of plastic litter in the river and on the riverbanks, LIVES laid a basis for a standardized litter monitoring system. Based on uniform measurement techniques and protocols, the outcome was a start for, amongst other things, an open access data system, cross-border data sets and hot spot map. In order to get waste out of the Meuse basin, LIVES focused on two areas. Firstly, concerning litter traps, a total of 21 were installed and/or tested, including a tree trunk, floating barriers, dirt socks, trash rack cleaners, screens at water mills & weirs. In-depth research was executed on potential litter removal systems and existing litter traps for future reference. Secondly, cleanup actions were organized along the banks of the Meuse and some of its tributaries in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, bringing together more than ten thousand people to collect over 260 ton of waste. The question of how to prevent waste from getting into the river water, is another important issue LIVES wanted to address. In terms of enforcement, LIVES put forward an integral approach, which combines interventions in infrastructure, environment, communication and enforcement, the latter being used as a matter of last resort. Education and awareness raising consisted of a series of strategies, including, for example, direct communication on site, (social) media and press campaigns and the educational and involvement of civil society organizations, high schools and universities. The cross-border cooperation in the LIVES project translated into two agreements, for short and long term: The Meuse Clean-Up and the Clean Meuse Joint Statement. The former strives towards participation of thousands of volunteers & employees of (associated) partner associations in annual clean-up activities along the banks of the Meuse. The latter offers future pathways for the exchange of knowledge, information and good practices, on a range of key issues concerning riverine litter. A key facilitator is the use of a Political Expert Fora, which brought together partners and a variety of other stakeholder, and which made room for knowledge exchange, offered a podium for discussions between politicians, experts and other stakeholders, leading to series of suggestions and practical solutions. The exchanges in PEF helped us to develop a series of suggestions on a European, national, regional and local level. Some of these suggestions link the plastic river litter problem to the EU Water Framework Directive and they include clearness of responsibilities, ways to enhance awareness, limiting the use of (non-degradable) plastics and the stimulation of recycling within product chains.

Website: http://www.interregemr.eu/

Expected Results (EN): RI7 Percentage cross-border commuters

Expected Outputs (EN):

This project aims at better cooperation between water managers and authorities across regional, national and administrative boundaries, so that the same policy is developed within the Meuse basin and its cross-border tributaries. As a result of improved and progressive cross-border cooperation between governments, businesses and citizens in the regions concerned, cross-border traffic between the various cooperating authorities and stakeholders will increase significantly.

Expected Outputs (DE):

Dieses Projekt zielt auf die bessere Zusammenarbeit zwischen Wasserwirtschaftsbehörden und Regierungen bzw. Verwaltungen über regionale, nationale und Verwaltungsgrenzen hinweg; so wird im Einzugsgebiet der Maas und ihrer grenzüberschreitende Zuflüsse die gleiche Politik entwickelt. Durch verbesserte und weitergehende, umfassende grenzüberschreitende Zusammenarbeit zwischen den Behörden, Unternehmen und Bürger in den betroffenen Regionen wird der grenzüberschreitenden Verkehr zwischen den verschiedenen kooperierenden Behörden und Interessengruppen stark zunhemen.

Expected Outputs (FR):

Ce projet vise à améliorer la coopération entre les gestionnaires de l’eau et les pouvoirs publics par-delà les frontières administratives régionales et nationales; cette même politique est en cours d'élaboration dans le bassin versant de la Meuse et de ses affluents croix. Amélioration et plus étendue de la coopération internationale entre les gouvernements, les entreprises et les citoyens à la circulation transfrontalière sera entre les différents gouvernements coopérants et les parties prenantes à augmenter de manière significative dans les régions concernées

Thematic information

Waste and pollution

Specific Objective: Decrease border hindrance effects for residents and institutions

Thematic Objective:

(11) enhancing institutional capacity of public authorities and stakeholders and efficient public administration through actions to strengthen the institutional capacity and the efficiency of public administrations and public services related to the implementation of the ERDF, and in support of actions under the ESF to strengthen the institutional capacity and the efficiency of public administration.

Investment Priority: (11 ETC) ETC specific, for cross-border cooperation: enhancing institutional capacity of public authorities and stakeholders and efficient public administration by promoting legal and administrative cooperation and cooperation between citizens and institutions

Partners (10)

Lead Partner: Provincie Limburg

Department: Department of Water and Nature Management

Address: PO Box 5700, 6202 MA Maastricht, Netherlands

Legal status: public

Website: http://www.limburg.nl

Total budget: EUR 289 302.90

ERDF budget: EUR 144 651.45

De Vlaamse Waterweg nv

Name: De Vlaamse Waterweg nv

Department: department of water way management

Address: Havenstraat 44, 3500 Hasselt, Belgium

Legal status: public

Website: http://www.vlaamsewaterweg.be

Total budget: EUR 145 903.59

ERDF budget: EUR 72 951.80

Rijkswaterstaat -Ministerie van Infrastructuur en Waterstaat

Name: Rijkswaterstaat -Ministerie van Infrastructuur en Waterstaat

Department: Rijkswaterstaat Southern Netherlands

Address: Postbus 25, 6200 AA Maastricht, Netherlands

Legal status: public

Website: http://www.rijkswaterstaat.nl

Total budget: EUR 247 434.67

ERDF budget: EUR 123 717.34

Waterschap Limburg

Name: Waterschap Limburg

Department: Policy and Programming

Address: Maria Theresialaan 99, 6043 CX Roermond, Netherlands

Legal status: public

Website: http://www.waterschaplimburg.nl

Total budget: EUR 180 290.10

ERDF budget: EUR 90 145.05

Wasserverband Eifel-Rur

Name: Wasserverband Eifel-Rur

Department: Division IV - Surface Waters

Address: Eisenbahnstrasse 5, 52353 Düren, Germany

Legal status: public

Website: http://www.wver.de

Total budget: EUR 221 258.14

ERDF budget: EUR 110 629.07

Hogeschool ZUYD

Name: Hogeschool ZUYD

Department: Beta (Built Environment, Technology and Applied Science)

Address: Nieuw Eijckholt 300, 6419 DJ Heerlen, Netherlands

Legal status: public

Website: http://www.zuyd.nl

Total budget: EUR 33 267.81

ERDF budget: EUR 16 633.91

RWTH Aachen

Name: RWTH Aachen

Department: Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and Water Resources Management

Address: Mies-van-der-Rohe-Str. 17, 52056 Aachen, Germany

Legal status: public

Website: http://www.iww.rwth-aachen.de

Total budget: EUR 33 267.81

ERDF budget: EUR 16 633.90

Openbare Vlaamse Afvalstoffenmaatschappij (OVAM)

Name: Openbare Vlaamse Afvalstoffenmaatschappij (OVAM)

Department: Department of Waste and Materials Management Unit Chain Management and Industry

Address: Stationsstraat 110, 2800 Mechelen, Belgium

Legal status: public

Website: http://www.ovam.be

Total budget: EUR 85 316.11

ERDF budget: EUR 42 658.06

Vlaamse Milieumaatschappij

Name: Vlaamse Milieumaatschappij

Department: Department Operational Water Management Department Air; Environment and Communication - Unit International Environmental Policy - Team International Cooperation

Address: Dokter De Moorstraat 24-36, 9300 Aalst, Belgium

Legal status: public

Website: http://www.vmm.be

Total budget: EUR 201 305.91

ERDF budget: EUR 100 652.96

Open Universiteit

Name: Open Universiteit

Department: Faculty of Management, Science & Technology, Department of Science

Address: Valkenburgerweg 177 177, 6419 AT Heerlen, Netherlands

Legal status: public

Website: http://www.ou.nl

Total budget: EUR 33 267.81

ERDF budget: EUR 16 633.91

Partners map

Partners and Projects info

Flemish waterway manager

Litter Free Rivers and Streams

Partners and Projects info

Rijkswaterstaat - Ministry of Infrastructure and water

Litter Free Rivers and Streams

Partners and Projects info

Limburg Water Board

Litter Free Rivers and Streams

Partners and Projects info

Water Board Eifel-Rur

Litter Free Rivers and Streams

Partners and Projects info

ZUYD University

Litter Free Rivers and Streams

Partners and Projects info

RWTH Aachen

Litter Free Rivers and Streams

Partners and Projects info

Openbare Vlaamse Afvalstoffenmaatschappij (OVAM)

Litter Free Rivers and Streams

Partners and Projects info

Vlaamse Milieumaatschappij

Litter Free Rivers and Streams

Partners and Projects info

Open Universiteit

Litter Free Rivers and Streams

Partners and Projects info

Province of Limburg

Litter Free Rivers and Streams

Lead partner

Project partner

Summary

Project name (EN): Litter Free Rivers and Streams

Project acronym: LIVES

Project start date: 2018-08-01

Project end date: 2022-01-31

Project status: closed

Total budget/expenditure: EUR 1 470 614.90

Total EU funding (amount): EUR 735 307.45

Co-financing sources:

ERDF: Amount, EUR 735 307.45.

Documents

Documents on this project are listed below, and organised by category. Please note field "Data source", attached to each document. Keep.eu users are free to use these documents as long as they mention the data source and keep.eu.

Videos / films

The plastic free challenge for the river Meuse

Attachment type: link

Type of document: Video / film

Data source: http://www.interregemr.eu/

Publication date: 2023-10-04

Document date: 2021-03-26

Languages: nl

Impuls De Vlaamse Waterweg LIVES seminar

Attachment type: link

Type of document: Video / film

Data source: http://www.interregemr.eu/

Publication date: 2023-10-04

Document date: 2022-01-31

Languages: en

Reports

Synthesis Report LIVES Workpackage 1: Inventory & Data Sharing

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: http://www.interregemr.eu/

Publication date: 2023-10-04

Document date: 2022-01-31

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Report STORMsession River Litter

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: http://www.interregemr.eu/

Publication date: 2023-10-04

Document date: 2020-09-17

Languages: en, nl

Attachment file: Download

Overview of known plastic hotspots in the catchment

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: http://www.interregemr.eu/

Publication date: 2023-10-04

Document date: 2021-12-23

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Final Report LIVES Open Access Data System - LOADS

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: http://www.interregemr.eu/

Publication date: 2023-10-04

Document date: 2021-12-23

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Review on best practices for monitoring of plastic pollution in the catchment area of the Meuse and how to build a cross-border dataset

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: http://www.interregemr.eu/

Publication date: 2023-10-04

Document date: 2021-12-31

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Final Report Monitoring of plastics in the Meuse

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: http://www.interregemr.eu/

Publication date: 2023-10-04

Document date: 2021-12-23

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

LIVES WP1 Monitoring strategy 2022-2027

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: http://www.interregemr.eu/

Publication date: 2023-10-04

Document date: 2022-02-13

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Benchmarking of litter removal systems in a cross-border pilot

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: http://www.interregemr.eu/

Publication date: 2023-10-04

Document date: 2021-12-31

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Rapportage Schone Maas 2020-2021

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: http://www.interregemr.eu/

Publication date: 2023-10-04

Document date: 2022-01-31

Languages: nl

Attachment file: Download

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

Financing programme

2014 - 2020 INTERREG V-A Belgium - Germany - The Netherlands Euregio Meuse-Rhin / Euregio Maas-Rijn / Euregio Maas-Rhein

Last month that data in keep.eu was retrieved from the Programme's website or received from the Programme

2024-02-28

No. of projects in keep.eu / Total no. of projects (% of projects in keep.eu)

65 / 65 (100%)

No. of project partnerships in keep.eu / Total no. of project partnerships (% of project partnerships in keep.eu)

500 / 514 (97.28%)

Notes on the data

Information provided by the Programme. Data of two projects (EMfloodResilience and MARHETAK) was retrieved by Interact from the programme´s website on the 2024-02-28. Regarding partners only data only main partners is available. Achievements were retrieved by Interact from the Programme website (http://www.interregemr.eu/), or a website directly linked from it, on 2021-11-04, 2023-01-10 and 2024-03-07. Fields project name (from 14 projects) translated from French, German, and Dutch into English using the European Commission's eTranslation machine translation service.

The projects which fields include an eTranslation English text are the ones with the following acronyms: EMRLingua, EMRWINE, euPrevent SNA, euPrevent-SFC, FUNFORLAB, GAR 4.0, GYM-Generate Your Muscle, Healthy Aging, i2-CoRT, IDZ-UDZ, MOBI, RANDO-M, Terra Mosana and Wohnmonitor EMR.

The financial data featured in keep.eu for this programme, it's projects and its partners is not exact and should be taken as a reference only.

Languages

Contact Form

Litter Free Rivers and Streams

Description

Thematic information

Partners (10)

Partners map

Summary

Documents

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

Disclaimer