Innovative joint learning for environmental-friendly behaviour of communities in the Black Sea Basin

Programme 2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-B NEXT Black Sea Basin

Date of latest update: 2026-01-13

Description

Description (EN):

Five organisations in four countries in the Black Sea Basin (Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia and Türkiye) considered the identified needs and challenges in the region and their long-term common objectives regarding environment protection and decided that specific, innovative and efficient solutions and actions are needed to tackle the pressing problem of pollution. The common main idea is that the serious gap between the level of pollution and the mentality and behaviour of the citizens needs to be addressed more consistently and using tools allowing a better understanding of the issues in order to bring the willingness to act and support environmental-friendly behaviour in all segments of the general public. The knowledge, experience and current cooperation of one national environment agency (NEA), one education and training institution (CERONAV), one higher education and research organisation (PRU), one local authority (SM) and one NGO active in the field of environment (BDCA) will be put into practice to jointly develop solutions and implement actions contributing to enhanced protection and preservation of nature and reduced pollution. The national environment authority and the local authority (municipality) will deliver guidelines for setting up a cooperation mechanism, as a solution for the gap between the decision makers and the real communities, including examples of best practices and local initiatives for environment protection and reduced pollution. To change behaviour of citizens, besides proposed initiatives, a series of demonstrations and raising awareness actions will be rolled out by all project partners using innovative (Virtual Reality) training materials as well as customized information materials jointly developed to efficiently reach different levels of the general public (children, youth, adults), professionals and decision makers in the environmental field. To support triggering changes for an enhanced environmental-friendly behaviour an innovative methodology for environment specialists will be jointly developed by project partners to be taken up by advisory boards of local/ regional authorities when they generate local initiatives for reduced pollution. The methodology will be based on the analysis of air and water quality measurements conducted by the consortium to complete the available official data, capitalising on expertise of the partners, the knowledge and lessons learnt and equipment procured in previously EU co-funded projects (Interreg funds) implemented by the project partners. In addition, a network of Environment Information Centres/ EICs will be created as a solution to the lack of an informal educational digital platform in the Black Sea Basin regions. Its database will not only make available all information and materials developed in the project, but will be used to display real-time data collected from sensors placed in different locations in the 4 participating countries. One such physical centre will be located in each partner organisation based on a concept developed in GREEN DANUBE project implemented by two of the partners in the current consortium, and adapted to the real needs in the territories. Equipment will be procured for these centres that will be piloted to host events/ actions for environment protection, including demonstrations of waste collection. The network will be a free of charge solution scaled up by organisations in multiple ways: using the data delivered and the educational materials in for activities with similar objectives, borrowing the innovative drone for cleaning water bodies or using the VR headsets, joining the network or organising other events to raise the awareness of the citizens towards an enhanced protection of nature and reduced pollution in the Black Sea Basin areas and beyond.

Actual Achievements (EN):

During the first four months of project implementation, LEARN4SEA partners focused on creating a solid starting point for further implementation of project activities. Thus, a thorough and comprehensive market research was conducted by all partners with a view to procure foreseen equipment that will be used for: - the set-up of the four Environmental and Information Centers in Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia and Türkiye; - the measurement and monitoring of air quality; - the production of innovative education materials, and; - the roll-out of waste collection campaigns and demonstration actions. At the same time, partners defined detailed plans for the implementation of air and water quality measurements and monitoring in the four countries. Thanks to the transnational cooperation framework in which the LEARN4SEA project is implemented, a broad impact in the Black Sea region and coastal communities is envisaged. Committed to employ a harmonised approach, partners will collect, analyse and use the same type of data regarding air and water quality with a view to jointly develop methodologies and guidelines for practitioners and decision-makers, will create a network of interconnected EICs by means of a modern web-platform, for whose development an IT company had been already contracted, and will develop educational materials that will be shared among the partners for common use. During the second period of project implementation, LEARN4SEA partners continued the work on setting up the four Environmental and Information Centres in Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia and Türkiye, two of them having bought all the necessary equipment, while the responsible partner (BDCA) continued to work on the portal for the network of the centres. For the solutions to be jointly developed (methodology and guidelines), air quality measurements were conducted both with newly procured sensors (real-time data being available) and high-performance mobile equipment already owned by LP (in Romania and Bulgaria). In order to raise awareness of the target groups, two videos (What we leave behind; Easy steps for zero waste) are already in draft form as well as educational materials in diverse formats. Draft plans were made for the demonstration and raising awareness campaigns, including time-frames, the main equipment for the beach cleaning campaigns in Romania and Bulgaria was procured by the concerned partner (SM), and the structure of the guidelines for authorities to establish mechanism for cooperation has been agreed upon by all project partners and a first draft document is already available. During the third period of project implementation, the work on setting up the four Environmental and Information Centres in Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia and Türkiye was continued by the project partners that almost finalized their equipment procurement while the responsible partner (BDCA) continued their efforts to restart the IT activities for developing and establishing the portal for the network of the centres. As basis for the methodology and guidelines to be developed, air quality measurements continued both with installed sensors and mobile equipment (summer campaign in Romania and Bulgaria). Also, regarding water quality, measurements (NEA) and preparations with service provider (BDCA) were conducted. In order to raise awareness of the target groups, two videos were published and significant progress on the rest of the educational materials was made, including those in VR environment. Demonstration and raising awareness campaigns took place in two of the partner countries, while for the other two countries there are clear plans, including time-frames. The guidelines for authorities to establish mechanism for cooperation has an updated version including information from all project partners. A face-to-face partner meeting was organised in Istanbul to which all partner organisations were present, back-to-back with an event for stakeholders. In terms of communication, important steps were made with TV appearances (in Georgia), posts on social media accounts, first e-newsletter translated in all national languages of the partnership and English version of second e-newsletter being sent to approximately 175 stakeholders by LP, promotional materials created by the partners and approved by JS that were distributed during the organised actions and other actions taken by the Project Partners in their countries.

Project outputs: Cooperation of relevant organisations in 4 countries in BSB region to raise awareness & educate citizens to develop environmentally friendly behaviour & strengthen capacities of local administrations(EN)
Pilot action testing newly developed Network of interconnected Environmental Information Centres/ EICs for raised awareness & improved environmental-friendly behaviour of communities in BSB regions(EN)
Pilot action co-organised by NEA and CERONAV to test the innovative methodology for air and water quality assessment in the Black Sea Basin regions(EN)
Network of interconnected Environmental Information Centre/EICs, innovative solution to lack of a platform for smart informal education for enhanced environment protection & reduced pollution in BSB(EN)
Jointly developed innovative methodology for air and water quality assessment in the Black Sea Basin regions(EN)
Pilot action to evaluate the jointly developed guidelines and test the mechanism of cooperation between local authorities and national agencies regulating environment in order to generate initiatives(EN)
Guidelines for authorities to establish mechanism for cooperation to generate initiatives for better protected environment and reduced pollution(EN)
Final conference of the project, public event jointly organised, with stakeholders from at least 3 countries, to strengthen capacities of authorities and generate enhanced protection of environment (EN)

Thematic information

Innovation capacity and awareness-raising Waste and pollution

Priority: (VI-B_BSB_P2) Clean and Green Region

Priority specific objective: RSO2.7. Enhancing protection and preservation of nature, biodiversity and green infrastructure, including in urban areas, and reducing all forms of pollution

Priority policy objective (Interreg specific objective): PO2 A greener, low-carbon transitioning towards a net zero carbon economy and resilient Europe by promoting clean and fair energy transition, green and blue investment, the circular economy, climate change mitigation and adaptation, risk prevention and management, and sustainable urban mobility

Type of intervention: 079 Nature and biodiversity protection, natural heritage and resources, green and blue infrastructure

Partners (5)

Lead Partner: Centrul Român pentru Pregătirea și Perfecționarea Personalului din Transporturi Navale

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 993790027

Partner’s ID if not PIC: RO24153621 | 15566688

Department: N/A

Address: Pescarilor, 900581 Constanta, Romania

Department address: Pescarilor, 900581 Constanța, Romania

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Education/training centre and school

Website: http://www.ceronav.ro

Total budget: EUR 214 556.40

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 193 100.76

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 90.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 21 455.64

Contractors:

Name: ACTIE
VAT registration or tax identification number: 1023620004938
Name: TRIDENT SRL
VAT registration or tax identification number: RO 2360561
Name: LIMANU VERDE SERVICII CURAT
VAT registration or tax identification number: RO 37683905
Name: MERTECOM SRL
VAT registration or tax identification number: RO 18509431
Name: DALGECO CONFECTII TEXTILE
VAT registration or tax identification number: RO 14369408
Name: METRO CASH AND CARRY
VAT registration or tax identification number: RO 8119423
Name: ROUMASPORT
VAT registration or tax identification number: RO 23727785
Name: DANTE INTERNATIONAL SRL
VAT registration or tax identification number: RO 14399840
Name: Warp VR
VAT registration or tax identification number: NL857398301B01
Name: S.C. TRAVEL TIME D&r S.R.L.
VAT registration or tax identification number: 17926970
Name: OMNIASIG
VAT registration or tax identification number: 14360018
Name: INCDDD TULCEA
VAT registration or tax identification number: RO2646378
Name: RANMARINE TECHNOLOGY BV
VAT registration or tax identification number: 864741303B01
Name: LEMINGS SRL
VAT registration or tax identification number: RO12039551
Name: OMNIASIG
VAT registration or tax identification number: 14360018
Name: SC TRAVEL TIME D&R SRL
VAT registration or tax identification number: RO17926970
Name: ALEGNA SERV SRL
VAT registration or tax identification number: RO16819509
Name: FORTE SYSTEMS
VAT registration or tax identification number: RO1884258
Name: RIK SRL
VAT registration or tax identification number: RO1889794
Name: MAGNASCI SRL
VAT registration or tax identification number: RO35268562

Община Шабла

Name: Община Шабла

Department: N/A

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 937357755

Partner’s ID if not PIC: BG000852957

Address: Ravno pole, 9680 Shabla, Bulgaria

Department address: Ravno pole, 9680 Shabla, Bulgaria

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Local public authority

Website: http://www.shabla.bg

Total budget: EUR 148 661.04

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 133 794.93

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 90.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 14 866.11

Contractors:

Name: „DRAGANOVI S-IE“ SD
VAT registration or tax identification number: BG020595769
Name: MARINE CLUB FRIENDS OF THE SEA
VAT registration or tax identification number: 103205612
Name: DOBROGEA
VAT registration or tax identification number: 206567027
Name: CARON LIMEN FOUNDATION
VAT registration or tax identification number: BG206287406

T.C. Piri Reis Universitesi

Name: T.C. Piri Reis Universitesi

Department: Maritime Faculty

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 891582194

Partner’s ID if not PIC: TR7300346482

Address: Eflatun, 34940 Tuzla, Turkey

Department address: Eflatun, 34940 Tuzla, Turkey

Legal status: private

Organisation type: Higher education and research organisations

Website: https://arsiv.pirireis.edu.tr

Total budget: EUR 144 129.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 129 716.10

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 90.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 14 412.90

Contractors:

Name: GEGİ Bilgi Teknolojileri A.Ş.
VAT registration or tax identification number: 3901008392
Name: Selahattin Özge ÖZTÜRK
VAT registration or tax identification number: 48364689738
Name: Magnasci
VAT registration or tax identification number: R035268562
Name: Maris Deniz Çevre Ltd.Şti.
VAT registration or tax identification number: 612068767
Name: Yıldırım Ticaret
VAT registration or tax identification number: 26548055982
Name: Akarlar
VAT registration or tax identification number: 48016312656
Name: Nicomedia
VAT registration or tax identification number: 6311967302
Name: Mimoza Pasta Kafe
VAT registration or tax identification number: 6211081940
Name: Lenza Balık restoran
VAT registration or tax identification number: 6081476065
Name: BCC Catering
VAT registration or tax identification number: 1600671247
Name: Girişimpark Bilişim Hiz.San.
VAT registration or tax identification number: 3960751134
Name: MNS Tek. İç ve Dış Tic.Ltd.Şti
VAT registration or tax identification number: 6221710779
Name: Revova Proje Bilişim A.Ş.
VAT registration or tax identification number: 7342787352
Name: Arcadia Bilişim
VAT registration or tax identification number: 0730801364

სსიპ - გარემოს ეროვნული სააგენტო

Name: სსიპ - გარემოს ეროვნული სააგენტო

Department: Department of Environmental Pollution Monitoring

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 971994127

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 204559691

Address: Davit Aghmashenebeli Avenue , 0112 Tbilisi, Georgia

Department address: Davit Aghmashenebeli Avenue , 0112 Tbilisi, Georgia

Legal status: public

Organisation type: National public authority

Website: http://www.nea.gov.ge

Total budget: EUR 158 188.80

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 142 369.92

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 90.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 15 818.88

Contractors:

Name: Ind. Entre. "NANA GORGILADZE"
VAT registration or tax identification number: 61001078386
Name: LTD „MAGNASCI SRL ROMANIA“
VAT registration or tax identification number: RO35268562
Name: LTD "kk GROUP"
VAT registration or tax identification number: 205264462
Name: LTD "Outmedia"
VAT registration or tax identification number: 405131753
Name: LTD "kerkheri"
VAT registration or tax identification number: 404488826
Name: LTD "BHC"
VAT registration or tax identification number: 404650383
Name: LTD „Made To Make
VAT registration or tax identification number: 404954377
Name: LTD "MALIBO GROUP"
VAT registration or tax identification number: 415603788
Name: LTD "MID"
VAT registration or tax identification number: 402042829
Name: LTD Poseidoni"
VAT registration or tax identification number: 445404250
Name: LTD "PKF Georgia“
VAT registration or tax identification number: 205198212
Name: LTD "ALLGOODCATERING"
VAT registration or tax identification number: 404635114
Name: LTD COPTER TECH
VAT registration or tax identification number: 404538096
Name: LTD "MKS"
VAT registration or tax identification number: 415109518

Асоциацията за изследване и развитие на Черноморското крайбрежие и р. Дунав

Name: Асоциацията за изследване и развитие на Черноморското крайбрежие и р. Дунав

Department: N/A

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 996239471

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 175629182

Address: William Froude, High-Tech Incubator Building, 9003 Varna, Bulgaria

Department address: High-Tech Business Incubator Building, Asparuhovo, 9003 Varna, Bulgaria

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Interest groups including NGOs

Website: http://www.bdcabg.org

Total budget: EUR 158 445.60

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 142 601.04

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 90.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 15 844.56

Contractors:

Name: MUK Bulgaria LTD
VAT registration or tax identification number: Tax ID: 202496796
Name: PROTEMA ltd
VAT registration or tax identification number: BG200183977
Name: International Black Sea Club
VAT registration or tax identification number: Tax ID: 203985570
Name: SGS Bulgaria Ltd.
VAT registration or tax identification number: BG000653802
Name: MUK Bulgaria Ltd
VAT registration or tax identification number: 202496796
Name: Fimera Contract EOOD
VAT registration or tax identification number: 201952389
Name: Reveri OOD
VAT registration or tax identification number: 202461628
Name: Ardes Ltd
VAT registration or tax identification number: BG103857070
Name: Kontrax Varna Ltd
VAT registration or tax identification number: BG813147816
Name: KCUR Geopont Intercom Ltd
VAT registration or tax identification number: BG103113933
Name: Mariya Veselinova Zlateva
VAT registration or tax identification number: 7808110990

Partners map

Partners and Projects info

Shabla Municipality

Innovative joint learning for environmental-friendly behaviour of communities in the Black Sea Basin

Partners and Projects info

Piri Reis University

Innovative joint learning for environmental-friendly behaviour of communities in the Black Sea Basin

Partners and Projects info

LEPL – National Environmental Agency

Innovative joint learning for environmental-friendly behaviour of communities in the Black Sea Basin

Partners and Projects info

Black Sea - Danube Association of Research and Development

Innovative joint learning for environmental-friendly behaviour of communities in the Black Sea Basin

Partners and Projects info

Centrul Roman pentru Pregatirea si Perfectionarea Personalului din Transporturi Navale

Innovative joint learning for environmental-friendly behaviour of communities in the Black Sea Basin

Lead partner

Project partner

Summary

Project name (EN): Innovative joint learning for environmental-friendly behaviour of communities in the Black Sea Basin

Project acronym: LEARN4SEA

Project ID: BSB00008

Project start date: 2024-06-26

Project end date: 2026-08-25

Project status: ongoing

Relevant linked projects:

Measures and solutions aiming at reducing forms of pollution to protect ecosystems – GreenEYE - project proposal (EN) | The general objective of the project proposal is to develop and implement joint actions and campaigns to raise the awareness of the population regarding the protection of ecosystems in BSB and reducing all forms of pollution.
Targeting the problem of reducing pollution at different educational levels, CERONAV decided to address SO7 on both calls launched by NEXT BSB Programme, applying as Lead Partner both to small scale and to regular projects and clearly planning since the beginning all the activities of each project so as not to overlap during implementation, but complement each other. Therefore, the actions and awareness-raising campaigns aimed at children and youth in particular, but not limited to them, organized in the GreenEye small-scale project proposal will be complemented by the LEARN4SEA regular project proposal that goes further and develops and puts into practice the concept of a network of Environmental Information Centres, demonstration and awareness campaigns as well as a set of measures intended for local administrations to reduce the gap between the policies, the local/regional administrations promoting and enforcing the policies and the communities, with the ultimate goal to bring changes in the behaviour of the citizens to be more environmental-friendly and act to reduce pollution in the BSB regions. (EN), Regenarating ECOsystems with Nature-based solutions for hydro-meteorological risk rEduCTion - RECONECT (Horizon 2020 Project ID: 776866) (EN) | The project aims to rapidly enhance the European reference framework on Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) for hydro-meteorological risk reduction by demonstrating, referencing, upscaling and exploiting large-scale NBS in rural and natural areas.
Based on the experience of BDCA as partner in RECONECT consortium, current project partners will take into account the NBS’s framework which integrates among others activities the monitoring and evaluation based on sensors findings and will jointly develop an efficient scheme for deploying the sensors in order to achieve accurate information that will be received and displayed in the web platform on EIC network. (EN)

Total budget/expenditure: EUR 823 980.84

Total EU funding (amount): EUR 741 582.75

Total EU funding (co-financing rate): 90.00%

Co-financing sources:

Investments, deliverables, policy contributions

(bullets are inserted automatically and may be incorrectly placed)

Contribution to wider strategies and policies:

SeaBasinStrategyBlackSea Considering that the priorities and actions of the Interreg NEXT BSB Programme were developed based on the objectives identified by CMA, LEARN4SEA proposes by approaching SO7, Policy Objective 2, sustainable solutions that contribute to the environment protection and implicitly to the first of the CMA goals, “Healthy marine ecosystems” aiming the marine pollution and plastic litter and the use of innovative technologies.
The development of EICs, the organization of demonstration campaigns on air and water pollution, training and raising awareness campaigns on the problems of environment as well as the development of the Mechanism for generating initiatives intended for local administrations will contribute to raising awareness and educating the communities towards an environmentally friendly behaviour and a resilient Black Sea Basin to the polluting factors that constantly affect, despite the sustained efforts of the authorities, the water and air in the region.
According to CMA, climate change and human activities have a direct impact on the marine and coastal ecosystem, therefore the project tackles one of the main current challenges, that of protecting the environment and ensuring sustainable solutions for the future generations, starting from the first link of this chain, the citizens. Respecting the environment and the people around, the community has the power to change the present behavioural mistakes and jointly switch towards responsibility and engagement for creating and maintaining a harmony between ecology and technology.
EUStrategyDanubeRegion Link of the LEARN4SEA project with the EU Strategy for the Danube Region derives first and foremost from the partner countries (Bulgaria and Romania) belonging to the Danube Region area. A second link between the project proposal and the EU Strategy for the Danube Region is also self-evident: the challenge the Danube region is faced with, in restoring and maintaining the air and water quality affected among others by human activities is an equally important provocation for the Black Sea countries with the Danube River flowing into the Black Sea.
The set of activities implemented in LEARN4SEA project aiming at raise awareness and educate the population to develop environmentally friendly behaviour in the Black Sea Basin regions will help to restore and maintain water and air quality and preserve biodiversity in the Danube region countries thus contributing to reaching both EUSDR Water Quality Priority Area (PA4) and EUSDR Biodiversity, Landscapes and Air & Soil Quality Priority Area (PA6), Target 6 “To decrease air pollution in the Danube Region”.
Last but not least, project outputs jointly developed with national and European environmental regulatory and implementing bodies (Mechanism for generating initiatives on environmental protection/to reduce air and water pollution to be enforced by the local administrations, the database with coastal air pollution measurement findings and information on the amount of floating pollutants removed from the marine surface by the autonomous drones, as well as the tangible outputs, the Environmental Information Centres, the web platform and the methodology will support EUSDR PA 10 Target 2, Action 2: “To facilitate the administrative cooperation of communities living in border regions” by supply of recommendations, access to information and data sharing and cooperation patterns leading to better performance and increased institutional capacity thereof.

Programme Common Output Indicator:

RCO 084 - Pilot actions developed jointly and implemented in projects, Measurement unit:
RCO 116 - Jointly developed solutions, Measurement unit:
RCO 087 - Organisations cooperating across borders, Measurement unit:
RCO 115 - Public events across borders jointly organised, Measurement unit:

Delivered output indicator(s):

(RCO87) Organisations cooperating across borders: 5.0

Programme Common Result Indicator:

RCR 084 - Organisations cooperating across borders after project completion, Measurement unit:
RCR 104 - Solutions taken up or up-scaled by organisations, Measurement unit:

Project part of European Union Macro-Regional or Sea Basin Strategy: EUSDR

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

Financing programme

2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-B NEXT Black Sea Basin

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

2026-01-13

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

67 / 67 (100%)

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

296 / 296 (100%)

Notes on the data

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Innovative joint learning for environmental-friendly behaviour of communities in the Black Sea Basin

Description

Thematic information

Partners (5)

Partners map

Summary

Investments, deliverables, policy contributions

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

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