On 12 February 2026, a special expert session was held in Brussels at the European Commission to develop an EU strategy for the removal of unexploded ordnance (UXO) as part of the European Ocean Pact.
Unexploded ordnance and dumped munitions on the seabed are not only a matter of safety – they also pose serious environmental, infrastructural, and spatial planning challenges.
During the meeting, Dr. Anita Künitzer from the Umweltbundesamt (partner of the BALTWRECK project) presented the results of the MUNIMAP project, which addresses the legal aspects of managing sea-dumped munitions in the Baltic Sea region.
Launch of the process to develop a common EU strategy confirms that the issue of munitions and hazardous underwater objects is becoming one of the key elements of European maritime policy, also in the context of activities carried out in the Baltic Sea region.
