Project EMCO addresses the hot issue of so-called “emerging” or “new” contaminants whose emission has recently emerged as an environmental problem. Inadequate waste management is a significant ecological problem in B&H, Croatia and State Union of Serbia and Montenegro.
The project focused on the tracing of the contaminants in industrial and municipal effluents and removal by advanced water treatment. Emphasis was given on the application of small units for on-site treatment of industrial and municipal effluents with the objective to reduce environmental and health risks through an improvement of the quality of receiving surface waters.

Current process of political, social and economic changes in the countries of the South-Eastern Europe, catalysed by accession process to the EU, is a promising basis for the introduction of systemic measures in accordance with environmental acquis. Despite growing potential for private initiative in the environmental sector, priority measures and activities require an active participation of governmental institutions and close cooperation of relevant authorities as well as a strong involvement of internationally supported actions.

In the frame of the project two comprehensive sampling campaigns to measure the occurrence of emerging contaminants in wastewater were performed in Croatia (16 locations), one in Bosnia and Herzegovina (6 locations) and Serbia (7 locations).

Within WP1 of the project an attempt was made to compare water resources, current status of water supply, water quality as well as wastewater management in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and State Union of Serbia and Montenegro.
A joint paper was delivered titled “Water resources and waste water management in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and State union of Serbia and Montenegro, which is published in Water Policy.

Furthermore two workshops were organized in the region, dealing with the problem of contaminants:

1st EMCO workshop entitled "Analysis and removal of contaminants from wastewaters for the implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD)" was organized in Dubrovnik, Croatia on October 20-21, 2005.

2nd EMCO workshop entitled "Emerging contaminants in wastewaters: Monitoring tools and treatment technologies" was organized in Belgrade, Serbia on April 26-27, 2007.

For more detailed information on the project please visit the project website: www.cid.csic.es/emco/home.htm, or see the attached final activity report!